Deadline Approaching: Think Big Accelerator Application Window Closes December 6th

The application window for the next class of Think Big Accelerator companies will close on December 6th 2013. As our search for entrepreneurs with passion for taking big ideas and turning them into profitable and scalable companies continues, I sat down with Accelerator Director Blake Miller who addresses some of the most commonly asked questions of potential applicants.

• Should entrepreneurs wait until closer to the deadline to the December 6th deadline to submit their ideas in hopes of improving their chances?

“I definitely encourage entrepreneurs first and foremost to apply when they believe they are ready to build and or grow their business. With that said, we've been evaluating applications and arranging first interviews with founding teams as applications have come in."

• What do you tell entrepreneurs who are apprehensive of signing up based on the stage of development they're at?

“We encourage entrepreneurs to have a product they have launched or can launch within the next 180 days. We provide the most value when bringing products to market or developing a strategy to do so. We have had great success in helping refine a company’s product-market fit beyond a first prototype, getting a first marquee or name brand customer, helping new apps achieve their first 50,000 downloads or propelling a company towards their first 100k in revenue.”

• What is Think Big's view on submitting multiple ideas?

“We believe at this stage in a business life cycle the founders should be most passionate about building one business. Although we recognize that there are outliers, we've found that the best businesses are built with focus and passion. Founders should also have a very firm grasp on the problem that they are solving, and the solution they are creating. Having domain expertise is invaluable and often the difference between a good idea that has no market, and a great idea that has 10 customers ready to buy the day you launch.”

• Should entrepreneurs only submit ideas that they think "fit" Think Big Partners? 

“There are definitely businesses that we provide more value in than others. If you have a question as to whether we may be a fit, please email or tweet us! We especially like AgTech, Financial Technology, Consumer Technology, Process Technology and Health Care Technology. We also have a strong background in building apps and mobile platforms.”

If you have a big idea that is ready to launch and grow, we want to meet you. The application window for the next Think Big Accelerator closes on December 6th, 2013. Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to learn more about the Think Big Accelerator model by contacting us via email or visiting thinkbigpartners.com/accelerator.

Are you ready to take the next step in growing your startup? If so apply for the Think Big Accelerator before it’s too late.

The Entrepreneurial Story of Kansas City’s Solomon Consulting Group

Anyone can be an entrepreneur: File some paperwork, pay for office space and embrace the culture of a startup. But the problem with this simplistic mentality is that there is a big difference between “being” and entrepreneur and actually being and entrepreneur.

The difference is doing things. Here at Think Big, we love companies that are doing real things. One company that is making a name for itself here in Kansas City is Solomon Consulting Group. Solomon Consulting group was just named #3 in Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing companies in Kansas City. To learn more about Solomon Consulting Group’s story, we connected with President and Founder of the organization, Grant Gordon.

Can you tell us about Solomon Consulting Group's beginnings? How did it all start? Do you consider yourself a startup?

Yes, I consider us a startup and entrepreneurial company as we blossomed from really nothing to now almost a team of 30. We are adding jobs and providing opportunities for people each month. I started this firm to focus on the niche area of business intelligence back in 2008, however, it was playing second fiddle as I was wrapping up the sale of Intronic Solutions to Premier Alliance, and didn’t spend much time growing the business. After my 2 year contract at Premier was winding down, I jumped in with both feet and joined Karen Blue and Darci Crow at Solomon and now we are making our mark!

What is your take on life as entrepreneur, specifically as an entrepreneur in Kansas City?

It’s fun, it’s challenging, but I couldn’t ask for a better city to be in to grow a business. I have so many caring people around this town. The toughest part ironically is staying focused in KC. As this is a “small” town, when you have some success, you consistently get requests for coffee, lunches and happy hours to meet with people who want to pitch ideas and talk partnerships. Most have brilliant ideas…but you have to stick to your core competency otherwise your time gets away from you…and time is a resource I can’t get back.

