Hutchinson startup wins $25,000 at Wichita State GenAI Pitch Contest
Information obtained from StartUp Hutch Facebook
WICHITA, Kan. — A Hutchinson-based artificial intelligence startup took home the top prize at Wichita State University's GenAI Pitch Contest last week, beating out competitors for $25,000 in development services to scale its technology platform.
Sales Coach Pro, co-founded by Maggie and Adam Pounds, won first place at the competition, which was hosted March 18 by the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Wichita State University. The contest was held at the WSU Hughes Metropolitan Complex and drew entrepreneurs from across the region.
The grand prize — valued at $25,000 — was awarded in the form of technical resources, architecture support and solution development services delivered through Futran Solutions in partnership with Amazon Web Services, according to WSU.
Sales Coach Pro is an AI-powered platform designed to help sales professionals improve performance through automated coaching tools. Following the win, co-founder Maggie Pounds expressed gratitude for the community's response.
"We are so excited to connect with local businesses and see how Sales Coach Pro can help transform lives here in our local area," Pounds said via a social media post.
The Pounds celebrated the win on social media, where StartUp Hutch, a Hutchinson-based entrepreneurship support organization, congratulated the pair and encouraged followers to learn more at salescoachpro.app.
The day-long event featured expert-led workshops on digital best practices, networking opportunities and a live pitch competition in the afternoon. Second-place finishers received $15,000 in services, while third place earned $10,000. All applicants received a $300 grant in services simply for entering.
The contest was part of a broader effort by the Kansas SBDC to connect small business owners with emerging technology. The SBDC, housed at Wichita State and funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Kansas Department of Commerce, supports entrepreneurs across the state with no-cost advising and programming.
StartUp Hutch, which supported the Pounds throughout their entrepreneurial journey, can be reached at (620) 665-3319 or info@startuphutch.com.