News

NXTUS, Inc., the Kansas Department of Commerce, and KU Innovation Park revealed the 16 Kansas startups advancing in the Gamechangers & Champions 2026 pitch competition.

NXTUS, Inc. today graduated 22 growth-minded entrepreneurs from its fifth-annual NXTSTAGE Customer Traction Cohort at a luncheon at Evergy Connect. The program, completed by 92 startups to date, is tailored to each entrepreneur, helping them advance their unique go-to-market and revenue strategies.

As we start 2026, Wichita middle market leaders are navigating a familiar mix of opportunity and uncertainty. In conversations with the private and public companies we serve, we find they’re not waiting for perfect clarity. Instead, they are making targeted, strategic moves to help their companies grow.

Three themes have emerged for continued success in 2026: Expanding digital reach, leveraging M&A for transformation and prioritizing employee financial wellness.

Donna Sweet, M.D., AAHIVS, MACP, who has been a faculty member at KU School of Medicine-Wichita for almost 45 years, is the namesake for the new medical academic society at KU School of Medicine-Wichita.