Kansas Entrepreneurship Support Organization Makes Strategic Team, Board Additions
By: NXTUS, Inc
January 29, 2024
Wichita, Kan. – January 29, 2024 – NXTUS, Inc. today announced additions to its team and board that position it to continue expanding its impact from 2023, its best year yet for serving the region’s growth-minded entrepreneurs and innovators.
The expanded 2024 NXTUS staff and board of directors will play a crucial role in strengthening Kansas’ support system for entrepreneurs and innovators, spurring the overall growth of the region’s economy. These organizational moves come on the heels of a highly impactful year in which NXTUS connected a record 1,039 entrepreneurs to community assets, mobilized $1.48 million in capital to early-stage ventures in the region, and engaged 361 entrepreneurs with business and customer prospects in Kansas through its in-depth programs.
Joining the NXTUS Board of Directors for 2024 is Evan Rosell, Executive Vice President of Operations for the Greater Wichita Partnership, a long-time supporter and collaborator alongside NXTUS. Rosell brings not only his executive leadership experience but also a profound dedication to catalyzing regional economic development and fostering job creation in the region. The new additions to the NXTUS staff include Program Manager Symbria Hansen, who joined the team in August to run the NXTSTAGE Pilot Competitions in 2024 and beyond; Capital Program Manager Conor Adler, who started January 16 as the leader of Accelerate Venture Partners, NXTUS’s angel investment syndicate; and Elleigh Peters, who served NXTUS in a part-time capacity since June, but who today begins a full-time role as the organization’s Communication Coordinator.
“Entrepreneurs are the superheroes of economic development,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, President and CEO of NXTUS. “They’re innovators and job creators, and we’re honored to do all we can to propel them and their growth-minded companies forward. This team of NXTUS staff members and directors is pushing forward to accomplish that mission with excellence, alongside a growing array of other entrepreneurship ecosystem partners and community supporters.”
Adler moved from Chicago to Wichita this month to contribute his expertise in startup operations and finance to NXTUS’s programs focused on educating founders about growth-capital opportunities and mobilizing private angel capital for high-potential regional startups through Accelerate Venture Partners. Hansen brings her skills in program account management, client relationships, and data analytics. Peters will leverage her experience as NXTUS’s communication and marketing intern and from her time at Kansas State University to spearhead the design, creation, and deployment of NXTUS communication products, as well as execute community outreach strategies.
For the 2024 NXTUS Board of Directors, Erik Pedersen, President and COO of NetWork Kansas, will remain chair, and John Messman, Principal Partner at Messman Group, will step into the position of Vice Chair. Trish Brasted, President of Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures for NetWork Kansas, continues her tenure as Treasurer, and Luis Rodriguez, Senior Vice President at Envision Inc., continues as Secretary for the organization.
The remaining 2024 directors include Rosell, Abel Frederic, Vice President of Community Impact for United Way of the Plains; Dr. Kaye Monk-Morgan, President and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center; Gary Oborny, Chairman and CEO of Occidental Management; Josh Oeding, Founder and General Partner of Tenzing Capital; and Tonya Witherspoon, Associate Vice President, Industry Engagement & Applied Learning, Wichita State University.
To learn more about the organization’s mission and its positive impact on entrepreneurs and the region in 2023, see the NXTUS 2023 Annual Report.