Local entrepreneurship organizations have announced a partnership for the city's flagship Wichita Startup Week slated to run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 this fall.
NXTUS, FlagshipKansas.tech, Wichita Independent Business Association and Create Campaign will incorporate their respective entrepreneurship events along with Wichita Startup Week, according to a news release.
The release added that events from the organizations were previously conducted separately from Wichita Startup Week as local entrepreneurs, founders and organization members volunteered to spearhead the event.
"This unified effort is all about benefiting our entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem," Mary Beth Jarvis, president and CEO of NXTUS, said in the release. "By joining forces, we can offer a lineup of events that elevates Kansas as a prominent hub for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship and draws participants in, knowing their week will be jammed with valuable programs."
Shae Blevins, a lead volunteer for Wichita Startup Week, said she is excited to welcome these experienced organizations to the event because it helps uplift the city's entrepreneurial community even more.
"Working together with FlagshipKansas.Tech, NXTUS, and WIBA extends this celebration throughout the entire state, creating a high-energy week that everyone will want to experience firsthand," she said.
Programs being incorporated into the startup week include FlagshipKansas.tech's Ad Astra Technology Summit, which is slated to run Oct. 2. The organization announced in June that science educator Bill Nye will speak at the event — along with other speakers — to discuss issues facing the technology industry. Greater Wichita Partnership and the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas will support the programs at the tech summit.
Conner Hampton, FlagshipKansas.tech executive director, said Ad Astra will be "high point of this jam-packed week."
“We’ll welcome state-wide attendees to engage on the tech industry and workforce issues and soak up energy and wisdom from Bill Nye and dozens of presenters and panelists," he said.
NXTUS will incorporate its NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series and Financial Technology Pilot Competition into Startup Week. Participant startups in NXTUS's enterprise engagement cohort will pitch to enterprises at the Start Up Enterprise Summit at the Cargill Protein headquarters, the kickoff event for Wichita Startup Week on Sept. 30.
WIBA and Wichita Startup Week will conduct networking and educational events for entrepreneurs that are yet to be announced. Some of the events discussed include panel discussions, workshops and showcase events for startups. Partners for these events will include Create Campaign, Groover Labs, the Kansas Small Business Development Center and Wichita State University Center for Entrepreneurship.
“WIBA is excited to work alongside these partners to do what we do best: curate opportunities for our business community to learn and grow together and deepen relationships,” said Wendell Funk, WIBA president.
The organizations said they will share more about events and programs — including partnerships and sponsors — at Wichita Startup Week's Preview Party during WIBA's monthly luncheon on Aug 13.
