Founder Friday

  • 8 Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Dana Dyksterhuis of HERE: For You, For Them

    8 Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Dana Dyksterhuis of HERE: For You, For Them

    Dana Dyksterhuis (above left, next to co-founder Jen Armstrong) is co-founder of HERE: For You, For Them, a mindfulness-based mental health support company with offices in Omaha and London. Dyksterhuis and her company are part of the Startup Collaborative.  How did you get started? My background is as a news reporter and then in PR…

  • 8 Qs for a Silicon Prairie Founder: Natalie Micale, Oh Hello

    8 Qs for a Silicon Prairie Founder: Natalie Micale, Oh Hello

    Houston native Natalie Micale, CEO and co-founder of Lincoln-based marketing agency Oh Hello, attended the same performing arts high school as Beyoncé. We’re not sure whether that had anything to do with her drive to be successful, or her desire to inspire women to take the plunge and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, but it probably…

  • 8 Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Meghann Schense of The Grove Juicery + Wellness Café

    8 Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Meghann Schense of The Grove Juicery + Wellness Café

    Meghann Schense is a seasoned entrepreneur with a vision for improving health and wellness in the Omaha community. Her latest venture, the Grove Juicery + Wellness Café, offers a variety of organic, raw, cold-pressed juices and other highly nutritious treats. Previously, Schense worked as an international fashion consultant; her company Esoteric Velvet was an influential…

  • Interview with Dusty Davidson: Flywheel’s first days forward

    Interview with Dusty Davidson: Flywheel’s first days forward

    SPN recently caught up with Dusty Davidson, co-founder of Flywheel, to reflect on the evolution of the company, and how far it has come from the days of its founding to its recent acquisition. It can reasonably be said that strong, scalable companies that survive are those built on firm foundations. From the right team…

  • 8Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Darcy Howe

    Growing up in St. Louis, my first boss picked me up at my parent’s house, popped open two beers, and without seatbelts, drove to Kansas City. That was the 70’s. Since then I’ve lived in NYC and then 36 years in KC, where my partners and I built the largest private wealth practice in our…

  • 8Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Leah Buller

    8Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Leah Buller

    Preparation often ignites new opportunities; Leah Buller knows that innovative recipe well. In 2011 Leah Buller made the choice to leave the workforce and stay at home with her, then, young children. During that time, she knew that she didn’t want to sit out completely and decided that e-commerce would allow her to stay home…

  • 8QS With a Silicon Prairie Founder: Tamara Brunow

    8QS With a Silicon Prairie Founder: Tamara Brunow

    Tamara Brunow is CEO of Brunow Contracting and H2W Apparel. Tamara Brunow is the CEO of Brunow Contracting, an SBA 8(a) Certified, Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned, HUBZone Concern based in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Tamara has overcome gender barriers and other challenges in a male-dominated industry to become one of the few women in the country to…

  • That one big thing you’re waiting on isn’t going to make the difference

    That one big thing you’re waiting on isn’t going to make the difference

    (Guest post by Christopher Kingsley) Simply put, my biggest mistakes in business have all revolved around the belief that any one thing is going to make all the difference…

  • Derian Baugh: Provide the best experience for one before the masses

    (Guest post by Derian Baugh) It’s been said that it takes money to make money, however, this begs the question: How do you make money if you don’t have any? There are several books and articles written on the subject of customer validation, grassroots marketing, lean startup principles and harnessing a business model that will…