Pure Pitch Rally passes $1 million in prizes; FastDemocracy and TheraWe lead winners

Kirby Montgomery, TheraWe Connect, Pure Pitch Rally

A quick-paced pitch competition Wednesday saw big wins for political tracking startup FastDemocracy and child therapy resource TheraWe Connect, with more than $1 million in prizes awarded between 10 young companies. “Our sponsors felt a funding head-rush like a speeding train — throwing money everywhere,” said Michael Williamson, an IP attorney for Polsinelli, one of…

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10-year-old Leawood inventor in the running for $250K

Chucker, Julia and Susan Luetje

Kansas City entrepreneurs are known for their Midwestern hospitality, collaborative nature and humility. And each of those traits are expressed by 10-year-old inventor Julia Luetje of Leawood, whose entrepreneurial spirit is now on the national stage as part of a Frito-Lay’s Dreamvention competition. “I invented the Storm Sleeper because I used to be afraid of…

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