Steve Stava

Steve Stava

Aug 5th, 2015

creelio.com

At Creelio, we’re tackling the “Should-But Syndrome” — most executives and businesses know that they <bold>should</bold> have a blog and use social media, <bold>but</bold> they don’t have the time. In today’s increasingly online world, having a high-quality website and social media presence are non-negotiable. Our technology platform and mobile application delivers high quality, customized content that helps executives grow their online thought leadership, build their companies’ brand, increase web traffic, and attract avid followers.

Creelio is a 2014 alumni of the SparkLabKC business accelerator and a recipient of the Digital Sandbox grant.

Davide Rossi

Davide Rossi

Jul 1st, 2015

fitbark.com

Based in the heart of the KC Animal Health Corridor, FitBark is leading the charge in changing the way humans understand the health and the behavior of their dogs. FitBark is an alum of the Sprint Accelerator powered by Techstars (the #1 startup accelerator in the world), and was recognized by the Kauffman Foundation as one of the five most promising startups in North America.

Our first product is a beautiful doggie activity monitor made in the shape of a tiny, stylish dog-bone that comes in five barking colors. It monitors your dog’s everyday activity and turns it into BarkPoints, so you can track progress. It easily attaches to your dog’s collar and syncs with the free iOS and Android app (no subscription required). Since a successful Kickstarter campaign where the company reached its goal in 27 hours, FitBark has been pre-ordered in more than 45 countries. FitBark is designed in Italy and proudly made in the USA.

Emily Dix and Carolyn Ellspermann

Emily Dix and Carolyn Ellspermann

June 3rd, 2015

mosquitnoband.com

Mosquitno was founded in 2009 as a global brand dedicated to creating innovative insect repellent solutions. The United States segment of Mosquitno launched in 2010 to establish a localized brand and to grow American sales. Notable Mosquitno sales in the United States began in 2012, and the company has since experienced incremental growth. In addition to some online sales, Mosquitno began distributing through independent retailers, a few Whole Foods, and Tractor Supply Company. Mosquitno also secured 2015 programs with CVS Health and Rite Aid stores nationwide.
Over the coming years, Mosquitno intends to further increase its national distribution, as well as grow its online sales. This anticipated growth spurt has spurred a desire for Mosquitno to
evaluate its overall brand, packaging, marketing assets, online presence, and marketing strategy. In order accurately evaluate the existing Mosquitno brand and optimize it for future
growth, a market research study was implemented.

Shane Park

Shane Park

Jun 3rd, 2015

coinplay.io

Coinplay.io is a PC digital game sales startup that partners with game developers and publishers to make selling games online better.

Stuart Ludlow

Stuart Ludlow

May 6th, 2015

rfp365.com

RFP365 is a web-based platform designed to make the entire Request-for-Proposal (RFP) process painless. We help sellers leverage their resources and put their best foot forward to win projects. And we help buyers make sense of their options and easily compare vendors and find their best fit.

We’ve taken the traditional document-based process (emailing Word, PDF and Excel files) and made it mobile and centralized. Everyone on your team is on the same page. No more digging through scattered files, shared versions, or cluttered emails to get what you need.

Hayley Besheer

Hayley Besheer

May 6th, 2015

madiapparel.com

MADI Apparel is a cause-based women’s undergarment brand with the dedication to Make a Difference domestically and globally. For every pair of underwear we sell, we donate a pair to women in domestic violence shelters and rape clinics. Why UNDERWEAR? Because it is the most needed, under-donated item of clothing in the US. Turns out, underwear lands on the most urgent needs list at every domestic violence shelter across the country.

MADI is founded upon the principles of American manufacturing (made in Kansas City), environmental accountability (bamboo fabric) and socially conscious global impact through underwear donations. We believe in our world’s women – we aim to impact the lives of these women, one pair of underwear at a time.

Josh and Jenny Solar

Josh and Jenny Solar

April 1, 2015

hellohappinesscardco.com

Hello Happiness Card Company was launched in November 2014 with a mission to give people tangible tools to encourage others. Creators Josh & Jenny Solar believe that words are powerful and can change others lives. So they set out to create a line of greeting cards that are incredibly loving, joy-filled and uplifting. Simply put, Hello Happiness Greeting Cards is monthly card subscriptions for the encouragers of the world.

