Wichita’s entrepreneurial tide starting to come in, but work remains

Wichita is a city with a rich entrepreneurial heritage, but for a while that seemed to be forgotten. It felt as though we had lost our entrepreneurial spirit and pride.

As I look around today, the tide has turned. Wichita pride is everywhere. The Wichita flag, bigger and better events, uplifting conversations about this city as a great place to live, and the commitment to mentorship are a testament to the resurgence of Wichita’s pride and entrepreneurial spirit.

It is easy to see entrepreneurship here at e2e. It’s our focus, our mission, and, honestly, it walks through our doors every day, either in the form of the co-workers who share our space or those looking for help, guidance or connections to make their vision a reality.

What has really struck me lately is the way that entrepreneurial spirit is taking root all around us.

I was recently asked to moderate a panel for the Nonprofit Chamber of Service that focused on entrepreneurship in the realm of nonprofits. It was gratifying not only to see this group believe it was an important topic for discussion, but also to see the amazing panel of truly entrepreneurial nonprofit leaders share their ideas.

Mary Beth Jarvis is one excellent example from that panel. She and Wichita Festivals have been entrepreneurial and innovative for years, working to retain the Riverfest traditions people love while looking for ways the festival can evolve and improve.

In that way, this year is no different, but I pull Mary Beth and Riverfest out because they also exemplify how the entrepreneurial spirit has become a theme in our community.

Riverfest 2017 has incorporated a series of entrepreneurial related events, from the FuturEntrepreneurship Expo and STEAM City for the youth to 1 Million Cups and Startup Grind for adults. Riverfest will also feature a two-day tech fest and a unique showcase where two young entrepreneurs will tell their story.

The entrepreneurial spirit is in the air, and the city of Wichita itself has noticed. This summer, the city is strongly focusing on the Workforce Alliance Youth Employment Project to improve the economic opportunities of Wichita’s youth.

In 2017, it is looking for entrepreneurship to be a piece of that puzzle. As City Council member James Clendenin put it, “As we serve low-income and disadvantaged youth in the City of Wichita with summer youth employment programs, it is important to me we also introduce entrepreneurial concepts into our programming. So, as youth prepare to learn how to be good employees, they are also introduced to the possibility of being an employer.”

Other groups are adding their voice and support to building our economy through entrepreneurship. Downtown Rotary, in an effort led by Keith Pickus, set out this year to revive its Oliver Elliott Speaker Series. The series will return to Wichita on Nov. 16 and will feature Verne Harnish, a successful entrepreneur, author and speaker who has deep ties to Wichita as a graduate of Wichita State University. Pickus explains that the choice of Harnish was very deliberate: “We saw our Oliver Elliott speaker selection as a great chance to build on the entrepreneurial groundswell we see taking place. I believe bringing Verne Harnish to Wichita will speak to and support that movement.”

Once again, it seems that the culture of entrepreneurship has taken root in Wichita. The excitement is here, but at some level we all know this is only the beginning. Spirit, events and enthusiasm are an excellent start, but to truly live up to our entrepreneurial heritage we can’t let up now.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Wichita’s entrepreneurial tide starting to come in, but work remains."