There’s no shortage of innovation in the Kansas City metro.
Companies like Cerner Corp. and Garmin Ltd. and institutions like MRIGlobal and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have produced mountains of patent applications, filled volumes of scientific journals and attracted international attention.
But there’s a new crop of local innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs rising. Look at companies in Techstars Kansas City or the Pure Pitch Rally, and you see new innovators showcasing their talent and ambition. Look beyond, and the pipeline extends to other incubators, classrooms and homes.
To find some of these rising stars, age 25 or younger, KC Inno consulted with industry stakeholders and supporters in the local innovation and tech ecosystem. It’s a list of people we’re confident we’ll be hearing more from – and a list that will grow in coming years.
Sae-Vheon Alcorn and Tae-Vheon Alcorn, both 20
Twins Sae-Vheon and Tae-Vheon Alcorn are first-generation college students at the University of Kansas, where they’re members of the track team.
They’re fast movers in the business world, too.
Their entrepreneurial roots date to high school, when they accumulated more than 1 million followers on social media platform Vine and leveraged that following to launch an automated online drop-shipping business in 2015. They sourced items from overseas and had customers in 13 countries. Within the first year, the business made $20,000 in profit.
Their latest venture launched last year. The Vintage Hawks is an Instagram shop featuring vintage KU gear that has 10,400-plus followers. When the brothers hosted their first popup shop in August, they sold more than 200 items in 30 minutes. In the future, they plan to partner with student athletes and launch an ambassador program.
Clara Baldwin, 25
Baldwin became a self-taught web developer and marketer at 16 and used her drop-shipping company to fund her bachelor’s degree in marketing and entrepreneurship fromWestminster College.
When Baldwin was laid off from her corporate job, she viewed it as a sign to venture out on her own. She launched marketing agency Ground Plan Studio, which has worked with celebrity brands, Fortune 500 companies and startups. Earlier this year, Baldwin started a second marketing agency, Cure Medical Marketing, which is tailored for doctors, health care practices and medical brands.
Baldwin also created a nonprofit to give domestic violence victims a bigger voice. Peace Over Pieces tells survivors’ stories through podcasts and video. It aims to promote healing, help others in similar situations and raise money to support people transitioning to a new life post-abuse. Baldwin recently published a book featuring a collection of abuse survivors’ stories.
LJ Browne, 20
The initial idea for Kansas City Pioneers started during Browne’s senior year of high school and was cemented in 2019 while he was attending Fort Scott Community College on a football scholarship.
In the past year, the professional esports franchise has generated about 50 million online impressions a month from streamed games and reached revenue in the high six figures.
It already has one of the nation’s top “Madden NFL” players, Kansas City native Matt Clark, the Madden Challenge 2017 champion. The startup also secured six-figure sponsorship deals with DoorDash Inc. and Under Armour Inc.
KC Pioneers is raising $2 million in growth capital to hire additional employees, lure more competitive challenger teams and build a team house for teams to play games at the highest levels.
Luis Florez Jr., 23
Alkamba Co. brought on Florez as COO to accelerate growth and provide strategic insights. Florez also is acting CFO of Alkamba and its family of companies. Alkamba, which means “community,” is the parent company of several entities: Alkamba Productions, which provides digital content and video production services; Alkamba Creative Solutions, a digital marketing agency; and Alkamba Express, a graphics design and e-commerce company. Notable clients include Marknology, Kansas State University, Akuna Naturals and One Light luxury apartments.
Florez also is a producer for “Freedom Project,” a documentary series that aims to raise awareness of mental health by highlighting people with mental illness and their journeys.
Jonaie Johnson, 21
A recent University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate, Johnson was a starter on the university’s conference championship basketball team. Her teammates fittingly referred to her as “the CEO.”
She founded Interplay, a dog crate accessory and app that allows owners to interact with pets while they’re away. The accessory attaches to the inside of the crate and includes video and audio access, music and sound features, and the ability to perform tasks such as dispensing food and water via the app.
For her innovation, Johnson received the Henry W. Bloch School of Management Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2020. She also received a grant from Digital Sandbox KC to develop beta versions of the technology.
Max Schanker, 22, and Nate Schanker, 19
The Schanker brothers co-founded social media platform SWOT, which allows users to rank anything to see what others think and to discover the best of the best. Users can share and compare things like their favorite movies, brands or restaurants.
In the future, the Schankers expect companies also will use the platform to learn about their target markets. The startup has about 200 beta users and received a Digital Sandbox KC grant.
The brothers previously founded Hyped KC, a high-end resale operation that sold sneakers and streetwear through popup shops and collaborated with influencers, including NBA players.
The Schankers also are involved in XSET, an esports and lifestyle gaming brand. Nate manages social media for Valorant and Fortnite players, and Max is chief of staff.
Elijah Sharpe, 25
Sharpe previously was a research fellow with NASA. He now is focused on Alden, a tech company whose development was supported and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Sharpe, co-founder and CEO, said Alden accelerates access to advanced diagnostic testing and information. Its technology combines biosensors, hardware and software to make testing simple, fast and affordable.
It’s a first-of-its-kind diagnostic platform and is focused on companies throughout the agriculture supply chain, he said.
Alden can help companies test food and environmental samples to ensure they’re high quality and compliant with regulations.
Parker Tergin, 22
Tergin founded PondDay, an online booking platform that allows owners to list a private pond, lake, cabin or camping property for daily rental.
The idea for PondDay was sparked when Tergin gazed at the Kansas City skyline and reminisced about a trip with friends where they built a campfire around one of their families’ ponds. He wants to help others create lifelong memories at places they otherwise couldn’t access.
The startup is leveraging the sharing economy to bridge the gap between exclusivity and accessibility, he said.
Tergin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from William Jewell College, said his experience as an analyst in Royal Street Ventures’ UVF-Crossroads program gave him the experience and knowledge to launch a startup.
