Tag: UMKC Bloch School of Management

UMKC’s Student Entrepreneur of the Year sees business potential in KC’s diverse futbol ecosystem

By Tommy Felts / December 2, 2023

Lesly Romo couldn’t shake an idea bouncing around in her mind for the past few years: a venture she ultimately would call Golazo, a multi-faceted soccer facility that offers the world’s diverse forms of futbol all in one place. Recently named UMKC Student Entrepreneur of the Year, Romo first conceived the concept during her freshman…

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Entrepreneur of the Year: Zig when others are zagging — and don’t be afraid of the word ‘no’

By Tommy Felts / October 13, 2022

Bold strategies helped lead BacklotCars to one of Kansas City’s biggest-ever startup exits, said Justin Davis, and ultimately brought the lauded founder to the stage Wednesday to accept one of UMKC’s Entrepreneur of the Year honors. “Taking ‘no’ for an answer wasn’t an option,” the co-founder and CEO of BacklotCars, a web-based, dealer-to-dealer automotive platform, told…

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Megan Williams, Smiles and Kuts Foundation

Social entrepreneur cuts into kids’ shaken self-esteem: I can’t save them all, but I can put smiles on a few faces

By Tommy Felts / May 11, 2021

When Megan Williams’ daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss, the challenge put her confidence to the test.  “Sometimes kids are cruel,” Williams, a local hair stylist and salon owner, said of concerns her family faced as they sent the 5-year-old to school with hearing aids neatly tucked around her ears. Knowing full well the taunting…

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UMKC celebrates Maria Meyers for driving social entrepreneurship, ecosystem building in KC

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2019

Kansas City’s most tenacious advocate, Maria Meyers has built far more than a legacy for herself, proclaimed Mary Bloch. “I first met Maria Meyers in the mid-90s when we were both involved in the renovation of Union Station,” Bloch, civic leader and daughter-in-law of H&R Bloch founder Henry W. Bloch, said as she recognized Meyers,…

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Entrepreneur of the Year: Michael Rea says building a startup takes a ‘strong stomach’

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2019

The road to startup success isn’t a clear path for anyone, acknowledged Michael Rea, and it takes a founder’s persistence to reach his or her desired destination. “Many people set out on an entrepreneurial journey, but few complete it,” Rea, founder and CEO of Rx Savings Solutions, told a crowd gathered Friday night for the…

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