UMKC pitch competition brings validating relief, cash prizes for emerging founders with big ideas

A popular UMKC pitch competition awarded more than $80,000 in cash prizes to student and full-time entrepreneurs Friday — validating new ideas and emerging ventures alike.  “I never saw anything like this when I was in college,” said Dr. Brandy Archie, founder of AskSAMIE, who competed in a category especially for established startups at the University…

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UMKC pitch contest returning with $90K in prizes; spots remain for emerging startups

The 2023 edition of the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge (RVCC), an annual pitch competition hosted by UMKC, is expected to award $90,000 in equity-free funding to student entrepreneurs and Kansas City businesses. Ben Williams, managing director at the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, shared his excitement for this year’s event — set for April…

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UMKC top student entrepreneur’s refrain: It isn’t how many ideas you have, it’s what you do with them

Improvising is vital in jazz and entrepreneurship, noted Tate Berry, UMKC Student Entrepreneur of the Year. A double major in jazz studies and business administration, Berry is well-versed in both. “Composing music is a very long collaborative creative process, which has given me the skills to look at intricate problems from a distance and develop…

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