What challenges have you faced with Solomon?

The biggest challenge is typically the ebb and flow of our business. The highs are fantastic – the lows stink! You have to be able to remain level headed through each to see consistently improving results. The biggest challenge is to remember that my “Chapter 2” might be my competition’s “Chapter 12”. You have to challenge yourself – not look around and try compete with others.

What surprises, good or bad, have you encountered given your location?

We are based in South Overland Park. Some would consider us closer to Tulsa than to downtown. I think that we may look to add an office downtown in the future as the startup community is hopping and making the old areas new again! It’s fun to see the growth and the potential of downtown and its surrounding areas – and we need to be in the middle of that!

What advice would you like to pass along to current startups on growth and handling that growth?

Create budgets – stick to budgets – watch your cash flow daily. Grad school never taught me that “too much business can be as damning as no business” if it’s not handled properly. If you are growing faster than you expected, make sure you communicate issues and challenges with your banks, your investors, your clients and your family!

What does it take to become one of Inc. 500?

It’s a fantastic honor to be on the list with amazing firms across our area and the country. To make the list as Kansas’ 3rd fastest growing company was a bit of shock – but testament to Karen and Darci doing an amazing job growing this firm over the last couple of years.

What does such a big accomplishment mean for the company?

Like any achievement, it makes you work harder, not less. We want to make the list again and again…which means we have to grow. I ask everyone to make progress each day in one facet of the business or another. If we all take at least one step forward each day, we will get to the goals we have set ourselves.

What does the future hold for Solomon Consulting Group?

Our collective goal is to expand nationwide with offices in several cities. We want to grow to a firm with over 100 consultants in the next 5 years. We love what we do, and have a ton of fun doing it. Keeping that culture and making this a firm that people want to work for (and clients want to work with) is the main goal for us.

With such a great beginning, one can only anticipate where Solomon Consulting Group will go next. We want to thank Grant for taking time out of his extremely busy schedule to sit down and talk about his entrepreneurial Kansas City business. As any entrepreneur doing things knows, that’s no easy task.

Keep an eye on Solomon Consulting group by following them on Twitter!

Next Think Big Accelerator Registration Window Opens Sept. 16

With the first Think Big Demo Day in the books, it’s now time to start looking for the next class of entrepreneurs ready build exceptional companies in the Think Big Accelerator. We’re looking for entrepreneurs who have the gusto to take a big idea and turn it into profitable company.   

If you think you have what it takes, we want to meet you. The application window for the next Think Big Accelerator opened on September 16, 2013. Interested parties can learn more about the Think Big Accelerator model by contacting us via email or visiting thinkbigpartners.com/accelerator. We’re excited to see what big ideas come out of our next class and what companies join the ranks of past successes.

Do you have what it takes? Apply for the Think Big Accelerator today!

From Kate Spade to the Garment District: An Inside Look at Kansas City Fashion Entrepreneurship

We all remember (and envy) when KC native Kate Spade blew up as a fashion designer in the mid-1990s and made us proud entrepreneurial devotees and Kansas Citians. Why, you ask? Because as a budding fashion entrepreneur, Kate Spade had a dream and she made it happen in one of the most challenging industries in the world (not to mention in Kansas City!).

Fashion entrepreneurship holds a unique market for those involved...and a competitive one at that. This market is just as important as other entrepreneurial ventures. It focuses on developmental clarity, requires experimental vision and is also backed up by a strong network.

And guess what? Fashion entrepreneurship is booming right here in Kansas City.
The term “fashion entrepreneurship” may seem somewhat new, but creative design, innovative business plans and attention-grabbing marketing strategies have been a part of entrepreneurship since the early days of Chanel. (And even before that, especially in Kansas City!)

Our very own Kansas City Fashion Week Executive Director, Teisha Barber, thinks of fashion entrepreneurship as anything from starting a unique clothing line to owning a boutique to being a stylist (with even more subgenres too!). We see all of these genres becoming more and more prevalent here in Kansas City and in our surrounding areas.

