Groover Labs

Some Fridays, you need a cookie for breakfast.

We got some today, thanks to Grant Bellar and Planetary Talent!

Congratulations, Planetary Talent, on being named 2026 Kansas Tech Startup of the Year by FlagshipKansas.Tech at the Ad Astra Tech Summit!

This award recognizes their mission to help growing companies quickly find the talent they need to scale, while creating more opportunities for exceptional people everywhere.

Of all our memberships, there's nothing quite like the hotseats.

It's the place for founders and remote workers who like to go fast, who bounce from Zoom calls to in-person meetings, who brainstorm ideas like a popcorn popper, and who also need a place to focus and lock in during the moments in between.

They're a flexible workspace for the flexible founder.

Try out the hotseats during Open Coworking Wednesdays!

With the Startup Showcase coming up, we want to thank our program participants who helped make the ACCEL-KS program at Groover Labs possible!

Thank you to NXTUS, Wichita State Tech Transfer and Commercialization, WSU College of Engineering Project Innovation Hub, Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Kansas, Kansas State University Technology Development Institute, and Groover Labs’ CAMPFIRE program.

Be sure to attend the Startup Showcase on Thursday, June 11, starting at 2:30 p.m., here at Groover Labs!

RSVP to attend the Startup Showcase!

Celebrate the successful completion of the inaugural first year of the ACCEL-KS grant program by meeting the founders and learning about their products and innovations.

Join us at Groover Labs on Thursday, June 11, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

RSVP here: https://loom.ly/Fg95tIM

🌟You're Invited🌟

We're closing on the successful completion of the inaugural year of the Accelerating Concept to Commercialization in Kansas (ACCEL-KS) initiative with a Startup Showcase featuring the twenty-five founders who participated in the program through Groover Labs.

Join us on Thursday, June 11, starting at 2:30 p.m. in our Event Space with featured remarks from Romaine Redman, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer for the Kansas Department of Commerce, and Tracy Hoover, co-founder of Groover Labs.

Over the course of the first year, we engaged entrepreneurs from across the state, resulting in nearly 70 applications spanning multiple sectors and regions. Through a competitive review process, 25 founders ultimately received grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to advance prototype development, commercialization readiness, and market validation activities.

Meet the founders. Learn about their progress. Celebrate with us!

RSVP here: https://loom.ly/Fg95tIM

Congratulations Ryan!

Longtime Groover Labs member Ryan Selenke, founder of Reliant Merchant Services, was recently recognized as one of the 2026 SBA Small Business of the Year nominees.

Reliant Merchant Services provides clients with payment solutions at the point of sale. They are relentlessly local, and relentlessly customer-focused.

Learn more about Ryan and Reliant Merchant Services here: https://loom.ly/MTkZ_ec

Congratulations Toadworx!

ACCEL-KS Proof-of-Concept grant recipient and Maker Lab member, Toadworx, was awarded first place in Wichita State University’s Shocker New Venture Competition.

Organized by the Wichita State University's Barton School of Business, the competition gives entrepreneurs the chance to pitch startup ideas, refine their strategies, and compete for funding.

Read more about Toadworx and the competition here: https://loom.ly/M7wxXns

Want to learn about the state of tech and what's new in Kansas?

Put together by FlagshipKansas.Tech, the Ad Astra Technology Summit unites industry leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers for a day of innovative ideas, practical insights, and valuable connections.

Join them on June 4 for one of the state's signature technology events!

Buy your ticket here: https://loom.ly/FreFkQs

Meet Chris Brill! He's a hotseat member.

Chris, a political data consultant with over 20 years of experience, works at the intersection of political organizing, data, and technology. An avid reader, he enjoys books about philosophy, theology, and political science. And watch your tells - Chris has played the World Series of Poker twice.

He's just one of the people you'll get the chance to meet if you get a hotseat!

Try them out for free on Open Coworking Wednesdays.

The Defense Innovation OnRamp: Hub Kansas is hosting a Tech Trivia Night!

Join them at Groover Labs on Wednesday, March 27, from 4-6 p.m.

Get ready for a fun, fast-paced evening of trivia covering technology, entrepreneurship, defense, and pop culture.

Register to attend here: https://loom.ly/8MhVe9M