Joe and Christine Daues

Joe and Christine Daues

April 1, 2015

granolove.com

Granolove is honey-roasted granola that is gluten-free and comes in 4 amazing flavors – Blueberry & Cranberry, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Cherry and Moka Java (with real coffee in it!). Former TV News Anchors Joe and Christine Daues started Granolove in 2010 in Springfield, MO. Joe and Christine have grown Granolove to dozens of retail outlets throughout Missouri and hope to be expanding throughout the Midwest in 2015 and 2016. They started the company with a mission of funding a major bone research study someday. 10% of Granolove’s profits go to Shriners Hospitals for Children, where the Daues’s daughter Jude is treated. 6 year old Jude and 8 year old Joey are the couple’s two children and the family resides in Springfield, MO

Chris Thowe and Kyle FitzGerald

Chris Thowe and Kyle FitzGerald

March 4, 2015

life-equals.com

Life Equals is a progressive wellness brand, born in KC. At Life Equals, we believe a better you creates a better world and are the TOMS shoes for the Vitamin & Supplement industry. Life Equals is a one-for-one company that makes wellness simple, personal & consistent. Our first product line is premium health and nutrition products which focus on preventative health using the highest quality, bioavailable and whole food blends. With every product we sell, we donate an equivalent amount of children’s multivitamins to malnourished children worldwide and domestically via our partnership with the non-profit Vitamin Angels.

Dr. Stuart Jackson and CAPS Students

Dr. Stuart Jackson and CAPS Students

March 4, 2015

bvcaps.org

The Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) is an award winning educational program in Blue Valley Schools that pairs student interests and strengths with Industry Professionals and authentic projects. One such project is the creation of the Sensory Chair that applies deep pressure therapy to children on the autism spectrum. Students in the fields of engineering, medicine, business, design, and education have worked together to build and test new chair designs in hopes of bringing the innovation into the marketplace.

Brendan Reilly

Brendan Reilly

February 4, 2015

eonsportsvr.com

Brendan is the CEO of EON Sports VR. A coach turned Virtual Reality enthusiast, Brendan began his professional career as a student assistant under Bill Self at the University of Kansas. After working as an assistant coach at Illinois State, and a brief stint in the front office with the Kansas City Royals, he partnered up with EON Reality, a Virtual Reality company in Irvine, California, to pursue his passion of bringing revolutionary technology to the sports industry. Started in 2013, EON Sports now has hundreds of coaches and thousands of athletes who believe that training their brain is as important as training their bodies and utilize EON’s immersive software to take their game to the next level. EON Sports has been featured on CBS Sports, USA Today, Forbes and many other publications.
Brendan resides with his wife, Kellie, and their 3 dogs in Kansas City.

Sam Raiche

Sam Raiche

February 4, 2015

remembereveryonenow.com

At RememberEveryone, our central concept is a belief: we believe that TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER. It is the central premise of our company and the philosophy that drives all we do. We encourage sharing moments with friends and loved ones, collaborating on ideas, and finding new business leads all based on actively — not virtually — living our lives. Then, and only then, do we use technology to enable us to stay in better touch.
REON, our patent pending mobile app, allows users to connect with each other with a swipe of their finger and always remember who, where, and when they met … effortlessly.

Chris Costello

Chris Costello

January 7, 2015

blooom.com

401ks…there are 88 million people in the US investing in them. Odds are you, your family members, or your friends have at least one….and there is a good chance that the money isn’t being invested properly inside these 401ks. You are going to depend on this money to retire someday so you better get it right. The vast majority of 401k investors have adopted the strategy of: ignoring it, meaning to get around to it, and hoping for the best. Blooom fixes these 401ks for our clients and keeps them fixed.

Samson Yi

Samson Yi

January 7, 2015

pandalaundry.com

Panda Laundry is the world’s first system based, fully-automated, assembly production wash-and-fold service. Basically, it is wash-and-fold service done faster, better, and cheaper than it has ever been done before. Panda utilizes computer technology to increase volume output at drastically lower unit costs.

Bo Nelson

Bo Nelson

December 3, 2014

thoumayest.com

We believe that conversations and relationships are best shared over great drinks. We started roasting coffee a few years in our garage and now we have a coffee shop, cocktail and liquor bar, concerts in our back yard, a cigar patio, and event space. We are located in the blossoming cultural area of the East Crossroads where new breweries, local produce markets, and bakeries are going in. We also offer our coffees online, and subsequently, all over the world. We believe in the connecting power of coffee to individuals and communities around us and our goal is to see Kansas City become one of the best cities to live, work, and play in.

