InnovaPrep CEO honored as an ‘inspiration’ among Pipeline fellows

November 16, 2020  |  Austin Barnes

COVID-19 couldn’t stop the steady flow of innovation through the Pipeline Entrepreneurs Fellowship. 

The organization crowned a series of winners through its (virtual) Innovator Awards on Thursday — a testament to its commitment to entrepreneurs weathering unprecedented times, said David Alburty. 

“Pipeline has been absolutely mission-critical in my evolution as a scaling CEO,” Alburty, CEO of InnovaPrep, said in response to his participation in the program’s 2019 fellowship and newfound winner of Pipeline’s member inspiration award. The honor recognized his commitment to fostering success in other fellows. 

“Pipeline helped me learn how to make Innovaprep scale. It has been an honor and a blessing to be part of the Pipeline Entrepreneurs family and I plan to continue for life, helping members and new fellows in any way I can,” he said.

Additional prizes saw Michael Fry, co-founder and CEO of Brown Button Estates crowned innovator of the year; Leandro Castro, co-founder and CEO of Omaha-based MultiMechanics, honored with the member growth award; and Mike Bosch, founder and CEO of Baldwin City-based RG Fiber recognized with the member resilience award. 

Alburty credits the program with teaching him valuable revenue-building skills, which, when anchored with his background in STEM, have turned InnovaPrep into a powerhouse on the prairie. 

The startup made key pivots amid the pandemic which has seen it use its technology to search sewers for SARS in a bid to help end the spread of COVID-19. 

Click here to read more about InnovaPrep’s pandemic-experience. 

[adinserter block="4"]

2020 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Fresh in the tin: Crossroads cafe targets TikTok generation for laid-back canned seafood cuisine

    By Tommy Felts | October 1, 2025

    A new venue specializing in “sangria, tins and snacks” pairs viral tastes with inspiration from a classic culinary voice, said longtime Kansas City restaurateur Shawn McClenny, whose Crossroads “taverna” is expected to open by mid-November. “It will be more of a Spanish cafe, very informal, no reservations,” said McClenny, describing the future Lilico’s Taverna slated…

    Lula bets on responsible growth to hit profitability; why the startup’s most valuable property is room to scale

    By Tommy Felts | October 1, 2025

    Lula opened 2025 by announcing a hefty funding round; the momentum has only continued to build, founder Bo Lais shared. On top of its $28 million Series A round in early February, the Kansas City-based proptech startup expanded to more than 50 markets nationwide and had eight straight months of record gross merchandise value and…

    World Cup hosts launch KC Game Plan for entrepreneurs; heat map, cultural insights on global visitors warming up next

    By Tommy Felts | September 30, 2025

    Kansas City boasts no better roster of ambassadors than the region’s small business owners, said Tracy Whelpley, announcing a new KC2026 “Game Plan” for entrepreneurs who are eager to put cleats to streets ahead of the incoming FIFA World Cup. “There’s so many entrepreneurial people out there and they really represent what our community is…

    Just funded: Trio of startups join Digital Sandbox KC, emerging onto competitive innovation scene

    By Tommy Felts | September 30, 2025

    Not only will proof-of-concept funding from one of Kansas City’s most pivotal startup supporters help CEO Gharib Gharibi rapidly iterate development of his company, the Archia founder said; Digital Sandbox KC connects him to a thriving local tech ecosystem at a crucial inflection point for his artificial intelligence-based solutions. “We are excited to leverage both…