Emprise Bank

Our Chairman & CEO Matt Michaelis, recently joined a panel discussion at the American Fintech Council Policy Summit, exploring the theme "Shake It Off: Next Steps to Building the Safest and Most Resilient Future of Finance." The panel brought together industry leaders, including Itai Damti (Unit), Laura Kornhauser (Stratyfy), and Christian Widhalm (Bloom Credit), to discuss strategies for addressing challenges in the financial sector and fostering innovation. Moderated by Evan Weinberger of Bloomberg Law, the conversation focused on actionable steps to enhance safety, resilience, and customer trust in the evolving financial landscape. Matt’s participation reflects our commitment at Emprise to shaping the future of banking through collaboration and innovation, including our work with partners of Emprise Embedded.

Sheila Volek, our head of technical accounting and a self-proclaimed Excel enthusiast, recently presented at the Women Who Count conference, hosted by the Accounting & Financial Women's Alliance (AFWA). In her session, “Unlocking Efficiency: Mastering Excel Power Queries for Data Management,” Sheila led attendees through Excel’s powerful ETL (extract, transform, load) capabilities. She shared methods to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and seamlessly integrate diverse data sources—empowering participants to enhance efficiency and support data-driven decision-making. We’re proud to have Sheila on our team, and we appreciate her dedication to sharing her knowledge with the community. Her expertise and enthusiasm for Excel continue to inspire data enthusiasts to elevate their skills and redefine what’s possible in data management!

Congratulations to Good Works Talent and Rachel Biggs on officially launching a recruitment agency focused on empowering employers to become hiring heroes. We're thrilled to be part of your SBA journey and to support your vision of connecting top finance, accounting, and operations talent with the right teams. Here’s to many successful hires and milestones ahead!?

We’re thrilled to announce that Debra Swearingen from our Kansas City office has been awarded the Excellence Champion Award by Commercial Real Estate Women KC (CREWKC)! Debra’s dedication to advancing women in commercial real estate and her remarkable expertise have set a high standard in our industry. Her passion for growth, equity, and leadership makes a lasting impact on our team and the Kansas City community. Please join us in congratulating Deb on this well-deserved honor!

Another great highlight of our KC team in MetroWire Media, featuring Debra Swearingen Lyles and Jackie Wise for their involvement on a panel for KCRAR's commercial real estate forecast event last week.

We’re thrilled to announce that Emprise Bank has been ranked #1 for SBA loan approvals and total amount in the Wichita, KS region AND #3 in SBA loans in Nebraska! This recognition is a testament to our team's dedication to supporting small businesses and helping them secure the funding they need to grow. Whether in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, we’re here to make the SBA loan process easier, faster, and more accessible. Thank you to our hardworking teams for making this happen! View the rankings yourself here: https://ow.ly/g3ZN50TQ2zz Member FDIC

We’re proud to have two of our amazing team members, Debra Swearingen and Jackie Wise, representing Emprise Bank at this year’s KCRAR Commercial Forecast event. Deb took the stage as a panelist, sharing valuable insights into the current lending environment in commercial real estate, while Jackie Wise, serving on the board, also had the honor of being the MC for the event! It’s moments like these that highlight our team's expertise and commitment to the industry. Congratulations to Deb and Jackie for their leadership and involvement!

Gil Trout, our EVP of Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, has always been one of the best in our eyes, and now he’s receiving the recognition he truly deserves as a WBJ Executive of the Year. His exceptional leadership, dedication, and vision continue to shape the future of Emprise Bank. Congratulations, Gil!

Last Friday, we officially broke ground on our Kansas City Banking Center in the heart of the Crossroads District! This expansion gives us the opportunity to strengthen our connections with businesses and residents across the neighborhood and the greater metro area. Kansas City is a key market for us, and our new office reflects our long-term commitment to this vibrant community. We're excited to be part of the Crossroads Arts District, investing not only in a space to conduct business but also in fostering local growth, innovation, and of course art. Once completed, the building will showcase selections from the Art of Emprise—the world’s largest collection of Kansas-related art. This is our way of celebrating both our Kansas roots and the creative energy of this dynamic neighborhood. A big thank you to Gil Trout, our EVP of Commercial Banking & Wealth Management, for serving as our MC at the event, and to speakers Daniel Moye of KCADC, Emprise Chairman & CEO Matt Michaelis, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas for highlighting the significance of this project. We are immensely grateful to all of our incredible partners who are helping bring this vision to life, and to everyone who joined us for this exciting moment, including: - Lathrop GPM LLP - Hermanos Design - SK Design Group, Inc. - STAND Structural Engineering Inc - Lankford | Fendler + associates Consulting Engineers, Inc. - Vireo Landscapes - City of Kansas City, MO - Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) - Council Member Crispin Rea - David Macoubrie of the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority (PIEA) - Downtown Council Member Bill Dietrich - City Development Team - Cole Thompson of the Kansas Bankers Association Finally, thank you to our amazing Emprise team—especially Debra Swearingen Lyles and her outstanding KC crew! Your dedication and hard work have been pivotal in getting us to this important milestone. We plan to complete the renovation by fall of 2025, so stay tuned for updates!

Our United Way Committee had the privilege of attending the Impact on the Plains event, where local nonprofits presented their incredible work to a panel of judges for the chance to receive funding! We were inspired by these amazing organizations: The Center: Offering free after-school programs for Spaght Elementary students needing academic support. Hope Rising: Removing barriers so abuse victims can access the care they need. ICT Farms: Providing plants, seeds, and resources for neighbors to grow their own food programs. The Women's Network: Empowering women who’ve experienced trauma to achieve financial independence. It’s organizations like these that make our community stronger! We’re honored to be part of this celebration and to support the incredible work being done across Wichita. ?? #CommunityChampions #ImpactOnThePlains #UnitedWay