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QA with Techstars Startup Week Director Matt Helt
Omaha Startup Week Powered by Cox Business is a five-day celebration from May 1-5 of the local community and its entrepreneurial identity. SPN sat down with Matt Helt, Program Director of Techstars Startup Week and longtime Omaha resident, to talk more about Techstars and Omaha Startup Week, and why participating in Startup Week is vital…
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Fruitful Design grows into Omaha’s tech community
Tucked away behind a coffee shop and below an arts collective in the heart of Omaha’s Benson neighborhood sits the welcoming offices of Fruitful Design, a design agency that focuses on simple and fun designs for their clients. While their office and staff may be small, the visions of co-owners Ben Lueders and Raj Lulla…
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Yahoo Omaha recognized as one of the metro’s best companies
Facebook’s March announcement that the internet giant will be bringing a data center to the Omaha area turned the local tech community’s attention from the startups and entrepreneurs to the large corporations that call the Silicon Prairie home. Aside from jobs and revenue, community members are always curious as to what else these additions bring…
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EquipmentShare brings high-tech edge to construction
Back in 2013, two entrepreneurial brothers noticed a lack of technology in the world of construction. No strangers to startups and the construction industry, the pair took their frustrations over the technological gaps in asset management and equipment utilization and rental, and they used them as motivation to create EquipmentShare. Willy Schlacks, President and co-founder…
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Reality chef Shirley Chung added to Big Omaha speaker line-up
Big Omaha features speakers from across the globe who bring a wide variety of experiences and knowledge to the Silicon Prairie. As Big Omaha announces their speakers, we’ll be featuring them on SPN so you can get to know them and find out how they’re helping to shape the startup ecosystem prior to the conference…
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Facebook announces construction of renewable energy data center in Nebraska
Facebook announced yesterday that it will be bringing a data center to Papillion, Nebraska. The 970,000 square foot campus will generate 1,000 construction jobs and 100 positions within the center once it is online. The announcement came from Nebraska Governer Pete Ricketts, Papillion Mayor David Black and a representative from Facebook. “Growing Silicon Prairie through…
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Lincoln-based Fourstarzz Media goes international with influencer marketing
Dennis Doerfl and Daniel Troesch met while working for Groupon in Switzerland, traveling all over the world managing the company’s international projects. Through that business relationship, the two found themselves in Lincoln, Nebraska launching their own influencer marketing company, Fourstarzz Media. Doerfl, a former University of Nebraska at Lincoln student, felt that the Lincoln startup…
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HipHire is making connections for part-time job seekers
What would happen if the concept behind dating and matching services was applied to job searches, and employee turnover could be reduced through better pairings? HR expert Brian Kearns asked that same question and within two years, found himself at the helm of HipHire, an internet platform for part-time job seekers. Before founding HipHire, Kearns…
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Infotec impressed attendees with speakers and hands-on experiences
Approximately 1000 professionals from across the region attended Omaha’s annual Infotec conference on Tuesday. Infotec was started by the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) in 1973 as a hardware trade show for IT enthusiasts, and was acquired by AIM eight years ago. The annual event has grown over the years to feature speakers, networking…
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Benson Hill Biosystems closes Series B funding with $25M
St. Louis-based Benson Hill Biosystems announced today the close of a Series B funding round at $25 million. Last year, the company had set an early goal of raising $15 million but Matthew Crisp, CEO and co-founder of Benson Hill Biosystems, said he quickly realized that the excitement surrounding their CropOS platform would allow them…