Thou Mayest is a movement, it is a choice, for us, right now, to make this city awesome. So lets do it!

Lance Windholz

Lance Windholz

November 5, 2014

wyco.club

WYCO is a new fashion brand that aims to empower customers to build their own unique style through clever engineering of products. Our first product are fully interchangeable sunglasses! We are the building blocks of style!

Charity Ohlund

Charity Ohlund

November 5, 2014

maddynash.com

Charity Ohlund is the owner and creative director behind Maddy Nash. Maddy Nash is a line of personalized clutches, foldovers, wristlets and totes that allows customers to choose the materials and hardware for each handbag and to write a custom label for the inside. Charity started Maddy Nash in January 2012 and the products are all hand made in Kansas City by a small team of seamstresses. Maddy Nash has been featured in numerous national, regional and local media outlets including The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, People StyleWatch and Southern Living. Recent local press includes a cover story in HerLife Magazine in August and a three-page feature this month in “This Is KC” Magazine. The company is named for her two sons, Maddux and Nash.

Shane Hackett

Shane Hackett

Oct 1, 2014

engagemobility.com

Engage Mobility, Inc. is a mobile technology, marketing and data company that help businesses acquire new customers and keep existing customers engaged. The Mobile Engagement System™ is a proprietary technology that delivers a value-added service to the consumer and corporate customers. The system integrates a cutting-edge augmented reality app with a proprietary cloud- based video delivery system, a mobile CRM, Dynamic Data™ delivery system, and access to Engages substantial database of over 40 million consumers and businesses.

Crystal K. Wiebe

Crystal K. Wiebe

Oct 1, 2014

beerpaws.com

Kansas City startup Beer Paws was founded “for the love of good times with good dogs.” We partner with local breweries to turn spent grains from the beer-making process into crunchy, high fiber, high protein dog treats. We are also the Midwest’s only brewer of doggy beer. A portion of all profits go back to animal rescue organizations.

Jason Tatge

Jason Tatge

Sep 3, 2014

farmobile.com

Farmobile is Jason’s third startup in Agriculture. His previous company Farms Technology, LLC was sold in December 2012 to DuPont Pioneer. That company focused on making the complex grain marketing process easier through the use of technology.
Now Jason is using his prior experience and network in agriculture to make the remote monitoring of farm machines and equipment easier. Farmobile’s business model is very different and quite destructive to the current system. Farmobile passively collects data from farm machines, sends it to the cloud using cellular technology, stores it in an Electronic Farm Record (EFR) and then makes it available to approved data subscribers to purchase. Farmobile splits all the revenue down the middle keeping complete alignment with the farmers who use Farmobile. Paying farmers cash for the data generated from their machines is unheard of today.

Andrew Chapman

Andrew Chapman

Sep 3, 2014

joebid.com

JoeBid.com is a Kansas City based company that helps Homeowners quickly and easily find and hire qualified contractors. On JoeBid.com a homeowner can review contractor profiles, ratings and reviews, all for free before deciding who they want to bid on their home maintenance or home improvement project. Contractors also like JoeBid because the only time they ever pay is when a lead actually converts. We do not charge to be listed, or even per lead, but rather a low % if the contractor does the work.

Steve Strong

Steve Strong

Aug 6, 2014

sdstrongdistilling.com

While other suburban fathers in Parkville tend to their lawns on the weekends, Steve Strong is heading 65 feet below ground. The former rocker, most recently of Steve Strong and the Jackknife Truckers, and father of three has been toiling in the caves below Park University for the past two years. Strong, 44, is the pitchman and distiller for S.D. Strong Distilling, the microdistillery that recently began selling its first spirit: vodka.

Laura Schmidt

Laura Schmidt

Aug 6, 2014

notestoself.com

Laura Schmidt started notes to self, llc to put her belief in the power of positive thinking into action (and on people’s feet!). Her company, notes to self, llc designs, develops, and sells positive affirmation apparel and accessories. Their first product: notes to self® socks – high quality athletic socks with positive affirmations like ‘I am awesome’ on the toes and the main word (‘awesome’) on the bottom. They are Made in the USA and sold in over 1000 stores nationwide and online. Their goal by the end of 2014 is to get 1 Million pairs on people’s feet, thru sales and by donating socks to those in need – directly and by partnering with others.

