How this reality TV show helps competing entrepreneurs find their people — not just adversaries
July 29, 2025 | Taylor Wilmore
It’s five days, 14-hour workdays, and one intense experience aimed at helping entrepreneurs sharpen their businesses. The setup for The Blox — a startup-focused reality TV competition and bootcamp — is crafted to immerse builders in the rigors of real-world business, said Weston Bergmann.
Season 17 of the live-in competition show launched in June, emphasizing systems, strategy, and founder grit, all while continuing to evolve its unique model.
“This season, in particular, brought together a number of exceptionally strong personalities who naturally emerged as leaders within the group,” said Bergmann, founder and creator of The Blox, who also leads the Kansas City-built incubator BetaBlox. “What we’re continuing to learn is how to lean into this, to build the experience with them, not for them.”
Shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Season 17 is now available to stream. Click here to watch episodes.
Lessons beyond the classroom
More than 100,000 entrepreneurs applied to be on The Blox this year. Just a select few made the cut, Bergmann said, noting the competitive process is designed to create a group that’s diverse in background, industry, and business stage.
Dr. June Christian, founder of Pineapple Lampshade, stands with Weston Bergmann, founder and creator of The Blox, during a Season 17 cast gathering; photo courtesy of The Blox
“The Blox represents a unique evolution beyond traditional academics,” he said. “We’ve built numerous parallel mechanisms to ensure every entrepreneur has the opportunity to absorb the material effectively, whether it’s group discussions, one-on-ones, slide shows, after-hours reflections, or even shared meals.”
That immersive approach stood out to The Blox alums like Dr. June Christian (Season 17), Kansas City founder of Pineapple Lampshade, a leadership development company, and McCartney Payton (Season 16), founder of Catalyst Painting, a residential and commercial painting business in Overland Park.
“The education that Wes has assembled is phenomenal,” said Christian. “It’s the information you need to start, scale, and potentially even sell a business, the kind of stuff you don’t get in grad school.”
“It was all so valuable, but the biggest thing I walked away with was the people,” Payton added. “The friendships, the connections, you just can’t buy that.”
Click here to watch full seasons of The Blox.
Building community and confidence
Christian and Payton came from different industries — executive coaching and painting — but both found shared purpose through the program.
“Wes has this great metaphor,” Christian said. “He talks about how owls hunt at night, and that’s what we are. We’re the ones burning the midnight oil, doing things that others don’t understand. And on The Blox, you find others just like you.”
Taylor Burris, AI Hub
Taylor Burris, co-founder of Kansas City’s AI Hub, a studio providing housing, resources, multimedia opportunities for creatives, said her time on the show during Season 12 helped her focus on shaping her business’s model.
She recalled spending time at Bergmann’s home, using the opportunity to study his book collection and get deeper insight into his entrepreneurial mindset.
“Literally every single part of it helped shape how I think about my business,” Burris said of her experience on The Blox. “We ended up pivoting and simplifying a lot afterward.”
Click here to learn more about casting for The Blox.
Mentors for Season 17 of The Blox pose with Weston Bergmann, founder and creator of The Blox; photo courtesy of The Blox
Pitching, perspective, and personal growth
McCartney Payton, Catalyst Painting
The show’s format, which blends business lessons, challenges, and community-building, also helps founders stretch outside their comfort zones.
“At first I was so nervous,” Christian said about the pitching portion of the show. “But by the end, you actually know these people, they’re your friends. So it doesn’t feel as daunting.”
Both Christian and Payton spoke about the added challenge, and pride, of being women in male-dominated industries.
“I’ve had clients completely ignore me on job sites and speak only to my male employees,” Payton said. “But being a woman-owned business? I love it. And The Blox taught me to lean into that more.”
“I was always taught to play small,” Christian added. “But Wes looked me in the eye and said, ‘Now’s the time to take up space.’ That was huge.”
Weston Bergmann, founder and creator of The Blox, speaks to entrepreneur competitors during a taping of Season 17 of The Blox; photo courtesy of The Blox
What’s next: Defense tech and small biz scale-ups
With its 23rd cohort underway, BetaBlox’s incubator continues to expand, including a major new program debuting this summer.
“After two years of preparation, we’re launching SigmaBlox, our Defense Tech Accelerator, this July,” Bergmann said. “It will host a 100-person cohort featuring some of the most advanced military technologies on the planet.”
BetaBlox is also launching a new multi-year program tailored to traditional small businesses, combining in-person and remote support to help entrepreneurs hit their next $1 million in revenue.
For alums, the lessons and the support continue long after the final pitch.
“By being a part of The Blox, you find your people,” said Christian.
Taylor Wilmore
Taylor Wilmore, hailing from Lee’s Summit, is a dedicated reporter and a recent graduate of the University of Missouri, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Taylor channels her deep-seated passion for writing and storytelling to create compelling narratives that shed light on the diverse residents of Kansas City.
Prior to her role at Startland News, Taylor made valuable contributions as a reporter for the Columbia Missourian newspaper, where she covered a wide range of community news and higher education stories.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
How this KC trucking platform is helping drivers achieve the ‘American Dream’ amid high industry demands, burnout
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of truck drivers in the American economy, said Jeff Dema; and Foxpoint is targeting its efforts to ensure that drivers succeed and stay in the demanding industry. “Being a truck driver is a hard job. They’re gone 250 plus nights a year from their home. It requires lots of…
Google’s $100K ‘stamp of approval’ for PlaBook reads like validation for KC-built edtech startup
Kansas City expatriate PlaBook is set to receive $100,000 from Google’s initiative to provide funding to Black-led startups. But for Philip Hickman, it’s not just about the funding, he said. It’s also a credibility boost. “We were happy to receive an investment from Google,” the edtech startup founder said. “It’s a stamp of approval to…
KC’s first Hispanic beer company craft-brews conversations beyond stereotypes
Defining his own cultural identity has been a lifelong struggle for Damon Arredondo, the longtime brewer said. Coming from a mixed-cultural background, Arredondo often felt as if there was “a checklist” that decided whether or not he was able to identify with his heritage, he shared. “Only recently in the last five year have I…
Veteran entrepreneur finds security in pizza, opening new Rosati’s in south Overland Park
Bob Ring sold his homegrown company of 25 years — then got a job delivering pizzas. All part of the recipe for the longtime Kansas City businessman who — despite his decades of experience — initially found banks hesitant to lend to him during the pandemic as he worked to open his own pizzeria in…