Invest Nebraska Corporation has announced six finalists for the 2011 East 2 West Venture Competition. These entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas before judges on Friday at Talent Plus in Lincoln, and the winner will receive a $10,000 cash award plus the opportunity to receive a $50,000 investment in exchange for a minority stake in their business.
The finalists, who all met a prerequisite of having ideas for a new business or plans to expand an existing business in Nebraska, are:
- Ace Ortho Solutions (Benkelman), presented by Ben Blecha
- Agricultural Flaming Innovations (Lincoln), presented by Dr. George Gogos, Dr. Stevan Knezevic and Chris Bruening
- Mobile Truckr (Lincoln), presented by Matt Sherman
- Pro-fit Performance Club Fitting (Lincoln), presented by Jim White, Greg Johannesen and Rob Harshbarger
- RestingSpot (Omaha), presented by Scott Kroeger and Brett Atlas
- The Coloring Book Artist (Lincoln), presented by Kathleen Gadeken
Thanks to our sponsor
Omaha-based RestingSpot, which provides GPS that helps users locate specific burial plots, is one of six finalists in Invest Nebraska’s East 2 West Venture Competiiton. Screenshot from restingspot.com
The E2W competition is the fourth and final event held this year for Invest Nebraska. Other regional competitions took place in Lincoln, McCook, and Peru. The E2W event targets those who propose a business location anywhere in Nebraska and it offers a more substantial award.
“We have six diverse finalists, each with great potential to expand Nebraska’s economy,” Dan Hoffman, Executive Director of Invest Nebraska, said in a press release. “During these challenging economic times, Nebraska’s entrepreneurs continue to amaze us with their innovative ideas.”
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. on Friday for a meet and greet with judges and competitors, and presentations begin at 2. The competition is open to the public, as is the reception planned for immediately after the pitches.
