-
First-day speakers reconvene to talk culture, what’s not on the resume
Big Omaha speakers Eric Ryan, Laura Weidman Powers and Jason Johnson fielded questions ranging from how to improve company culture to hurdles they’ve had to overcome. Q: What doesn’t show up on your resume? Eric Ryan: I love pizza. When I was 16 I worked at a Little Caesar’s. That’s where I discovered my…
-
Big Omaha Spotlight: Matt Boyd, San Francisco
As we blaze through Big Omaha week, we wanted to give you a glimpse into the minds and experience of Big Omaha attendees. Throughout Thursday and Friday, look out for these spotlights to learn more about who is attending Big Omaha this year
-
Nathan Gold gives entrepreneurs the equation for telling their story
“The Demo Coach” Nathan Gold didn’t have anything new to share at Big Omaha. “It’s all been said before. It’s all in the books, it’s all in videos,” he said. In particular, Gold praised the free online resources at the Kauffman Founders School. But in just 15 minutes, Gold distilled the secret to captivating any…
-
Andrew Brooks: Internet of Things is about to disrupt a lot of industries
Andrew Brooks, co-founder of Internet of Things company SmartThings, woke up the after-lunch crowd at KANEKO today with a presentation on enabling smart homes while also enabling innovators to solve their industry’s problems. The SmartThings product Brooks told the story of how his co-founder went on a family vacation only to find the pipes in…
-
Burke High School drum line kicks off Big Omaha, shares their dreams
The Burke High Bulldog drum line upped the high-energy ante of Big Omaha. The eight-member team kicked off the school-spirited theme of Big Omaha, a two-day event that attracts and inspires entrepreneurs and tech gurus across the U.S. Aside from giving them one last chance to play in public, instrumental music director Nicholas Spath also…
-
Jason Johnson: Startups don’t need money, they need momentum
When Jason Johnson was a kid, he witnessed his single mother stress over paying rent, an experience that would shape his entire career. He decided then and there that he never wanted to be poor—instead, he wanted to make money. So he did. After founding, developing and selling several successful startups, he spent six years…
-
method’s Eric Ryan is fighting dirty by building a culture of openness
Fighting Dirty Method co-founder Eric Ryan is no stranger to tackling giants. Ten years ago, he and co-founder Adam Lowry launched method, a line of cleaning products, among heavy hitters such as Proctor & Gamble. Against the grain of multi-national companies, method carved out its own industry niche with eye-catching design and eco-friendly products. Ryan…
-
Big Omaha Spotlight: Lyndsay Clark, Des Moines
As we blaze through Big Omaha week, we wanted to give you a glimpse into the minds and experience of Big Omaha attendees. Throughout Thursday and Friday, look out for these spotlights to learn more about who is attending Big Omaha this year.
-
Laura Weidman Powers responds to the “greatest opportunity in tech”
Laura Weidman Powers, founder of CODE2040, took the stage at KANEKO this morning to tell Big Omaha attendees about how her team is filling the gap between a growing minority population and a growing need for talent in the tech industry. How the U.S. economy and demography trends are changing “Software is eating jobs,” Powers…
-
A year after buying back about.me, Ryan Freitas talks ownership
To open Big Omaha Thursday morning, Ryan Freitas reflected on ownership by sharing his experience with the whole startup cycle: building, launching, selling and buying back. Yes, buying back. Freitas’ idea, about.me, the “starting point for your identity online”—was acquired by AOL in late 2010, just four days after launch. But getting acquired didn’t turn out…