Young mom’s apparel for crawling babies wins best fit for UMKC Side Hustle Challenge
November 15, 2024 | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Riley Rhoads knows firsthand how overwhelming it is to shop for baby clothes, the University of Missouri-Kansas City student and new mother shared, so she created a product to help fellow moms.
Finalists of the 2024 UMKC Side Hustle Challenge; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Hold Tight Baby — Rhoads’ venture that earned her first place at UMKC’s Side Hustle Challenge — makes pants for crawling babies. The pieces are sized to correlate to diaper sizes, not months, with a loose-fit design and have a comfortable, fold-down waistband, as well as ankle straps to hold them in place, she explained in her pitch video.
“I’m very passionate about what I’m doing and (my daughter) is the reason it all started,” Rhoads said. “I’ve always been passionate about helping people in entrepreneurship, so I’m just excited to see what is to come with that.”
The Henry W. Bloch School of Management and Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation announced winners of the 2024 challenge Tuesday during its First Tuesdays afternoon event. (This month’s event was moved back a week because of the Nov. 5 election). Cash prizes were awarded to the top three students and the other five finalists.
“The Side Hustle Challenge is what we do in the fall that engages amazing entrepreneurship among each and every one of you,” said Adam Larson, program coordinator for the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “It introduces the concept of pitching a new business.”
Riley Rhoads, a UMKC business student, holds her daughter after being announced as the winner of UMKC’s Side Hustle Challenge; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Rhoads — who received $1,000 for earning the most votes during the event — found juggling school work with having a baby to be overwhelming, she shared in her pitch video, and buying baby clothes just added to the stress.
“Babies grow differently, so sizing by months makes no sense when it’s done inconsistently across brands and genders,” she explained. “Clothes often fit for maybe a month, forcing moms to guess sizes for next season.”
“So I designed the perfect pants for crawling babies to reduce the mental load for busy moms, so they can get back to holding their baby tight,” she added.
To enter the Side Hustle Challenge, students each created a social media video of no more than two-minutes’-worth of content explaining their real-world businesses. Eight finalists were selected from 32 entries by faculty and those eight videos were shown to their peers on Tuesday. Three student winners were selected in real time by popular vote.
“We had 32 fantastic applications,” Larson noted. “I didn’t score them myself, but I did watch them. And I have to say this: every single one of the businesses that presented was really awesome and really well done. So kudos to you all. It was a very tough decision, so I hear.”
Second place: Thrift-A-Roo by the UMKC Enactus team of Dariana Torres, Levi Villarreal, Eduardo Sandoval, Erika Nunez, Lillian Le, Destiny Martinez Lopez, Sanavi Matolli, Gaby Gordillo, Abby Martin, Ryan Dekat, and Kelly Keck, $750 prize
UMKC Enactus team poses after earning second place in the university’s Side Hustle Challenge; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
The UMKC Enactus students behind Thrift-A-Roo want to bring a student-led pop-up to UMKC’s walkway where they will collect and resell clothing, shoes, and dorm items.
“Our team goals are to reduce waste within our UMKC community and to reduce the carbon footprint of UMKC students by encouraging sustainable practices, such as donating clothing and items no longer wanted to Thrift-A-Roo,” they explained in their video.
As Enactus students, they also plan to use their profits to help underdeveloped schools in Mexico, they noted.
Third place: Golazo by Lesly Romo, $500 prize
Lesly Romo, Golazo, shakes hands with UMKC’s Adam Larson at the conclusion of the university’s Side Hustle Challenge; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Romo — last year’s UMKC Student Entrepreneur of the Year — compared Golazo to Chicken N Pickle for soccer.
“We are creating a unique, competitive, social soccer experience that combines variations of soccer from all over the world and bringing them right here to the soccer capital of the U.S. to transform soccer into a social experience,” she explained in her video.
Only eight months after starting the venture, Romo executed a pre-activation experience with the Kansas City Current, she noted.
“It’s more than just soccer,” she said. “It’s about creating spaces for people to connect.”
Each of the other five finalists in the Side Hustle Challenge received a $200 cash prize. Those finalists included:
- Flame N’ Go Collectibles — Andrew Bates
- Naeches Nourishment — Chinecherem Ihenacho
- Sensory Sync — Grace Kertz
- Lumis Aesthetics — Ivy Cheluget
- Hive + Harvest — William Fondren
Rickey Leathers, Savvy Salon KC, speaks during a founder panel conversation at UMKC’s First Tuesdays event; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
A payoff deeper than money
Before the Side Hustle Challenge, Joel Barrett with the Missouri Small Business Development Center at UMKC hosted a panel with founders Ally Letsky (May Day Paper and Post), Rickey Leathers (Savvy Salon KC), Antoinette Redmond (Neuru), and LaTonya Scott (Blue Chip Roofing and Waterproofing), discussing the challenges of entrepreneurship and the importance of taking advantage of resources for small businesses.
Moderator Joel Barrett speaks during a founder panel conversation at UMKC’s First Tuesdays; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Although entrepreneurship is worth the tough journey, Leathers noted, it requires a deeper reason than just making money.
“There has to be a problem that you want to solve, that you’re invested in, that you have some conviction around and that’s going to really prepare you for when things get hard,” he explained.
Redmond stressed the importance of being bold and not being afraid to hear the word “no.”
“You are going to get told no, regardless of how great your idea is,” she said. “But when you’re bold, only great things can happen.”
Check out a photo gallery from the First Tuesdays event below.
Featured Business
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Tech sector eyes job cuts to stem losses: Why layoffs are just one option (and should be a last resort)
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Jennifer Libby is a district manager with human resources provider Insperity’s Kansas City office. Click here to read more from this contributor. Economic turbulence can be daunting for both business owners and their employees. In times of financial uncertainty, layoffs can soar. While…
Thrive Homes builds ‘life-changing’ independence for those struggling with mobility, aging in place
The impact of Thrive Homes is as simple as it is profound, said Christian Hill, whose startup taps into state and federal health funds to provide timely home modifications for residents with disabilities and accessibility issues. The Overland Park-based company makes it possible for people with certain health conditions — and those who are experiencing…
She started by getting Black art into Black spaces; now Natasha Ria El-Scari wants all of KC to know what they’ve been missing
A Renaissance woman, Natasha Ria El-Scari — gallerist, curator, poet, spoken word performer, educator, and life coach — has surrounded herself with art throughout her life. However, as the Kansas City native watched her hometown’s art scene flourish and thrive, she noticed not everyone was included. “As the city started to change, and the Crossroads…
Travel on tap: How a KC couple built a self-serve port for international wine lovers north of the river
Grab your wine passport, Russ Johnson said, because this self-serve wine bar allows customers to taste the world one sip at a time. And the technology that makes the business possible? Johnson — a software developer-turned-entrepreneur — built it himself. “Our brand is really focused on going on a vacation and having this world experience —…