Meet the competition: 10 entrepreneurs vying for $60K at KC GIFT ‘Pitch Black’ business summit
March 17, 2025 | Startland News Staff
The return of Kansas City G.I.F.T.’s spring pitch competition not only opens the door to prize money for emerging Black entrepreneurs, said Brandon Calloway, it also allows community members and supporters of his nonprofit to see the impact of its mission firsthand.
GIFT’s highly anticipated Pitch Black Business Summit 2025 is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at the Delta Athenaeum, 900 E. Linwood Boulevard, Kansas City. It includes local vendors, classes designed to help entrepreneurs elevate their businesses, and $60,000 in winnings for 10 competitors vying for three top awards.
“The pitch competition serves as a way to provide much needed capital to Black owned businesses that can accelerate their growth,” said Calloway, CEO and co-founder of GIFT. “But it also serves as a reminder of the numerous Black-owned businesses providing remarkable value throughout our metro area.”
Each of the 10 finalist entrepreneurs in the competition will pitch their business ideas before a panel of judges for a chance to win a $30,000 grand prize. Additional $20,000 and $10,000 awards also are up for grabs.
Competitors were selected from a pool of applicants, with five selected by GIFT’s board of directors and five chosen during a live drawing on Instagram. They include:
- AIMwell Yoga — Debonie Lewis
- The Black Pantry — Brian Roberts
- Civic Saint — Godfrey Riddle
- The Combine — Alan Keeland
- Hive + Harvest — William Fondren
- In Good Company KC — Daniel Edwards and Cedric Ransburg
- Integrity Martial Arts Academy — David Muhammad
- The Mutual Musicians Foundation — Ernest Melton (creative director)
- On The Rocks Gourmet Jams — Cathy Cowan
- Taylor Made It — Kassandra Taylor
Click here for tickets to Pitch Black.
“One of my favorite elements this year is the multiple breakout sessions that turns this into a full on expo for Black business owners,” Calloway added. “Spectators will be able to watch some phenomenal high quality pitches, and attend breakout sessions that will help them grow their own businesses.”
The business summit and pitch competition are a cornerstone of GIFT’s mission to close the racial wealth gap in Kansas City by empowering small, Black-owned businesses with grants and professional resources, he added.
“In a political climate where there is a direct and aggressive attack on equity, we are proud to continually provide a platform for resistance,” Calloway said.
Click here to learn more about KC GIFT.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
They called her ‘Buckwheat’ as a child; Her genre-blending new film flips the script on preconceived narratives
Jamie Addison’s production company aims to expose realities not often explored in mainstream media or society, the Kansas City filmmaker said, particularly as they reveal truths that have been hidden to create misleading or outright false narratives around gender, race and social norms. “Let’s take back the power and identity and love ourselves; truly feel…
Married puppeteers had a hand in reviving iconic Mr. Rogers characters for film; now they’ve returned to KC (with their studio)
Puppeteers are often anonymous, but Spencer Lott — and his wife and business partner, Grace Townley — are stepping into the spotlight to start their own creative studio, they shared. The Lawrence-based couple — who built the puppets used in the Tom Hanks film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” about the life of TV’s…
Show-Me Honeywell: How this high-security KC tech campus became a one-day classroom for Missouri school leaders
A group of Missouri educators, counselors and administrators took a summer trip across the state to visit notable companies and learn firsthand about relevant career pathways for their students, detailed Brian Crouse. Among the behind-the-scenes looks: a rare glimpse into the work at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, which manages the U.S. Department of Energy’s…
PHKC awards $25K to Alchemy Sandbox winners; It’s amazing when someone understands your vision, founder says
Year one challenges can be difficult for entrepreneurs to swallow, James Thomas noted, but he’s raising a cup to the first anniversary of Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri Shop with validation and a splash of funding. Two days after completing The Porter House KC’s fourth small business development cohort and competing in its finale competition, Thomas…