Meet 20 entrepreneurs primed to scale their ventures through KC program’s 15th cohort

Transformational opportunities await growth-minded entrepreneurs from across Kansas City’s wide range of industries, said Jill Hathaway, noting business leaders from sports tech to roofing, brewing to nutrition counseling, can scale with the right coaching, perspective and connections.

ScaleUP! Kansas City on Monday announced its 15th cohort of 20 local companies looking to create new jobs, open new locations and strengthen the regional economy.

“The program gives top-tier business owners the training, confidence and the network they need to scale the region’s next multimillion-dollar businesses, and I’m glad we can give the next 20 entrepreneurs the opportunity to transform our communities,” said Hathaway, program coordinator for ScaleUP! Kansas City and regional director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Now 10 years old, ScaleUP! Kansas City helps entrepreneurs — leading qualified businesses with revenues above $250,000 — create the processes, strategies and long-term plans to not only grow but also to scale their businesses and be prepared for shifts and opportunities, she detailed.

The newest cohort brings the number of companies served to 254, Hathaway added.

“ScaleUP! KC pushes business owners to work on their business and not just in it,” she said. “This program primes some of the region’s standout business owners to clear obstacles and gives them the chance to rework their approach so they can scale.”

Members of ScaleUP! Kansas City’s 15th cohort, inside the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City; courtesy photo

The new cohort’s members include:

• Jon Balmer (Balmer Roofing and Solar LLC), Tonganoxie, Kansas — A locally woman-owned and operated company specializing in high-quality installs and repairs throughout the Midwest.

• Ebony Black (Connect Staffing and Professional LLC), Kansas City, Missouri — Delivers staffing and recruiting for business, technology and health care and connects top talent with employers in private and public sectors.

• Jason Blanton (Connected Families Counseling), Kearney, Missouri — Offers outpatient mental health services for children, teens, adults, couples and families.

• Timothy Carlson (Five Star Painting), Kansas City, Missouri — Offers interior and exterior painting for residential and commercial properties.

• Piercyn Charbonneau (HOODZ of Kansas City), Grandview, Missouri — Specializes in NFPA 96 compliant commercial kitchen exhaust inspection and cleaning.

• Lupemaria Guzman (Marquez & Marquez LLC), Kansas City, Kansas — Offers expert home services, including TV mounting, security camera installs, furniture assembly and art hanging.

• Reed Hastings (Scratch Office Catering), Kansas City, Missouri — Delivers fresh, crowd-pleasing meals for meetings and events, making office catering easy and reliable in Kansas City.

• Tania Hewett-Mader (Alma Mader Brewing), Kansas City, Missouri — Specializes in award-winning, hop-forward ales and lagers and barrel-aged treats, with a steadfast dedication to perfecting every batch.

• Ariel Johnston (The Tasty Balance Dieticians), Prairie Village, Kansas — A group practice of registered dietitians offering in person and virtual nutrition counseling and corporate wellness programs.

• Alan Kneeland (The Combine), Kansas City, Missouri — A restaurant on Kansas City’s east side that caters to everyone.

• Mark Messner (Rendezvous Climbing Gym), Leawood, Kansas — A new climbing gym that caters to all skill levels.

• Delshay Pearson (Dynamic Unity Home Care), Kansas City, Missouri — Provides in-home care and CDS services, empowering clients to live independently with dignity in Kansas City, Missouri.

• Jacob Petersen (Redgate Disposal), Edgerton, Missouri — A family-owned trash business that provides residential and commercial trash services with a quality that is second to none.

• Linda Pizzato (Linda’s Cleaning Service LLC), Kansas City, Missouri — Focuses on residential recurring cleaning as well as deep cleaning, move in/move out cleaning and office cleaning.

• Alex Reed (GolfTRK), Lenexa, Kansas — A modern indoor golf facility where avid players can practice, play and improve year-round in a high-tech environment.

• Brenda Romo (R&C Framing), Raymore, Missouri — Builds strength where it matters most, delivering precision-crafted framing and exterior construction that stands the test of time.

• William Thomas (IT Recycling Answers), Lee’s Summit, Missouri — Helps companies decommission IT equipment. The company has two service offerings: Items that are end-of-life are recycled, and items with value are sold.

• Citlali Valdez (City’s Cleaning Crew LLC), Kansas City, Missouri — A trusted cleaning service specializing in residential and commercial cleaning across the Kansas City area.

• Corey Weinfurt (O’Malley’s of Weston LLC), Weston, Missouri — A brewery, pub, restaurant and three lodging locations in Weston, Missouri, operated by Corey Weinfurt and his team. The company’s primary location is the site of the Weston Brewing Co. from 1842.

• Dave Wowak (J and J Screen), Grandview, Missouri — For 58 years, J and J has repaired and fabricated new residential window screens, replaced broken glass and installed new porch screens.

ScaleUP! KC is funded by the Missouri SBDC at UMKC, a program of the UMKC Innovation Center, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. UMKC Innovation Center staff provide coaching and administrative support.

The program is administered by the UMKC Innovation Center, which also operates the Missouri Small Business and Development Center, Technology Venture Studio, Missouri Apex Accelerator, University of Missouri Extension, SourceLink, MOSourceLink and KCSourceLink.