The University of Missouri-Kansas City's annual Entrepreneur of the Year awards are back after the program was conducted virtually in 2020 and mostly skipped in 2021.
In a return to its traditional in-person format, UMKC will honor six people, including the founder and chairman of the largest Black-owned company in the United States as well as the CEO and co-founder of Kansas City-based BacklotCars.
This year's Entrepreneur of the Year Awards honorees are:
- Henry W. Bloch International Entrepreneur of the Year Award: David Steward, founder and chairman of World Wide Technology LLC, which is a provider of technology products, solutions and services. The St. Louis-area company employs more than 9,000 people globally and generated more than $13.2 billion in revenue in 2021. According to a Monday release, "Steward is a civic leader and philanthropist committed to expanding opportunities for Black people and others from historically under-represented and underserved communities."
- Kansas City Entrepreneur of the Year: Justin Davis, co-founder and CEO of BacklotCars Inc., which offers an online marketplace for dealers that simplifies the process for buyers and sellers of wholesale vehicles. BacklotCars recorded one of the biggest startup exits in Kansas City history. Launched in 2014, the Kansas City-based company sold for $425 million in 2020.
- Marion and John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship: Bart Houlahan, Jay Coen Gilbert and Andrew Kassoy, co-founders of B Lab. According to a release from UMKC, "the trio co-founded B Lab in 2006 to drive systemic change to address social and environmental problems. They created a corporate certification program that recognizes organizations maintaining high standards of social and environmental performance." The Kansas City area is home to a number of Certified B Corporations, which means the companies put purpose and profit on a level playing field and are held accountable by third-party audits every two years.
- Student Entrepreneur of the Year: Not yet announced
The awards program, which was founded in 1985, celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and aims to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs. The honorees will be saluted Oct. 12 at Plexpod Westport Commons, 300 E. 39th St. in Kansas City.
In 2021, the only honoree selected was the Student Entrepreneur of the Year. That award went to Brad Starnes, CEO and co-founder of Splitsy LLC, which is a multiuser automatic payment system that allows roommates and others to split bills.
In 2020, the honorees were:
- Henry W. Bloch International Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia
- Kansas City Entrepreneur of the Year: Nathaniel Hagedorn, founder and CEO of Kansas City-based NorthPoint Development
- Marion and John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship: Robert Hatch, chairman and CEO of Leavenworth-based Cereal Ingredients Inc. and Great Plains Analytical Lab
- Student Entrepreneur of the Year: Jonaie Johnson, CEO and founder of Interplay, which aimed to build an automated dog crate that allows pet owners to interact with their dogs
All proceeds from the event benefit the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation's student and community programs. The Regnier Institute is part of the university's Henry W. Bloch School of Management.