Barber shares that there are several local and regional designers making a name for themselves in the industry by traveling around the country and participating in Fashion Weeks. It’s important though, to not overlook Kansas City’s styling history. Barber explains that within Kansas City history, fashion-related businesses are revered:

“According to the Garment District Museum, in the 1940’s, Kansas City's own Garment District was a major fashion hub known for well-made clothing and accessories using quality fabrics, second only to New York. But as the styles changed over the years, the factories began going out of business. People started dressing more casual for work and jeans became very popular in the fashion world. By 1988, all the factories were gone.”

Today, a fashion revival is sweeping Kansas City. Designers and boutiques again populate the city, bringing a new age of fashion to the heart of the Midwest.

With events like Barber’s Kansas City Fashion Week on October 2-6, 2013 at Union Station, how could we not be proud of all of the new blossoming couturiers and designers?

KC Fashion Week's director, Teisha Barber, had a few things to say about the event. According to Barber, the new Kansas City Fashion Week was established in 2010 and has been thriving ever since. Each season, the crowd has grown and Kansas City residents have jumped completely on board. In fact, both show dates for 2013 were declared by the city of Kansas City, enhancing the flourishing expression of designers, stylists, models and photographers to show the public their collections, talent and entrepreneurial drive.

But Kansas City Fashion Week (with presenting designers such as Baldwin Denim, Birdies Panties and many, many others) is just the tip of the iceberg for fashion entrepreneurship in Kansas City. We cannot overlook Fashion on the Fringe, a sub-genre of Kansas City Fringe Festival or the 13th Annual West Eighteenth Street Fashion Show that took place in June.

As each KCFW comes and goes, Kansas City reaches closer and closer to the heart of the fashion industry’s map. Here at Think Big Partners, we are proud to be supporters of Kansas City Fashion Week and will even be hosting an event at KCFW in our parking lot during October’s First Friday (October 4, 2013). After all, we support entrepreneurs in every industry--from technology to fashion. Stay tuned on our calendar for more information!

Think Big Demo Day Fosters Collisions, Unites Entrepreneurs and Investors

Just two simple words have the ability to make investors turn their heads and make entrepreneurs’ palms sweat: Demo day.  Demo day is the opportunity for startups to get in front of angel investors and venture capitalists and pitch their ideas with the hopes of getting funded, or at the very minimum, making strong connections.

Think Big hosted its very first Demo Day on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 at the Think Big Partners loft.  You could feel the energy and passion of each entrepreneur as they stood solo on the Demo Day stage in front of 85+ investors, community leaders and startup enthusiasts.  And although each 8-minute pitch seemed simple and comfortable enough, what the audience may not have realized is that many of these entrepreneurs had been practicing for weeks to deliver the perfect pitch--after all, that’s what it takes to get funded.

For the eight presenting entrepreneurs, Think Big Demo Day didn’t just take place on August 28.  The journey toward Demo Day started when they decided to turn their idea into a business.  From there, the entrepreneurs built, grew and launched a new startup right here in Kansas City.  Four of the presenting startups went through the Think Big Accelerator program.  Many utilized the benefits of Think Big Coworking space.  And all were consulted and mentored by Think Big Partners along their startup journey toward Demo Day.

Think Big Demo Day began with a 45 minute networking luncheon and an opportunity for entrepreneurs, startups, community leaders and investors to get acquainted with one another.  After lunch, the audience warmed up with energetic opening remarks from Think Big Co-founder and Managing Partner, Herb Sih and a quick 10-minute tour of Think Big Coworking.  

By 1:00PM, it was time for the pitches.  Polished presentations from Nathan Benjamin (InvenQuery), Jeb Ory (Phone2Action), Parker Hills (Keyzio) and Jeff Alholm (CandyCam) were followed by Q&A sessions from the audience and were then followed by explosive applause.

