CHV Finalists; Photo courtesy of Chase Dempsey.
Wichita, Kan. – September 4, 2026 – Today, at an Innovation Showcase event attended by more than 150 healthcare and community leaders, NXTUS, Inc. announced 16 projects pairing Kansas organizations with startups from around North America to improve local health outcomes and spur community growth.
Now in its sixth year, the NXTSTAGE Community Health & Vibrancy Competition, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, has produced 62 finalists and catalyzed 93 local and statewide innovation projects.
The 2026 program brought together a record 14 Kansas community partners from the healthcare, education, and economic development sectors looking to implement promising technology tools in their communities to address specific population health challenges facing communities across Kansas.
The nine innovative startups offering those tools were selected as program finalists from 183 applicants across 32 states and 21 countries. The community partners worked throughout the program to evaluate solutions focused on mental health and recovery, preventive and early intervention care, access to community services, generational connections, and more.
These projects were announced (listed with community partner and winning startup):
Coffey County Economic Development: Wellnify
Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation: Embrace Prevention Care
Eric Brown, Salina: Embrace Prevention Care
LiveWell Northwest Kansas: Sonar Mental Health
NMC Health: Mirza and Embrace Prevention Care
Phillips County Economic Development: Embrace Prevention Care
Rooks County Health Center: Cabana Health
Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity: Embrace Prevention Care
Plainville Wellness Coalition: Wellnify
Thrive Kansas: Sweetling Health in partnership with Allen, Coffey, and Harvey Counties
Thrive Allen County: Generation Connect, Cabana Health, and Laptis
Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita: Wellnify and Embrace Prevention Care
In addition, WEConnect remains in discussion for future innovation projects with two community partners; Mirza, two; Sweetling Health, one; Generation Connect, one; Cabana Health, one; and Sonar Mental Health, one.
"As a not-for-profit health plan, we put people first — not profits. We’re for healthier communities, for investing locally and connecting nationally,” said Virginia Barnes, BCBSKS Director of Blue Health Initiatives. “By supporting the NXSTAGE Community Health and Vibrancy Pilot Competition, we are building connections between our community partners and startups from across the world, and we are putting Kansans first in line to have early access to innovation that supports healthy, vibrant communities."
Since launching in 2021, the program has helped position Kansas as a proving ground for unique solutions that strengthen communities, creating new opportunities to improve health outcomes, increase access to care, support workforce needs, and enhance quality of life for Kansans.
Here are the 2026 finalists, which hail from six U.S. states and Canada:
Cabana Health (New Orleans) - Cabana combines virtual group support with clinical care to improve behavioral health access in rural communities.
Embrace Prevention Care (Andover, Mass.) - Embrace’s local nurse practitioners provide monthly telehealth dementia care at no cost to patients/caregivers through Medicare’s GUIDE program.
Generation Connect (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Generation Connect strengthens communities by bringing together teens and seasoned adults through technology, workforce development, and meaningful intergenerational connection.
Mirza (Los Angeles, Calif.) – Mirza is an access, activation, and verification layer that helps people successfully navigate and enroll in essential benefits like Medicaid, childcare assistance, SNAP, and other social programs.
Laptis (Boston) - Laptis is an AI-enabled platform designed to streamline SUD referrals, improve engagement, and deepen visibility.
Sonar Mental Health (San Francisco, Calif.) - Sonar helps schools and healthcare providers expand youth mental health access through 24/7 chat-based coaching, triage, and navigation. Human-led, not a chatbot.
Sweetling Health (New York City) - An SMS-based monitoring and navigation platform for postpartum care.
WEConnect Health(Seattle) - WEconnect delivers proven behavioral health outcomes through certified peer support and evidence-based incentive programs across diverse payer memberships.
Wellnify.ai (Halifax, Canada) - Wellnify.ai is a community wellness engagement platform focused on improving population health by making healthy behaviors more accessible, engaging, and sustainable at scale.
In addition to presenting sponsorship from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the 2026 NXTSTAGE Community Health & Vibrancy Pilot Competition is supported by Kansas Health Foundation, KU Wichita Medical Practice Association, Kansas Health Science University – Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Hinkle Law Firm, the Greater Wichita Partnership's Opportunity Wichita initiative, Visit Wichita, Wichita State University, Janice Perkins, and KentAV.