Check out the entrepreneur winners of this library pitch competition (and beyond-the-shelf resources)

Overwhelmed and excited to make a bigger impact, Rasheedah Villarreal expressed joy and gratitude Thursday after her name was announced as the top winner among a wide-ranging catalog of entrepreneurs pitching for cash prizes, community support, and serious momentum.

Her business, Social Emotional Yoga with Mrs. V, also earned “Crowd Favorite” honors, sending the founder home with $6,000 from the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Pitch Competition.

Rasheedah Villarreal, founder of Social Emotional Yoga with Mrs. V, beams after winning the first place and crowd favorite awards at the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Pitch Competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“This money is going to help me expand my program, to get into more schools, and to provide mats and materials for students who need them most,” said Villarreal.

Her program, which targets youth but also includes adults, has already reached more than 4,000 people, building resilience, mindfulness, and emotional regulation through yoga and counseling.

“This is more than just yoga,” Villarreal said during her pitch. “It’s a way for students to build coping strategies that they can use for the rest of their lives.”

The event aimed to encourage entrepreneurs at every stage to keep pursuing bold ideas, said Ashley Muffitt, director of Square One.

“Our hope for the 2025 Pitch Competition and Small Business Showcase is not only to provide funding to a select few entrepreneurs,” she explained, “but also to inspire the local business community as a whole to think creatively about new ventures, products, and services they’d like to pursue.”

Organizers and entrepreneurs at the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Pitch Competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Tackling a workout frustration

Second place at the competition went to Frankie Elder-Reedy, founder of Wrax, who secured $3,000 with a bold pitch addressing one of women’s biggest fitness frustrations: sports bras that don’t work.

Frankie Elder-Reedy, founder of Wrax, pitches during the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Pitch Competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“Traditional sports bras are not actually controlling bounce,” she said. “What they actually do is cause women to have to trade one discomfort for another.”

Her solution, Wrax, is built to stop bounce before it starts, a breakthrough that has already drawn national attention.

“We currently have a viral video happening,” Elder-Reedy said. “We have over 11 and a half million views and growing on a video that I never in a million years would have anticipated having a viral moment.”

The sudden demand created supply chain challenges, she explained.

“Virtually overnight, we sold out,” Elder-Reedy said. “We moved everybody to a wait list, and we currently have a wait list of thousands of women from all over the world who are wanting this product.”

The competition win arrived at just the right time, she said.

“This money is absolutely going to go to production,” Elder-Reedy said. “We are currently using small batch manufacturers right here in the Kansas City area, so that money will be recirculated right here with women who are making our products.”

Wraps from Wrax on display during Frankie Elder-Reedy’s pitch at the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Pitch Competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Celebration of local entrepreneurship

Presented by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Thursday’s live showcase at the Woodneath Library Center highlighted the diversity of Kansas City’s entrepreneurial scene, featuring six finalists selected from nearly 100 applications.

Joel Barrett, senior business development consultant at the Missouri Small Business Development Center, emcees the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Square One Pitch Competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

The event was emceed by Joel Barrett, senior business development consultant at the Missouri Small Business Development Center, with opening remarks from Aaron Mason, library director and CEO at MCPL.

“This is really an exciting night, because we’re going to give away almost $10,000 worth of money,” Barrett said. “All of the entrepreneurs here tonight have done a lot of hard work to put together a pitch to help us better understand their business.”

Mason added: “There is no one path to a creative career, but there is support. Events like this connect people to the resources and community they need to succeed.”

Other finalists innovative ventures

• The Babbling Bookery — Founders Madison Irwin-Hall, Mercedes Lucero, and Sara Quenzer pitched a mobile bookstore designed to bring diverse and inclusive literature to communities across Kansas City.
• Complex Flavors + Life and Home — Founder Keisha Jordan introduced a home décor company focused on neurodivergent-friendly and wellness-centered design solutions.
• Limitless Living Solutions — Founder Kristen Leinhop shared her consulting business that helps seniors navigate housing, employment, and daily living with greater independence.
• TriLink Health — Founders Monika Grosshart and Srinivas Kolli debuted Ivy, an AI-powered mental health intake program designed to streamline psychiatric assessments and reduce provider burnout.