From time to time I come across individuals who are a true inspiration to the mission and goals of what we are building around the entrepreneurial and creative community in Omaha and the greater Midwest. Roger Fransecky is one of those individuals.
I first came across Roger through his contributions to Apogee Group‘s newsletter, which, if you don’t subscribe to, I’d highly encourage you to. His thought-provoking ideas challenge the way we think about life, society and business.
We’ve asked Roger to play a role in our upcoming Big Omaha event. He’ll be sharing his thoughts not only on the event, but on his philosophy of being located here in Omaha, the heart of the Midwest, as well.
Enjoy, and we look forward to sharing the stage with Roger and the rest of the amazing slate of speakers in just under three weeks at Big Omaha 2010!
Thanks to our sponsor
Here’s Roger’s short bio:
Roger B. Fransecky, Ph.D
Roger Fransecky is Founder/CEO of The Apogee Group, a global management consulting and leadership development organization founded in 1995. Prior to founding The Apogee Group, Dr. Fransecky was Executive Vice-President of ARC International, Ltd., an international consulting company specializing in large-scale organizational change.
Dr. Fransecky’s work with leaders of many organizations evolved from more than four decades as a corporate executive, organizational consultant, clinical psychologist, and university professor. He is regarded as one of the nation’s leading executive coaches and CEO advisors.
Here’s Roger’s guest post:
Welcome to the center
I was delighted to be invited to welcome the Big Omaha participants to what I am confident will be an important set of conversations about What’s Next! I applaud Jeff and Dusty for their leadership in the second gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators and creators.
Big Omaha is a big idea. It’s right in the center of the center. And it’s perfectly timed. I moved to Omaha from New York City eight years ago. After 9/11, I was starved for horizons. Here we are rich in breathtaking landscapes, surprising beauty and simple treasures, sunsets to rival anywhere we’ve lived, from Los Angeles, Florida, Denver, and Manhattan. We don’t have mountains or oceans, but we have people who embody the very spirit of enterprise, plucky souls who settled into hard scrapple lives to create, build, bond and believe that this state was a home worth making.
Nebraskan’s care for one another. I’ve discovered a remarkable generosity of time and talent to anyone in need. We show up. I’ve never lived anywhere where school concerts, football games or even author signings at local bookstores aren’t sold out. We take care of our homes and we protect our neighborhoods. People count.
This is a place where dreams can really become businesses, driven by proven leaders and funded by folks who get why this is a place that links values and value creation. I chair The Halo Institute, a non-profit organization that sits between Creighton University’s College of Business and Halo Creative Capital. The early stage, socially responsible individuals selected to be mentored by our team are genuinely inspirational, and their businesses prove the grace and grit of the best of the Midwest.
My sense of Big Omaha and what can happen here grows out of my lifetime as a leader and student of the art of Courageous Conversations…about ourselves and our future. Our leadership practice, The Apogee Group, serves Boards and CEO’s in the U.S., Europe and Asia. We are privileged to counsel many Fortune 150 leaders, and over the past 15 years many of the smartest entrepreneurs on the planet who share a high clock speed, a bias for action, a passion to realize a dream, and the inspiring sense that they can do “it.” And they do. As a serial entrepreneur, I celebrate that impatient spirit, for it is essential to reboot our economy and sustain our ability to out-innovate our competitors when they can often get there farther, faster, deeper and cheaper.
We are home to some of the nation’s most successful companies, and a new neighborhood to many of the high tech stars who bring cloud computing, strategic thinking, global interconnections and deep pockets to do the New, the Next, the Possible.
If you seek a True North as an entrepreneur, let’s map it anew. Big Omaha is a great place to get fuel for the journey. And, in partnership with great people, launch!
– Roger Fransecky, Ph.D
