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
The journey can make or break an entrepreneur; Pipeline gala returns June 15 to celebrate connectivity at the intersection
Editor’s note: Pipeline Entrepreneurs is a partner of Startland News, though this report was produced independently by the nonprofit newsroom. Pipeline Entrepreneurs’ new era is all about community, said Melissa Vincent, with more than a nod to the resilience needed to sustain a vibrant startup ecosystem. “When you go through the Pipeline program, it becomes…
Royals partner with KC-linked CBD brand to tout health benefits of hemp for athletes
As an entrepreneur who grew up in Kansas City, teaming up with the Kansas City Royals to promote high-quality CBD products is a dream come true, said Dan Huerter, CEO of Pure Spectrum CBD. “To be able to work with such an iconic organization and to be a part of promoting health and wellness in…
Yoli Tortilleria’s grind to “honor the very humble tortilla” earns James Beard Award
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Yoli Tortilleria, a Mexican tortilla bakery with a retail store on Jefferson Street on Kansas City’s Westside and a manufacturing location…
PLOT digs into commercialization with $2M round, earns backing from KCRise Fund
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. This series is possible thanks to Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. WICHITA — A Wichita-based startup…