Unique Program Connects Entrepreneurs, Large Enterprises to Accelerate Collaboration

Wichita, Kan. – August 12, 2025– NXTUS, Inc. today kicked off the 2025 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series, which gathers 20 growth-minded entrepreneurs from across the Midwest and 13 leading Kansas enterprises to demystify the partnering process, build customer pathways, and accelerate innovation and business growth.

Now in its fourth year, this program continues to bridge the knowledge and access gaps between the entrepreneurs and the medium-to-large enterprises they hope to collaborate with and sell to in order to grow. Through weekly workshops and customized enterprise playbooks, which are guides that outline how to do business with each participating enterprise, entrepreneurs gain the tools and insights needed to build meaningful partnerships.

Since 2022, the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series has graduated 60 startups across 15 counties in Kansas. Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated more than $44 million in lifetime revenue and created or retained 125 jobs. This impact is set to accelerate as NXTUS launches the 2025 program, empowering even more entrepreneurs and driving further economic growth across the region.

“For entrepreneurs whose success depends on forging relationships with ‘the big guys,’ this unique program is so valuable,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, President and CEO of NXTUS, Inc. “The entrepreneurs build their knowledge and confidence to more effectively approach large organizations. And the enterprise partners benefit from getting to know these startups as potential suppliers and collaborators, helping advance the ‘grow our own’ economic development efforts that are crucial to keep our region moving forward.”

Starting with its first 2025 workshop at Evergy Connect, Jaime Gassmann, Co-Founder of Fluent, led the cohort through what to expect and how to thrive during the enterprise sales cycle. Beginning August 19, the cohort will meet weekly through the end of September with each enterprise partner, giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to build connections and receive playbooks outlining strategies for doing business with these organizations.

The program will culminate with live pitches on September 29 at Cargill Protein Headquarters during the Startup-Enterprise Summit, the kickoff event of Launch Week, formerly known as Wichita Startup Week.

“NXTUS provides incredible value year-round, but this program matching enterprise customers to entrepreneurs is a special opportunity," said Jaime Gassmann. "The cohort is eager to learn from the program partners and work with them to find ways to collaborate.”

New this year, the program expanded its reach by welcoming startup applications from across the Midwest, moving beyond Kansas for the first time. Through a curated selection process, the accepted startups include founders ranging from Wichita, Spring Hill, and Hutchinson, Kansas, to St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, all delivering solutions across a wide-range of industries, from advanced cybersecurity and AI-driven health and wellness platforms to inclusive workforce integration, transformative HR services, and specialized professional support that spans logistics, compliance, creative marketing, and more.

The 2025 Cohort Includes:

·       Accelerate Physical Therapy & Performance (Wichita, KS)

·       Adelitas Coffee Co. (Wichita, KS)

·       Archia (Overland Park, KS)

·       Capacity (Wichita, KS)

·       Eck Fabrication (Kingman, KS)

·       Good Works Talent (Wichita, KS)

·       Kwema (St. Louis, MO)

·       Logical A (Wichita, KS)

·       Malibu Creative (Wichita, KS)

·       Mid-American Language Services (Wichita, KS)

·       MMNT (Wichita, KS)

·       Moonbase (Wichita, KS)

·       OnSight (Spring Hill, KS)

·       Phy-Cy.X Security Group (Wichita, KS)

·       POURPIS (Wichita, KS)

·       Primor Fitness (Kechi, KS)

·       ROZ (Olathe, KS)

·       State of Becoming (Wichita, KS)

·       Tranbarger AgriVision (Hutchinson, KS)

·       ULOM  (Kansas City, MO)

The Enterprise Partners Include:

·       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

·       Village Travel

The 2025 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series is made possible thanks to generous support from Enterprise Partners, NetWork Kansas, the Greater Wichita Partnership with Opportunity Wichita affiliate, Fidelity Bank, andForvis Mazars. 

For more information about this program or to view program participant details, visit https://www.nxtus.io/enterpriseseries.