Coach’s challenge sparks Agile Sports; Raikes School provides tools and experience

A challenge in 2006 from then University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Cornhuskers Head Football Coach Bill Callahan sparked the development of Agile Sports, now a growing startup in Lincoln’s Haymarket.  Callahan wanted to improve how videos of play action are used in training. He also wanted a safer, easier way to get videos to players and [...]

Deckerton Bringing Word-of-Mouth into 21st Century

Even though advertisers are talented enough at promoting products to earn a livelihood doing so, a slick flash presentation or a clever commercial often cannot quite match a personal endorsement offered by a close friend. It’s that level of trust that Lateef Johnson hopes to nurture between his clients and the individuals to whom they cater. [...]

Halo Institute Bridges Gap Between Ideas and Investments

The costs of starting an independent business are sometimes a roadblock for success.  That’s where business incubators step in.  These incubators provide assistance for initial costs and provide a bridge between ideas and investments. The Halo Institute, a relatively new Omaha business incubator, provides area businesses with the resources and guidance to make their ideas [...]

Caleb Pollard and the Impact Entrepreneurship Has On Economic Development

There are many ways for communities to pursue economic development, but entrepreneurship pure and simple, has been the driving force behind growth in Valley County.  Caleb Pollard, Executive Director of Valley County Economic Development, goes through the results they’ve seen and the impact it has had on the community.

Game on Games brings hobby hub to rural Nebraskans

McCook, Nebraska, is probably one of the last places you’d expect to find a game store, let alone one with a global customer base. But since 2007, Game on Games has been providing Nebraskans in the southwestern corner of the state a place to, well… get their game on. Branching well beyond the world of [...]

Lincoln Technology Firm Named 2010 Small Business of the Year

OMAHA – James Bowen and Nick Bock, and their company Five Nines Technology Group, have been named the Nebraska Small Business of the Year for 2010 by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
The information technology firm was nominated for the honor by Marisol Rodriguez, director of the Nebraska Business Development Center in Lincoln.
“Five Nines [...]

Turbine Flats Project Aims to Build Community Support for Startups

You’re not alone. Or at least you don’t have to be, especially if you’re an entrepreneur in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The Turbine Flats Project, an office space for startup businesses and a nonprofit organization, is working to build a culture in Lincoln that supports entrepreneurs.
Matthew Wegener, president of the Turbine Flats board of directors and co-owner [...]

Scott Technology Center Targets Technical, High-Growth Potential, Business Ideas

Some business ideas are more than just successful – they change the way we do things. The digital camera changed how we take pictures; the iPod changed how we listen to music. If your business idea is innovative with a large potential market, and especially if it’s a “game-changer,” the Scott Technology Center in Omaha [...]

Grow Nebraska Helping Nebraskas Small and Boutique Entrepreneurs

Grow Nebraska from Nebraska Entrepreneur on Vimeo.
Janell Anderson-Ehrke talks about GROW Nebraska and how they help entrepreneurs bring their products to market and the impact they have on economic development.

Branched Oak Farm Prospers Under USDA Auspices

Farming is easily Nebraska’s oldest profession. Frontiersmen and pioneers coaxed a livelihood out of the soil for years before the land they worked was even considered for statehood. And the USDA is doing its part to bring the venerable occupation into the 21st century by fostering relationships between consumers and local producers.
The Branched Oak Farm, [...]

Wayne Business Lets Customers Create Custom Headboards

Marilyn Wilson got the inspiration for a new Wayne, Nebraska business, Heady Bed, while watching a design show on television. She noticed the designer’s staff often had to carry large, unwieldy headboards up narrow, sometimes winding steps. She said she remembers thinking, “Wouldn’t it be good to have a modular system.”
Later, when Wilson designed the [...]

Angel Investors to be Matched with Startups

If getting the resources to make your startup a success makes you wish for an angel on your shoulder, Invest Nebraska, a nonprofit corporation, may be able to help. Dan Hoffman, executive director, tells us how. Invest Nebraska also sponsors annual Venture Competitions across the state.
Q: We talked before about how your Operational Assistance program [...]

Loans Help Nebraskan Companies Attract Major Investors

In an earlier post, we talked with Dan Hoffman, executive director of Invest Nebraska, about their Venture Competitions. In this post, we’ll find out about their Operational Assistance program. The program offers the equivalent of a low-interest loan of up to $25,000 with favorable terms for qualifying businesses. Invest Nebraska is a nonprofit corporation that [...]

2010 Invest Nebraska Venture Competitions Planned

NebraskaEntrepreneur.com talks to Dan Hoffman, executive director of Invest Nebraska, about their Venture Competitions. Invest Nebraska is a nonprofit corporation that advises and invests in entrepreneurial businesses in Nebraska. In future posts we’ll talk with him about other Invest Nebraska activities and opportunities.
Q: What are the Venture Competitions you organize?
A: Last year we had six [...]

Valley County Sets New Paradigm for Rural Economic Growth

To many, the image of the young adult venturing out from their tiny hometown to seek the fortunes of the big city is an iconic slice of Americana. But Caleb Pollard, executive director of Valley County Economic Development, has every reason to believe big things can happen in small towns.
“Right now, there’s a prevailing attitude [...]

Lincoln YPG Entrepreneurship Speaker Series

Jay Wilkinson talks about his many different business ventures, why he choose to stay in Nebraska and how changing business models is not always a bad thing.

Thank you to Silicon Prairie News for hosting this video.