Kansas City Entrepreneur Wins National Verizon Small Business Super Pitch Competition, Takes Home $20,000 Grant

Media Contact: Liz Benditt Founder & President, The Balm Box, +1.816.616.5323, LBenditt@TheBalmBox.com 

OVERLAND PARK, KS. — July 22, 2026 — Liz Benditt, Founder and President of The Balm Box, has won first place and a $20,000 grant at the Verizon Small Business Super Pitch national finals, held July 17 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Benditt, who previously won the Midwest Regional Championship, went on to beat regional winners from across the country to claim the top prize.

The Balm Box, based in Overland Park, Kansas, ships research-backed, treatment-specific care packages for people navigating cancer treatment and surgical recovery. Founded in 2020 and built on pre-launch research with more than 500 cancer patients and caregivers, the company has shipped more than 20,000 boxes, ships 500+ boxes per month, and holds a Net Promoter Score of 82 with a 93% five-star review rate — metrics that rival some of the most beloved consumer brands in the country.

Verizon judged the national competition on three criteria: passion, impact from the Verizon Digital Ready platform, and the strength of each founder's story. Benditt credited two Verizon Digital Ready courses — one on AI marketing strategy and one on AI prompting — with directly shaping business decisions at The Balm Box, including moving podcast ad campaigns to a self-service model and launching an AI-powered customer chatbot named Bea.

"This win belongs to every cancer patient and caregiver who ever trusted us with their hardest moments," said Benditt. "We built this business to make sure they never feel like a burden for needing help — and this grant means we can reach even more of them."

As part of the national finals experience, all four finalists attended the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.

The win adds to a growing list of recognitions for Benditt and The Balm Box, including a spot on the Entreprenista 100 and second place in the Start Pivot Grow Pitch Competition.

About The Balm Box The Balm Box ships research-backed, treatment-specific care packages for people in cancer treatment and surgical recovery. Founded in 2020, the company is 100% founder-owned and has shipped more than 20,000 boxes nationwide. Learn more at thebalmbox.com.

Liz is available to speak on her journey from cancer patient to national pitch competition winner, what it took to scale The Balm Box, and how AI tools helped power the growth behind her win.

[Schedule an interview with Liz →] [http://www.calendly.com/lbenditt-thebalmbox/interview]