Tag: Lisa Ragan

Conner Hazelrigg, 1773 Innovation Co., the Sunshine Box

‘Sunshine Box’ inventor earns $25K prize in pitch competition for women-led social ventures

By Tommy Felts / July 30, 2021

The woman behind a solar-paneled electric charging station built to overcome challenges found in developing nations earned the spotlight herself as Thursday’s big winner in the inaugural HI-HERImpact Kansas City pitch competition. Conner Hazelrigg, founder of 1773 Innovation Co. — the maker of the Sunshine Box — was awarded the contest’s $25,000 prize in the…

Read More >
HI-HERImpact pitch competitors: Anita Koul, Kufukaa; Deb North, YES! Athletics; and Lisa Ragan, Safely Delicious

Women-led ventures vie for $50K in pitch competition with more than prize money on the line

By Tommy Felts / July 26, 2021

Finalists in this week’s debut HI-HERImpact pitch competition say the virtual event offers Kansas City’s female social entrepreneurs an opportunity to tell their stories — and potentially score pivotal funding. “Winning it would be life changing for me, my business and the team of people working for Safely Delicious in so many ways,” said Lisa…

Read More >
Nate Morsches, CEO and co-founder, Restaurant, Pub & Games (RPG)

Pitch Perfect expands bootcamp to a dozen startups: Meet the capital-raising cohort

By Tommy Felts / September 24, 2020

Going virtual because of COVID-19 concerns might limit in-person interactions during the Pitch Perfect bootcamp, said Kathryn Golden, but it allows the seventh cohort to double its size and potential impact on growing startups. “We finally came to accept that moving ahead online — while not ideal — was important,” said Golden, director of entrepreneur…

Read More >

$100K in microgrants awarded across 23 struggling, but resilient minority businesses

By Tommy Felts / September 2, 2020

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial sponsor of Startland News. This report was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A COVID-era resiliency fund that quickly closed applications after receiving a deluge of response from entrepreneurs in need has awarded microgrants to 23 minority businesses on both sides of the state…

Read More >
Lisa Ragan family, Safely Delicious

OP-baked Safely Delicious takes big bites of allergy-free snack market amid pandemic

By Tommy Felts / July 17, 2020

Some of the most unconventional entrepreneur stories offer the sweetest flavors, said Lisa Ragan, detailing how diet restrictions and divorce combined to drive her deliciously disruptive Overland Park-based company forward. “You can’t have one foot in, one foot out,” Ragan, founder of Safely Delicious, said of what it’s taken to scale the allergy-friendly snack line…

Read More >