Author: Jared Hitchens

The Greater Topeka Partnership is thrilled to announce that the 29th Annual Miracle on Kansas Avenue Parade, presented by Giant Communications, will be bigger and more spectacular than ever this year. This year, ten marching bands from across the state of Kansas will be invited to participate in a KSHSAA approved event and will compete for ratings. The parade will take place on December 7, 2024, beginning at 6 PM at 5th and Kansas Avenue. Marching bands may arrive at 4 PM. Each band selected to participate will receive $1,000, adding to the excitement and prestige of the event. The first ten bands to register will be given the opportunity… Read More

Continue Reading

This week, GO Topeka and Plug and Play Topeka are excited to host the second annual Plug and Play Expo in downtown Topeka focusing on Agricultural Technology and Animal Health. Set to take place June 5-6, with the bulk of programming Thursday at Townsite Tower, the expo will bring attendees to Kansas’ capital city from around the world, demonstrating Topeka’s ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the heartland, within the Ag-Tech and Animal Health sectors. The Plug and Play Expo will feature one-of-a-kind sessions designed to highlight accomplishments of the latest startup cohorts graduating from Plug and Play’s Ag-Tech and Animal Health programs. Expo attendees—coming from places as… Read More

Continue Reading

The Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a premier Legislative Luncheon being held Friday, May 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cyrus Hotel Ballroom in downtown Topeka. Those interested in public policy and elections, and the impact they have in our community and region, are invited to attend. The distinguished event promises to be an exceptional opportunity for engagement and dialogue with prominent speakers, all of whom serve as elected officials at the state and federal levels. The Topeka Chamber’s inaugural Legislative Luncheon of 2024 will feature esteemed guests, including U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab. Attendees will also… Read More

Continue Reading

Forge Young Talent is thrilled to announce the release of new license plates featuring the Topeka flag, that are now available for purchase across the state of Kansas through your local county tag office. The distinctive license plates, adorned with the design of Topeka’s new city flag adopted in 2019, provide an opportunity for residents to showcase their pride in the capital city. “We are so proud to see this new license plate become available,” said Rhett Flood, Forge executive director. “Forge Young Talent worked hard with community leaders to bring the new city flag to life five years ago. Today, we’re unveiling another way to proudly display that design.… Read More

Continue Reading

Following an in-person pitch event at Plug and Play Headquarters in Sunnyvale, CA, Plug and Play Topeka has announced the 16 Animal Health startups and 11 Agtech startups that were selected for the newest batches of the Animal Health and Agtech accelerator programs. The program aims to foster innovation within those two industries, both of which have a significant impact on the region. The chosen startups will participate in a series of business development webinars, mentor sessions with industry experts, and projects with the programs’ corporate partners(many of which have bases in the Midwest). This year’s cohort comprises companies from 10 different countries—and 10 different states within the United States.… Read More

Continue Reading

With assistance from the Topeka Community Foundation, the Topeka Youth Commission is excited to announce its latest recipients of Stay785, an annual grant program created to fund community projects designed and directed by youths in the Topeka and Shawnee County area.   For its 2023-2024 term, Stay785 will fund three local youth-led projects with partnering organizations. This year’s awards, totaling $10,000, were determined by members of the Topeka Youth Commission, based on the quality and strength of each project presented. Awardees include the following: Naledi Mackenzie, receiving $7,400 for The Blessing Bee Project. Jaiden Wen, receiving $2,000 for his Mosaic Horse Project. Allie Sexton, receiving $600 for her Math Competition… Read More

Continue Reading

The Greater Topeka Partnership is proud to announce recipients of its 2024 Annual Meeting Awards, recognizing outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the community. The awards will be presented at The Partnership’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 4, at West Ridge Mall. The Partnership’s highest honor, The Wolgast Award, is named after former Topeka Mayor Larry Wolgast. The recipient each year is selected by the chair of the GTP Chairs Council, The Partnership’s board of directors. The 2024 Wolgast Award will be presented to Seth Wagoner, chair of Downtown Topeka’s Clean & Safe Task Force, for his tireless efforts to improve the downtown core, benefiting visitors, residents, and… Read More

Continue Reading

The Topeka Riverfront Advisory Council is pleased to announce its first community survey informing the Topeka Riverfront Activation Plan is now complete, garnering close to 1,500 submissions that provided input on riverfront perceptions, as well as activities and amenities community members would like to see as property is developed along the stretch of Kansas River running through Shawnee County.   The survey, which remained open Dec. 14 through Jan. 12, was promoted on social media, posted to the project website MyTopekaRiverfront.com, and sent to all email and text message subscribers, collecting feedback from 1,489 respondents. Of those, 74% agree the river is an untapped resource, 57% think the river is… Read More

Continue Reading

Welcoming a new chair and chair-elect, the Greater Topeka Partnership is pleased to announce its distinguished leadership team for 2024.   Dr. Shekhar Challa, an accomplished doctor and co-founder of Kansas Medical Clinic, has assumed the pivotal role of Greater Topeka Partnership Chair, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a commitment to advancing the region’s prosperity. Joining Dr. Challa in a key leadership position is Dr. JuliAnn Mazachek, President of Washburn University, who has stepped into the role of Chair-Elect. Alongside Immediate Past-Chair John Dicus, CEO of Capitol Federal, their combined expertise and dedication to serving the community are set to steer The Partnership toward strategic initiatives that… Read More

Continue Reading

Forge Young Talent, a leading organization in the region for empowering and connecting young professionals, proudly hosted its 2nd annual Kansas Young Professionals Day at the Capitol on Monday, Feb. 5. The milestone event brought together nearly 100 young professionals from various communities across Kansas and coincided with the state’s 2024 recognition of Feb. 5 as Kansas Young Professionals Day.   Attendees from Topeka were joined by participants from such communities as Manhattan, Salina and Wichita, with groups across the state invited to take part. The event included programming and networking and provided a platform for young professionals to engage with elected officials at the Statehouse, ensuring their voices were… Read More

Continue Reading