RISE Business Awards

2024 RISE Business Awards

RISE Business Awards are offered by the Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club.

Purpose:

Recognize, celebrate, and reward minority- and women-owned businesses that clearly demonstrate the values of Rotary’s Four-Way Test. (The award is not based on need, size, sales, growth or performance. It is based on the demonstration of Rotary values that serve our community.)
Build goodwill and better friendships between Plaza Rotarians and the MBE/WBE business community to foster authentic relationships and business connections.
Recognize for-profit businesses, because when businesses serve the community through vocation, they create jobs, restore dignity, help meet people’s needs, and create wealth in the community.

Nominations:

There is no cost to apply or to nominate a business or non-profit.

Qualified applicants are those lawful businesses operating for at least six months in Jackson, Clay, Platte or Cass counties that are at least 51% owned, managed, and controlled by an underserved, minority, or female individual. Businesses with revenues below $750,000/year are preferred.

Anyone can nominate a business! Nominations can be made by the community at large and Rotarians. Minority-owned companies and entrepreneurs can nominate themselves.

Make a nomination here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHByQzhduiw25LQFTanJ4pLRoSF6UKkIKdQopN4tfVSOoqjA/viewform

And download our sponsorship package!

How it works

When a business is nominated, the nominee is then invited to complete a brief entry form.

After nominations close, the entries are reviewed by our panel of independent judges, who select the top 3 nominees, based on their alignment with the Rotary Four-Way Test.

The top 3 nominees are presented to the club membership, which votes on the winner and runner-up.

The winner receives a one-year free membership to the club and a custom promotional video. The runner-up receives a six-month free membership to the club.