A recent Wichita Business Journal feature listed six area startups to watch in 2022, three of which are members at Groover Labs: PLOT Construction Communications; QuickHire; and Knowledge as a Service, Inc., or KaaS. We’re fortunate to have them as part of our community.
PLOT Construction Communications’ founder and CEO Chris Callen joined Groover Labs as an early adopter in 2019. QuickHire’s co-founders Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall joined in 2020. And KaaS’ co-founders Robert Feeney and BW Barkley joined in the summer of 2021.
What do all three of these startups have in common, other than being Groover Labs members?
They added new employees in 2021 and 2022.
PLOT
Founder and CEO Chris Callen launched PLOT Construction Communications not long after Wichita’s inaugural Startup Week. No stranger to the startup scene, Callen connected with High Alpha, a venture studio that creates and builds B2B SaaS companies, and multinational corporation Koch Industries.
Callen then hired entrepreneur Chad Cox, another Groover Labs early adopter, as head of engineering. Cox has extensive experience in the tech startup world. In early 2022, Nick Dreiling joined PLOT as a senior software engineer. Dreiling most recently worked for Applianz Technologies, which was acquired by UV&S. Callen says another software engineer will join the team on Monday, January 17.
Since Callen helped open our doors, it’s been a thrill to watch him launch a new startup.
QUICKHIRE
Gladney and Muhwezi-Hall, who need no introduction—we can barely keep up with their media mentions—hired Caleb Swank as Chief Technology Officer in early 2021. Swank’s background includes time as a software developer at Koch Industries and High Touch Technologies.
Last month, Timirie Shibley, Bill Bolte, and Michael Rico also joined QuickHire. You may recognize Shibley, who took on the role of partnership manager, as the owner of Wichita’s legendary Doo-Dah Diner. An entrepreneur and former chairperson of the Kansas Hospitality and Restaurant Association, Shibley is especially qualified for the position because she uses the QuickHire app to find new employees. Bolte, who has more than 16 years of software development experience with firms like High Touch Technologies, joined the startup as a senior software developer. Rico joined QuickHire to develop partnerships, marketing, and other facets of business development. He has a wide-range of experience in business development as a former Vice President at King of Freight.
Including Gladney and Muhwezi-Hall, QuickHire has gone from 2 to 6 employees in one year. And if you’re wondering, the answer is “yes,” they’re hiring. Read their job board here.
KaaS
KaaS co-founders Robert Feeney and BW Barkley joined Groover Labs last summer. Feeney and Barkley made a splash in the press when they announced their decision to scale in Wichita. Shortly thereafter, KaaS hired Shae Blevins as the new director of marketing. Blevins has myriad experience with Textron, Newman University, Copps Media, and, most recently, Greteman Group. Read our interview with Feeney, Barkley, and Blevins here.
At the end of the summer, KaaS announced a partnership with Wichita State University’s Shocker Career Accelerator. The program—the largest cooperative education and internship program in Kansas—helps students gain professional skills through real-world experience. Students earn work experience and a paycheck, all while bolstering their resumes.
Feeney and Barkley hired three inside sales representatives and two customer success coaches. Around the same time, KaaS brought on Niti Singh, Ph.D., as director of customer success. Dr. Singh has worked as a consultant and with organizations like the University of Notre Dame and Foley Equipment. She was most recently a member of the faculty at Indiana University.
KaaS came to Groover Labs with two employees; now, they have nine. For hiring inquiries, email hr@kaas.guru.
Despite the ups and downs of the global pandemic, Wichita founders are on the march. They’re hiring. They’re networking. They’re collaborating. As integral parts of Wichita's burgeoning startup ecosystem, we’re excited to follow along with QuickHire, KaaS, and PLOT in 2022.