NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series Concludes with Launch Week Opening-Day Bash

Photo from the 2025 Startup-Enterprise Summit. Photo courtesy of Darrin Hackney.

Wichita, Kan. – September 30, 2025 – NXTUS, Inc., celebrated the culmination of the 2025 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series yesterday at the Startup-Enterprise Summit, hosted at Cargill Protein Headquarters during Launch Week, formerly known as Wichita Startup Week. The event marked the graduation of 20 Midwest entrepreneurs and celebrated the 13 enterprise partners that fueled the program.

The NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series is designed to bridge knowledge and access gaps between early-stage businesses and larger organizations. Throughout the program, entrepreneurs engaged in weekly workshops, one-on-one meetings, and enterprise coaching sessions. Participants also received curated “Enterprise Playbooks” and direct introductions to enterprise leaders, equipping them with critical tools and networks to scale their businesses.

“LANGE Companies started with this program about four years ago, and it has been nothing but fantastic, not only for us but for the entrepreneurs as well. We are entrepreneurial at heart. That is one of our core values and one of the things we base everything around. Being able to connect and partner with the startups has been critical for us as a company to even grow, but also giving our insight, experience, and opportunities to help create their own business that has real results is life-changing,” said Adam Tannehill, Chief Networking Officer of Business Development at LANGE.

For the first time, the program opened its application pool to entrepreneurs across the Midwest, moving beyond its Kansas roots. This year’s 20 participating companies represented founders from Wichita, Spring Hill, and Hutchinson, Kansas, to St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. Their solutions spanned diverse industries, including advanced cybersecurity, AI-driven health and wellness, inclusive workforce integration, transformative HR services, logistics, compliance, creative marketing, and more.

Enterprise partners that supported the 2025 program included Berry Companies, Cargill, City of Wichita, Equity Bank, Evergy, Kansas Department of Commerce, Koch Supplier Strategies, LANGE Companies, iSi Environmental, Sedgwick County, Textron Aviation, U.S.D. 259 Wichita Public Schools, and Village Travel.

The 2025 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series was made possible through the generous support of enterprise partners, NetWork Kansas, the Greater Wichita Partnership with its Opportunity Wichita affiliate, Fidelity Bank, and Forvis Mazars. The program launched in mid-August and wrapped up yesterday with the Startup-Enterprise Summit, a highlight of Wichita’s Launch Week. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing between startups and established enterprises, NXTUS continues to accelerate innovation and economic vitality across Kansas and the broader Midwest.