North Houston News

Three Houston residents have been named winners of the 2020  Liftoff Houston! Start-Up Business Plan Competition and awarded  $10,000 each to fund their business goals.

According to the Mayor's Office, a panel of judges selected winners for three separate categories after the nine finalists pitched their business plans.

Kimberly Jones of Cosmetic Concierge Nurses is the 2020 Liftoff Houston! winner in the Innovation category. The company specializes in post-cosmetic and plastic surgery nursing care and provides care coordination, health education and nursing care to clients within the comfort of their homes or recovery locations. 

Jerome Vielman of Kairos Chemical & Distribution, Inc. is the 2020 Liftoff Houston! winner in the Service category. The company aims to safely optimize the flow of natural gas across communities. 

Wendell Matthews of Goat and Bear is the 2020 Liftoff Houston! winner in the Product category. The company produces handmade and organic facial hair grooming products, leveraging technology to provide speedy delivery of  products to customers.

The annual competition is administered by the Houston Public Library and the Office of Business Opportunity and sponsored by Capital One Bank.

"I would like to congratulate all of our finalists and winners and thank Capital One for  their constant support,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “Over the years, they have awarded more than $240,000 in start-up capital to aspiring entrepreneurs in Houston, helping them get one step closer to achieving  their dreams. More than providing three winners with startup capital,  this competition also educates Houstonians with the framework to succeed  as business owners, which is a win for our local economy.”