After a short break, it was Group 2’s chance to pitch.  Many audience members frivolously jotted down notes as Scott Tibbits (Katasi), Connor Sweeney (WeeJay), Bryan Richard (Fully) and Pierre Barbeau (Moblico) presented their startup concepts to the crowd.  Once again, the room burst into applause after each and every pitch.

By the time Pierre Barbeau stepped down from the stage, the audience was still fully energized and geared up to get some face time with the presenters.  Lucky for them, Think Big Demo Day wasn’t over.  The chance for investors to entrepreneurs to connect was just beginning.  Many decided to stay at Think Big to meet one-on-one with each other while others moved the event down the street to Snow & Company for frozen cocktails, power networking and further beneficial connections. 

Although the ultimate goal of Demo Day was to connect entrepreneurs with investors and funding, another goal rose from the gathering of so many passionate and energetic people: an increased number of collisions.  As mentioned by Herb Sih during opening remarks, the reason that companies get funded and that more jobs are created is because of increased collision density.  The term “collision density” is the level of collisions made between entrepreneurs, investors and connectors in a single area.  The higher an area’s collision density is, the more quickly and efficiently innovative development can occur.  Increased collision density was just another much anticipated outcome of Think Big Demo Day.

 

Think Big Partners would like to thank all attendees and presenters, as well as the partners of the Think Big Accelerator who help address the needs of the startup companies: The City of Kansas City, Missouri; Microsoft BizSpark, Twilio, SendGrind.  And a special thank you to all mentors and resident advisor, Dr. Julie Edge.

The next round of Think Big Accelerator applications open September 16, 2013.  For more information, please visit www.thinkbigpartners.com or call 816-842-5244.  

Think Big Asks “Why Entrepreneurship?”

We sat down with three young entrepreneurs--Blake Miller, Hunter Browning and Jeff Rohr--to find out why they chose entrepreneurship. 

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.  But according to a recent Mashable article, almost half of Americans wish it was.

Despite recent economic troubles, 48% of Americans dream of opening a business of their very own. At the same time, 71% of small business owners say they would open their business all over again if they had the chance. So what is it about entrepreneurship that awakens the dreamer in us?

To answer this question, Think Big reached out to some of our favorite local entrepreneurs and coworking members to see why they took the plunge and started their own business.  Here’s what we found out. 

The Realization of Wanting to Become an Entrepreneur 

                

Hunter Browning, President and CEO of Fannect, never thought he would become an entrepreneur, but he “was never great at playing by other people’s rules”.

Fannect, a new app that determines which sports teams have the best fans, stems from Browning’s love of soccer. After he decided to stop playing, he wanted to stay connected to sports another way.

“I guess I was experiencing withdrawal from the competition. I had the idea and the next week I found a partner. We pulled the trigger pretty fast,” Browning said.

Think Big’s own Blake Miller, however, always saw himself as an entrepreneur.

“I grew up in an entrepreneurial household. I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur when I started my own business at 6 years old,” Miller said. “Corporate life was never in the cards for me.”

Miller is now a partner at Think Big Partners and also acts as co-founder for PitchCastr, BodeeFit and WeeJay.fm among other things (it’s safe to say that Blake is a serial entrepreneur). 

Much like Miller, CEO and founder of SquareOffs, Jeff Rohr, was also destined to become an entrepreneur.

“My parents instilled in my brother and I at a very young age that we were meant for big things and gave us the courage to go after our dreams,” Rohr said. “You only live once as well, so you might as well do something big. I was never meant to follow the well-trodden path.”

How Entrepreneurs Think Big

At first, Browning and his team were working on their entrepreneurial venture on their own – but then they started to Think Big.

“I was leery about moving to a coworking space,” Browning said. “I thought it would be very distracting, but everyone at Think Big is very focused. It’s been great for finding connections and gaining insight. Moving to Think Big has jumpstarted us again.”

Rohr also finds himself appreciative of not only the many connections he has forged at Think Big, but of the many other resources he has been able to utilize for his business.

