The Barton School of Business at Wichita State University proudly announces a Centennial Signature Initiative: the appointment of Eyal Redler and Omer Nagar as Venture Capitalists in Residence in March 2026, marking 100 years of educating business leaders while launching Barton’s next era of global innovation and entrepreneurship.
As part of their residency, Redler and Nagar will deliver an insightful keynote fireside chat titled “What Venture Capitalists Are Betting on Now: AI, Fintech, and the Future of Scalable Innovation” on Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The event will take place at the Boettger Auditorium at Woolsey Hall, with doors opening at 9:15 a.m. The keynote is expected to draw students, faculty, staff, alumni, board members, and industry leaders for a timely discussion on emerging investment trends and scalable innovation.
As the Barton School marks its first 100 years, the Venture Capitalists in Residence program signals where the school is headed next. The initiative reflects Barton’s long-term commitment to preparing students for a business landscape shaped by capital access, artificial intelligence and globally scalable innovation — defining priorities for the school’s second century.
Redler and Nagar, together with their partner Shay Dan, are co-founders of The Garage, a global venture capital platform currently managing a $100 million fund with investments in 14 leading early-stage startups across fintech, enterprise solutions, artificial intelligence, and other disruptive technologies. They plan on launching their second fund in the coming months, further expanding their global reach.
“Welcoming Eyal and Omer during our Centennial year is both symbolic and strategic,” said Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business. “As we celebrate a century of impact, we are also making a clear statement about the future—connecting our students, faculty, and business community with global investors who understand how capital, technology, and founders come together to build and scale transformative companies.”
Both Redler and Nagar bring exceptional leadership backgrounds rooted in strategy, intelligence, and complex decision-making—experience that now directly informs their venture capital philosophy.
Nagar served for more than 23 years in elite Israeli special intelligence community, including senior leadership roles. He commanded a techno-operational unit and completed his service as a special consultant in Unit 8200, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He holds an Executive MBA from the Kellogg–Recanati Program at Tel Aviv University and Northwestern University, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Security and Strategy for Global Leaders, jointly awarded by the Royal College of Defence Studies and King’s College London.
Redler served 21 years in Israel’s special intelligence community, specializing in international relations, negotiation, and strategic problem-solving. He concluded his military career as a Lieutenant Colonel and Deputy Commander of the IDF Special Operations Department, where he led strategic planning efforts at the highest levels. Following his military service, Redler founded MJAY, a boutique consultancy that prepares Israeli startup executives for successful business engagement in Anglo markets and global business culture. He holds a BA in Geography from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Ben-Gurion University.
“I’m excited to engage with Barton students and the broader Wichita business community during such a milestone year,” said Redler. “In the AI era, competitive advantage is shifting away from pure technological superiority toward execution, go-to-market excellence, and the ability to turn innovation into real-world impact. We believe that now, more than ever, building strong, durable connections between Israeli innovation and the Wichita entrepreneurial, academic, and business community can meaningfully strengthen all sides.”
Nagar added, “Venture capital is ultimately about disciplined decision-making under uncertainty. We look forward to sharing real-world lessons from our portfolio companies—how AI, fintech, and enterprise technologies are being deployed to solve meaningful business problems and create measurable impact.”
Central to Barton’s Centennial vision is expanded student access to real-world decision-makers, and the Venture Capitalists in Residence program delivers that access by bringing active global investors directly into classrooms, conversations and founder-focused experiences.
During their March residency, Redler and Nagar will engage with students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and business leaders through a series of high-impact sessions designed to generate visibility, momentum, and meaningful dialogue across the Barton School and the Wichita innovation ecosystem. In addition to the keynote fireside chat, planned engagements include interactive sessions with students and founders, strategic conversations with Barton School leadership and faculty, and a VIP dinner with industry executives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders introducing The Garage, its investment strategy, and select portfolio companies.
The Venture Capitalists in Residence program aligns with the Barton School’s broader transformation strategy and its long-term vision to build a globally recognized entrepreneurship and innovation platform. The March 2026 residency will serve as an introductory, momentum-building engagement, with plans for a more focused, invitation-only follow-up visit later in the year featuring banking executives, founders, and live demonstrations from high-potential portfolio companies.
“Our Centennial is not simply a celebration of where we have been,” Genin added. “It is a declaration of where the Barton School is going. Eyal and Omer exemplify the caliber of leadership, discipline, and global perspective we want our students and community to engage with as we prepare them to thrive in a world shaped by innovation, capital, and opportunity.”
To RSVP for the keynote on March 12, please visit https://www.wichita.edu/vc-in-residence.