Persistence pays off, said Ruben Alonso, celebrating a decade of the AltCap Your Biz Pitch Competition and its role as an energy boost for Kansas City small businesses. The latest winning founders walked away with $60,000 in checks Wednesday at Union Station.
Mark Manning and Atticus Sloan pedal onto stage at Union Station’s City Stage to pitch E-Z Pedicabs during the 2025 AltCap Your Biz competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Two of this year’s top three winners were returning finalists, the AltCap CEO said, bringing sharper pitches, refined strategies, and fresh momentum to the stage. Judges took notice, rewarding not just strong ideas, but founder growth, he added.
E-Z Pedicabs rolled off with the $35,000 grand prize, a major moment for the pedicab ride and tour company serving downtown Kansas City. Fresh off the win, co-founder Atticus Sloan said the team is preparing for what could be the city’s biggest moment yet.
“We’re ready for the World Cup,” said Sloan. “We’re just excited to offer our services.”
He and co-founder Mark Manning shared that the past year has been a season of upgrades. (The duo won the competition’s Fan Favorite vote in 2024.)
The AltCap team showers E-Z Pedicabs’ co-founders with confetti after announcing them winners of the AltCap Your Biz pitch competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
The E-Z Pedicabs team expanded its garage, built custom all-weather covers for year-round service, and improved dispatch and GPS systems, all part of their plan to scale for the surge expected during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The founders’ return to AltCap Your Biz marked a noticeable evolution.
“We are grateful to AltCap for that experience, because it helped our business grow and prepared us for where we are today,” said Manning.
Christy and Charlie Vincent, MOC BOD, pose with the winning $20,000 check for AltCap Your Biz’s second place prize; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Taking home the $20,000 second-place prize, Christy Vincent, founder of MOC BOD, was still absorbing the moment Wednesday evening.
“It is extremely exciting, humbling. It hasn’t really hit yet. I’m very honored, because the competition was fierce, and I’m very grateful,” she said.
Christy Vincent pitches her company MOC BOD alongside binders from her Troost business; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Her Troost-based business, a collaborative, affirming retail and personal care services hub for the LGBTQ+ community and allies, came into this year’s competition with renewed focus after Vincent previously competed.
“Last year I was an alternate and this year I knew more of what to expect. I knew to focus on the financials more than anything else,” she said.
The second-place funding will help scale production of MOC BOD’s gender-affirming binders, one of its most in-demand products.
“We’re getting the binders into external production so that we can really increase that impact and get them into retail stores nationwide,” Vincent noted.
HerCafe co-founder Yasmen Hassen pitches alongside Lujyn Elsayed during the AltCap Your Biz competition; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
The AltCap Your Biz crowd cheers on HerCafe during the GEWKC pitch competition; photo by Jocelyn Heckman, Startland News
The crowd at Union Station made their choice clear when HerCafe, Kansas City’s first mobile matcha cart, secured the $5,000 Fan Favorite Award for 2025.
Co-founders Yasmen Hassen and Lujyn Elsayed launched the concept at a women’s retreat and have since built a devoted following (including plenty of customers willing to wait in hour-long lines).
RELATED: UMKC student’s mobile matcha cart hand-whisks crowds of thirsty fans
Hassen said the funding helps fuel two major goals: boosting production and inching closer to securing their own mobile matcha trailer.
“We’re focused on production, especially just getting started on that and also maintaining our business,” she said. “Also continuing to stay mobile for us, I’m still shooting for that matcha trailer.”
Lujyn Elsayed and Yasmen Hassen, HerCafe, pose with the AltCap team after winning the 2025 AltCap Your Biz pitch competition during Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City at Union Station; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
Since its inception in 2015, AltCap has served as a critical supporter of local small businesses. Brant Stacey, community partnership manager at AltCap, noted that the program has supported 80 finalists, awarded more than $230,000 in prize funding, and delivered over 100 hours of entrepreneurial education.
“10 years is a long time and a lot can change drastically. But small businesses are always going to be there, and what they need is partners and supporters to help them navigate that 10 years and help them be as successful as they can be,” said Alonso.
Demand continues to grow. This year drew 91 applications, the largest pool in AltCap Your Biz history, with a multi-stage judging process narrowing the field to the 2025 Top 10.
Ruben Alonso III, CEO of AltCap, touts the AltCap Your Biz pitch competition’s 10 years impacting Kansas City businesses from the City Stage at Union Station; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Other Finalists for the 2025 competition include:
- AuraMed Spa and Wellness, Suzanne Gunn — A holistic aesthetics practice offering natural and advanced treatments designed to boost beauty, wellness, and confidence through personalized care.
- Bliss Books & Wine, La’Nesha Frazier — Kansas City’s only Black-owned independent bookstore and wine lounge, championing diverse literature and community-centered gatherings in a cozy, curated environment.
- Dog Mom Club, Leia Barrett and Jessie Davis — A playful pet-forward brand crafting unique treats, toys, and accessories for beloved dogs, and the humans who proudly claim them, all launched through farmers markets and local pop-ups.
- Golazo, Lesly Romo — A mobile fan-engagement company delivering interactive soccer experiences, from Soccer Darts to Teqball, built to keep crowds energized and plugged into the action at sporting events.
- ICE Studios School of Dance, Isha Williams — A community-rooted nonprofit empowering youth through dance classes in hip-hop, jazz, tap, tumbling, and more — alongside academic support, wellness programming, and entrepreneurship education.
- Project IOTA, Marvin Estill — An ambitious redevelopment turning 5001 Independence Avenue into a multi-use community hub featuring an urban monastery, a ghost kitchen and incubator, and an active church community under one roof.
- Someday Sunday, LaToya Sirls — A luxury vegan skincare brand blending aromatherapy and plant-powered ingredients to offer women high-quality products that double as daily wellness rituals.
