State-Wide Entrepreneurs to Engage with Kansas Enterprises in Unique Startup Program
NXTUS, Inc. today announced the second ever cohort of twenty program participants and revealed the twelve enterprise partners for the 2023 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series.
This program, which launched in 2022 with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, aims to bridge the knowledge and access gaps between early-stage companies around Kansas and the established businesses and community organizations they want to collaborate with and sell to, in order to grow.
The cohort includes diverse, growth-minded entrepreneurs offering innovative tech solutions; traditional services such as branded swag and commercial cleaning services; and enhancements to employee experiences, benefits, HR, and team culture. NXTUS and NetWork Kansas collaborated to expand the 2023 program across the state, involving entrepreneurs from Network Kansas E-communities in multiple regions.
“This growing program shows how strategic collaborations can drive real progress,” said Amber Dunn, Program Manager of NXTUS. “With a geographically expanded cohort and a robust lineup of workshops alongside our Enterprise Partners, we're sowing the seeds for a more connected and prosperous business landscape across the state."
"NetWork Kansas is pleased to support the Enterprise Engagement Series. We believe this program has incredible value to entrepreneurs seeking to scale their businesses, and we are thrilled that NXTUS is bringing both urban and rural entrepreneurs to the table, creating a truly statewide program. Kansas entrepreneurs will benefit greatly from this unique opportunity." - Amara Kniep, Director, E-Community Partnership.
The program’s weekly workshops will help cohort members forge connections with enterprise partners. Entrepreneurs will receive ‘playbooks’ revealing strategies for doing business with large organizations in the public and private sector. Participants will also pitch live at the Start-Up Enterprise Summit, a flagship event hosted at Cargill Protein during Wichita Startup Week and Global Entrepreneurship Week in November.
2023 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series Participants:
Forge Podcast Co. (Maize)
Hustle & Ground (Shawnee)
iGuardPro (Hillsboro)
infoFluency (Wichita)
K.N. Rials Therapy and Consulting (Lawrence)
KS. Power Washing (Wichita)
M & M Sharpening Services (Wichita)
Maid Strong Cleaning Service (Wichita)
Midland Railroad Hotel and Barn Conference Center (Wilson)
Midwest Hemp Technology (Augusta)
Mpruv Sports (Basehor)
N’credibly Sweet (Wichita)
Nudge Compost (Wichita)
Optegrity Solutions (Wichita)
Protech (Wichita)
Redlogic Communications, Inc. (Mound City)
Rodriguez Tax Group (Garden City)
Thompsons Handmade Country (Ellsworth)
Workplace Healing (Leawood)
Zant Technologies (Wichita)
2023 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Partners:
Berry Companies
Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC)
Cargill
Sedgwick County
City of Wichita
Spirit AeroSystems
Evergy
Star Lumber
Koch Supplier Strategies
Technology Group Solutions (TGS)
LANGE Companies (Acquipt, Lange Real Estate, RedGuard)
U.S.D. 259 Wichita Public Schools
This program is made possible by support from the Enterprise Partners, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and NetWork Kansas, as well as the ‘Build to Scale’ grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded to ICT Entrepreneurship Coalition members, Wichita State University and NXTUS. Additional support is provided by the SBA’s Wichita District Office, Hutton, IMA Financial Group, Women’s Business Development Center of Kansas City, and 2022 Cohort Member, Wichita Shredding.
The program begins September 13 and will conclude with the Startup-Enterprise Summit, a recognition event for cohort members and partners, on November 15. For more information about this program or to view program participant details, go to www.nxtus.io/nxtstage/ees.
For more information on other NXTSTAGE programs, including the Community Health & Vibrancy Pilot Competition and the Financial Technology Pilot Competition occurring this Fall, and the Customer Traction Cohort coming in spring 2024, go to: www.nxtus.io/nxtstage