UMKC student-led FeedKC will pitch for donations, connections at Pure Pitch Rally

Continuing a tradition of showcasing student entrepreneurs, Tuesday’s Pure Pitch Rally is expected to feature a pitch from FeedKC, a group run by students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

And thanks to a private donor to the UMKC Bloch School of Management, all funds designated for FeedKC will be matched up to $10,000.

Click here to donate.

Andrea Savage, Mark Babcock, Alec Rodgers, Salem Habte, and Ali Brandolino, UMKC Enactus

FeedKC started two years ago through the UMKC Enactus program, a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives, and shape a better, more sustainable world.

The concept of FeedKC is to match area soup kitchens with high-volume prepared-food distributors, such as corporate or institutional cafeterias and buffet restaurants, that would otherwise throw out food at the end of the day. FeedKC’s recently launched digital platform allows organizations to post leftovers and coordinate with nonprofits to arrange pick-up. Participating businesses receive a report detailing their donations, which allows them to claim a cost of goods tax credit and provides data on ordering and food preparation.

Andrea Savage, project manager for FeedKC and a UMKC senior from Strafford, Missouri, will deliver the group’s pitch.

“I had always been vaguely aware of the idea of food waste,” Savage said. “After doing a research paper on the topic for a class, I started to realize the financial cost, environmental cost and opportunity cost of food waste.”

In recognition of Savage’s work with FeedKC, she was honored as 2018 UMKC Bloch School Student Entrepreneur of the Year. Also in 2018, FeedKC earned a grant from Unilever and, through a Unilever program, won first place in the U.S. for best initiative to combat food waste. This spring, Savage and the FeedKC team participated in the Unilever Future Leaders’ League, a business case competition at the company’s global headquarters in London. 

“In addition to helping connect leaders in the business and funding communities in Kansas City to tech startups, our sponsor group believes in the value of supporting entrepreneurship in early education and higher learning. For the third year, we’re thrilled to bring a local student to our stage to celebrate the innovation happening in our schools,” said Karen Fenaroli, lead sponsor and founder of Pure Pitch Rally and CEO of Fenaroli & Associates, a premier talent consultancy. “If technology improves lives, then FeedKC can impact our city and citizens. We were moved by FeedKC’s mission of addressing poverty and hunger, and I know the audience will be generous in supporting this tech startup.”

Pure Pitch Rally 2018, photo by Mikaela Wendel Photography

The invite-only Pure Pitch Rally is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday at The American Restaurant at Kansas City’s Crown Center. After Savage’s pitch, audience members will have the opportunity to donate to the program on the spot.

In addition to FeedKC, eight entrepreneurs will pitch their tech startups at the event. Emulating the popular show “Shark Tank,” the Pure Pitch Rally brings together nearly 50 investors — or “land sharks” — to evaluate each presentation. Each land shark donates $1,000 to one of the startups at the conclusion of the competition. Up to $1 million in cash and resources will be awarded.

Click here to read more about the competing startups.

This year’s pitchers, including Savage, receive an additional benefit outside of participation in the rally: Founders are invited to three incubator academies that aim to help them build a firm foundation for their business. The academies focus on perfecting their pitch, branding, and scale-up guidance in the areas of finance, M&A and legal support.

The event and incubator academies are sponsored by Bernstein-Rein, BKD, Circle Sideways, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Fenaroli & Associates, First Business Bank, Full Scale, Google for Startups, Morningstar Communications, Park University and Polsinelli.