Tag: Chrystal Graves

A night for knock-outs: Pipeline gala adds glitz to the hard-fought battles of entrepreneurship (Photos)

By Tommy Felts / March 4, 2025

Midwest means resilience, Melissa Vincent told a black-tie crowd of entrepreneurs gathered Friday evening in the Grand Hall at Union Station, ultimately sharing the stage with not one, but two Innovator of the Year honorees. “When they get knocked down, knocked out, they get back up and they stay in the ring,” continued Vincent, CEO…

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‘Startup Weekend changed my life’: 3-day competition returns with potential $150K investment prize

By Tommy Felts / March 29, 2024

COLUMBIA, Missouri — Organizers of Missouri Startup Weekend — a team-based competition that takes a glimmer of a startup idea to a fleshed-out business in three days — are upping the ante in an attempt to give Show-Me State entrepreneurs a platform to spark success. “Aspiring founders can find people who can help them build…

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Pipeline’s new cohorts show ‘power of diversity’; here’s who’s joining the elite entrepreneur network

By Tommy Felts / February 1, 2024

Pipeline’s roster of high-growth Midwest entrepreneurs swelled Thursday as the premier fellowship network officially announced more than two dozen founders joining its 2024 Fellowship and Pathfinder Program. “The selected Fellows and Pathfinders represent the power and impact of diverse companies, leaders and regions being represented in a cohort,” said Vincent, executive director of Pipeline Entrepreneurs.…

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Meet the cohort: Founder scaling Startup Weekend’s winning idea through Columbia venture fund, studio

By Tommy Felts / May 30, 2023

COLUMBIA, Missouri — Winning Missouri Startup Weekend this spring put Chrystal Graves one step closer to revolutionizing the beauty industry, she shared, noting the victory helped secure her spot in the Scale venture fund and studio. “I have been passionate about helping salons be profitable and inclusive for a long time, but I thought building…

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