AltCap Your Biz reveals 10 finalists vying for $25K grand prize at cornerstone GEWKC event
October 23, 2023 | Startland News Staff
A competition aimed at mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs and social innovators — along with awarding more than $40,000 in cash prizes to its winners — announced Monday the 10 finalists vying for its 2023 honors.
AltCap Your Biz returns to the stage Thursday, Nov. 16 at Plexpod Westport at Park 39 as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City’s lineup of top-tier entrepreneur-focused events. The competition begins at 3 p.m. Nov. 16 with company pitches, followed by an awards and prize money reveal at 6 p.m.
Ruben Alonso speaks during the 2022 AltCap Your Biz pitch competition; photo by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News
Click here to register for the competition or here for the awards reception.
RELATED: Check out GEWKC’s just-launched, weeklong event lineup with 100+ sessions
“The judges and our team were blown away by the passion, creativity and impact of this year’s applicants,” officials from AltCap said in an announcement of the finalists. “Judges deliberated for many hours over three days to review nearly 80 entrepreneurs’ pitches.”
The 10 finalists will compete for first place, $25,000; second place, $10,000; the Change Maker Award (best community impact business plan), $5,000; and Fan Favorite (social media and in-person voting), $2,500.
Supporters can watch the finalists’ pitches, then vote for their favorite by visiting AltCap’s Facebook page or by clicking the “Watch the pitch” links below by Nov. 10. (Editor’s note: Not all pitches have been posted, but links will be updated as AltCap rolls out the finalists on Facebook.)
2023 AltCap Your Biz finalists include:
- Co-Angler (John Bledsoe), Springfield, Missouri — Watch the pitch
- CodeAlgo (Triumfia Houmbie Fulks), Kansas City, Missouri — Watch the pitch
- Nexodesk (Jimmy James, Lopez Maradiaga), Kansas City, Kansas — Watch the pitch
- The Black Pantry (Brian Roberts), Kansas City, Missouri — Watch the pitch
- The AI Hub (James Spikes, Taylor Burris), Kansas City, Missouri — Watch the pitch
- The Next Paige (Elaina Thomas), Kansas City, Missouri — Watch the pitch
- Venboo (Juaquan Herron), Kansas City, Missouri — Watch the pitch
- Vine Street Brewing (Kemet Coleman), Kansas City, Missouri — Watch the pitch
- Wrax (Frankie Elder-Reedy), Pleasanton, Kansas — Watch the pitch
- Yes! Athletics (Deb North), Topeka, Kansas — Watch the pitch
Now in its 8th year, AltCap Your Biz has awarded a total of more than $200,000 to entrepreneurs building successful companies, enriching their communities and pursuing their dreams.
Certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), AltCap is a source of alternative financing for communities and entrepreneurs that fall outside the financial mainstream.
Featured Business
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Shawnee tax incentives aim to lure startups to the ‘burbs
The City of Shawnee is poised to kick off a tax incentive program that hopes to attract “high-growth” tech companies to the area by alleviating initial startup costs. Shawnee City councilman Brandon Kenig said that the “Startup Workforce Relocation and Expansion Program” will encourage job growth and innovation in one of Kansas’ fastest growing cities.…
Farmobile plows an agricultural revolution by empowering farmers with data
Agriculture techie Jason Tatge spent Monday morning as he often would: with a farmer interested in his company. The two kicked off the week in Fargo, North Dakota, kicking the proverbial tractor tires on Tatge’s ag tech business, Farmobile, and how the farmer’s data could generate additional revenue for his operations. They also chatted about…
‘Tis the season: Kauffman supports KC entrepreneurship with $1M in grants
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations that serve Kansas City entrepreneurs. The grants — totalling $1,020,000 — are a part of the foundation’s projected $8 million of investments in Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community over the next three years. “The Kauffman Foundation is committed to helping Kansas…
Kansas Citians, Techweek study entrepreneurship, communism in largest U.S. tech envoy to Cuba
Only 5 months after President Obama re-opened diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, a group of Kansas Citians joined the largest tech delegation ever to visit the communist country. Five area entrepreneurs joined leaders and other innovators involved with the national tech conference Techweek in an exploratory visit of Cuba’s tech and entrepreneurial community.…