Tag: Bryan Boots

Jackie Nguyen, Cafe Cà Phê; Jill and Justin Bertelsen, Bertelsen Education and Crib Coaching; and Risa Stein, SeeInMe

UMKC’s pitch competition showcases ‘real people’ solving real problems with $88K up for grabs

By Tommy Felts / April 25, 2022

Seven ventures remain in a popular regional business challenge that culminates this week with $88,000 in prizes on the line. Many of the competitors: no strangers to the pitch stage. Finalist presentations in the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge are planned for in-person Friday afternoon, followed by an awards ceremony at the UMKC Bloch Executive Hall.…

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Brad Starnes, Splitsy

Splitting time between student, entrepreneur lives earns Splitsy co-founder top UMKC honor

By Tommy Felts / February 10, 2022

Recognition as UMKC’s Student Entrepreneur of the Year is a reminder that innovators often begin early, said Brad Starnes, one of Kansas City’s most-talked-about emerging young startup founders. “When I was about 8 years old, I submitted a drawing to an engineering firm,” said the co-founder of Splitsy, a bill splitting app that launched its…

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Nolan McMichael, Brad Starnes, and Joe Allen, Splitsy

Splitsy takes top prize in Regnier challenge, adding to emerging fintech startup’s spring bump

By Tommy Felts / May 4, 2021

The Regnier Venture Creation Challenge doled out more than $65,000 in cash prizes to emerging startups this spring, culminating in Friday’s big win for an up-and-coming fintech app.  “We had a great competition,” Bryan Boots, managing director of venture creation and assistant teaching professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, told Startland News.  The annual…

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Libby Martin, Calving Technologies; Pure Pitch Rally 2019; photo by Mikaela Wendel

Regnier student venture contest returns Friday with virtual finalist pitches, real-world prize money

By Tommy Felts / April 28, 2020

When the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge returns Friday, the competition’s newly virtual format will still reflect its commitment to fostering innovation in early entrepreneurs, said Bryan C. Boots.  “The virtual RVCC will look different from what we’ve done in the past, but it will nonetheless provide an opportunity for practicing entrepreneurship, for gaining feedback on…

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Bryan Boots, UMKC's Regnier Institute

Regnier student venture contest widens to high schools, eyeing next generation of innovators

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2020

A broader reach is expected to drive the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge in 2020, as the University of Missouri-Kansas City expands the impact-driven contest beyond multiple state lines.  “We hope to see even more regional representation in the competition than we’ve had in past years — which has already been pretty regional,” Bryan Boots, managing director…

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