October 30, 2015
Contacts:
Tracee Friess
Director of Communication
WSU Research and Technology Transfer
(316) 978-5597
tracee.friess@wichita.edu
Keturah Austin
Manager, Corporate Communications
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC
(316) 828-5227
keturah.austin@kochps.com
WICHITA, Kan. –– Liz Koch, president of the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, unveiled the name and logo of the new makerspace that will open in the fall of 2016 on the Wichita State University Innovation Campus. The announcement was made at an event today at WSU. GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative, is the name of the state-of-the-art space, which will be located in the Experiential Engineering Building. The space will be open to creators and inventors of every age and background.
“GoCreate is about bringing people and ideas together,” said Liz Koch. “It’s exciting to think what will happen in this space when people can work together and take ideas from imagination to creation.”
GoCreate is part manufacturing plant, part design studio and part garage workshop. It will be a place where creative people of all ages and skill levels will have access to sophisticated equipment and training, shared work spaces and a supportive community.
“We envision GoCreate as a launch pad for innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and technology, and as a catalyst for business creation and economic growth,” said WSU President John Bardo. “It will be an exciting resource for the campus and community."
GoCreate’s brand, designed by Greteman Group, represents elements coming together, interlocking to create something stronger and smarter than the sum of its parts. Kits to build a small version of the logo can be picked up at the National Institute for Aviation Research while supplies last. Use your kit – or combine with a friend – to build something cool, then share it. Post your photo or video on Instagram using #GoCreateWSU and you could win a six-month membership to GoCreate. Entries will be judged on originality. Contest closes Dec. 31, 2015. Winner will be announced Jan. 8, 2016.
In 2014, Koch Industries and the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation pledged $11.25 million to create and advance programs at Wichita State aimed at helping students excel and become the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders. It was the largest gift ever to the WSU Foundation from a corporate/foundation source. Funds totaling $3.75 million from that gift will help establish GoCreate.
Koch Industries and Wichita State collaborated on the idea of establishing an open innovation lab that removes high-cost barriers so that aspiring entrepreneurs can build prototypes of their ideas and begin to commercialize business opportunities. Koch’s gift provides scholarships and training stipends to qualifying applicants based on financial need, as well as mentoring support through fellowships.
GoCreate can be found online at GoCreate.com, as well as on Facebook (GoCreateWSU), Twitter (@GoCreateWSU), YouTube (GoCreate WSU), LinkedIn (GoCreate) and Instagram (GoCreateWSU).
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About Koch Industries, Inc.
Based in Wichita, Kan., Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America with estimated annual revenues as high as $115 billion, according to Forbes. It owns a diverse group of companies involved in refining, chemicals, biofuels and ingredients; forest and consumer products; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; process and pollution control equipment and technologies; electronic components; commodity trading; minerals; energy; ranching; glass; and investments. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested more than $70 billion in acquisitions and other capital expenditures. With a presence in more than 60 countries, Koch companies employ more than 100,000 people worldwide, with about 60,000 of those in the United States. From January 2009 to present, Koch companies have earned more than 1,000 awards for safety, environmental excellence, community stewardship, innovation, and customer service. For more news and stories, visit www.kochnews.com.
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