I AM TOPEKA: Caleb Asher, Sprout Communications
Photos by JD MELTON
The list grew and grew.
“When we moved here, we didn’t have kids,” Caleb said. “We loved our house and our neighborhood, but didn’t plan on staying here long term. But when we considered moving to Austin, we realized how much we would miss Gage Park, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center and our church. ”
Instead of moving, they chose to put down roots in Topeka, deciding that this was the perfect place to start a new business and raise their family.
Just five years later, Caleb’s full-service marketing agency, Sprout Communications, has expanded to 10 full-time employees and officially outgrown its previous office space. After considering a variety of locations for his new office, Caleb says that moving downtown was an easy decision to make.
“I knew I wanted a great space to inspire our creativity,” Caleb said. “I toured so many office buildings, but didn’t see that character, that perfect fit.”
Even unfinished, a quick tour of Sprout’s new downtown office at 728 S. Kansas Ave. reveals tons of character. Many original features of the building have been preserved, including brick and stone walls. Even the timeworn wooden flooring has been given new life as an architectural focal point along one wall and arranged in a sunburst pattern near the ceiling. Paired with dazzling natural light, sleek, modern desks and pops of Sprout’s signature color green, the space is unique and inviting.
While renovating a building built in the late 1800s hasn’t been without surprises and setbacks, Caleb stands by his commitment.
“I am excited to be part of the solution of downtown revitalization by moving downtown and thriving,” Caleb said. “There’s energy here, momentum. We look down the street and see other businesses opening too. It’s business owners saying, ‘Let’s be part of the solution.’”
Before launching his business, Caleb’s background included leading statewide marketing and branding initiatives through the Kansas Department of Commerce. In this role, Caleb’s team worked to cast the vision of collaborative, unified efforts to increase community development and make marketing efforts more effective. Now Caleb puts that experience to work not only helping his clients succeed but also using it to propel Topeka forward as he serves on numerous boards and committees. Caleb serves on the Business Improvement District Advisory Board, the GO Topeka Entrepreneurship and Minority Business Development Council, Momentum 2022’s marketing and talent development committee, and is currently chair of the North Topeka Arts and Entertainment District Board.
“Now is an important time to be involved in our community,” Caleb said. “Topeka has exciting leaders working to move things forward with a unified vision. It’s a time of collaboration of various organizations and businesses, not competition.”
For a forward thinker like Caleb, a bright future for Topeka is just around the corner.
“After the quality of life piece is done, and we have NOTO, the Downtown Plaza, nightlife and businesses downtown, then I’d love to see Topeka work on the entrepreneur ecosystem,” Caleb said.
Sprout Communication is a member of 712 Innovations, which Caleb credits as a great resource for his business and other local entrepreneurs. Caleb was also a founding member of the Topeka chapter of 1 Million Cups, a free national program designed to educate, engage and connect entrepreneurs with their communities.
“Creating an environment to encourage and nurture start-ups will be vital for Topeka’s ability to attract and retain businesses in the future,” Caleb said.
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