NXTUS accelerator graduates large class of startup entrepreneurs

Wichita-based entrepreneurial organization NXTUS Inc. this week graduated the second class of its NXTSTAGE Customer Traction Cohort, which drew participants from 21 companies from across the state, including six from the Wichita area.

Over the past two months, participants received coaching from Denver-based Fluent Studio and participated in workshops both in Wichita and Dodge City — all with the underlying goal of helping them properly get their products to the market and in the hands of paying customers. 

“The Customer Traction Cohort was an amazing experience,” Laura Martin of Sew Loved Quilt Shop, one of the participants based out of Elkhart, said in a news release. “The things my coach made me think through challenged me to think outside my box and gave me permission to not go 'all in,' saving me time and money. By experimenting on a smaller scale, I can monitor the metrics and know what works.” 

As NXTUS leaders explained in January, the group included a strong contingent from southwestern Kansas in an intentional move to help reach more rural entrepreneurs. 

“(This program) is huge for our rural businesses,” said Lea Ann Seiler, southwest region entrepreneurship manager for NetWork Kansas. “It's providing them with expert advisors, peer mentorship and much needed support … things that haven’t been readily available before this." 

Additional funding from NetWork Kansas enabled the growth from the initial program in 2022 and increased focus on rural entrepreneurs. 

The program was originally launched last year with funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration's “Build to Scale” grant. 

Here is a look at all the participants in the latest NXTSTAGE Customer Traction Cohort: