Tag: Risa Stein

Kansas City entrepreneurs chosen for startup competition focused on health tech

By Tommy Felts / August 13, 2024

WICHITA — Health innovation is a global priority, said organizers of the latest NXTSTAGE cohort, announcing nearly a dozen finalists and solutions hailing from Kansas City to France. Ten companies were selected for the 2024 NXTSTAGE Community Health and Vibrancy Pilot Competition, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS). Finalists include startups working to…

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

By Tommy Felts / March 29, 2023

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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Winners revealed: LaunchKC awards $300K in rebooted grants competition

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2022

LaunchKC’s cornerstone grants celebration returned Tuesday after a four-year hiatus, awarding six Kansas City startups — from gaming and edtech to IoT and healthcare — with $50,000 each in non-dilutive grants. “A win for these companies is a win for Kansas City,” said Becca Castro, strategic initiatives manager for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas…

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LaunchKC finalists: Meet 13 tech startups vying for six $50K grants in rebooted competition

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2022

A revived LaunchKC grants competition is set to return in mid-November with more than a dozen companies vying for $300,000 in non-dilutive funding. Finalists were announced Friday. The 13 Kansas City companies selected to compete Nov. 15 were narrowed from more than 90 applicants, said Becca Castro, strategic initiatives manager at the Economic Development Corporation…

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Jackie Nguyen, founder and owner of Cafe Cà Phê, and her team accept first-place honors in the James and Rae Block Kansas City Startup Awards at the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge

UMKC pitch contest puts Cafe Cà Phê closer to Jackie Nguyen’s big goal; winners range from students to emerging startups

By Tommy Felts / April 30, 2022

The University of Missouri-Kansas City continues to brew innovation — and the return of its Regnier Venture Creation Challenge (RVCC) Friday poured proof, offering more than $88,000 in critical cash prizes to percolating ventures that spill far beyond its classrooms.  “I moved to Kansas City from Washington D.C. over the summer and I started following Cafe…

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