Twenty-four innovators and entrepreneurs highlighted the second annual Innovation Summit at Kansas City Kansas Community College April 5th.
An estimated 250 innovators, investors, business owners, students and members of the community turned out for the Summit and State Street Perfect Pitch competition designed to connect the people with the ideas and innovations to people who can give reality to those ideas and innovations.
There were two divisions, a High School and a General division, and 24 entrepreneurs, competing for the combined $5,000 award money sponsored by State Street. Kate O'Neill Rauber of Sink Cycle, was presented a check of $1,500 by Kansas City Kansas Community College President Dr. Doris Givens for her winning entry in the State Street Perfect Pitch general competition. Sink Cycle is a fizzy fast way to wash your clothes in the sink.
Gabby Lobo, a student at Blue Valley’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS), was presented a check of $1,000 for her winning entry in the State Street Perfect Pitch High School competition.
Gabby has developed the Pest Deflector, a patent pending product which resembles a fabric softener that infuses the clothes with chemicals that deflects bugs, primarily mosquitoes.
Other award winners in the general division included Helen Betts with Ready Teddy, a fire safety bear for the purpose of alarming and waking children during nighttime fires; and Adam Arredondo with Local Ruckus, an easy and enjoyable online based way to discover and share local events.
Additional award winners in the high school division included Grace Powell and Faith Ries with Vidionary (Blue Valley CAPS students), a visual advertisement business that provides key engagement content; and Dimonic Roden-McKinzy with McKrispy Mobile Cuts (Wyandotte High School student), a specialty barber who provides the service at the customers preferred location.
Tom McDonnell, CEO and President of the Kauffman Foundation, and Jon Robinson, manager of entrepreneurship programs at the Kauffman Foundation, delivered the keynote address about the vital role of the community college in serving entrepreneurs, and trends we're seeing in entrepreneurship education, workforce development, and innovation within Kansas City.
Following his address, Synthia Payne of Cyber Jammer, Charles L. Davis of Doing Real Work Inc., Jeb Ory of Phone2Action, and Tony Henige of General Motors talked about their unique and highly motivational journeys in finding entrepreneurial success.
Organized by Workforce Development at Kansas City Kansas Community College, the Summit sponsors include the State Street, Kansas Small Business Development Center, UMKC, WYDEC, KCSourceLink, KCK Women’s Chamber, KCK Chamber, KCK Black Chamber, Women’s Business Center, Central Avenue Betterment Association, Leavenworth County Development Council, Young Entrepreneurs.
PHOTOS: A check for was presented by KCKCC President Dr. Doris Givens, KCKCC Workforce Development Coordinator Marvin Hunt, and State Street’s Mark Nicholson, to Kate O’Neill Rauber for winning the “State Street Perfect Pitch” general competition as part of the Innovation Summit at KCKCC April 5. The second photo includes Gabby Lobo, winner of the High School Division, Steve Green of State Street, and Marisa Gray of KCKCC.
