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
Go print yourself! Overland Park doob shop turns selfie concept into 3D replicas
A new shop in Overland Park is supplanting the selfie with the mini me. After first opening shops in Los Angeles and New York City, the Germany-based 3D printing firm doob has arrived in the Kansas City area to 3D print people, groups and pets. The technology, process and results capture moments in time customers…
KCultivator Q&A: Reggie Gray finds magic in connecting entrepreneurs with Black Privilege, no excuses
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by WeWork Corrigan Station, a modern twist on Kansas City office space. He’s left his “Magic Man” persona behind, but Reggie Gray can’t quite shake the performer inside him, he said. “Whenever I…
KCSF pivoting away from Village Square coworking, eyes bigger community impact
Village Square developed a waiting list soon after opening in 2015, said Adam Arredondo. But as larger coworking spaces with more amenities and resources debuted, interest waned in the 3,000-square-foot operation at 45th Street and State Line Road. “What’s our most valuable contribution to the community right now?” said Arredondo, CEO of the nonprofit Kansas…
Beyond KC: TripSushi puts secret hotspots, meaningful travel experiences on the menu
Life is short, said Spencer Carlson — you have just one chance to knock out as much on your to-do list as possible. For the founder of TripSushi, a KC-based travel agency, that meant soaking in and connecting to peoples and locales across the globe, he said. “[We] need to experience other cultures so that…