Next stop for 10 founder finalists: A pitch competition at Union Station worth $42K+

Ten finalists are on track to hit the stage next month at Union Station — stepping into the spotlight to share their startup and small business visions while competing for tens of thousands in prize money.

Elaina Paige Thomas, The Next Paige, celebrates after winning the grand prize at the 2023 AltCap Your Biz pitch competition; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

The popular AltCap Your Biz Pitch Competition returns during Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City for a live pitch event at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at GEWKC base camp. Organizers and judges will crown the $25,000 grand prize and $10,000 second place winners, along with a $2,500 Fan Favorite award.

Readers and fans can cast their votes for Fan Favorites now by clicking here to watch founders’ pitch videos and share their support.

[Editor’s note: Startland News is the media sponsor of the AltCap Your Biz Pitch Competition.]

Narrowing the finalists to 10 was a challenging task, organizers said.

“This year’s applicants showcased the incredible talent, passion, and innovative spirit of Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community. Our judges spent hours deliberating over the inspiring submissions from dozens of entrepreneurs in the Kansas City area,” AltCap said in a press release. “Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their vision for building stronger businesses and communities.”

The 2024 finalists include:

• Spirit Life Apparel & Screenprinting — Founded by Debra Smith, Spirit Life Apparel & Screenprinting specializes in screen printing, embroidery, and sublimation to deliver custom apparel with style and creativity, helping clients express their unique identity with top-quality, personalized designs.

• The AI HUB: An Art Incubator — Founded by Taylor Burris and James Spikes, The AI Hub is an art Incubator that empowers creatives to start, grow, and legitimize their ideas by providing services, resources, and paid opportunities.

• Brown Suga — Founded by Ebony Paul, Brown Suga is a Black-owned bakery that hosts community events and pop-ups.

• Family and Friends Lawn Service — Founded by Raphael Frazier, Family and Friends Lawn Care is a one-person company that provides lawn care services to the KC Metro area.

• E-Z Pedicabs — Founded by Atticus Sloan, E-Z Pedicabs enhances short-range urban travel for people and businesses using pedicabs to connect disconnected parts of the city.

• Drill Green KC — Founded by Brenda Ochoa-Burciaga, Drill Green KC is a construction company that installs conduit and fiber for internet services in the metro area and rural communities.

• Kinship Cafe — Founded by TJ Roberts, Kinship Cafe is a specialty coffee shop that combines coffee and people to create a community.

• Third Place Lounge — Founded by Amanda Blancarte, Third Place Lounge serves unique drinks and hosts fun, free events and collaborations with local artists to foster connections in the community.

• Golazo — Founded by Lesly Romo, Golazo creates unique, competitive, social soccer experiences with variations of soccer from all over the world.

• CRWND Illustrations — Founded by Keliah Smith, CRWND Illustrations sells signature designs and products ranging from wall art, vibrant tote bags, hand-crafted greeting cards, notebooks, stickers, and stationery to empower and uplift women of ethnic and multi-cultural backgrounds.

Debra Smith, Spirit Life Apparel

Taylor Burris and James Spikes, AI Hub

Ebony Paul, Brown Suga

Raphael Frazier, Family Friends Lawn

Atticus Sloan, EZ Pedicabs

Brenda Ochoa Burciaga, Drill Green KC

TJ Roberts, Kinship Cafe

Amanda Blancarte, Third Place

Lesly Romo, Goalzo

Keliah Smith, CRWND Illustrations

Click here to read more about the 2023 AltCap Your Biz winners.

Godfrey Riddle, Civic Saint, and Roy Scott, Healthy Hip Hop, center; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

In addition to the Top 10 finalists, AltCap Your Biz will again recognize Change Maker Award finalists, who each are in the running for a $5,000 prize, awarded to the entrepreneur who demonstrates the most significant potential to create meaningful change in the community.

“These entrepreneurs have demonstrated a deep commitment to social impact in Kansas City through their mission,” organizers said of the finalists for the award, which is now in its second year.

The inaugural Changemaker award in 2023 was split equally between Godfrey Riddle, founder of Civic Saint, a sustainable housing organization, and Roy Scott, founder of Healthy Hip Hop, an online platform offering hip-hop for children and families.

Norma Loya, Loyal Academy

Craig Mason, Raise Health

Shapree' Marshall, A Traveled Path Homes

Dontavious Young, Equal Minded Cafe

Rosana Polanco, Embrace Your Shine

2024 Change Maker Award finalists include:

• Loyal Academy — Loyal Academy’s mission is to empower the community through education in the technological and digital area and to give them the resources and tools necessary to achieve professional and personal success.

• Raise Health Innovations — Raise Health’s AI solution, DASH, combines lived experiences and evidence-based research to provide real-time mental health detection, enabling early identification, better engagement, and effective support by analyzing communication patterns.

• A Traveled Path Homes — A Traveled Path Homes is committed to addressing healthcare inequities by providing safe, affordable, and convenient housing for traveling medical professionals, enabling them to focus on patient care in underserved communities.

• Equal Minded Cafe & Event Center — Equal Minded Cafe’s mission is to create a safe and welcoming space where diverse cultures and backgrounds come together to form lasting relationships. It supports local artists, activists, and creatives by giving them the opportunity to host pop-ups, showcase their work, and perform for the first time.

• Embrace Your Shine — Embrace Your Shine addresses hidden homelessness in Kansas City by providing stable housing, support services, and resources, empowering young adults to turn their passions into professions while promoting long-term stability through job training, education, and healthcare access, ultimately creating a positive community impact.

Click here to read more about what’s planned for GEWKC.