Tools of the Trade

  • Heartland Developers Conference (HDC) returns Nov. 1 – Nov. 3 at the CHI Health Center

    Heartland Developers Conference (HDC) returns Nov. 1 – Nov. 3 at the CHI Health Center

    After last year’s virtual event, the AIM Institute’s annual Heartland Developers Conference, or HDC, returns live and in person Monday, Nov. 1, at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. Presented by Farm Credit Services of America, HDC is a three-day conference offering multiple specialized tracks, including AI & Data, DevOps and SecOps, Enterprise Tech, Microservices…

  • Opinion: Why you should narrow your next business location to certified sites

    Opinion: Why you should narrow your next business location to certified sites

    The following is an opinion piece from Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership, a public-private economic development organization. It does not necessarily reflect the views of SPN. Business expansions are an exciting prospect, but they can also be intimidating. Major setbacks and delays during business expansion can cost a fortune. If your company needs assurance that…

  • The “A” Word – 02 – Agile Values

    The “A” Word – 02 – Agile Values

    When I was studying graphic design, one of the mantras of my program was “Think outside the box.” It’s a well-known metaphor meant to spur a shift in perspective, a drive to find a new solution to an existing problem. This logo doesn’t pop? Think outside the box. This website doesn’t wow? Think outside the…

  • Deep dive: startups, contracts, cyber insurance and more

    Deep dive: startups, contracts, cyber insurance and more

    This is a guest post from Irena Ducic of Embroker, a digital insurance company.  As small businesses or startups grow, so do their needs for expanding their networks of business partners and collaborators. In order to stimulate and accelerate growth, business relationships are formed, partnerships are forged and third-parties are hired to help provide value…

  • Remote work allows more Nebraskans to live local, work coastal

    Remote work allows more Nebraskans to live local, work coastal

    There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic upended the way millions of Americans work.   But how has the shift to remote work seen in some industries affected the Midwest? For three local tech workers, it’s provided the opportunity for them to work for coastal startups and tech companies while remaining in Omaha.  Researchers such as…

  • HTI Labs fights human trafficking through research, technology, policy

    HTI Labs fights human trafficking through research, technology, policy

    An Omaha-based company using a data-driven approach to combat human trafficking recently raised funding to expand its crucially needed work to support law enforcement, victims and survivors of the practice.  HTI Labs,  a social enterprise corporation combating human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault through data-driven research and tech, has grown far larger than CEO…

  • This Lincoln developer’s app creates such realistic zombie pics, we had to use these pumpkins as a cover photo instead

    This Lincoln developer’s app creates such realistic zombie pics, we had to use these pumpkins as a cover photo instead

    Content warning: contains zombie images some readers may find disturbing. The wife of Josh Brown Kramer, senior data science consultant for Lincoln-based medical AI developer Ocuvera, is tired of zombies.  For the past year, the computer vision researcher has been working on an app that zombifies user selfies, turning their everyday visages into grotesque monstrosities.…

  • IO2020: the New Innovators’ Summit connects entrepreneurial community (and tickets are free this year)

    IO2020: the New Innovators’ Summit connects entrepreneurial community (and tickets are free this year)

    Great ideas start with curiosity. Bringing those ideas to life is its own challenge.  That’s what longtime entrepreneur Brian Ardinger believes, and that’s why he’s made it his mission to help Nebraska startup founders, business leaders and innovators solve those challenges.  Ardinger is cofounder of InsideOutside.io, an innovation-focused resource network for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, enterprises,…

  • ‘You don’t have to be an engineer to do this:’ Local founders say ‘no code’ apps are changing the game

    ‘You don’t have to be an engineer to do this:’ Local founders say ‘no code’ apps are changing the game

    Let’s say it’s 1985, long before “no code” is a thing. You’re lacing up your Keds to hit the cineplex and watch “The Breakfast Club” again when, suddenly, a person from the year 2020 steps through your Michael Jordan poster wearing, for some reason, a surgical mask. They look tired. After terrifying you with grim…

  • Virtual HDC proves online conference still a great way to learn, connect

    Virtual HDC proves online conference still a great way to learn, connect

    Nearly 1,200 people attended the virtual Heartland Developers Conference yesterday hosted by the AIM Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to building the tech talent community. It was the first time in HDC’s 17-year history that the conference had been held online. With 23 breakout sessions running the gamut of tech topics, the conference gave IT professionals…