Ben Jackson named to Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30’ list, capping year of growth, accolades for Bungii

Building something cool requires doing a lot of uncool things — tasks and tactics most people are unwilling to undertake, said Ben Jackson.

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Bungii’s elevator pitch: Bungii is an app that puts a pickup truck at your fingertips to help move, haul and deliver stuff around town. We’ve been compared to popular ride sharing app, but instead of moving people, we move people’s stuff.

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“The daily grind isn’t glamorous and it’s not fun,” said Jackson, co-founder of Overland Park-headquartered Bungii and an honoree on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for consumer technology. “Success is a matter of putting in the work day in and day out. There is no quick cure, magic algorithm or one move that’s going to get you there. Hard, patient, grinding work is the variable to success.”

His advice for fellow founders: Avoid the glamor and stay away from the bling.

“Keep your head down and build,” Jackson said. “And in 10 years, you’ll have it.”

Maybe sooner.

Harrison Proffitt and Ben Jackson, Bungii

Launched in 2015 with co-founder Harrison Proffitt, Bungii has expanded from Kansas City to the East Coast — now pushing westward in an intentional march to national coverage. By the end of 2019, more than a quarter million people — drivers, customers and business partners — will have benefited from Bungii’s platform, Jackson said. 

By the end of 2020, that number is projected to be almost 1 million, and 4.25 million for 2021, he added.

Jackson’s recognition in Forbes caps a year of growth and accolades for the co-founder and his team. Bungii was named one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2019 in January, later announcing a $9.4 million funding round in August.

The startup leader also recently was named to Ingram’s magazine’s “20 in Their Twenties” list.

“I’m so lucky to have a fantastic team and support structure around me,” Jackson said, noting his executive team has been together for about 95 percent of Bungii’s run so far. “Our team shows up everyday, works on tough problems, makes bold decisions, works tirelessly for our customers and just gets it done.”

“And from a personal standpoint, my wife is the strongest, most independent person I know. She understands the amount of work and sacrifice that’s required to keep startups moving forward and supports me in it,” he added.

Bungii

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Claudia and Carolina Recchi, EdSights

‘30 Under 30’ with KC ties

Two members of the 2018 Techstars Kansas City cohort also were named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list.

Sisters Carolina and Claudia Recchi of EdSights, a startup that targets increased university retention rates, were honored in the education category.

Naman Trivedi, co-founder of WattBuy, an online marketplace for energy shopping, was recognized in the energy vertical.

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It’s easy to look at Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg or Snap co-founder Evan Spiegel today and muse that they were just lucky to be in the right place at the right time, Jackson said. 

“But they weren’t lucky. We weren’t there back in 2005 when they were spending 80 hours a week, facing setback after setback. The reason Facebook has 1.5 billion users today is because of years of grind, sweat, tears and eating dirt,” he said. “If one’s gravitation toward entrepreneurship stems from a desire to be on a yacht in the Caribbean, they’re going to lose.”

For Bungii, passion to build comes from delivering fresh starts and new beginnings, he said.

“We have drivers who drive so they can afford going back to school to finish their degree. Others do Bungii to save up for engagement rings for loved ones. And some to pay their children’s medical bills,” Jackson said. “On the consumer side, newlywed couples use Bungii to settle in their new apartments and start life together.”

“A few months ago, we helped an international student move a dresser into his dorm. He didn’t know anyone in this foreign (to him) country and didn’t speak english well so he turned to Bungii,” he continued. “Just last week, we were there when a determined, brave woman moved out of a domestic violence shelter, boldly moving onward and starting anew.”

Reflecting on the nod from Forbes in a Facebook post, Jackson emphasized Bungii’s success isn’t his alone to claim.

“It’s not about me, it’s never been about me and it will never be about me. It’s about a God who deeply loves us. It’s about a wife who has been ride or die since day one. It’s about supportive, understanding family and friends. It’s about a dedicated co-founder and a persistent team. It’s about the investors who made a bet on a couple of kids. It’s about the lives Bungii is impacting and the people we’re helping. What a fun team win.”