Are you an entrepreneur? Have you ever wondered whether you should look for a mentor and how having a mentor might benefit you? Some of the ways in which mentors with experience and subject matter expertise can help entrepreneurs include: asking insightful questions; providing valuable, honest feedback; sharing experiences; helping to identify further opportunities; broadening the vision; making introductions and connections; and help building confidence. Propeller is a mentorship network for entrepreneurs in which each participant is matched with up to three other participants for mentoring and network building. The program is run in three-month Journeys to help entrepreneurs set direction and take off with their businesses! If you are interested in participating as a Pilot (mentee) and/or Navigator (mentor), our next Journey starts with a match-making event on September 7^th. Applications can be found at https://www.gotopeka.com/propeller/  For more information, contact propeller@topekapartnership.com We’re looking forward to the autumn Journey!

The inaugural BioKansas Innovation Festival which took place August 4^th-6^th at Children’s Mercy Park and showcased the region as a hub of bio-science. The event featured Innovations in Ag Tech conference which included new technology pitches and product demonstrations. Mechanisms of Disease Research and Recruitment Conference, a Vendor Showcase, networking opportunities and wrapped up with music and tech convergence on Saturday at Crown Center. GO Topeka’s Director of Business Retention and Talent Initiatives, Trina Goss showcased the benefits of Choosing Topeka to the researchers and graduate students at the Recruitment Conference. Our GO Topeka Innovation team, Stephanie Moran, SVP of Innovation and Laurie Pieper, VP of Entrepreneurship and Small Business along with Plug and Play's team members, Lindsay Lebahn and Eric Buda, had the opportunity to meet and discuss opportunities with participants from both conferences during the Vendor Showcase.

The Plug and Play Animal Health Vertical invited startups from around the world to participate in the Batch 4 virtual selection day on August 16^th.  Representatives from the Plug and Play Animal Health team, GO Topeka and our Corporate Sponsors listened to pitches, with 12 startups being selected to participate in Batch 4. These startup’s range in specialties from AI technologies to sustainability as well as pet and livestock health. The startups are located throughout the world including the US, Singapore, Canada, Spain, UK and Israel.

We are happy to announce that the future ASTRA Innovation Center has received final approval from the State and Federal Historical Preservation Offices. The site, located at 7^th & Kansas will be home to 65,000 sq. ft. of space designed to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Topeka and the surrounding region. Pre-leasing is underway for office, co-working, lab, education and retail space. Please look for upcoming open house events to tour the facility or contact Stephanie Moran, SVP of Innovation for additional information. stephanie.moran@topekapartnership.com.

In August, GTP’s Small Businsess Council welcomed two new Advisory Directors: Michael Odupitan, Founder of Omni Circle Group; and, Brady Franklin, Financial Advisor at Endeavor Private Wealth. Advisory Directors represent small businesses across industries in Shawnee County and serve to foster communication, support and advocate for small businesses. Their leadership role is important for sustaining an engaged small business community. To learn more about the SBC https://www.gotopeka.com/small-business-council/ or to get involved, contact sbc@topekapartnership.com

The Small Business Council is a leadership group of area entrepreneurs dedicated to work with the support of GO Topeka to promote small business in Shawnee County and equip those businesses for success. GO Topeka empowers small business by relying on local business leaders to influence and shape the conversation about how best to support existing businesses, and assist those who wish to learn how they can grow. To learn more about the SBC or to get involved, contact sbc@topekapartnership.com or visit the website!

Join us as we celebrate our 1st annual Minority Enterprise Development Week here in Topeka! MED Week celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of minority and women-owned businesses and presents informational sessions and programming; offering interactive networking sessions to generate new connections and fresh perspectives. MED Week also features an awards reception and pitch Contest! Check out the website for a schedule of events for the week and to register!

Save the dates – November 14^th to 18^th, so that you can participate in amazing Global Entrepreneurship Week activities that we have planned locally including Small Business Strategies for Success, Innovation Breakfast, Cultivating Entrepreneurial Mindset, Business Unwind Networking; Certifications and Government Contracting for Women-Owned Businesses, International Trade Opportunities, and Boots to Business Reboot (for active military, veterans and their spouses). For more information https://www.gotopeka.com/global-entrepreneurship-week/ plus watch for more information on each individual event. – If your organization is hosting events for GEW, please let us know so that we can put them on our calendar. We look forward to seeing you there!