WIBA Monthly Luncheon

Connecting Wichita’s Business Community

Held on the second Tuesday of each month, WIBA’s Monthly Luncheon brings together 200+ business owners, executives, and community leaders for lunch, connection, and learning. Each Monthly Luncheon features a hand-picked speaker who is relevant to today’s business community and focused on topics that support business growth, leadership, and professional development.

This core event provides a consistent space for members and guests to step away from their day-to-day responsibilities, build strong relationships, and stay engaged with Wichita’s business community.

Featured Speaker

Pete Nájera

President and CEO | United Way of the Plains

As a successful entrepreneur, business executive and former Army officer, Pete Nájera brings a wealth of leadership and management experience in leading all aspects of the United Way of the Plains as it's current President and CEO. Over the past 6 years, the United Way has put to work over $90 million in our local community and now routinely provides over 1.3 million instances of service to advance the common good in the greater Wichita metropolitan area.  

Prior to leading the United Way, Pete was President of the Rudd Foundation where he was best known for launching the Rudd Scholarship program throughout Kansas to support the college dreams of low-income, high-achieving kids. Before moving to Kansas, Pete served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Virginia-based Sterling Foundation Management where he helped manage dozens of charitable entities with over $1.5 billion assets under management. 

Previous to his nonprofit work, Pete was an entrepreneur that helped build a renewable energy start-up into a $300 million international operation, served in the Pentagon as an advisor to the Secretary of Defense, and worked on international trade policy on the President’s staff as a White House Fellow. A combat veteran of Desert Storm where he earned a bronze star and the valorous unit award, Pete also served on the DMZ in Korea, the Cold War border between east and west Germany, and walked the Green Line in Cyprus. 

Pete participates in many civic activities in Wichita where he is currently the board chair for the Kansas Leadership Center, is a board member for Downtown Wichita, and is an active member of the Downtown Rotary Club. Pete received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and earned a master’s degree from Harvard University.

What to Expect

• A featured guest speaker
• Lunch and networking
• Connection with fellow WIBA members and guests
• Topics focused on business, leadership, and community development
• A professional, welcoming environment

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, September 9th
• Time: 11:15 AM – 1:00 PM
• Location: Ninth Floor Club + Venue
  100 N Broadway St., Suite 900, Wichita, KS 67202

Registration & Pricing

• Members: $25
• Non-Members: $50
• Advance registration encouraged
• Seating is limited

Guests may attend up to two core WIBA events at no cost.

Who Should Attend

• Business owners
• Executives and managers
• Entrepreneurs
• Corporate professionals
• Nonprofit leaders
• Community partners

Why Attend

The Monthly Luncheon is one of WIBA’s most well-attended programs. Participants benefit from:

• Learning from respected business and community leaders
• Expanding professional networks
• Gaining practical tools and perspective
• Staying connected to Wichita’s business community
• Building long-term relationships

We look forward to welcoming you to this month’s Monthly Luncheon and continuing to strengthen Wichita’s business community.