Pipeline gala celebrates a startup crowd moving toward the world’s problems (not hiding from them)

When the world feels fractured and hopeless — heavy with economic uncertainty and political division — it needs people who still believe that change is possible, Melissa Vincent told a black-tie crowd of entrepreneurs gathered Friday evening in the Grand Hall at Union Station.

The Pipeline leader called on those willing to roll up their sleeves, take risks, solve difficult problems, and help shape what comes next, instead of standing idly on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it.

The profile of that kind of person: an entrepreneur, continued Vincent, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurs, who acknowledged she wrestled with whether to host the 2026 Innovators Gala.

“The more I sat with that question, the more I realized that this room is actually the very reason why we should,” she explained. “Because people don’t come here just to dress up and attend another event; they come here because there’s community here. And if there’s any group of people uniquely wired to move toward problems instead of away from them, it’s entrepreneurs.”

Melissa Vincent, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurs, welcomes members, Fellows and Pathfinders to the 2026 Pipeline Innovators Gala at Union Station; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

2025 Pipeline Fellows and Pathfinder class members — representing Midwest companies (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Minnesota) and from a wide range of industries — were officially honored as graduates of the program during the gala.

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“Every company represented in this room started the same way,” Vincent added, addressing a gala audience of fellows from the past 19 years, members of the entrepreneur support community, and Pipeline partners. “Someone looked at a problem everyone else accepted as inevitable and decided they were willing to try to solve it anyway. That’s entrepreneurship. It’s people looking at uncertainty, risk, complexity, and failure and saying, ‘I’m willing to build anyway.’”

Friday’s celebration matters, she continued, not because they’re pretending things are easy, not because they are ignoring how difficult this moment is, but because in moments like this, people need reminders that hope is still worth building toward.

“When I look around this room tonight, I see an entire room full of people who are capable of building exactly that,” she explained. “I see people with vision, I see people with courage and agency, people who have spent their lives solving problems everyone else thought was impossible, and I think the world needs more of that right now.”

During the evening’s program, the 2026 Fellows and Pathfinders were recognized, and seven awards were presented. Three Kansas City-area entrepreneurs took home hardware.

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“So tonight, yes, we celebrate innovation, we celebrate entrepreneurship, we celebrate growth,” Vincent said. “But more than anything, I think we celebrate the people who continue choosing to build communities rooted in trust, opportunity, collaboration, and belief in one another, even when it often feels like it would be easier not to.”

Awards and awardees from the gala included:

2025 Innovator of the Year Award

Kalin Baca, Icorium Engineering Company (Lawrence, Kansas)

The Pipeline Innovator of the Year award is the award given to the Fellow who best scores in these three components — performance during the Pipeline Fellowship year, scores for their completed business plans, and their presentation score during the Innovators Daytime Pitch Showcase. 

2025 Inspiration of the Year Award

Krystal Martin, K&K Co. Bath & Home Collection (Columbia, Missouri)

​The Pipeline Inspiration of the Year award is the award given to the Pathfinder who best scores in these three components — performance during the Pipeline Pathfinder year, their presentation score for their pitch during the Innovators Daytime Pitch Showcase and class vote.

Member Inspiration Award

Brooke Mullen, Sapan (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Pipeline Members know that Pipeline is a never-ending, long-term community of entrepreneurial leaders. They help each other — and the organization — as we all grow toward our goals. This award recognizes outstanding contributions by a Pipeline Member to the organization and the many peers within it.

Member Growth Award

Travis Stephens, Direct Pivot Parts (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Pipeline Members continue to work with the Pipeline organization, and each other, as they grow and scale their businesses. This award recognizes a Pipeline Member for a particularly strong demonstration of growth, be it revenue, capital raised, creation of high-salaried jobs, new ventures or innovation.

Mike Bosch Entrepreneurial Resilience Award

Ramsey Jamoul, Unified eSports Association (Wichita, Kansas)

The Member Resilience Award is given out to a Member who has shown strength, perseverance and resilience over the course of the last year. Whether it be within their own life, with their company or helping someone in our Pipeline Family — this award honors what it means to be a true entrepreneur in the good and in the bad. 

2025 Pathfinder Best Pitch Award

Antionette Redmond, Neuru (Kansas City, Missouri)

2025 Fellow Best Pitch Award

Matt Williams, Albatross Golf (Lenexa, Kansas)