“The connections that I've made there have been priceless,” Rohr said. “Beyond that, [Think Big] has given me great advice, helped us attract talent, challenged me where I needed improvement, and lastly made me smile.  They are great people making a difference in people's lives every day and having fun while doing it.  Oh, and coffee. They give me a lot of coffee.”

As a partner with Think Big, Miller loves “being able to help other entrepreneurs build companies.”

“It’s a no-brainer to me. We can build our own companies and ideas and help other people achieve that,” Miller said.

Can’t Get Enough Entrepreneurship

While the state of the economy may deter others from pursuing entrepreneurship, that was never a problem for Miller.

“I’ve always known that entrepreneurs help move the economy along,” Miller said. “Small businesses employ more people. I know I can create a difference by creating new jobs.”

According to a recent study, 59% of business owners said running a business is harder today than in previous years. Despite this, Kansas City’s entrepreneurs are reveling in the day-to-day challenges of running a startup.

“[Entrepreneurial ventures] are all tougher than you think they’re going to be,” Miller said. “But being that hard, that challenging, keeps me going. If it were easy, I probably wouldn’t do it.”

“It can be death by a thousand cuts if you let it,” Rohr said. “There are so many different hats to wear when starting the business before you can get in any sort of groove. For me, it's been all about maintaining the right balance focus and feedback.”

Despite challenges, Browning enjoys the freedom that entrepreneurship gives him. He lives by his own rules at his own pace.

“It has been a really interesting and really unique experience,” Browning said. “We’re having a blast every day. Even when it’s hard, it’s our choices we are making.”

If I Could Do It All Over Again...

When asked if he would start this whole entrepreneurial ride over again, Browning was quick to say, “In a heartbeat.”

Miller is also just as passionate about entrepreneurship as the day he opened his first lemonade stand.

“I like the freedom and always having to be creative. I will likely be involved in hundreds of ventures,” Miller said.

Ready to pursue your dreams of entrepreneurship? Contact Think Big Partners.  We know exactly how to get you started.  

A List of Kansas City Startups That Have Raised Capital

Of the hundreds of startups that have launched in Kansas City in the past few years, very few of them have received funding.  Is it because there is a lack of capital in Kansas City?  Is it because angels and VCs simply aren’t funding at the rate that they used to?  Or is it because the startups are not living up to funder expectations?  We can only speculate.  But for those innovative and smart enough to raise capital here in the Midwest, we applaud you. 

Which brings us to a list of startup companies that have successfully raised capital here in Kansas City:  

1.  EyeVerify

EyeVerify enables mobile users to authorize transactions and access information in a manner that is secure, scalable and convenient through eye vein biometrics.  EyeVerify raised $1.4 million in the spring of 2012 from Think Big Ventures, The Nebraska Angels, Mid-America Angels and various individual investors.  Later in the spring of 2013, EyeVerify closed a $2.3 million Series A round.  The funds have been used to accelerate the startup’s deployments with customers, add features for the financial sector and grow the marketing sales team. 

2.  Leap2

Leap2 is a search platform that delivers web social, news, images and local results with one single search.  Leap2 closed a $280,000 seed round of funding in 2012 and raised $80,000 from friends and family.  Later in 2012, Leap2 brought in another $200,000 from previous investors as well as Thad Langford (founder of Zave Networks), Aaron McKee (Sprint) and an un-named partner at OpenAir Equity Partners.  In April of 2013, Leap2 announced that it had raised $1.6 million in new funding in order to release new versions of its iOS and Android app.  Leap2’s newest round of funding has been led by Dundee Venture Capital with participation from OpenAir Equity, Linseed Capital and Wichita Technology Corporation. 

3.  PlanetReuse/InvenQuery

PlanetReuse is a consulting and brokering company focused on matching reclaimed building material with designers, builders and owners across the globe.  In addition to its online marketplace platform, PlanetReuse also stood up InvenQuery, a startup that provides technology to help retailers of unique merchandise handle inventory, point-of-sale and ecommerce.

