Young KC entrepreneurs to learn from veteran innovators Fishback, Costello

Young entrepreneurs in the area are set to cultivate their skills with an upcoming event connecting them with successful Kansas City business leaders.

On Nov. 14, HatchPad Engage! Kansas City will host a panel, fireside chat and pitch competition geared toward entrepreneurial youth that are still in school or are recent graduates.

HatchPad CEO Heather Holst-Knudsen is excited for the opportunity to foster the next generation of entrepreneurs in Kansas City. She believes that one of the biggest gaps young people face in their careers is the size of their network.

“HatchPad will allow young entrepreneurs to meet and shake hands with like-minded peers, potential mentors, business partners and investors,” Holst-Knudsen said. “Speakers will include young founders as well as older ones who will share their lessons learned along the way, giving attendees an interesting mix of experience and knowledge.”

Here’s more about the event, which will be hosted at Think Big:

• Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly — Zaarly is an online marketplace that facilitates peer commerce — such as house cleaning, lawn mowing or plumbing. Fishback is also the previous vice president of entrepreneurship at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and formerly worked with the Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation.

• KC Mavericks Fireside chat — Brothers and young-adults Benton and Ryan Munyan co-founded Helio Foods in order to transform the way we eat. Moderated by Clayton Kohler, co-founder of Innovate Today, the Munyans will talk about their experience and why they opted into entrepreneurship.

• Chris Costello, CEO of Blooom — Blooom is an online401(k) finance management platform which targets young people. A lifelong Kansan, Costello and his firm have garnered recognition from LaunchKC, the Kauffman Foundation and clients around the nation.

• Fast pitch shootout — Qualified student entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their business to the audience in 90-seconds or less. The spectators will then evaluate the pitches using Pear Deck, a startup located in the Kansas City Startup Village. The top two pitches will receive gift cards — $250 and $100 respectively – as well as feedback and other rewards.