Greater Omaha students put their entrepreneurial skills to work with Future Builders Challenge

In mid-July, twenty teams of high school students from across Greater Omaha gathered at Buildertrend for the Future Builders Challenge. Selected from a larger group who took the Gallup Builder Profile (BP) 10 entrepreneurial talent assessment, the teams worked with coaches to develop business ideas and pitch them to a group of judges. “It’s cool…

In mid-July, twenty teams of high school students from across Greater Omaha gathered at Buildertrend for the Future Builders Challenge. Selected from a larger group who took the Gallup Builder Profile (BP) 10 entrepreneurial talent assessment, the teams worked with coaches to develop business ideas and pitch them to a group of judges.

“It’s cool to see how our community comes together,” said Luke Christiansen, Buildertrend Vice President of Product. “Todd Johnson (Gallup Global Channel Leader, Entrepreneurship and Job Creation) told me he wanted to pitch an idea, and after about 30 seconds I decided this would be a really great thing to collaborate on.”

The event came together quickly, according to Danielle Nelson, Buildertrend Events Coordinator.

“We started the process about six weeks ago,” she said. “They kept throwing stuff at us, and we were happy to accommodate. We wanted to make it a cool experience.”

Teams developed business ideas around issues of people, place and prosperity identified by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Ideas ranged from rail service between Lincoln and Omaha to a vintage video game arcade featuring neon lights.

“The students are very engaged,” Nelson said. “It’s interesting to see how each team is working. Some of them are testing pitches out on us.”

The BP 10 assessment provides insights into an individual’s entrepreneurial strengths, and how working with others who have different strengths can build an effective team. Dawn Nizzi, Director of the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program at Omaha Westside, is a firm believer in the strengths-based approach.

“I can’t speak highly enough about having students know their talents and themselves,” she said. “What’s cool about the BP 10 is that they understand what’s right about themselves. Kids love to know about themselves and other people.”

Nizzi and her colleagues have incorporated strengths into the school environment.

“Three of us became certified strengths coaches,” she said. “Part of developing the work force is self-awareness. You have to know what you are before you know what to do.”

The Business Ethics Alliance is also engaged in the Challenge. The purpose of the Alliance is to promote an environment where the discussion and practice of business ethics is encouraged and expected.

“I serve as the Chair of the Alliance’s Executive Committee,” Christiansen said. “It’s great to have them throwing their hat in the ring.”

Christiansen was impressed with the adults who worked with the teams.

“The mentors and judges are fantastic,” he said. “These are high-end folks that could be doing a lot of other things.”

Nelson is not far removed from high school and wishes there was a program like this when she was a student.

“There wasn’t anything like this when I was in high school,” she said. “It’s really cool and important.”

For experienced educators like Nizzi, transitioning to a strengths-based approach required a shift in mindset.

“I’ve been an educator for 33 years, and for the first 30 years I thought I could fix teenagers,” she said. “We need to quit trying to fix something that’s not broken.”

Rod Armstrong is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for AIM in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is a regular contributor to Silicon Prairie News.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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