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Beyond slacktivism: Samaritan and the rise of app-tivism
“Walk with, not by.” So goes motto for Samaritan, a mobile app that helps users fight homelessness through direct, case-managed giving. It’s a slogan that rejects slacktivism for what could be called “app-tivism”—the use of consumer apps to generate meaningful social action. More than just sharing news of a cause or signaling one’s ethos with…
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Women in Tech: Vonda Page
“‘They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself,’” said Radical Change founder and CEO Vonda Page, quoting one of her favorite artists, Andy Warhol, during her recent keynote presentation at the Infotec 2021 virtual conference. “What types of changes happen over time with no effort?” she asked rhetorically, setting…
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Nominations now open for Computer Science Educator of the Year for annual Prometheus Awards
The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) announced in a press release today that the organization is now accepting nominations for Computer Science Educator of the Year for the 2022 Prometheus Awards. This award recognizes an Iowa Computer Science Educator who strives to achieve excellence by educating and informing students regarding the most up-to-date technologies utilized…
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Marina Brown, honored by CIO Magazine as “One to Watch,” is truly a tech champion (in both senses of the word)
Technology was not Marina Brown’s first choice of profession. Originally from Bulgaria, Brown is the daughter of medical professionals who urged her to become a doctor. She wasn’t interested in medicine, however. And as high school slid toward college, she began noticing how new technology was coming out all the time—and that programmers had fairly…
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Homegrown medtech company Centese develops game-changing device for surgery patients
A new Omaha-based medtech company has developed a self-cleaning chest tube system that provides more precise measurements for monitoring patients recovering from surgery on their heart or lungs. Startup Centese developed the device, called Thoraguard. Through a novel self-irrigating mechanism, Thoraguard eliminates one of the main hazards of analog chest tubes: the need for medical…
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A look at Nebraska’s investment landscape
Talk to tech entrepreneurs in Nebraska, and they’re likely to laud the region’s innovative spirit. Next-level startups like Flywheel, Buildertrend, Lunavi, Hudl and more have grown an international presence and put the Cornhusker state on the map. Even a cornerstone enterprise like Lincoln-based Nelnet has implemented its own innovation division. Conferences like the IO Summit,…
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Leash Pet Transportation puts pets on the go
Omaha startup Leash Pet Transportation was founded on the idea that, much like people, pets have places to be. Whether it’s a session with a groomer, a day at doggy day care, or a trip to the veterinarian or a boarding facility, pet ownership can mean more errands, making humans feel like bona fide pet…
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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…
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Kansas City’s Swappa provides peer-to-peer marketplace for gently used tech
For years, tech-savvy consumers have bemoaned the planned obsolescence that companies like Apple have encoded into their products like slow-motion time bombs. If consumers have to pay so much for a device that they use everyday, the thinking goes, shouldn’t they be able to fix a cracked screen or replace a dead battery, for instance,…
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8 Qs with a Silicon Prairie Founder: Nicka Johnson, Budget to Success
Nicka Johnson is an Omaha-based social entrepreneur working to instill financial literacy through her business, Budget to Success. In this role, the North Omaha native considers herself part financial advisor, part teacher, part therapist—the latter being crucial to helping people of all ages overcome their money triggers. Her tireless activism and experience as a Black…