The importance of Big Omaha to Central Nebraska

This is a guest post written by John Moorhead. | Are you going to Big Omaha? Do you live West of the “population line,” i.e. Omaha and Lincoln? If “yes” to both of these, listen up. Big Omaha is a great event, and I can’t wait to learn, network, and meet with other folks from…

This is a guest post written by John Moorhead. For the past three years, John has worked with startups across the country as a business development consultant. He has been involved with projects such as Trivia on Twitter and Site Remark, and his latest venture is Mederize. John’s passion is helping entrepreneurs materialize their concepts.


     

 

 

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Attendees at Big Omaha 2009. Photo by Malone and Company.

Are you going to Big Omaha? Do you live West of the “population line,” i.e. Omaha and Lincoln? If “yes” to both of these, listen up. Big Omaha is a great event, and I can’t wait to learn, network, and meet with other folks from Central Nebraska.

I think that events like these are important for Central Nebraska, even if they aren’t in Central Nebraska. It shows what other areas of Nebraska are doing, doing well, and what can be done in our area.

The Tri-Cities and Western Nebraska need to find ways to collaborate, and continue the momentum that Omaha and Lincoln have been developing for the past several years. Big Omaha is just another chance for the Tri-Cities to learn from experts in the area of entrepreneurship and startups. We can each bring this information back to our communities and share it with the thought leaders. If we are going to change the perceptions of what can be done in populations under 75,000, even under 10,000, then these type of events are crucial.

It not only helps to show what can be done through the speakers, but it unites those of us in the audience with a similar geographic disposition. If you live in rural Nebraska, great things can still be created. The thought leaders in rural Nebraska need to know about Big Omaha. They need to know about Silicon Prairie News. They need to know all of the definitions of an entrepreneur. They need to hear from all generations, and listen to the younger generations at a younger age.

I’m a big believer in the rural experience, and I think that taking the chance to attend Big Omaha will make small Nebraska that much better.

I have been working with entrepreneurs in Central Nebraska for the past three years, and the stories and ideas that people have still amaze me. But what amazes me even more: no one knows about these folks. As leaders in this space, we should be called to action to unite and collaborate with each other.

This is what is troubling. Nebraskans, in general, are risk adverse. The further west you go on I-80 the more risk adverse the citizens become. In order for this mindset to change, Central Nebraska must finds ways to learn, network, and get people involved. This is not a chamber of commerce issue, this is a like-minded issue. If you believe in the new technologies that remove geographic barriers, then you need to attend Big Omaha.

Big Omaha is one of the best ways for Central Nebraska to unite. My goal is to get a bus, or at the very least, a caravan of folks heading to Big Omaha. If you don’t feel like being a part of the caravan, then make sure to introduce yourself at the event. Silicon Prairie News will be coming to the Tri-Cities, and I want to capture your experience for the Tri-Cities edition of Silicon Prairie News.


John can be reached at john@jmmg.org or on Twitter at twitter.com/klamath20.

 

 

 

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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