Kansas State University
MANHATTAN — On a recent summer day in Kingman, visitors to Main Street could walk into The Rural Muse art gallery, Brick Road Coffee or Trinity Fitness. But instead of ordering a latte or starting a workout, they would instead find groups of people discussing ways to use technology for building renewal, how to create welcoming communities or why mental health support is important for entrepreneurs.
That was the scene when Kingman recently hosted the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference — a first-in-Kansas immersive conference experience led by Kansas State University and partners to support rural entrepreneurship across the state. The conference takes place in communities with populations of fewer than 10,000 people and focuses on engaging with small communities and highlighting businesses and the people who live and work there.
The inaugural Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference in Kingman in June brought together more than 130 people, including entrepreneurs, small business owners, community leaders, support organizations and more.
The next conference will be June 25-26, 2026, in Courtland.
Applications for the 2027 conference host site will open on Friday, Aug. 1, and close on Sunday, Aug. 31. Communities with a population of fewer than 10,000 people can learn more and apply online.
The event is more than a conference — it's a new way for K-State to fulfill its mission as a fully engaged next-generation land-grant university that is building economic growth across all 105 Kansas counties.
"Through the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference, we're turning our land-grant mission into action," said Nancy Daniels, conference organizer and community vitality specialist with K-State Extension. "We're serving and engaging with Kansans by bringing the state's considerable resources to the small businesses who make our communities great. We were thrilled to see the number of small businesses who made time to reenergize and invest in themselves at this conference."
Meaningful engagement
The conference delivers benefits beyond networking and building skills — it also supports the host town and local economy. The event includes designated activities for participants to explore the host community and shop locally to directly support resident entrepreneurs.
"Bringing this conference to our town wasn't just about business — it was about belief," said Julie Lyon, an entrepreneur, small business owner and Kingman County commissioner. "It reignited local pride, energized entrepreneurs across the state and proved that small towns can be home to big ideas. The impact on our tax base was measurable, but the connections made were truly priceless."
The two-day Kingman conference featured a pre-event concert and downtown block party. Lodging was also immersive, and attendees stayed in local bed-and-breakfasts, vacation rental homes, and renovated hotels and motels.
The Kingman community is already seeing concrete results from the engagement during the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference. Some of those results include:
- A local business owner sold a building to a conference participant.
- A local downtown shop reported its best sales day ever because of the conference.
- One conference participant returned to Kingman and is now considering relocating there to start a new business.
- The Kansas Micro-Internship program, an event sponsor, connected several conference participants and local business owners with student interns to help with projects.
"When I applied for Kingman to host the conference, I wanted to shine a light on the strengths and stories that often get overlooked in rural communities," said Leslie Schrag, economic development director with the city of Kingman. "This wasn't just about economic development; it was about creating connections, celebrating entrepreneurship and showing that rural isn't behind. It's just built differently."
An immersive experience
The key to the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference is embedding the event within a rural community, instead of hosting it at a large urban hotel ballroom or event center.
Throughout the Kingman conference, more than 35 sessions occurred in eight local businesses and venues across four downtown blocks. Participants could network with like-minded entrepreneurs, industry experts and resource providers who could help overcome challenges and explore new opportunities.
Sessions covered topics such as marketing, storytelling, financing options, legal assistance, supply chain success, mental health, food businesses, technology resources and more. Keynote speaker Gustavo Ustariz, senior manager for entrepreneurship and small business support for Main Street America, spoke about entrepreneurial ecosystems, while keynote speaker Marshall Stewart, K-State executive vice president of external engagement and chief of staff, offered insights on building connections to strengthen entrepreneurs.
"The Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference is exactly the kind of collaboration that brings our mission to life — empowering rural towns to grow from within by lifting up their entrepreneurs, their spaces and their stories. Kansas is strongest when every community has the tools to thrive, and this immersive experience is a powerful step toward that vision," said Matt Godinez, Kansas Department of Commerce assistant secretary of quality places.
The conference involves multiple partners across the state: Kansas State University and K-State Extension; Network Kansas; the Kansas Department of Commerce Quality Places Division, including the Office of Rural Prosperity and Kansas Main Street; and Thrive Kansas.
"The 2025 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities conference was everything I dreamed it would be — and so much more. It was a powerful blend of connection, collaboration, growth and learning," said Sarah LaRosh, director of eCommunity Partnership with Network Kansas. "Most importantly, it showcased inspiring entrepreneurs from across the state. I’m already counting down the days until the 2026 conference."