ACCEL-KS OPEN HOUSE

event Detals

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Location: Groover Labs, 334 N. St. Francis Ave., Wichita, KS, 67202

event schedule

8:30-9:00 a.m. - Arrival, check in, coffee, and networking

9:00-9:30 a.m. - Welcome remarks from the Kansas Department of Commerce and Groover Labs

9:30-10:10 a.m. - Meet the awardees, brief founder introductions

10:10-10:45 a.m. - Ecosystem Partner Lightning Talks

10:45-11:00 a.m. - Transition to networking and working sessions

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Partner “speed dating”, where founders connect with experts and schedule follow up meetings.

During the first half of the open house, attendees will:

• Hear from Romaine Redman, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, and Brandon Hutton, Director of Innovation, both of the Kansas Department of Commerce.

• Meet this year’s ACCEL-KS awardees, who will each give 2-minute introductions.

• Learn how our statewide partners and consultants can support both funded and unfunded projects through the Ecosystem Support Package.

During the second half of the open house, ACCEL-KS participants will:

• Connect directly with partners during the post-event networking and “speed dating” session.

celebrate kansas innovation

Join Groover Labs and the Kansas Department of Commerce for the ACCEL-KS Open House, celebrating 19 startups selected for the ACCEL-KS Proof-of-Concept (POC) grant program.

This event marks the next stage of the program by bringing together founders, ecosystem partners, and program supporters from across the state to collaborate, share ideas, and begin advancing their projects to iterate, scale, and commercialize.

ACCEL-KS was created to help Kansas founders turn early-stage ideas into commercially viable products and companies. At this event, award recipients and applicants will connect with mentors, ecosystem partners, and each other.

what is “speed dating”

After the Ecosystem Partner Lightning Talks, partners will set up tables in the Groover Labs event venue for more focused conversations. Beginning at 11 a.m., all ACCEL-KS applicants, whether they received funding or not, are encouraged to meet with any partner who can help advance their work.

Founders can use this time to discuss projects, share capabilities, ask questions, and schedule follow-up meetings, site visits, or further consultations. We encourage every applicant to attend the Lightning Talks, identify which partners align with their needs, and take advantage of these short meetings to begin planning the next stage of their project.