a The founder, who helped drive one of the subway’s biggest startup exits, will be named UMKC’s Kansas City Entrepreneur of the Year in October.
Justin Davis, co-founder and CEO of BacklotCars, announced on Oct. 12 that the five winners (businesses that shaped leader) on stage. .
In Fall 2020, BacklotCars recorded a then-record $425 million exit, selling its Kansas City-based automotive platform to KAR Global.
“What Kansas City showed is that you can make really great things.” Reflecting on the closing of the sale and the expected ripple effects, Davis said in December 2020: “Our duty, as professionals, as companies, as community venture capitalists, is to help make these companies great because it creates a lot of wealth and gives the region an experience. It’s from.”
BacklotCars co-founders: Josh Parsons, Fabricio Solanes, Justin Davis, Ryan Davis
Since its inception in 2014, Davis and co-founders Josh Parsons, Fabricio Solanes, and Ryan Davis have grown the BacklotCars team to over 150 people by late 2020.
“Now they can take that capital and invest in our area,” Davis said of the BacklotCars employee who got paid for the big deal.
click here Read how Anders Ericson, former VP of Sales at BacklotCars, recently launched Whipz, a digital car retailer startup.
“Challenge people to get off the sidelines and get into the game. Let’s help each other,” Davis said. “There is no secretive nature to why Silicon Valley works so well. People buy in and support it. , and the region has tremendous potential and foundation for doing very great things.”
BacklotCars’ only historic exit was this week at founder-led Rx Savings Solutions. Michael Rea, UMKC’s 2019 Kansas City Entrepreneur of the Year — McKesson Corporation announced it would buy his startup for $875 million.
click here To see more past winners.
Here is the full list of 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year winners:
- David Steward, Founder and Chairman of World Wide Technology (Henry W. Bloch International Entrepreneur of the Year)
- Justin Davis, Co-founder and CEO of BacklotCars (Kansas City Entrepreneur of the Year)
- Jay Coen Gilbert, Andrew Kassoy, and Bart Houlahan, co-founders of B Lab Global (Marion and John Creamer Awards for Social Entrepreneurship)
- Student Entrepreneur of the Year — Not yet announced
The Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Program will be held on October 12th at 7pm at Plexpod Westport Commons.
click here Register for the event.