From blade sharpening to hemp building materials, more than a dozen startups pitched their ideas to onlookers, investors and businesses during the Wichita Startup 2023 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series event on Wednesday afternoon at Cargill. The 19 Kansas startups were part of an incubator group that learned from established business leaders how to turn an idea into a viable company.
Startups from across Kansas, including 11 from the Wichita area, presented 30-second elevator speeches, trying to entice people to want to know more about their company. The event is part of Wichita Startup Week, sponsored by Koch Industries, which features a week of events for startups, mostly taking place through Friday at Groover Labs.
"This is a celebration of entrepreneurs," said Amber Dunn, program manager of NXTUS. "This event provides them with access to community, capital and customers."
Each of the 19 startups applauded and cheered on the others, forming a community.
Kendall Schultz of KS Power Washing explained how his business is both licensed and insured and provides power washing for residential, commercial and agricultural facilities. Like Schultz, Mark Madden of M&M Sharpening Service thanked NXTUS for allowing non-tech, non-medical startups to be a part of the process.
"Every company has stuff that needs something to be sharpened," Smith said. "We pick up and deliver."
Others, like Nicole Williams of N'Credibly Sweet!, are working with food. Williams sells several flavors of popcorn, telling the crowd, "I have never had a sweet tooth, but my alter ego Sweet Niki makes and creates that piece of cake."
Jesse Marks of Nudge Compost is collecting food and distributing the liquid gold in gardens.
Sarah Stephens started a business that not only supplies food, but also building supplies. Her firm, Midwest Hemp Technology, is located in Augusta.
In addition to several software and marketing startups, there was a startup that dealt with podcasts and one that provided maid service. Steve Watkins of iGuardPro said he wants to stop the "bad guys" with his cybersecurity protections.
"I have 28 years of IT experience into stopping hackers from infiltrating your company networks and keeping them secure," Watkins said.
Two startups dealt with healing. One, Workplace Healing, teaches employers how to have empathy for workers who have undergone a death in the family or another tragedy.
Like Workplace Healing, Mpruv Sports teaches people how to get along through activities, namely tennis, pickleball and golf.
"We offer lessons as employee benefits and tailored specific team building activities to use sports education to create and cultivate an environment," Mark Lukenbill of Mpruv Sports said.
Others, like Mark Glade of FinMan Fishing in Hesston, came to learn.
"I'm here to hear the success stories from other small businesses and learn about what these businesses have learned," Glade said. "You learn from other local entrepreneurs."
