The founder’s story can be the most important part of a startup’s pitch, Dr. Shelley Cooper shared after clinching the $25,000 grand prize at Thursday’s AltCap Your Biz: Pitch Competition.
Dr. Shelley Cooper, Diversity Telehealth, left, accepts the $25,000 prize at the 2022 AltCap Your Biz pitch competition; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“Everybody else had a lot more financials in their pitch, and I took all that stuff out. I focused on telling my story the way I wanted it to be told,” said Cooper, the founder of Kansas City-based Diversity Telehealth and its core product, Come On Now.
Come On Now connects patients to doctors in a safe and convenient way. The platform gives consumers access to the right information, resources and tools to help them make the best medical and financial decisions for themselves and their families in a simplified, seamless experience, Cooper explained.
In its seventh year, the AltCap Your Biz competition mobilizes the next generation of Kansas City entrepreneurs and social innovators and helps accelerate their growth.
Cooper is a veteran of numerous local contests, accelerators and fellowships, including LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio, Comeback KC Ventures, Pipeline Entrepreneurs, Digital Sandbox KC, and Pure Pitch Rally — as well as being named one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2021.
The technology potentially could have saved her father’s life when he was struggling to access medical care for his chronic conditions, if it had existed at the time, she noted.
“Out of my father’s death, he came to me as an angel,” Cooper said. “I hope he’s proud of his baby girl because I’m trying to save some lives, and you all are helping me do it. I sure appreciate you.”
Cooper plans to use the $25,000 for marketing and product development, she said, noting that her team is currently working to add more languages to the platform.
Click here to learn about Come On Now’s recent appearance on stage with LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio.
Denisha Jones, Sweet Peaches Cobblers, accepts the $10,000 second place pitch award at the 2022 AltCap Your Biz pitch competition; photo by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News
Sweet Peaches Cobblers, founded by Denisha Jones, won second place and $10,000. Jones plans to use the funds to hire a co-packer that would allow for her family-run cobbler business to expand its retail and restaurant partnerships, she said.
“I’m on a mission to get this co-packer so that we can produce our 80,000 products and become a global brand by Year 3,” Jones said. “As a small entrepreneur, this is a risk you take every day. I just want to say never give up, just keep moving. Even when times are tough, you need to center yourself and focus on what’s your end goal.”
AltCap Your Biz was Jones’ second pitch competition, with her first contest being the Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit where she won first place and $30,000.
Click here to read about Sweet Peaches Cobblers’ recent grand prize win at the Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit.
Marina Sharkey and Rachel McMeachin, Upside Bungee, accept the $2,500 Fan Favorite honors at the 2022 AltCap Your Biz pitch competition; photo by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News
The Fan Favorite award and $2,500 went to Upside Bungee, a West Bottoms-based fitness facility that specializes in playful and empowering fitness experiences founded by Marina Sharkey and Rachel McMeachin.
“It’s super exciting to see that people think that what we do is exciting too,” Sharkey said. “We’re going to use some of the money to go back in the business and some of the money to treat our well-deserved team [to] a holiday party.”
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The other six pitchers who competed Thursday included:
• Devoured Pizza Pop-Up, Jhy Coulter — Devoured Pizza Pop-Up specializes in being a mobile pizza operation where every pizza is made fresh, on site, hand-tossed, with eclectic and fresh ingredients.
• Interplay, Jonaie Johnson — Interplay creates remote crating for dog parents with their product, the PlayTach. With the remote dog crate attachment, pet parents can interact and care for their dog from the click of a button via the Interplay app.
• KC Black Owned, Chelsey M. — KC Black Owned provides an online platform and marketing services to enhance the visibility of Black-owned businesses.
• Madison Stitch, John Pryor — Madison Stitch is a fashion studio in downtown Kansas City that makes original handbags from leather and wood, taking a farm-to-table approach to fashion.
• Streamlined Profit Academy, Isaac Lee Collins — Streamlined Profit Academy is a business coaching company that specializes in helping entrepreneurs create a streamlined, profitable business, so they can live the life that they love.
• Peace for Your Pieces, Patricia McCreary, Shereese Hameed-Muhammad — Peace for Your Pieces is a tailor’s wellness plans for individuals using traditional and alternative practices with a focus on the whole person, including mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health.
Click here to read about AltCap Your Biz’s 2021 grand prize winner: Jackie Nguyen, founder of Cafe Cà Phê.
Ruben Alonso speaks during the 2022 AltCap Your Biz pitch competition; photo by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
