NXTUS expands enterprise-focused program beyond Kansas; four KC-area startups selected
August 13, 2025 | Startland News Staff
WICHITA, Kan. — An ongoing initiative to demystify the relationship-building process between emerging entrepreneurs and potential enterprise partners just expanded deeper into the Midwest, welcoming 20 growth-minded innovators from Wichita to St. Louis.
Mary Beth Jarvis, president and CEO of NXTUS, speaks in March during the Gamechangers & Champions summit in Wichita; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“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, which organizes the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series. “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.”
Advancing in program, four Kansas City-area businesses — Archia, Overland Park, Kansas; OnSight, Spring Hill, Kansas; ROZ, Olathe, Kansas; and ULOM, Kansas City, Missouri — are set to meet weekly with the cohort through the end of September, gaining the tools and insights needed to build meaningful partnerships with the medium-to-large enterprises they hope to collaborate with and sell to in order to grow.
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, NXTUS accepted startup founders from 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.
Members of the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series cohort; photo courtesy of NXTUS
The just-announced cohort includes:
- Accelerate Physical Therapy and Performance (Ashton Reichmann), Wichita, Kansas
- Adelitas Coffee Co. (Oscar Pineda), Wichita, Kansas
- Archia (Gharib Gharibi), Overland Park, Kansas
- Capacity (Janice Perkins), Wichita, Kansas
- Eck Fabrication (Ethan Eck), Kingman, Kansas
- Good Works Talent (Rachel Biggs), Wichita, Kansas
- Kwema (Ali Jabry), St. Louis, Missouri
- Logical A (Chris Weakly), Wichita, Kansas
- Malibu Creative (Austin Calam), Wichita, Kansas
- Mid-American Language Services (Maya Navarro Williams), Wichita, Kansas
- MMNT (Miguel Johns), Wichita, Kansas
- Moonbase (Nic Wentling, Christian Taylor), Wichita, Kansas
- OnSight (Errick Quartucci, Alex Snook, Hunter Haufler), Spring Hill, Kansas
- Phy-Cy.X Security Group (Clint Stevens), Wichita, Kansas
- POURPIS (Vanessa Tillemans), Wichita, Kansas
- Primor Fitness (Deb Whitney-Johnson), Kechi, Kansas
- ROZ (Donnie Hampton), Olathe, Kansas
- State of Becoming (Candice Smith), Wichita, Kansas
- Tranbarger AgriVision (Ty Tranbarger), Hutchinson, Kansas
- ULOM (Zik Nwanganga, Bing Low), Kansas City, Missouri
The 2025 program is expected to culminate with live pitches Sept. 29 at Cargill Protein Headquarters during the Startup-Enterprise Summit, the kickoff event of Launch Week, formerly known as Wichita Startup Week.
Now in its fourth year, 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 since 2022.
Enterprise partners for 2025 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
- USD 259 Wichita Public Schools
- Village Travel
In addition, the 2025 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series is made possible thanks to support from NetWork Kansas, the Greater Wichita Partnership with Opportunity Wichita affiliate, Fidelity Bank, and Forvis Mazars.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘Not Mexican enough, not American enough’: How a KCK restaurateur found his identity through food, family
Born in Mexico, Kansas-raised Carlos Mortera is defined by two, sometimes-conflicting cultures, he said — a contrast that led him to question his own identity, but ultimately answer with culinary creations that reflect a diverse Kansas City experience. “When I was younger, I struggled with feeling like I’m not from either place,” shared Mortera, who…
She’s bringing a selfie studio to Zona Rosa; Why India Wells-Carter says ‘Do it scared, but do it anyway’
A limited-run attraction in the Northland is set to offer India Wells-Carter a snapshot of what startup life could look like longterm. “This feels safer,” Wells-Carter said, expressing a healthy mix of fear, relief, and confidence about the test run for her new venture:Fresh Factory KC, a selfie experience set to launch May 29 —…
How a former Sprint car driver’s quick pivot from HVAC filters to face masks put a North KC startup atop the nanofiber scoreboard
Filti was less than weeks away from launching its state-of-the-art residential HVAC filter when the Coronavirus began its rapid spread throughout the U.S., Dakota Hendrickson recalled. Noticing a significant dip — yet high demand — for face masks, the former race car driver altered the company’s course. “Never in a million years did I think…
Reimagined Lightwell ready to take innovation hub mantle as KC’s tech talent return to the office
A steady stream of foot traffic flows beneath the Lightwell building’s signature feature — a winding overhead natural light design that spans nearly a city block — as employees returning to the workplace help the iconic downtown Kansas City landmark assume its new identity: 21st century innovation hub. “A lot of people will talk about…