Today, we’re excited to announce VC Huddle: Extended, a panel discussion and networking event with another set of venture capital firms. The event takes place at Groover Labs and virtually on Tuesday, July 13, from 4-6 p.m., and we hope you’ll join us. The discussion, titled “Early-stage Capital for Midwest-based Startups,” will feature Mike Freeman, CEO, Innosphere Ventures, Maggie Kenefake, General Partner, Royal Street Ventures, and Mark Janzen, Vice President of Operations, Avalara. The panel will be moderated by Rob Gerlach (Executive Director of Tech Transfer and Commercialization, Wichita State University). Stick around after the discussion for networking, drinks, and snacks.
Feature Your Artwork for Sale at Groover Labs
Open Call! Feature your artwork for sale at Groover Labs. This call is open to any 2-D media that can be hung on a wall. We want to feature local artists as we begin to host more large events and have a flow of people in our 42,000 square-foot coworking, office, event, and maker spaces located in Old Town!
1 Million Cups @ Groover Labs
1 Million Cups is back, and it will take place at Groover Labs! We are excited to host 1MC, which begins at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7. We will present alongside Marquette Atkins’ wonderful Destination Innovation Camp. As a program of the Kauffman Foundation, 1 Million Cups works with entrepreneurs, empowering them with the tools and resources to break down barriers that stand in the way of starting and growing their businesses. Mr. Kauffman believed it was a fundamental right for anyone who had a big idea to be able to bring it to life—and we're here to fulfill that mission.
Groover Labs Featured as a Small Business Champ
We were recently featured by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce as a story in their Small Business Champs video series, which highlights innovation during the 2020 global pandemic
Member Profile: Greg Giefer of DARI Motion
DARI Motion uses a constellation of high-speed, high-definition cameras instead of markers, hence “markerless”, to record their subjects' movements. The data feeds into proprietary software in real-time, which compares their moves against a vast trove of human movement data. The software generates a report that shows how the subject’s movement compares against the field. One DARI Motion capture system can easily collect up to 75 subjects in an 8-hour day, which makes the process scalable. It used to take six months to collect biomechanical data like this; DARI does it in minutes.
Kansas Micro-Internship Program
Groover Labs is excited to share the Kansas Micro-Internship Program with you. Through this program, Kansas-based companies and organizations can receive grant funding for Micro-Internship opportunities as long as the selected student is enrolled in a Kansas public college or university. Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that take place in all areas of an organization. These projects can be completed remotely on a year-round basis and typically range from 5 to 40 hours of work. Projects are typically due within a month of kick-off and provide your busy team with immediate support on short-term tasks.
VC Huddle Coming Soon!
Summer Holiday Hours
Here are the summer holiday hours: Monday, May 31, 2021: Monday, July 5, 2021: Closed to celebrate Independence Day; and Monday, September 6, 2021: Closed to observe Labor Day. If you’re a dedicated desk or private office member, you have 24/7 access to the building, and you are free to work here if the is off for the holidays. If you have any questions, or you would like to sign up for a membership with 24/7 building access, please let us know!
Toastmasters Open House
On April 28, the Groover Labs Toastmasters are hosting a virtual open house featuring acclaimed 27-year Toastmaster and 8-time district champion Rick Chandler. Attendees will hear Chandler speak. In addition, they will get to experience a typical club meeting, which includes hearing a club member speaker, Table Topics, and evaluations. A guest question and answer session will follow the formal meeting.
NXTCONNECT Presents: How to Captivate Your Virtual Audience
On Friday, 3/26, at 11 a.m., NXTCONNECT will present: How to Captivate Your Virtual Audience, a combination in-person and virtual presentation in the event venue at Groover Labs. This is a fee online event that as part of our entrepreneur education series. RSVP via Zoom registration appreciated. This month we welcome Nathan Gold, nationally acclaimed "pitch coach," who has helped hundreds of startups and entrepreneurs up-level their presentation.










