PHKC awards $25K to Alchemy Sandbox winners; It’s amazing when someone understands your vision, founder says 

Year one challenges can be difficult for entrepreneurs to swallow, James Thomas noted, but he’s raising a cup to the first anniversary of Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri Shop with validation and a splash of funding.

James Thomas, Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri Shop; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News

Two days after completing The Porter House KC’s fourth small business development cohort and competing in its finale competition, Thomas pitched again — this time pouring a $5,000 grant from Alchemy Sandbox, another PHKC program that provides critical funding, mentoring, and connections to founders in partnership with UMB Bank. 

RELATED: Pitch contest winners salute PHKC as fourth cohort wraps; $15K in prizes awarded to small businesses

“Your first year is always the hardest,” Thomas explained of starting a business. “You’re trying to figure out what to do, how to market your brand, how to sell your product, figure out how to make people understand and realize your vision, and do the best you can with the resources.”

“Luckily Porter House and UMB Bank were there and they understood my vision; they saw my potential,” he continued. “When I heard I’d won, it was just an amazing feeling that people are seeing and understanding what I have to offer and what I can do for the city.”

Brain Freeze is a pop up daiquiri shop with 28 flavors — including Frose, King Cake, and Feelin’ No Pain — that caters corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, and more.

The Duffle Brand; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News

Additional winners from Alchemy Sandbox’s Quarter 2 cohort — each winning as much as $5,000 — include paraMi, The Duffle Brand, Magnolia Beauty Academy, and MJ Fitness.

paraMi team: Erika Reza, Silvia Marin, Veronica Alvidrez, and Nayelly Serrano-Dantzler; photo by Martin Martinez

Click here to learn more about paraMi’s new storefront.

According to The Porter House KC, four out of five of the winners have participated in past Alchemy Sandox cohorts, which is a process that includes an online application, a pitch workshop led by the Missouri Small Business Development Center, and a five-minute pitch and three-minute Q&A period with judges.

“To be able to see each of these business owners progress each quarter in their comfort of pitching, their comfort of discussing their business, and ultimately, their comfort in discussing their work is phenomenal to see,” said Miranda Schultz, director of operations at The Porter House KC.

Click here to apply for the Alchemy Sandbox program.

James Thomas, Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri Shop; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News

James Thomas, Brain Freeze Mobile Daiquiri Shop

Thomas — who plans to use the $5,000 to purchase another daiquiri machine and truck — started Brain Freeze in June 2022 after coming up with the idea during the pandemic.

“I’ve traveled to New Orleans and to downtown and they have daiquiri shops,” the KC native explained. “And I wanted to bring something like that that’s fun with an atmosphere of joy to Kansas City. So during COVID — when it was sad, depressing, and lonely — I wanted something to bring people together.”

He said he decided to put his own twist on the daiquiri shop concept by going mobile.

“I wanted to do something where you don’t have to leave your house or you don’t have to go down to a restaurant,” he added. “You can go down the street to your neighbor’s house or go to an anniversary party or wedding and have the same feel of New Orleans at your event.”

Click here to see events where you can find Brain Freeze.

In his first year in business, Thomas noted that he’s thankful to have the support of The Porter House KC and fellow cohort members.

“It’s a community of entrepreneurs that are going through the same struggles that we are going through,” he said, “but look to each other to figure out how to overcome the struggle that we have.”