Tricia Steffes

Tricia Steffes

Jun 4, 2014

tallcollections.com

Bellezze Alte is an apparel and footwear company tailored to tall women. We offer an online boutique found at www.tallcollections.com and we currently have our clothing line, the Madeline Lubrano Collections, in production. Bellezze Alte’s mission is to tap the need for fashionable clothing and footwear tailored to the needs of tall women.

John Yerkes & Matt Rider

John Yerkes & Matt Rider

Jun 4, 2014

zoominmarket.com

Zoomin Market is all about the believers! Way back in 2012, two guys sat in a Mexican restaurant in Kansas City, Kansas, and had an epiphany. No, that’s not a burrito; it was a big idea . . . a drive-thru grocery store.

Sure, it makes sense because no one has enough time anymore. Going to the grocery store is a chore. We’re all used to ordering stuff on our laptop, tablet, or phone. So, who wouldn’t want to quickly and easily meet their grocery needs and have someone else do the shopping? The best part: this convenient service wouldn’t cost any extra!

So, here we are, a bunch of believers. Believers in doing things differently. Believers in giving our customers back time in their day. Believers in turning a stagnant industry on its head. Believers in caring about others and changing lives.​

Stephanie Nash & Stephanie Mason

Stephanie Nash & Stephanie Mason

May 7, 2014

rumblecosmetics.com

The Stephs have always had a passion for doing things that help others feel pretty and share their love for entrepreneurship. A K-State alum, she proudly put on her purple smoky eye, glittery pencil, shiny gloss and her vision of merging color cosmetics and the collegiate market was born. A phone call to Mason soon followed, and one morning at Starbucks later, Mason was in on the same dream.

Chris Nickols & Jennifer Nickols

Chris Nickols & Jennifer Nickols

May 7, 2014

whobaloo.com

Whobaloo is an online graphic design platform that allows everyone to easily create and send digital and printed cards, announcements and invitations. Chris and Jennifer hand built every aspect of Whobaloo to make it easy to make a homemade card or thoughtful thank you note. No design degree needed. Just your imagination and a special message.

Katie Mulich

Katie Mulich

Apr 2, 2014

thepawwash.com

At the age of 12, Katie was playing with her Lab/German Shepherd mix Sadie when she became frustrated with the standard ways to try and clean Sadie up before allowing her back into the house. Sadie’s paws never seemed to get 100% clean and the hoses, buckets, and towels she used were clunky and ineffective. She asked herself, “why not build a paw washing machine for Sadie?” So she did! The timing was perfect for her to incubate, develop and then test her invention through a school science project. The Paw Wash was born. Word spread of her idea and with the encouragement, guidance, and support of her family and market demand, Katie was swiftly awarded a U.S. Patent. To date, the Paw Wash has been sold to thousands of happy pet owners from all around the world!

Toby Rush

Toby Rush

Apr 2, 2014

eyeverify.com

EyeVerify was founded in January 2012 and is based in the Kansas City are. The team of twenty is led by Toby Rush and has gone through two rounds of funding raising 3.8M.
EyeVerify is the exclusive provider of the Eyeprint Verification software solution available for Android and iOS mobile devises.

Eyeprint Verification is a highly accurate biometric system that delivers password-free, secure authentication at a glance. The unique, patented technology uses the existing camera on any smartphone or tablet to image and pattern match blood vessels in the white of the eye capturing an Eyeprint. The Eyeprint is the most accurate, cost effective eye biometric, with results as accurate as iris scanning and more accurate than the fingerprint.

The Vow Exchange

The Vow Exchange

Mar 5, 2014

thevowexchange.com

Let The Vow Exchange give you a small intimate wedding or elopement without sacrificing the meaning or your special day. We specialize in small weddings and elopements of 20 guests or less and offer all inclusive wedding ceremony packages in Kansas City. Our packages include a unique venue, professional photography, local farm-fresh flowers and officiating. Perfect for the couple who might otherwise elope at the courthouse or head to Vegas to tie the knot, we offer a modern, cozy and intimate setting in Kansas City to exchange your “I do’s”