The College of Innovation & Design and the Center for Entrepreneurship have named Lance Minor as the new director of the Kansas Family Business Forum.

With almost 260,000 small businesses in the state of Kansas, a large portion of those are family-owned, and all of them play an important role in driving economic impact, locally and regionally. The KFBF has been supporting and promoting family-owned businesses for more than 27 years. Companies such as Star Lumber and JR Custom Metals are founding members, with three generations of business leaders participating in the KFBF programs.

As director, Minor envisions a deliberate growth strategy to increase KFBF’s local presence, expand membership, and deliver valuable and timely programming for the family-led businesses in our community, regardless of the stage of growth they are in.  His first day was Jan. 9, and he hit the ground running, welcoming the newest member to KFBF: Don Klausmeyer Construction.

Minor is no stranger to campus, before joining the College of Innovation & Design, he was an ecosystem and alliance manager for Deloitte’s Smart Factory @ Wichita on the WSU Innovation Campus. Prior to that, he was a partnership manager for the Shocker Career Accelerator, as well as the CEO of his own family-owned business, Aero Plains Brewing.

Minor is a military veteran, having served 21 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned his undergraduate degrees in English and education from The Citadel and the University of Maryland and his graduate degree in English from Florida International University. Minor’s career in higher education also includes eight years teaching for Hawaii Pacific University.

More information on the Kansas Family Business Forum

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling almost 22,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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