The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University announces the launch of SPERO, an organization aimed at unlocking the potential of Wichita and its citizens. SPERO, which is Latin for “hope,” has a dual focus: preparing individuals to transform their lives through meaningful employment and guiding the efforts of citizens and organizations acting to advance Wichita’s prosperity. For its inaugural year, SPERO will benefit from a $400,000 contribution from the Charles Koch Foundation.

SPERO’s launch will feature two major initiatives:

• The Wichita Scorecard: An integrated dashboard designed to track progress across various city performance indicators. This publicly accessible tool will serve economic development organizations, philanthropic entities addressing pressing social issues, as well as individuals and organizations willing to contribute to the betterment of the city.
• Micro-Credential Programs: Tailored educational tracks aimed at empowering individuals to thrive on their own:
  • Entrepreneurship Track: Offers practical training for those looking to start or expand their businesses, covering topics such as differentiating from competitors and creating high consumer demand.
  • Career Readiness Track: Designed for individuals seeking to enhance their recruitment skills or market readiness. Developed in collaboration with 22 founding SPERO Employers, this track focuses on the skills needed to secure job opportunities with these companies. Participants will engage in working sessions and have the opportunity to connect with SPERO Employers committed to hiring eligible candidates.

“Much more will be achieved as we can track Wichita’s progress through quantifiable measures that can be grasped by public authorities, policy makers, members of business communities and economic development organizations, as well as the population of Wichita as a whole,” said Wichita State President Rick Muma. “By expanding our educational offerings through micro-certifications and modular credentials, Wichita State and the Barton School of Business are advancing individual success and strengthening the fabric of our community.”

Participants in both Entrepreneurship and Career Readiness tracks will gain access to a wide network of resources, mentors, and practical knowledge, positioning them for success. Graduates will receive certificates and Wichita State University credit hours to inspire their continued education.

“We need new, innovative programs focused on getting more people the education they need to help unlock their potential. SPERO is a great example of what that can look like,” said Ryan Stowers, Executive Director of the Charles Koch Foundation. “Partnering with local employers to design micro-credential programs is an important step toward ensuring that the Barton School continues to expand the access to opportunity necessary to help more people find their purpose.”

22 SPERO FOUNDING EMPLOYERS:

1. Bank of America
2. Berry Companies
3. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
4. Building Controls and Services, Inc.
5. Cargill
6. Cocoa Dolce
7. Cox Communications
8. Emprise Bank
9. Equity Bank
10. Evergy
11. Fidelity Bank
12. Great Plains Ventures
13. Hall’s Culligan
14. Hutton
15. INTRUST Bank
16. Koch
17. Max Aerostructures
18. Meritrust Credit Union
19. PrairieFire Coffee Roasters
20. Star Lumber
21. Textron Aviation Inc.
22. weavix, Inc.

“Our community’s best chance at growth and progress is through meaningful collaborations,” said John Rolfe, President and CEO of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. “SPERO puts collaboration at the forefront and creates practical pathways for those eager to contribute to our city.”

Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School, will serve as the Executive Director, and accompanied by Steve Feilmeier, Managing Director, Feilmeier Family Office and retired executive at Koch, who contributed to the development of SPERO over the past two years.

The SPERO team also includes:

• Eric Mota, Director of Strategy, Analytics, and Impact
• Patricia Bradley, Director of Operations and Programs
• Laura Zellers, Associate Director of Program Development and Delivery
• Alexander Ziegler, Associate Director of Participant Recruitment and Experience
• Jenn Lopez, Head of Events 

“Through SPERO, we will contribute our best—applied education and practical solutions to help Wichita,” said Genin. She added, “On one hand, we have employers looking for workforce with specific skills. On the other hand, individuals looking for full-time jobs and meaningful professional careers. With SPERO, we will be able to train participants with the specific skills required by employers and work to close this gap.”

Dr. Genin also emphasized the importance of the Wichita Scorecard to the city. “We are very confident, especially about the impact of the scorecard. Having a publicly available dashboard tracking the city’s performance and pointing out how we can improve, will be a turning point for the city.”

An advisory board comprised of Wichita’s business and community leaders will help guide the organization, chaired by Walter Berry, Executive Chairman at Berry Companies. Board members include:

• Trish Brasted, President at Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures
• Gene Camarena, President and CEO at La Raza Pizza
• Marty Cornejo, Principal Partner at Cornejo Companies
• Brad Elliott, Chairman at Equity Bancshares, Inc.
• Steve Feilmeier, Managing Director, Feilmeier Family Office and retired executive at Koch
• Stephanie Luetters, Philanthropist
• Melody McCray-Miller, Co-Founder and CEO at Millers, Inc.
• John Rolfe, President and CEO at Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Sheree Utash, President at WSU Tech
• Johnathan Weigand, Director of Strategic Initiatives at JP Weigand
• Evan Wilson, Senior Vice President for Financial Well-Being + Life & Dream Coach at Meritrust Credit Union

SPERO has also created an ambassador program where community members can volunteer time and expertise as a speaker or mentor as well as promote the organization to potential program participants, mentors, workshop facilitators and other stakeholders.

Applications for both micro-credential programs, offered complimentary to qualified participants, are open and interviews will be conducted in late September to early October. Interested individuals can apply through the following links:

• Career Readiness Micro-Credential Program Application: Apply Here
• Entrepreneurship Micro-Credential Program Application: Apply Here

Learn more about the Spero at www.wichita.edu/spero.