We added a new pod of desks, and we made them in the Maker Labs. Over the past few months, we’ve added a lot of new members, so we needed create some more space.
Our hotseats are the easiest and most affordable membership level we offer on a month-to-month basis. But what are they? Hotseats are open-area workstations that are available to members and day pass users on a first-come, first-served basis. They don’t have permanent owners and cannot be formally reserved.
Longtime Groover Labs member and Flint Hills Group founder Dave Cunningham launched the Whiskey Shelf app at the beginning of 2023. In February, the app went live on the App Store and Google Play. Read the latest updates about what Dave and his team are up to, how they came up with Whiskey Shelf (including experience with Campfire), and more!
We are thrilled to receive funding from the Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) 2.0 economic development grant for our CyberLink Infrastructure Expansion Project. BASE funds are intended to address infrastructure and economic development needs, and our grant award will allow us to continue critical projects we had to cancel or delay because of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
Groover Labs is excited to begin opening its Maker Labs facilities by offering a roster of classes, with plans to expand in the future to more classes, Maker Labs memberships, and open studio hours for class attendees. We recently held two 3D printing class sessions to begin our education outreach. Led by Executive Director Curt Gridley and Shop Lead Jeremiah Burian, we had students with different levels of experience and a variety of goals.
Congrats to Groover Labs member Chris Callen on his new venture, PLOT Construction Communications, a startup set to change how the construction industry communicates. Callen, co-founder and CEO, announced pre-seed funding from Koch Industries and Seeking Alpha.
One of our members, IdeaTek, was in the news recently. On Monday, October 25, the Wichita Eagle, in partnership with the Kansas Reflector, published an article about how CARES Act relief money to the tune of $50 million has gone into expanding broadband internet access in rural communities across Kansas. Photo Courtesy of the Kansas Reflector.
Chris Callen has a new startup company called PLOT, which aims to help construction teams communicate more efficiently. He has partnered with the Indianapolis-based venture studio High Alpha Innovation.
Groover Labs and Wichita State University are excited to announce their first Partnership Showcase, a panel discussion and networking event. The event takes place at Groover Labs on Monday, October 25 from 4-6 p.m., and we hope you’ll join us. In-person registration is here and registration for the virtual option is here. The Partnership Showcase will feature the FLEXcon Company in a discussion entitled “Roll-to-Roll Processing: What It Is and What Does It Mean for Wichita-Based Companies and Startups.”
Meet Jeremiah Burian, the Metal Lab lead at Groover Labs. He’s one of our earliest hires, and he’s worked tirelessly since mid-2019 to bring the Maker Labs online. Burian has vast experience in metal works, completing a professional welder program at the Tulsa Welding School. He enjoys teaching, and he’s ready to lead his first Maker Labs-related class at Groover Labs starting Oct. 1. We sat down with Burian to discuss his upcoming four-week 3D Printing and Open Studio class.
Knowledge as a Service, Inc., or “KaaS”, operates Ringorang®, an app-based software solution designed to disrupt corporate learning. Companies that subscribe to Ringorang will use the technology to ensure employees retain and apply critical information from each learning session. The KaaS team brings high energy to Groover Labs. They walk fast and talk faster.
Are you looking for an in-person 3D printing class in Wichita? Are you in the market for a 3D printer but not sure where to start? Do you already have some experience with 3D printing but want to build your skill level? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then our in-person 4-week 3D Printing and Open Studio class is for you.
We're upgrading the Office Hours program! Starting in September, each Office Hours advisor will give a short talk about a topic relevant to their field. After each talk, we'll open the floor for discussion. We will then return to our regular Office Hours advisory time, where each advisor will be available to meet with eager entrepreneurs.
Chad Cox is the co-founder of Optical Launch, a turnkey e-commerce application built to boost the optical experience of patients, customers, and optical staff. Born and raised in Wichita, Kan., Cox is a veteran who served in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Ranger Battalion stationed in Ft. Benning, Ga. He has a degree in computer science from Wichita State University and, in his free time, is a pretty good chef. Read our interview with him here.
