LISTEN: Meet the partners behind Plug and Play Topeka’s growth (and impact)
October 10, 2025 | Austin Barnes
On a special episode of Startland News’ 12-part podcast series diving deeper into Plug and Play, we explore how the Topeka-based program and its partners work to turn bold ideas into Kansas success stories.
Cole Ahlvers, NQV8 Fund, right, speaks on a panel at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Guests includes Bret Lanz from Kansas State University’s Technology Development Institute; John G. Brown of StenCo; and Cole Ahlvers from NQV8 Fund.
RELATED: Global startups plug into Topeka: How Kansas connections are powering their innovation
Together guests unpack collaboration across universities, corporations, and investment firms is accelerating innovation in the Midwest — fueling everything from advanced manufacturing to agtech and animal health.
Recorded live at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka, hear how Plug and Play connects these players, why Kansas is quietly becoming a national hub for commercialization, and what it takes to turn breakthrough ideas into scalable companies.
Listen to a teaser below or click here for the full podcast episode.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Hyperloop One zooms past Kansas City-St. Louis route
The prospect of traveling from Kansas City to St. Louis in 23 minutes recently zipped past the Show Me State. Hyperloop One — a tech firm that created a system propelling vehicles at speeds of about 760 miles per hour — announced Thursday its four winning U.S. routes, cutting Kansas City from a list of 11 semifinalists.…
Techweek’s future of transportation: ‘Don’t let anything stop you from starting’
Transportation and mobility technology are good examples of the hidden talents of the Kansas City tech community, Darcy Howe said “We have many more mobility companies in Kansas City than you might think, which is a pleasure,” said Howe, KCRise Fund managing director, moderating Wednesday’s Techweek panel. Discussing cars, trucks, roadways and the future of…
1 Million Cups embarks on huge national expansion effort
The entrepreneurial events series 1 Million Cups — a national program born in Kansas City and grown by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation — has set the ambitious goal to expand to 500 communities by the end of 2018. “We’re looking forward to keeping the magic that we’ve already created with 1 Million Cups on…
4 Techweek takeaways: KC can’t escape ‘cowtown’ (and shouldn’t try)
Kansas City shouldn’t run from its “cowtown” label, Techweek KC presenters said Wednesday. “We can celebrate agriculture, and we can also be hip and metropolitan,” said Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor. Sitting aloft the rooftop deck at Travois in the Crossroads, a panel of experts gathered an audience interested in learning…