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
AI smart sensor startup Particle Space earns ‘Top 50 Tech Companies’ distinction
A virtually hardware-free property and building management platform from Particle Space earned the Kansas City-based startup high honors this month at Intercon in Las Vegas. “The future is bright, all buildings will communicate every interworking detail,” said David Biga, founder of Particle Space, which uses artificial intelligence and smart sensors for its residential and commercial…
Got ideas for real-world events? Global Entrepreneurship Week accepting 2019 submissions
A weeklong event elevating the doers, dreamers and makers at the heartbeat of Kansas City small business needs the community’s help, Jenny Miller said. Organizers of Global Entrepreneurship Week — set for Nov. 18-22 in Kansas City — are now accepting event submissions for this year’s celebration, said Miller, network builder at KCSourceLink and chair of…
KCMO advancing its smart city action plan with focus on digital equity in urban tech
Kansas City is one step closer to being a fully connected hub for urban tech, as local decision makers craft a smart city action plan. “That document will be what guides all of our future investments in technology,” explained Chris Hernandez, KCMO communications director. The action plan comes a year after the city issued a…
Why are college students dropping out? EdSights targets higher ed retention rates
Only 56 percent of students who began college in 2012 actually graduated within the next six years, said startup founders Claudia Recchi and Carolina Recchi. The sisters’ own struggles as first-generation U.S. college students reinforced the challenge posed by such statistics, they said, prompting them to found EdSights, a startup using artificial intelligence to collect…