AltCap, a mission-based small business lender, is thrilled to introduce the 2025 AltCap Your Biz Pitch Competition Top 10 finalists, marking the official kick-off for the competition’s special 10th anniversary!

This year’s applicants showcased the skill, passion, and innovation at the heart of Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community.

Our judging panels spent hours deliberating over impressive submissions from dozens of entrepreneurs in the Kansas City area, carefully selecting the best of the best to advance through two competitive rounds. 

A sincere thank you to everyone who participated and shared their vision for building stronger businesses and communities.

The Top 10 Finalists are also set to face off in the Fan Favorite competition to attract the most fan votes to win a $5,000 cash prize. Fan Favorite voting will begin on Oct. 3 and run through Oct. 17. Audiences will be able to watch the founders’ pitch videos and cast their votes to determine who will be crowned at the live event. More details will be available at www.altcap.org in the coming days.

Ten small businesses will present their live pitches during Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kansas City at 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 at City Stage Theatre at Union Station.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the live pitch event, which is open to the public, where finalists will compete for the $35,000 grand prize and the $20,000 second-place prize – the biggest cash prizes in ACYB history! 

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the AltCap Your Biz Pitch Competition has awarded more than $200,000 in cash prizes to entrepreneurs in the Kansas City area. To celebrate this milestone, we’re going bigger than ever before. We’ve increased the grand prize from $25,000 to $35,000 and the second-place prize from $10,000 to $20,000.

In addition to increasing the cash prizes, AltCap has partnered with Kansas City G.I.F.T. to support the finalists through Pitch Perfect, a six-week intensive pitch training course. We’ve also booked a stellar lineup of soon-to-be-announced entertainers who you won’t want to miss.

Good luck to this year’s finalists, and thank you again to all those who applied.

We’ll see you — and your supporters — on Nov. 19!

Congratulations to our 2025 finalists: 

AuraMed Spa and Wellness, founded by Suzanne Gunn, is a rejuvenating destination dedicated to enhancing beauty, health, and confidence through natural, advanced aesthetic treatments and holistic care.
Bliss Books & Wine, founded by La'Nesha Frazier, is a welcoming space where literature, wine, and community come together. As Kansas City’s only Black-owned independent bookstore and wine lounge, they celebrate diverse stories while creating experiences that bring people closer.
Dog Mom Club, founded by Leia Barrett and Jessie Davis, provides unique toys and treats for dogs and the moms (and dads!) who love them. Since 2024, they've been perfecting their recipes at pop-up events and farmers’ markets.
E-Z Pedicabs, founded by Atticus Sloan, is a pedicab transportation service providing rides, event/shuttle service, and advertising.
Golazo, founded by Lesly Romo, is a mobile activation business that delivers game day experiences through interactive soccer games like Soccer Darts, Teqball, Soccer Tennis, Soccer Pool, and Subsoccer. These activations keep fans engaged and on-site longer.
HerCafe, founded by Yasmen Hassen and Lujyn Elsayed, is Kansas City's first mobile matcha cart on a mission to build community throughout the KC metro one hand-whisked drink at a time.
ICE Studios School of Dance, founded by Isha Williams, is a community-based nonprofit in Kansas City dedicated to empowering youth through the art of dance. They provide affordable training in hip hop, ballet, jazz, tap, and tumbling while also offering college prep, entrepreneurship, technology, and wellness programs.
MOC BOD, founded by Christy Vincent, is a safe, welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies to shop, socialize, and receive personal care services. They house a barber/cosmetologist, two massage therapists, and a tattoo artist, as well as a retail collection built for the LGBTQ+ community.
Project IOTA, founded by Marvin Estill, is reimagining 5001 Independence Avenue as Kansas City’s next big engine for transformation — housing an urban monastery for 70–100 men, the city’s only ghost kitchen and business incubator, and a vibrant church community under one roof.
Someday Sunday, founded by LaToya Sirls, creates luxury plant-based body care that brightens, tightens, and hydrates the skin while promoting mental and holistic wellness. Infused with aromatherapy and handmade with high-quality vegan ingredients, their products help busy women turn daily skincare into a self-care ritual.