Nebraska Startup Academy—a Nebraska nonprofit that offers educational resources for those interested in the region’s startup ecosystem—recently announced the hiring of its first director of entrepreneurship, Alyssa Cave. She is the first full-time hire of the organization. In her new role Alyssa will assist with the nonprofit’s mission to mentor and assist Nebraska’s founders and investors.
Formerly an analyst at Invest Nebraska, Cave is a familiar face in Nebraska’s startup community, often participating in networking events. She said she was drawn to working with entrepreneurs because of the deep passions they show for the specific topics and issues that sparked their companies.
“I find it really interesting to be able to walk through their thought process with them, how they plan to attack the problem and why they think they’re the people to solve it,” Cave said. “My favorite role to play in the ecosystem is kind of a connector, being able to provide resources and let people know where they can have the most or highest chance of success to get to their next step or their next milestone in their business.”
Nebraska Startup Academy is the nonprofit arm of MOVE Venture Capital (VC), an investment fund that targets startups in Nebraska and the Midwest at pre-seed and seed levels of development. Charlie Cuddy, the managing partner of MOVE VC and the executive director of Nebraska Startup Academy, said they hired Cave due to her experiences, interests and community networks.
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“What really excites us about Alyssa is her genuine commitment to strengthening our community and her drive to make startup resources even better,” said Cuddy. “This lines up perfectly with our big goal of making Nebraska the go-to innovation hub in the Midwest.”
“[She] has great connections across the state that align with our current initiatives and partnerships with UNMC, The Combine, Intersect and corporations,” he added.
While earning her MBA at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) from May 2020 to May 2022, Cave worked as a graduate assistant and business consultant for the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC). There, she said she advised entrepreneurs and small businesses with “really anything that they needed in support of getting their business off the ground.”
Cave continued her journey into the startup world by acting as an analyst for both the Nebraska Angels and Invest Nebraska before committing full-time to Invest Nebraska.
Cave said she joined Nebraska Startup Academy because the position allows her to connect founders to the solutions they need while also providing them the lessons to lower the barriers they face—especially those faced by new startups. Her role will include curating curriculum requested by founders, hosting in-person and virtual events and researching startup trends across Nebraska and the Midwest to develop future resources. Cave said she will continue working collaboratively with other startup-supporting organizations.
Cave joins Nebraska Startup Academy as both it and MOVE VC declare progress in their goals since their launch in January 2023. In a public presentation during 1 Million Cups on June 26, 2024, Cuddy revealed that MOVE VC has reached over 20 investments across the Midwest and that Nebraska Startup Academy plans to have its initial in-person center—The Grove—stationed at Millwork Commons.
The Grove will serve as both a co-working and incubator space for select startups that have reached certain milestones, and a space to host community events. Stay tuned for more coverage as Nebraska Startup Academy has yet to announce an opening date or further details regarding the center’s functions.
