Congratulations to Andrew Marquez of VU Scholarships for winning the $20,000 pitch competition, sponsored by the Barton School of Business, and to Matt Williams of Noonan for winning the Fan’s Choice prize of $2,500, funded by Wichita Startup Week at our Gamechangers & Champions Event!
Way to go to the Innovative Eight for wowing the room as they competed and showcased their ventures! Check them out below!
Noonan, LLC - Matt Williams
VU Scholarships - Andrew Marquez
PLOT - Chris Callen
Marma Health - Victoria Weber
ULOM - Zik Nwanganga
Jitterbug - Rye Kennedy
Milton - Miguel Johns
ShotTracker - LaDonna Gooden
Gamechangers and Champions 2025 is a high-energy, innovation-driven event that aligns with the excitement of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Wichita! This event is designed to unite startups, angel investors, and innovation stakeholders from across Kansas for a dynamic day of activation, networking, education, and competition. Presented by the Kansas Department of Commerce and NXTUS, this event catalyzes new angel investments, support early-stage startups, and strengthen Kansas’s innovation ecosystem.
Kicking off and concluding the day, all attendees joined together for combined workshop sessions, while the middle of the day featured two breakout tracks—one for investors and one for startups. Throughout the event, the Commerce Club served as the Business & Basketball Lounge, providing a home base for entrepreneurs and ecosystem supporters not participating in breakout sessions. At this spot, attendees enjoyed live broadcasts of NCAA tournament games, interactive activities like pop-a-shot, and networking!
The day wrapped up with a bracket-style prize pitch competition, with $20,000 top prize sponsored by the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and an inspiring keynote from Kevin Lockett, Partner at Fulcrum Global Capital and former Kansas City Chiefs and K-State football player. The Final Four startups pitched live to judges and investors for a chance to win real-time prize money.
