The Launch Week 2026 Pitch Competition will spotlight promising Kansas entrepreneurs as they take the stage to pitch their businesses, sharpen their stories, connect with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and compete before a live audience and panel of judges.

Business can get real when it’s time to close the deal. Join Ti’Juana Hardwell of Mamarazzi Communications, LLC for a candid, high-energy session on navigating objections, handling rebuttals, and standing firm in the value of what you bring to the table.

This session will focus on the full range of services Network Kansas offers to entrepreneurs around the state including our funding and educational programs.

Join StoryWrks and &MORE Management for the official launch of We Mean Business (WMB), a community created for women in business to connect, grow, and support one another.

Become a vendor with the City of Wichita. Learn how to register as a vendor, the City's bidding process, and the Small & Emerging Business Enterprise certification.

This session will walk you through what to consider before you hire, from preparing your business and understanding the true cost of an employee to setting expectations and making the right hire.

What happens if someone uses your idea, brand, content, or other intellectual property—or claims that you’ve used theirs? Join M&M Insurance for a conversation about common IP risks and how entrepreneurs can protect what they’ve worked hard to build.

Join Parker McConachie of Groover Labs for a candid fireside chat with Derek Sorrells, serial entrepreneur and co-founder and president of The Arcade in Wichita’s historic Old Town. From launching his first business at 19 to building and selling multiple ventures—and now using AI and LLM tools to run several of his businesses—Derek has continually evolved with the changing technology and business landscape.

Think you’re not ready, qualified, or “good enough” to take the next step? You’re not alone. Join Jenna Bottolfsen of Wallace Associates for an interactive conversation about imposter syndrome.

Join Toni Jones, Business & Automation Strategist, for a hands-on session where you’ll build a working tool your business can actually use, simply by talking to Claude. No code, no downloads, and no fancy tech skills required.

Ready to go beyond prompting and see what AI can really do? Join Ramsey Jamoul, Founder & CEO of Unified Esports Association, for a fun, hands-on look at AI agents and how orchestrating AI can unlock a whole new level of productivity.

Discover how to use AI to work smarter without losing the human side of entrepreneurship.

Join us for the Launch Week Alumni Collective—a by-alumni, for-alumni experience designed to bring our entrepreneurial community together.

Join Meritrust to explore business lending options that can support growth, strengthen cash flow, and help you seize new opportunities. You’ll also learn how Treasury Services can simplify financial processes and make managing your business easier.

In this session, you’ll learn how to organize your vision, define your goals, identify key strategies, and create a practical plan to guide your growth.

 In this interactive 30-minute workshop, led by motivational speaking coach Kathy Draper of EmbodIQ™, participants will learn how to structure a clear message, use storytelling and sensory details to make ideas memorable, and strengthen delivery through voice, body language, purposeful pauses, and practice.

Is networking not translating into the sales you need? Learn how to turn your natural talents, energy, and existing network into real business opportunities.

Is your current strategy working or is there room for improvement? Join us as we discuss evolving your social media strategy as your business gains traction online, how to identify if what you are doing is bringing you success, and tips and tricks on how to "stay up with the times" on social media. 

Join us for a morning of caffeine and community as entrepreneurs present their ideas and sharpen their elevator pitches.

Join Alma Moore for an engaging DISC Leadership Workshop in Spanish, designed to help entrepreneurs, professionals, and emerging leaders discover their unique leadership style, strengthen their communication, and build more effective relationships.

This session, led by Zamaria Ball, takes entrepreneurs beyond logos, websites, and social media to explore the strategy, systems, processes, and client experience that keep a business running.

You're busy. But be honest: are you actually moving your business forward?

In this interactive session, Kristen Selby, founder of Timely EA, will guide you through her Do. Delegate. Delete. tool: a hands-on exercise that helps founders identify what they're owning, what it's costing them, and what belongs somewhere else.

Your side hustle has potential. Now it's time to make it your main source of income. Discover the mindset, systems, and growth strategies successful entrepreneurs use to transform passion into profit and build a business that supports the life you want.

Whether you are starting, buying or expanding your business, one of the more important decisions to make is how much capital is needed and whether borrowing money is the right option.

Every entrepreneur has experienced it—the investor meeting that clicked, the effortless co-founder relationship, the customer conversation that became a partnership, or the team that moved faster than everyone else. We call it chemistry and often dismiss it as luck.

Join representatives from the Kansas Department of Commerce and other ecosystem partners for a practical conversation about the tools available to help businesses start, grow, innovate, and access capital.

Looking for a meaningful way to start your Tuesday during Launch Week? Come experience Founders Table ICT on Tuesday, September 15, anytime between 7:00–9:30 a.m. at The Ninth Floor.

Celebrate the official start of Launch Week at the NXTUS Startup-Enterprise Summit! NXTUS, entrepreneurs, enterprises, and community leaders will come together to recognize 16 early-stage startups completing the Enterprise Engagement Series.

As part of Launch Week, join the Greater Wichita Partnership for Talent Talk: Where AI, Workforce and Talent Meet, featuring a keynote conversation and panel discussion with regional leaders exploring how AI is changing jobs, business, and the skills needed for future success. 

The Launch Week Tech Builders Showcase is a live, SportsCenter-style event where some of Wichita's best builders take the floor — not to pitch investors, but to show what they are building.