Wichita State University
Location |
Wichita, KS |
|
|---|---|---|
Build to Scale Program |
Venture Challenge |
|
Project Name |
Wichita Entrepreneurship Coalition |
|
Award Amount |
Federal Share |
Local Match |
$750,000 |
$750,000 |
|
The Wichita Entrepreneurship Coalition (ICT-EC), has been formed to address gaps in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.
ICT-EC is a strategic collaboration led by Wichita State University and NXTUS to develop a solution to the issue. The coalition includes economic development, government, community, capital, and industry partners. Together, ICT-EC is pursuing an ecosystem-wide solution to support diverse entrepreneurs at every stage and boost the region’s participation in the innovation economy.
ICT-EC analyzed the ecosystem’s unique needs and recognized five major gaps: seed stage ideation, tech commercialization, product-market fit, customer acquisition, and corporate innovation culture. To address the needs and gaps, the proposal includes these programs: WSU Startup School, WSU Technology Transfer Matchmaking Program, NXTSTAGE Accelerator and a NXTSTAGE Pilot Competition.
The ICT-EC programs will deliver the resources necessary to recruit, support, and enable diverse entrepreneurs, accelerate the momentum of current entrepreneurial efforts, and improve the equitable access to technology and startup resources. ICT-EC expects to review 340 business concepts, coach 185 entrepreneurs, transfer at least four university-owned technologies, form 30 new companies, launch 50 new products, and boost revenue by $12 million in three years.
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