In September of 2012, PlanetReuse received a $250,000 grant from Chase and LivingSocial for the Mission: Small Business program.  The company used these funds to build awareness of the reuse industry and to promote PlanetReuse Marketplace.  Additionally, in November of 2012, a $650,000 Series A funding raise from Dundee Venture Capital helped InvenQuery enhance its technology and customer outreach.  Earlier that year, the startup received angel funding of $450,000, bringing its total capital raised to $1.1 million. 

4.  Front Flip

Front Flip helps businesses create profitable relationships with customers through experiences, instant promotions, rich customer analytics and targeted mobile campaigns.  In January of 2012, Front Flip received $3.95 million in Series A funding.  The startup then received another $3.75 million in Series B funding in January of 2013.  Front Flip’s Series B funding was led by Jon Darbyshire, executive chairman of the Archer Foundation and also included Peter Brown (AMC Entertainment Inc.), Gary Fish (FishNet Security), Lance Melber (eSmartloan.com) and The Brandmeyer family (Enturia).  In addition, Front Flip received $550,000 in partial close funding in October of 2012.  To date, Front Flip has received $8.25 million in funding. 

5.  Zaarly

Zaarly, one Kansas City’s more well-known startups, is an online platform and app that connects buyers and shoppers with local storefront owners.  In March of 2011, Zaarly received $1 million in seed funding from many notable investors including Ashton Kutcher, Ron Conway, Paul Buchheit and Lightback and others.  Zaarly raised another $14.2 million in Series A funding in October of 2011 from Kleiner Perkins and Sands Capital Ventures, among others.  Zaarly has utilized this capital to invest in its operations and technical development as well as hire employees for connecting buyers and sellers in each specific market. 

6.  Truckily

Truckily is a marketing and location software for food trucks.  In June of 2013, Truckily received $120,000 in seed funding from Gravity Ventures (Fayetteville, Arkansas) and Kea Ventures (Branson, Missouri).  The rest of Truckily’s capital will be rasied through friends and family.  Truckily founders plan to use the seed funding to open the platform to other areas and build an Android version of the app. 

7.  Trellie

Trellie is one of the few Kansas City companies that was successfully funded by a Kickstarter campaign.  The startup posted a video and photos of its product (a fashion accessory that notifies a user of incoming and missed calls through a flashing LED light attached to a purse) on Kickstarter hoping to raise $30,000.  The campaign drew in 515 backers who pledged $33,168.  

Accelerator Companies to Pitch at Think Big Demo Day August 28

We are excited to announce that Think Big Partners will host its first accelerator Demo Day on August 28, 2013 for our Think Big Accelerator companies as well as other Midwestern startups from the Silicon Prairie area. 

The mission of our first Demo Day is to connect area investors, venture capitalists and other supporters to the startups and innovations that are successfully building in and around the Kansas City area.  Demo Day is one of the last milestones that the selected startups will cross in order to raise capital and build support in the community.

Think Big Accelerator companies that will be pitching at Demo Day include:

• Fully:  Fully is a kiosk-based mobile phone charging station that provides digital out-of-home targeted advertising to the consumer.  
• Kahootz: Kahootz is a consumer-focused online calendar platform that provides users with easier ways to combine, share and manage all obligations and profiles on one easy-to-maintain social-based platform.
• Keyzio: Keyzio is a consumer-driven marketplace that connects people and helps them find, buy and sell real estate.
• Phone2Action: Phone2Action makes a digital take action advocacy platform to power organizations and individuals to make change happen. 
• WeeJay:  Weejay is a rewards-based social jukebox for bars, restaurants, and other businesses.

