Wichita State will host a national competition centered on making women’s lives better.

WSU Ventures will host the first Kansas InnovateHer competition Nov. 13. The competition requires inventors, entrepreneurs and researchers to invent products and services that benefit the lives of women or families.

This is the second annual national InnovateHer competition sponsored by Microsoft and the U.S. Small Business Administration, which offers small businesses financial services.

 “WSU Ventures will select 10 finalists to pitch their ideas to a panel of local judges … and the winner will participate in the National InnovateHer semifinal round,” according to a WSU news release.

Including the winner from the Kansas region, there will be 50 or 60 regional winners, said Debra Franklin, director of Strategic University Initiatives at WSU Ventures.

The Kansas winner will receive in-kind services to help get his or her technology project started.

“So, they may get … an hour of accounting consultation, or an hour of legal services, or a booth at the chambers exposure conference,” said Cindy Claycomb, director of WSU Ventures.

Regional winners from across the country will also be evaluated for entry into the national competition where seven participants will compete for $70,000 in cash prizes. The national competition takes place in March in Washington, D.C.

The final, national competition will be set up similar to the television show, “Shark Tank.”  

The Kansas regional competition hosted by WSU Ventures is open to all Kansans.

“It’s open to anybody,” Claycomb said. “It’s not just on campus. So we’re promoting it on campus, obviously — we would love for our students, faculty and staff to participate. But it’s open to the greater community, too.”

Applications are due Tuesday at wsuventures.org/for-entrepreneurs/innovateher.