Kenzen shortlisted for Webby Award; Here’s how you can help make this Startup to Watch a People’s Voice winner
April 8, 2022 | Startland News Staff
A Kansas City startup that’s gained accolades and hefty investment for its wearable health monitoring device is nominated for Best App and Software in the 26th Annual Webby Awards — the highest profile awards recognition for excellence on the Internet.
“Nominees like Kenzen are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, president of The Webby Awards. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected the best from among 13,500 entries from 50 states and 70 countries that we received this year.”
Past Webby Award winners have included celebrities with online influence — from David Bowie to Jimmy Fallon — to internet pioneers such as Kickstarter, Pokeman Go, Tinder, and the Obama for America tech team.
Kenzen, a Kansas City-based climate tech worker safety company, created an app that alerts workers when they need to rest, hydrate, and cool their bodies to prevent heat stress and fatalities in indoor and outdoor work environments. The app also alerts supervisors when workers are in danger. On-screen alerts indicate when an intervention is needed, and a second alert indicates when workers can safely return to the job.
Click here to read more about Kenzen, which was named one of Startland News’ Kansas City’s Startups to Watch in 2022.
“This is the year for Kenzen to bring home the gold,” said Heidi Lehmann, co-founder of Kenzen. “This award calls more attention to what President Biden and OSHA have prioritized: protecting people who work in the earth’s rising temperatures. Heat illness and fatalities are 100 percent preventable yet heat is the number-one weather-related killer in the United States. Technology can fix this.”
As a Webby nominee, Kenzen is also eligible to win a Webby People’s Voice Award; fans can vote for Kenzen online now through April 21.
Click here to vote in the Webby People’s Voice Awards.
Webby winners are expected to be announced April 26 and honored in a star-studded show in New York City.
The Kenzen system is used by industrial companies in construction, manufacturing, firefighting, agriculture, utilities, transportation, and oil and gas. It is a SaaS system that includes a wearable device worn by workers that gathers physiological data that triggers alerts when the worker’s core body temperature is too high. The continuous monitoring system keeps workers safe and helps companies proactively manage risk and productivity. Data is used by Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) leaders to enhance heat safety across the company.
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn

2022 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘This is the dream’: Starty Party turns up the volume on Kansas City tech, collaboration (Photos)
It isn’t a party without the people, said organizers of the Starty Party, gathering a crowd of startup veterans, early stage founders, investors and community leaders Wednesday for a one-night celebration of innovation — set against the backdrop of homegrown music and vibes. “This is amazing,” said Melissa Vincent, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurs, from the Starty…
KC preps for World Cup all-nighter, taste testing 23-hour drinking window for summer games
Entrepreneurs want to tap into all the potential business they can when an estimated 650,000 visitors descend on Kansas City for the World Cup, said Jim Ready, detailing plans for a temporary expansion of alcohol sales in KCMO to accommodate a global audience in June and July 2026. The move is more of a stress…
Kauffman narrows Uncommon Leader contenders to five finalists from community orgs
Kansas City leaders advancing toward the Kauffman Foundation’s high-profile impact award all demonstrate bold, creative, and inclusive leadership, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, announcing five finalists for the inaugural honor. “Each of these leaders reminds us that one person can make a difference, and that compassion and dedication can change the lives of the people we…
KC-built app locks down vulnerable users’ data before they can share it with online scammers
He’s a startup founder today, but a protective brother first, said Danny Moran, describing how his sister with special needs motivated the launch of an app to protect vulnerable people engaging in a digital world too often filled with bad actors. “She’s been scammed online multiple times over the past 10 years, causing significant financial…



