Curtis Whitten

President, VendTech Enterprise, Wichita

Curtis Whitten initially became an entrepreneur to pursue a passion. A talented athlete, Curtis earned a football scholarship to Wichita State University. Because of his love of reading, Curtis’s first enterprise after graduation was a bookstore located at 13th and Woodlawn. Although this venture was short-lived, it provided Curtis with an important insight regarding business ownership. As he noted:

I would say that the most important thing is to really understand your numbers … Understanding those numbers tell the truth when it comes to running a business.
Curtis Whitten

In this interview, Curtis recounts his experiences as a business owner. Besides the bookstore, he discusses his janitorial company, his vending machine company, and his current security company. Curtis also acknowledges the support that the Small Business Administration (SBA) has provided his entrepreneurial aspirations.