Junior Achievement taps startup leaders as Hall of Fame inductees, KC Innovator winner
July 26, 2021 | Startland News Staff
The newest inductees to Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City’s Business Hall of Fame play an important role in building the metro’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship, creativity, and cooperation, said Leroy McCarty.
“Our 2021 Laureates exemplify the collaborative spirit that elevates Kansas City in the world of business, philanthropy, and civic engagement,” said Leroy McCarty, chairman of the Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City board and vice president of operations at Fidelity Security Life Insurance Company. “Our honorees value teamwork, both internally and externally, and inspire young people to envision their own role in the future of our community.”
Among the new inductees from three top Kansas City companies:
- DEG — Neal Sharma, co-founder, CEO; Dale Hazlett, co-founder, CFO; Jasvindarjit Singh, CTO; Jeff Eden, Chief Growth Officer; and Sky Morey, Chief Software Architect
- Mark One Electric — Rosana Privitera Biondo, president; Carl Privitera II, vice president; Joe Privitera, vice president; and Tony Privitera, vice president
- PayIt — John Thomson, co-founder, CEO
Click here to read more about the 2021 Hall of Fame laureates.
The honorees and their organizations are set to be recognized Nov. 9 at the annual Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame reception at the new Junior Achievement Youth Learning Lab Kansas City, Kansas.
Privitera
Since 2000, the Hall of Fame event has recognized the achievements of local business leaders from Ewing Marion Kauffman, Barnett and Shirley Helzberg, and Henry Bloch to Gary Fish, Sandy and Christine Kemper, Peter Mallouk and Davyeon Ross.
Click here to read about the 2020 inductees.
Thalia Cherry, Cherry
In addition to the Hall of Fame laureates, Junior Achievement also plans to honor Thalia Cherry, founder and CEO of sports and fashion apparel company Cherry Co., with the KC Innovator Award.
KC Innovators are recognized for positively disrupting their industries, creating jobs and opportunities, and applying innovation to solve critical social and economic problems, Junior Achievement said.
Cherry prides itself on community engagement, according to the organization. The company has donated more than $500,000 and sponsored 100-plus community events since opening in 2012. Through Cherry, its founder strives to create a clothing brand that exemplifies sports, fashion, fun, and celebrates the greatness in women.
Click here to learn more about Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City, which empowers the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers by connecting young people to mentors and learning opportunities which teach financial decision-making skills, inspire entrepreneurial thinking, and prepare them for 21st century careers.
Featured Business
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Thai Orchid opens Northland location with homey street food set to wow its new neighbors
Even though the new Thai Orchid restaurant in Kansas City’s Northland proudly pays homage to the Rojjanasrirat family’s culinary legacy in Mission, its second-generation owner wants to shock the taste buds of diners who are unfamiliar with the business’ story. “I want the reaction of the people who try our food to be, ‘Wow! That’s…
C2FO accesses $30M investment with World Bank-backed IFC to expand KC firm’s working capital platform
A just-announced capital infusion for Leawood-built C2FO reflects a shared commitment with global partners to boosting jobs and strengthening economic opportunities — notably for micro, small and medium enterprises in emerging markets worldwide. The $30 million funding round features investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and existing…
Park capping I-670 gets an official name: South Loop project to honor longtime Republican bridge-builder
Kansas City’s high-profile South Loop Project — a proposed sustainable urban park capping a portion of I-670 — now has a name that pays homage to a leader who played a key role in launching the project: Roy Blunt Luminary Park. “As a working title, the South Loop Project has served us well,” said Jeff…
Not just a pet project: Why this KC e-commerce team adopted a dog supplement brand as its own
The Morgans — the family behind Marknology, a bootstrapped digital marketing firm specializing in Amazon sales — are taking a dog supplement brand that they built as a client to the next level now as owners, they shared. Waggedy — veterinarian-formulated supplements to keep dogs healthy and active, launched by Ben Bellinson in 2015 in…