Wichita Chamber to debut podcast focused on business owners and their innovations

UPDATED — The Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce is starting a new podcast focused on business owners and the lessons they’ve learned. The idea is to help others and the general business climate.

Evergy is sponsoring the podcast, called Wichita Chamber Business Accelerator, and Evergy executives Don Sherman and Ebony Clemons-Ajibolade are the co-hosts.

“I love how invested Don and Ebony are,” said Angie Prather, the Chamber’s vice president of marketing and communications

She said they’re business partners who want to promote other businesses, and Sherman — who had a long career in broadcasting — even picked the music for the podcast.

“You can’t ask for better partners than that,” Prather said.

The free podcast is available through traditional podcasting platforms, the Chamber’s site and via its social media pages. There will be a new podcast each Wednesday.

The first six, through mid-February, feature business guests from different zip codes around Wichita.

The podcast debuts Jan. 13 with an episode featuring Sheryl Wohlford of Automation-Plus. She’ll be followed by Jennifer McDonald of Jenny Dawn Cellars, Jennifer Barnard of Tillie’s Flower Shop, Clint Cornejo of AllMetal Recycling, Brandon Huynh of Kim Son Asian Market and Stacy Edmundson of Red Door Three.

New episodes will follow after the initial six.

Sherman said the podcast will showcase businesses and the innovations of business owners — each with a unique story — which he said can support all of Wichita. He called business owners “the rock stars of our economy.”

“I’ve got an affinity for small businesses,” he said. “That’s what I truly love about this.”

Sherman called himself “a serial entrepreneur since 1991.”

In his community affairs position with Evergy, Sherman said he’s further seen the importance of small businesses in the community.

“We can only grow if our communities grow. If there’s a way we can help small businesses, we’re all in.”

He called the podcast “the best of both worlds for me.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 10:04 AM.