Formed in 2015, the Greater Wichita Partnership aligns resources and focuses the business community on common strategies that cultivate the economic environment and fast-forward growth in south-central Kansas. Among the Partnership’s six key priorities is to provide diversification through entrepreneurship. To fulfill this mission, the Partnership provides support to the Entrepreneurship Task Force (ETF), a group focused on identifying, activating and mentoring an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The ETF cultivates the entrepreneurial ecosystem by convening local service providers and organizations, who share common goals of assisting entrepreneurs and startups. These ETF 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 ETF is 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 the ETF to cultivate the entrepreneurial ecosystem by activating, accelerating, and mentoring entrepreneurs in the heartland.

To learn more about the Greater Wichita Partnership, or the Entrepreneurship Task Force, visit greaterwichitapartnership.org.

ETF LIASONS

• 1 Million Cups
• Barton International Group
• Bird and Bull Development
• Boys & Girls Club
• 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
• Wichita Area Technical College
• 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

Meetings -  The Entrepreneurship Task Force meets from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. bi-monthly at the Greater Wichita Partnership offices at 505 E. Douglas Avenue, Wichita, KS 67202. For specific questions related to ETF, or to get on the mailing list, please contact Andrew Nave at andrew@greaterwichitapartnership.org.