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Photo provided by UMKC
The winners are in from UMKC’s 2023 Regnier Venture Creation Challenge, taking home more than $90,000 in prize money.
The challenge wrapped up on April 28 at Bloch Executive Hall located on the UMKC campus. The competition is hosted annually by the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Over 90 teams from 12 universities in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa applied for this year’s awards.
“I hope we can continue to expand awards into the future,” Bob Regnier, Vice Chairman of The Board at Bank of Blue Valley. “Our experience has shown that sometimes a small amount of money at the right time is helpful in the development of these companies.”
The 2023 finalist winners, by category:
Regnier College Startup Awards
● First place: $15,000: ChiChi, a chickpea-oatmeal producer formed by Chiara Munzi and Izzy Gorton of Washington University in St. Louis.
● Second place, $10,000: King of the Curve, an education-tech company founded by Heath Rutledge-Jukes and William Kelly of WashU.
● Third place, $5,000: Xotu Jewelry, formed by Adriana Suarez of UMKC.
The BlueKC Healthcare Innovation Awards
● First place, $15,000: Foliagraft, a medical device/therapeutics company formed by Abby Knoesel, Madison Husereau and Aiden Armstrong of Missouri University of Science & Technology.
● Second place, $10,000: InforMedic, an insurance-sector tech firm formed by Pranav Rajan and Tan Phan of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
James & Rae Block Kansas City Startup Awards (for non-degree-seeking applicants)
● First place, $17,500: Rings of Care KC, an end-of-life care platform founded by Nicole Staab
and Rachel Blankenship.
● Second place, $12,500: Come On Now, an app that facilitates immediate healthcare appointments, founded by Shelley Cooper and Terry Oehrke.
● Third place, $2,500: Venboo, a phone app that lets users locate and book vendor opportunities, founded by Juaquan Herron and Rodney McDuffie.
Honorable Mentions
● Outstanding Undergraduate Venture Award, $2,500: Solutoy, a device to deter catalytic-converter thefts, founded by Ako Hamaamin and Noah Strodtman of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
● Outstanding Social Venture Award, $2,500: Vi Sinh Xinh, a platform to connect organic farmers with sellers of fermented food waste, founded by Alyssa Lai of Iowa State University.
● Outstanding Creative Enterprise Award, $2,500: YHARI, a fashion-design firm founded by UMKC’s Yhari Gray.