Other area startups that will pitch at Demo Day include:

• Katasi:  Katasi provides an effective technological solution to the growing epidemic of texting while driving through partnerships with telecom providers.  
• Moblico:  Moblico's mobile engagement platform uniquely combines cloud based backend services for app developers with content, communication and loyalty management tools for application marketers. 
• PlanetReuse/InvenQuery:  PlanetReuse is a consulting and brokering company focused on matching reclaimed building material with designers, builders and owners. InvenQuery provides technology to help retailers of unique merchandise handle inventory, point-of-sale and ecommerce. 

“As a venture investor, there are increasingly more quality, early-stage investment opportunities that are emerging from the Midwest,” said Pat Doherty, Managing Member of St. Louis-based Saturday Capital.  "I look forward to working more with groups like Think Big Partners, who have helped identify and support growing and innovative companies that are attractive investment opportunities."

Selected startups are invited to attend a two-day “PitchKamp”, hosted and taught by Think Big Partners in order to sharpen their pitches before presenting at Demo Day.  PitchKamp for these startups will take place on August 21 and 22, 2013.

Demo Day will take place on August 28, 2013 as an afternoon lunch program.  Think Big Partners is inviting investors and the media to attend Demo Day by registering here.  Due to a limited number of tickets, it is required to have a code to RSVP for your ticket. Get a code by registering for "Request a Ticket" above or emailing info@thinkbigpartners.com.

To learn more about the Think Big Accelerator program or Demo Day, please contact Think Big Partners at 816-842-5244.  

A Kansas City Startup Partnership: BodeeFit & PaleoFit Meals

As any experienced entrepreneur knows, the key to success is all about the connections, partnerships and relationships you make throughout a startup journey.  Whether it’s an introduction to a new mentor or attending a networking event to find your next client or customer, it is the people that make the startup world go ‘round.  

In the instance of Think Big’s startup venture BodeeFit, the key to success is through partnerships.  Lucky for BodeeFit, Kansas City is full of other passionate, driven and health-oriented entrepreneurs and startups.  One of these startups is PaleoFit Meals.  BodeeFit and PaleoFit recently struck up a strong local partnership in order to improve one another’s businesses and provide more benefits for clients and customers.

The campaign that BodeeFit and PaleoFit Meals put together was simple enough: receive a 25% discount from PaleoFit Meals through the BodeeFit platform.  The week-long campaign created exposure for the newly developed PaleoFit business, thanks to BodeeFit’s ever-growing customer base.

The partnership was a no-brainer.  BodeeFit is a health and fitness application that provides daily body weight workouts and weekly Paleo recipes, meal plans and shopping lists.  PaleoFit Meals provides both Paleo snacks nationwide and prepared Paleo meals to the Kansas City area. 

“Both BodeeFit’s and PaleoFit’s goals are to help people live fit lives,” explains Graham Ripple, co-founder of PaleoFit.  “This campaign was a great success for us.  We shipped our PaleoFit products all over the country.”

PaleoFit is very new to the Kansas City area, launching in 2013.  The health-focused startup ships clean jerky and Paleo Pouches (a “trail mix” of sorts) across the nation (their biggest buyers include Kansas City, Oklahoma City, New York and Florida).  In addition, PaleoFit provides a wide variety of healthy, prepared meals to the Kansas City area (and plans to expand to more cities in the future).  Although PaleoFit is a brand new startup, Ripple has big plans for PaleoFit throughout the year and into 2014, including more partnerships.

“We are building our infrastructure and are hoping it turns into new partnerships with nutritionists, gyms and doctors,” he explains.  “We want to be partnership-friendly as we build.  That’s going to be our focus as we move forward."

5 Questions with WSJ “Startup of the Year” Finalist PlanetReuse

As anybody in the Kansas City startup world knows, our city is full of great startups.  But in the grand scheme of things, we are just one city on a large United States map.  There are thousands and thousands of startups being built throughout our country, and standing out from the rest is an extremely arduous task.  Of all of the hundreds of thousands of startups in our nation, it’s nearly impossible to narrow down the best ones.  But thanks to some incredible work and research done by a publication called The Wall Street Journal, it can be done...and has.

