In order to network with wholesalers and lenders the best way to go about it will be to attend the local REIA like The Greater Houston REIA and also joining the local investors facebook groups. 

My sister lives in Lee’s Summit, so I’ll have family nearby to help navigate the local scene.

Start small with duplexes or triplexes, analyze deals carefully, and build a team of local experts.

Go to local meetups, search these forums for people that have mentioned that they do private lending and attend other RE events.

Beyond trying to connect on this forum would recommend look in the BP Meet up section and checking out local DFW FB RE investor Facebook groups as well as Meetup.com and Eventbrite for local events. 

I’m open to brokerage inquiries and excited to contribute my skills to the local market.What I'm Looking For:I'm actively seeking "live and flip" opportunities to kickstart my real estate portfolio in Arizona.

Could you please recommend any local real estate agents?

As for meeting local wholesalers, networking at meetups or even online could help you connect with the right people. 

Once you have ran through about 3 months or so of this and penciled out 50-100 deals for fun, I would talk to a local agent and start the process of looking.

Many players will not have your best interests at heart.