Dolphin Tank makes a splash with women in tech: Meet the next three founders pitching

The Dolphin Tank pitch showcase returns to Kansas City this month with a trio of women-led tech startups riding a wave of heightened exposure for their ventures.

Now in its second year in Kansas City, Springboard Enterprises’ Dolphin Tank is set for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Polsinelli, 900 W. 48th St. Two more pitch events are expected in August and November. Applications are already being accepted.

Click here to RSVP for the February event or apply for the August and November events.

Founded in 2000, Springboard is an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, advisors that seeks to help propel women entrepreneurs — specifically those in technology and life sciences — to the next level, shared Evelyn Torres, vice president of brand and community.

“We were looking for a presence in the Heartland because we do have some very incredible alumni that live in the Heartland and we weren’t activating or doing Springboard events in the area,” she explained. “So we decided to partner with the Kauffman Foundation, OneKC for Women and Wells Fargo to bring our programming to Kansas City to build more of an ecosystem for our women entrepreneurs. That way when they graduate from our programs or they’re looking for strategic advisors or investors, they can find more localized support, as well.”

Megan O'Rear, Celerity Enterprises, pitches during a 2022 Dolphin Tank showcase

Event-goers network during a 2022 Dolphin Tank showcase

Springboard’s goal with Dolphin Tank is to bridge the connection between entrepreneurs and then investors and advisors and serve as a gateway to make those strategic introductions, said Torres.

“Essentially what we want to do is have the entrepreneurs that are seeking funding come to a pitch event and get feedback from — not only our panel of experts — but also the audience to improve their pitch and also build connections,” she continued. “It opens up our Springboard ecosystem for these entrepreneurs that may not be 100-percent ready for one of our accelerator programs, but they’re getting ready to seek funding and move into that next wave of their cycle.”

Companies pitching Feb. 28 include:

• Bodify (Carlanda McKinney) — Addresses one of the apparel industry’s most costly conundrums — profit-shrinking returns from online orders — through a web-based platform that leverages computer vision and artificial intelligence to help digital shoppers find the best brands for their bodies. (Click here to read more about McKinney’s acceptance into the FourthWave Accelerator.)

• Poshed On The Go (Ruth Shrauner) — ​​The first beauty service app in the market that allows clients to shop and book salon or spa services with pre-vetted beauty professionals, on-demand or by appointment. (Click here to read more about Shrauner’s recent acceptance into the K-State accelerator program.)

• PatientsVoices (Mary Kay O’Connor) – Improves financial results by converting high-quality, patient feedback into instant analytics and ready-for-action priorities.

Expert “dolphins” set to offer support at the event include:

• Aviva Ajmera — founder and CEO of SoLVE KC
• Bryan Shannon — managing director at Trevipay
• Margo Shepard — private wealth financial advisor at Wells Fargo
• Debra Ellies — board director and CEO of OssiFi