The Greater Wichita Partnership aligns resources and focuses the business community around Jobs, Talent and Quality of Place to cultivate the economic environment and fast-forward growth in south central Kansas. The goal of the Jobs priority is to support the creation of jobs through expansion and retention, attraction and entrepreneurship. To assist in this mission, the Partnership provides support to Accelerate Wichita (formerly the Entrepreneurship Task Force), a group focused on identifying, activating and mentoring an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Driven by Co-chairs Trish Brasted of Wichita Technology Corp. and Mark Torline of Wichita State University, Accelerate Wichita cultivates the entrepreneurial ecosystem by convening local service providers and organizations, who share common goals of assisting entrepreneurs and startups. These members (called ecosystem partners) have the responsibility to create and drive key initiatives that will positively contribute to the ecosystem, while working holistically to leverage existing efforts. This ecosystem also provides the framework for service providers to collectively assist entrepreneurs who possess the potential for creating scalable companies to positively impact the regional economy. To-date, there are over forty ecosystem partners.

A key accomplishment of the Entrepreneurship Task Force (ETF) was the launch of the first entrepreneurial accelerator in Kansas – e2e. In 2015, ETF launched a planning committee that took the necessary steps to open the independent entity. The e2e organization works closely with Accelerate Wichita to cultivate the entrepreneurial ecosystem by activating, accelerating, and mentoring entrepreneurs in the heartland.

ACCELERATE WICHITA LIASONS

• 1 Million Cups
• Barton International Group
• Bird and Bull Development
• Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas
• Butler Early College Business
• Entrepreneurship Academy
• Camp Destination Innovation
• Co-Accel
• Create Campaign
• DECA Innovation U
• e2e
• Exploration Place Mini Maker Faire
• Friends University
• GoCreate
• Goodwill Industries
• Greater Wichita Partnership
• Ground Work
• Junior Achievement
• Kansas Global Trade Services
• Kansas Leadership Center
• Kansas Small Business Development Center
• Local Financial Institutions
• Lubrication Engineers
• MakeICT
• NetWork Kansas
• Newman University
• South Central Kansas Economic Development District
• SCORE
• Small Business Administration
• SocialPreneur Lab
• Startup Grind
• USD 259 Career & Tech Ed Entrepreneurship Track
• WeKan
• WSU Tech
• Wichita Hispanic Chamber
• Wichita Independent Business Assocation
• Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Wichita Technology Corporation
• WSU Center for Entrepreneurship
• WSU Ventures/LaunchPrep
• YMCA
• Young Professionals of Wichita
• Youth Entrepreneurs & YE Academy

For specific questions related to Accelerate Wichita, or to get on the mailing list, please contact Evan Rosell at evan@greaterwichitapartnership.org.