Four role models selected for Hall of Fame as Junior Achievement celebrates 25 years of business honors
May 3, 2025 | Startland News Staff
A fresh round of Hall of Fame laureates celebrates Kansas City’s living legacy of visionary leaders who drive business excellence, innovation and community impact, said Megan Sturges, announcing a range of honorees from tech to tender chicken.
“The JA Business Hall of Fame celebrates more than business success — it honors the spirit of leadership and entrepreneurship that shapes our community,” said Sturges, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City. “This year’s laureates are role models not only for their peers but also for the thousands of K-12 students we serve each year. Their stories provide inspiration to the younger generation to pursue their dreams with dedication and hard work.”
The laureates are expected to be recognized at the 25th Annual JA Business Hall of Fame luncheon Nov. 6 at JA BizTown within the JA Youth Learning Lab, 2842 W 47th Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
Click here to learn more about the Hall of Fame event.
“For a quarter of a century, this event has honored business leaders and entrepreneurs who exemplify leadership, visionary thinking, integrity and a deep commitment to community involvement,” Junior Achievement said in a press release.
The four 2025 Hall of Fame honorees include:
- Jose Luis Valdez, co-founder and owner, Palacana — Opened Palacana, formerly Paleterias Tropicana, in the historic Westside of Kansas City in the summer of 2004 with a unique concept of artisan ice cream in the style of Michoacán. Today, Palacana has six brick-and-mortar locations, plus a high-profile concession stand within Kauffman Stadium.
- Lenora Payne, CEO, Technology Group Solutions — Established TGS in 2005, based on her belief in providing a full spectrum of information technology infrastructure solutions with integrity, honesty, dependability, and a customer-centric philosophy.
- Dave Johnson, founder, Chicken N Pickle — Launched Chicken N Pickle in 2016, combining a casual, chef-driven restaurant with pickleball courts and indoor/outdoor games for all ages and abilities. Chicken N Pickle currently operates 11 locations across Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma and Arizona. Two additional locations are under construction.
- Wiley Curran, principal and co-founder, CPC — Led the asset consolidation of the Curran family umbrella of businesses, creating Curran Companies, which boasts investments in 14 businesses in a variety of different industries. Today, these businesses employ over 6,000 people across the US and touch industries, including aerospace, manufacturing, industrial field services, and professional sports.
“This year’s laureates continue this legacy, sharing their gifts through innovation, service, and dedication to the region’s economic growth and vitality,” Junior Achievement said.
Past Business Hall of Fame honorees include Vu Radley, MADE MOBB; Chris and Angie Long, Palmer Square Capital Management, the Kansas City Current; John Thomson, PayIt; Lisa Ginter, CommunityAmerica Credit Union; Tyler Nottberg, U.S. Engineering; and Chase McAnulty, Charlie Hustle.
Laureates also include such Kansas City business icons as Barnett and Shirley Helzberg; Peter Mallouk; Henry Bloch; Joyce Hall; and Ewing Marion Kauffman.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Hyperloop to AP: Kansas City-St. Louis route among top 5 as finalists narrowed
Kansas City’s hopes to land a high-speed commuter route to St. Louis continue to shoot forward, a Hyperloop official confirmed Thursday. Two weeks after the State of Missouri entered into a public-private partnership with Hyperloop to study the feasibility of a 23-minute supersonic track between the two cities, the Associated Press reports Missouri is a…
After shootings, ‘It’s most important to keep the public safe,’ Smart City leaders say
Citizens expect public safety from their city government to encompass such basics as sidewalks and water, Bob Bennett said. And for that reason, improving public safety must be a top concern for smart city projects around the nation, the chief innovation officer at the City of Kansas City, Missouri, added. “We have to provide the…
$1.6M grant will create incubator for low-income, minority entrepreneurs
A large federal grant will help reanimate an older industrial building in Kansas City to serve as a small business incubator. The U.S. Economic Development Administration recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City organization said that the grant should create about 90 new…
Kauffman report: KC ranks 28 out of 40 in entrepreneurial growth
Fewer Kansas City companies are growing to become medium- or large-sized firms, according to a report released Thursday by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It’s a common story across the U.S., as the nation rebounds from the slump of the Great Recession, the report says. The 2017 Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship report suggests the…