Entrepreneurs tapped for Pipeline’s latest rotation of Pathfinder programming reflect an expanded expression of the elite network’s founding principle: use a purpose-built community to close long-standing gaps for leaders who have historically lacked capital, resources, and networks.
Melissa Vincent, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurs, networks with Pipeline fellows, Pathfinders and members during a January happy hour event at Busey Bank on the Country Club Plaza; photo by Nicole Bissey Photography
A sister program to Pipeline’s Fellowship, Pathfinder targets support to early-stage founders from underserved Midwest communities who often face systemic barriers that their peers might not encounter, said Melissa Vincent, CEO of Pipeline.
“These founders are building companies close to real-world challenges in agriculture, energy, and healthcare, often with fewer resources but extraordinary resilience,” she explained. “When they are fully connected to Pipeline’s networks, relationships, and fellowship, the entire Midwest ecosystem is stronger.”
Pipeline on Wednesday officially announced its cohort of 14 new Pathfinders, who Vincent said represent the full spectrum of Midwest entrepreneurship.
“We saw more applicants to Pathfinder than ever before, including a growing number from rural communities, and responded by widening the door rather than narrowing the focus,” she said.
Support for the expanded initiative comes from the Patterson Family Foundation, which is boosting Pipeline’s efforts to serve founders who do not typically see themselves in accelerators or venture ecosystems, including many rural innovators and small-town business builders.
Maria Flynn, president and CEO of the Patterson Family Foundation and a longtime Pipeline member, greets Melissa Vincent, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurs, during a happy hour orientation event for Pipeline’s latest cohorts; photo by Nicole Bissey Photography
“Whether in agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, trades, or community-based services, these business builders often lack access to the mentorship, capital pathways, and peer support networks available in urban hubs,” Vincent said, noting many rural founders do not self-identify as entrepreneurs, even as they build capital-efficient, job-creating businesses that sustain entire communities.
“Over its first three years, the Pathfinder program has proven that talent exists everywhere, and when founders are given access to world-class support, they can build companies with real scale and lasting regional impact,” she continued.
While rural entrepreneurs have always been a core focus for the Pipeline Fellowship, Patterson Family Foundation support has been a “massive catalyst” in building out additional rural reach for Pathfinder, Vincent said.
“It allows us to deepen this commitment and provide the specific resources rural leaders need to scale their impact without leaving the hometowns and communities they serve,” she said.
Newly announced Pathfinder cohort members include:
- Blake Bahora, Cowboy Cowls (Pleasanton, Kansas)
- Brady Burks, Burks Custom Farms, Burks Aerial Ag, Redbird Ranch (Lebanon, Kansas)
- Grant Downes, TrueBind Bio (St. Louis, Missouri)
- Teresa Friesen, SheMate (Omaha, Nebraska)
- Robin Hansen, Customized Early Education (Abilene, Kansas)
- Camry Ivory, Coloratura Art (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Keisha Jordan, Complex Flavors Home + Life (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Tess McKinney, Go 360 Live (Omaha, Nebraska)
- Kris Oldsen, Three Hounds Printing (St. Francis, Kansas)
- Riley Reynolds, Rheam Medical (Lincoln, Nebraska)
- Béty Lê Shackelford, Hella Good Deeds (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Jacqueline Smith, Central Grazing Company (Oskaloosa, Kansas)
- Alex Snook, OnSight, Carrier Profile (Paola, Kansas)
- Caitlin Wise, designwise KC (Merriam, Kansas)
2026 Pipeline Pathfinder cohort members; photo by Nicole Bissey Photography
Orientation for Pathfinder members began in January with the cohort’s first programming module planned for late February. Pipeline has set June 5 for its popular Innovators Daytime Showcase and Gala.
“One of the most significant shifts we’ve seen is that our 2026 Pathfinders cohort includes a surge of founders who have already validated their concepts in the market and are generating real revenue,” Vincent said. “This evolution from ‘idea-stage’ to ‘traction-stage’ proves that the program has become a high-impact launchpad for businesses that are already proving their value to customers.”
Although new Pathfinders have only gotten a taste of the programming to come, many expressed excitement about exploring their own potential.
“I sought out this cohort because I had heard this was the ‘best of the best,’” said Alex Snook, co-founder of Paola-based cybersecurity platform OnSight, which already has gained regional experience through programs like Pure Pitch Rally, Digital Sandbox KC, and NXTUS. “I am looking forward to being challenged in every way from the founder all the way to the company level.”
Being in a room with ambitious, thoughtful women founders who are all at different stages of their journeys has been both inspiring and motivating, said Keisha Jordan, founder of Complex Flavors Home + Life.
Béty Lê Shackelford, founder and executive director of Hella Good Deeds, meets Pipeline fellows, Pathfinders and members during an orientation event in January at Busey Bank on the Country Club Plaza; photo by Nicole Bissey Photography
“I’ve also appreciated the structured programming, which balances practical business guidance with peer learning and meaningful discussion around leadership, strategy, and sustainability,” she said. “It’s helped me think more critically about my goals while also reminding me of the broader impact I want my work to have in Kansas City and beyond.”
Jordan is specifically focused on refining her growth strategy and deepening her financial and operational planning — while also gaining “clarity, confidence, and a supportive network that will help me grow sustainably while staying aligned with my values as a creative and community-centered business owner.”
Pathfinder’s promise of development without sacrificing self also helped draw in Béty Lê Shackelford, founder and executive director of Hella Good Deeds, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and sharing Asian culture in the Midwest.
“Because of how intentionally Pipeline moves — from the personal phone call notifying me I was accepted as a Pathfinder — to their unique desire to support founders first, entrepreneurial pursuits second, what has stood out to me the most is how strongly I feel that this program truly wants me to succeed,” she said.
And as a big-vision dreamer, that success will hopefully include leveraging Pipeline’s expertise and guidance as she develops and implements a robust earned-revenue model for the nonprofit, she said.
“I applied with the goal of being the best steward for Hella Good Deed’s nonprofit mission of sharing/celebrating/amplifying Asian culture and narratives in order to achieve a more connected and inclusive Kansas City,” Shackelford said.
Caitlin Wise, owner of designwise KC, shared excitement in finding strength and support from the diverse group of entrepreneurs and wide-ranging industries represented within Pipeline, she said.
“Such a big part of entrepreneurship is just figuring it out, over and over and over again,” said Wise. “It’s a unique and sometimes lonely world. I’m really looking forward to connecting with other business owners who not only understand this journey, but can also provide helpful feedback and offer community.”