The Wall Street Journal recently announced 24 companies for its Wall Street Journal Startup of the Year (#WSJSOTY) initiative.  Over the next few months, The Wall Street Journal will be tasking their 24 finalists, from over 500 entrants, with milestone tasks, ultimately leading up to the crowning the Wall Street Journal’s Startup of The Year.

Of those 24 finalists, only one hails from Kansas City.  Lucky for us, this new company is stationed on the 5^th floor of Think Big Coworking, our well-known coworking space in downtown Kansas City.  Which company, you ask? PlanetReuse Marketplace powered by InvenQuery, one of the oldest members of Think Big Coworking. 

Nathan Benjamin, CEO of PlanetReuse.

Think Big was fortunate enough to snag 10 minutes with Nathan Benjamin, CEO of PlanetReuse to talk more about being a top 24 finalist for Startup of the Year.  

THINK BIG:  How did you hear about The Wall Street Journal’s Startup of the Year award?

NATHAN:  We heard about the opportunity through Pipeline and applied for the program. There was an extensive application process and out of more than 500 startups nationwide, we were selected.  We’re excited to represent not only the Midwest, but our local Kansas City startup community as well.

THINK BIG:  So far, what has this experience been like?

NATHAN: It's been challenging, but in a good way. Wall Street Journal is assigning tasks for each of the companies along the way. The first task (which will be aired in a few weeks) really encouraged us to step outside our comfort zone as a team and look at the way we were presenting ourselves to our current and potential customers. The task asked us to re-imagine our logo, our tagline even our company name. It urged us to examine our core value and to consider how we might best communicate it to different audiences, which gave us a deeper understanding of what makes us unique among our competitors.

They also just announced which mentors would be paired with which startups and we couldn’t be more pleased. We're excited to study under the expertise of our mentors Carly Fiorina and Alex Osterwalder, who both have incredibly impressive, successful backgrounds. We're looking forward to their suggestions and feedback on our concept, our marketing and our operations.

THINK BIG:  Of all the business challenges of the program, what task(s) do you feel PlanetReuse will excel in?

We think that we will excel at many of the tasks and feel that our mission and direction of the company are aligned with the criteria for the SOTY: First, the social impact of the business and second, the viability of the business.

I also think we can nail the elevator pitch task. We’ve been working to narrow down exactly what makes PlanetReuse Marketplace a viable, disruptive company and our passion shows through in our presentation. I was actually just asked last week by Scott Case with the Startup America Partnership to deliver a 30-second pitch on the spot at the 1 Million Cups event at Kauffman Foundation here in Kansas City—a little nerve-wracking, but great practice for the tasks to come.

THINK BIG:  Have you seen or experienced any impact from being chosen as 1 of 24 finalists?

Definitely.  We’ve seen a deluge of support from the Kansas City startup community. We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of friends and family who have voted for us on the WSJSOTY site, along with so many of our startup comrades. The KC startup community is incredibly kind to one another and the social media attention we’ve received has been just amazing. We’ve also received really great press from local media outlets. It just reaffirms our belief that Kansas City really is the best place to start a business.

THINK BIG:  Even though it is early, if PlanetReuse were to win SOTY, how do you think that would elevate the business?

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to educate the country about the positive impacts of material reuse, inspiring a huge audience to think reused before new and donate before ditch. Communicating this message to millions nationwide makes us and the reuse industry "winners" already.

We take a triple bottom line approach to business, ensuring that people, the planet and profit are all taken into account. Winning would be a fantastic platform for fundraising and finding like-minded individuals who share our belief that we can do well by doing good. It would also be confirmation that sustainable businesses, ones that can make money while making a difference in their communities, are not only valuable, but viable and the way of the future.

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We’re excited for what’s in store for Nathan and the rest of the PlanetReuse Marketplace team. Learn more and follow along with their journey on WSJSOTY and be sure to vote for PlanetReuse here.