Wichita State's Center for Entrepreneurship will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Kansas Family Business Forum (KFBF) Innovation Hub at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, on the second floor of Devlin Hall.

The KFBF Innovation Hub was made possible through the generous underwriting from supporters of the Kansas Family Business Forum. The facility features meeting space and video conferencing technology with multiple video screens for presentations.

“This room will be used as a test model for spaces that will be created in the Innovation Campus and the new building for the Barton School of Business,” said Kirk Ring, director of KFBF and associate professor of management in the W. Frank Barton School of Business.

KFBF makes an impact on businesses and the hub will be used by members and students. Current KFBF members and sponsors will be able to use the room for strategic planning, family meetings and as an innovative space to work on new ideas for their businesses.

Center for Entrepreneurship students may use the space as a place to work on business concepts for the Shocker New Venture Competition, entrepreneurship class projects and other entrepreneurial projects, according to Ring.

“Students from across campus will be encouraged to come to the KFBF Innovation Hub to collaborate with entrepreneurship and business students on new ventures,” said Ring.

The Coleman Fellows Program also will use the room for meetings. The goal of this program is to assist and maintain an ongoing connection for students interested in entrepreneurship across campus. Wichita State has participated in the Coleman Fellows Program, sponsored by the Coleman Foundation, for more than six years and is one of 19 universities selected for the program this year.

“The primary purpose is to increase and build support for entrepreneurship education across the Wichita State campus,” said Chris Broberg, associate professor of management in the W. Frank Barton School of Business and director of Coleman Fellows at WSU.

“The aim is to facilitate entrepreneurship education by improving the academic curriculum, which builds core self-employment skills.”

In addition, the Barton International Group and Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs will use the room for meetings.