KC’s sports business icons joining the roster for Junior Achievement Hall of Fame

A Super Bowl win and the NFL Draft turned Kansas City into a sports haven, said Megan Sturges Stanfield, so it’s only fitting that the latest laureates to join Junior Achievement’s Business Hall of Fame reflect not only a passion for athleticism and their hometown — but translating opportunity into entrepreneurial success.

Among the new inductees: the founders of the Kansas City Current, Tico Sports and Charlie Hustle.

“Youth served by Junior Achievement often have aspirations of playing professional sports, but we know the percentage who turn that dream into reality, on the field, is limited,” explained Sturges Stanfield, president and CEO of JA of Greater Kansas City. “These laureates illustrate how many opportunities exist for youth to achieve beyond the field while fulfilling their passion, and how key leadership skills like perseverance, dedication and innovation are vital for career and entrepreneurial success.”

A Hall of Fame event is set for 11 a.m. Nov. 9 at JA Youth Learning Lab, 2842 W 47th Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, presented by the Mallouk Family Foundation.

The laureates include:

• Chris and Angie Long, Palmer Square Capital Management and Kansas City Current — The Longs are co-owners of the Kansas City Current, the city’s first National Women’s Soccer league franchise. With co-owners Brittany Mahomes and Patrick Mahomes, they have had a clear vision of establishing the best women’s soccer club in the world, but also having the Kansas City Current serve as a model for all of women’s sports, according to Junior Achievement. The team will soon complete a $120 million privately-financed stadium on the riverfront, the first in the world to be built for a women’s professional sports team. Click here to read more about the project and the designers behind it.

• Oscar Monterroso and CiCi Rojas, Tico Productions and Tico Sports — Under Monterroso and Rojas’ leadership, Tico Sports developed a Spanish-language broadcast and community engagement platform for sports teams, establishing a third-party solution for sports teams seeking to build their Latino audiences. Tico has served as the official Spanish broadcaster for professional teams Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Jose Sharks, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and at the collegiate level, for the University of Kansas basketball and football, the University of Nebraska, and Kansas State University. Click here to read about Tico Sports’ own journey to the Super Bowl.

• Chase McAnulty, Charlie Hustle — Starting with only 16 shirt designs in 2012, McAnulty has led the company to have more than 200 licenses, over 1,000 SKUs in inventory. The iconic ‘KC Heart’ design has become a beloved icon portraying Kansas City pride. McAnulty also created the Heart of KC Foundation, Charlie Hustle’s 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, of which has spearheaded the Parade of Hearts project in Kansas City. Click here to read more about Charlie Hustle’s plans for growing its sports-infused business beyond the KC Heart.

This fall’s festivities mark the 23rd year of the JA Business Hall of Fame, a signature event in recognizing the efforts and accomplishments of those leaders and changemakers that are vital in building the past, present and future of the Kansas City economic and entrepreneurial ecosystem. The 2023 inductees join familiar names of the Kansas City business landscape, including Peter Mallouk, Fred Pryor, Jeanette Prenger, Joyce Hall, and more.

Click here to read more about the 2022 honorees.

Chris Goode, Ruby Jeans Juicery, Darcy Howe, KCRise Fund, and Carlos Antequera, Novel Capital, at the 2022 Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Business Hall of Fame ceremony