K-State accelerator opens applications to startups; university dives deeper into regional K-State 105 initiative
January 29, 2025 | Startland News Staff
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Sunflower State startups are invited to apply for Kansas State University’s entrepreneurship accelerator, which now boasts a more-than-10-year track record, as well as a refined focus on economic development.
Applications are now open for the fully online Center for Entrepreneurship Accelerator program, which runs April through July 2025. Led by K-State’s College of Business Administration, the premier initiative is designed to support early-stage startups in Kansas.
Chad Jackson, Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, Kansas State University
“Our accelerator program allows us to leverage K-State’s unique resources to foster innovation within the community,” said Chad Jackson, director of the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. “By connecting entrepreneurs with our faculty, alumni mentors and students, we aim to provide invaluable support for startup ventures.”
Click here to apply or learn more about the criteria and application process. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply by Feb. 24.
The accelerator directly supports many of the goals of K-State 105 and the University’s Economic Property Plan through: direct jobs created, capital and equity investment attracted and leveraged, new businesses established or expanded, and businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities/municipalities receiving funding or technical assistance.
Applications are open to founders of scalable, for-profit businesses or ideas, including student-led ventures. Selection criteria include identifying a meaningful problem and offering an innovative solution, demonstrating drive and adaptability, and showing a strong commitment to the venture.
The industry-agnostic accelerator opened in 2014, and has played host to a diverse range of Kansas City-area startups and businesses, including among the 2024 class:
- CC Thrift (Makenna Baldwin, then-junior in entrepreneurship), Lee’s Summit, Missouri — A closet cleanout service that pays people to pick up their old, unwanted clothes; Clothes are sorted and resold or donated.
- Partydip (Heidi Brown and Angela Hein), Manhattan — An online marketplace that saves parents’ time by putting everything they need to plan a child’s party at their fingertips.
- Room Décor Alley (Reese Reitz, then-junior in entrepreneurship and innovation), Louisburg — A gift boutique that provides quality, affordable and unique products for everyone.
- Sammy Kopecky Photography (Samantha Kopecky, then-senior in marketing), Leawood — A photography company with a passion for creating glowy, joyful and timeless photos that capture special moments in your story.
- Wool Processing (Samuel Manus, then-senior in entrepreneurship and innovation), Tonganoxie — A business focused on alternative wool processing and products.
This story is made possible by Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures.
Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV) is a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. NetWork Kansas promotes an entrepreneurial environment by connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the expertise, education and economic resources they need to succeed.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Shoppers lined the block to visit their vintage clothing store; now they’ve curated a new, larger space in KC’s West Bottoms
As brothers Thomas and Reade Rex open the doors to their relocated and expanded vintage clothing store this weekend in Kansas City’s West Bottoms, the event will be a culmination of years of hard work, passion, and a shared vision — plus significant customer support and loyalty, they said. “We’ve always done things together,” said…
World Cup will be KC’s biggest-ever event, top founder says (and local businesses can still get in the game)
When Neal Sharma co-founded DEG at the turn of the millennium, Kansas City felt like it had an inferiority complex, he said. Fast forward to 2024, and the city is teeming with extrinsic validation, he added. The exited founder-turned-civic leader hopes being a World Cup host city in 2026 pushes Kansas City to take a…
$500K state grant bolsters KU’s startup ecosystem; here’s what KU Innovation Park is launching with the funds
LAWRENCE, Kansas — A $500,000 Forging Opportunities for Research, Growth & Entrepreneurship (FORGE) grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce will help KU and KU Innovation Park create software, infrastructure and financial mechanisms needed to bridge the gap between academia and industry, growing the state’s economy while enhancing the university’s teaching and research missions. As…
ProX names equity-centered leader as first executive director of its popular student intern program
The new leader of ProX — one of the largest paid internship programs in the country — is expected to be instrumental in taking the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation affiliate to the next level, said Dr. Bill Nicely. ProX and the Kauffman Foundation on Thursday announced the appointment of Solissa Franco-McKay — a longtime supporter…