Demo day alert: 13 new Comeback KC Ventures fellows set for debut on GEW KC stage

November 9, 2021  |  Startland News Staff

Gavin Dell, Hollywood Animation Academy; Shelly Cooper, SureShow; Jill and Justin Bertelsen, Crib Coaching; and Craig Boyle, What Duh Fog

The first crop of Comeback KC Ventures fellows — entrepreneurs offering solutions from healthtech and edtech products to sports evaluations and an animation academy emerging in response to COVID-19 — is expected to highlight more than a dozen companies Thursday during a GEW KC innovation showcase.

“The demo day will allow early participants in the program a chance to show off what they have been working on and to provide the community the opportunity to celebrate some of the successes coming out of the Kansas City ecosystem,” organizers of the newly announced Comeback KC Ventures said.

Click here to register for the virtual demo day 4 p.m. Thursday during Global Entrepreneurship Week Kansas City.

Among the presenting entrepreneurs, which includes familiar faces from Digital Sandbox KC, Pipeline, Pure Pitch Rally and other local competitions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Jeff Wheeldon, Virtual Museum

 

Comeback KC Ventures’ 18-month program is led by KC Digital Drive and the UMKC Innovation Center, and focused on supporting entrepreneurs with innovations, products or service lines that are solving needs exposed by the pandemic.

Click here to learn more about the program.

KC Digital Drive also is expected to offer an overview of Comeback KC Ventures during the event, including how others can participate as either startups, advisors or mentors.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2021 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Plaza-based beauty influencer draws upon her own experience to launch signature brow line

    By Tommy Felts | September 3, 2025

    Bella Jimenez built a real-life following in the local beauty industry, perfecting brows across Kansas City for eight years (four on the Country Club Plaza). But with that influence, she realized, came a responsibility to be authentic and honest about brands — ultimately creating her own line of brow products. “I wanted a professional line from…

    KC Bier Co’s immersive biergarten set to open in Lenexa before thirsty World Cup visitors arrive

    By Tommy Felts | August 30, 2025

    A popular Kansas City brewery officially broke ground Friday on a highly anticipated, border-hopping expansion that will bring one of the nation’s largest authentic Bavarian-style biergartens to Johnson County. “This project has been a long time coming,” said Camille Christie, Vice President of Development and Leasing at West Star Development, which is adding KC Bier…

    LISTEN: Founder on his third startup shares his ‘toilet test’ for culture, talks the lonely eship rollercoaster from Ireland to Topeka

    By Tommy Felts | August 29, 2025

    On this episode of Startland News’ new Plug and Play Topeka founder podcast series, we chat with Barry McDonogh — CEO of Hinalea Imaging — to uncover how cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging is changing the way industries see the world. From food safety and agriculture to pharmaceuticals and defense, Hinalea’s technology reveals the invisible — capturing data…

    Court clutter on trial: Olathe legal tech startup puts boxes of evidence one touch away

    By Tommy Felts | August 29, 2025

    A Kansas-built innovation is reshaping courtroom outcomes with its one-touch trial prep platform that already has helped attorneys secure billions in verdicts with ease, said Jay Rutler. “I have a reputation for solving complicated problems,” added Rutler, founder and CEO of Litigen, and founder of ICON, a casino chip manufacturer. “A friend of mine, a…