Meet Drew Davies, Founder & Creative Director @ Oxide

How would you describe the startup culture in Nebraska?

It feels like Nebraska’s startup culture is a blend of support and untapped potential. There’s a strong sense of community, and numerous events and individuals eager to offer both logistical and emotional support. But the ecosystem can feel somewhat disconnected at times, as many people in the state are unaware of the innovative ventures emerging locally. Startups aren’t always a top priority here, but I think the landscape is evolving in the right direction.

How do you balance taking risks and making calculated decisions in pursuit of innovation?

In a creative services firm like Oxide, innovation often takes the form of finding new ways to solve problems for our clients, refining our processes and elevating the craft of design. Unlike venture capital-backed startups, our “risks” aren’t moonshots — they’re thoughtful, incremental changes rooted in our deep experience and client relationships.

We calculate our decisions by balancing innovative, risky solutions with keeping a keen eye on fundamental questions: Does this align with the stated goals and the client’s core values? In what ways do we believe this will be effective? We’re always asking our clients to take a leap of faith with us, knowing that we’re grounding our design solutions in solid rationale.

How do you define success and what metrics do you pay the most attention to?

Oxide operates in the relatively traditional professional services world. So our expectations for growth, and reliance on metrics, are distinctly different from most entrepreneurial startups. For Oxide, success is about creating meaningful impact and fostering wonder. While financial stability is certainly required, my true measure of success lies in the positive outcomes we design for our clients and how we help our community thrive. Metrics like client satisfaction, community engagement and improving people’s daily lives are most important.

What are the top one or two challenges / opportunities Nebraska startups face?

A significant challenge is the state’s cultural inclination towards traditional employment over entrepreneurial ventures — making it difficult to shift perceptions. Additionally, it feels like Nebraska’s stereotypical image can be a hurdle in attracting talent and securing external capital. And while our policy-makers continue to say they’re in full support of our entrepreneurs, they also continue to enact legislation that many perceive as making Nebraska less hospitable.

On the flip side, there’s a growing momentum in our startup ecosystem, and it feels like more supporters and funders from other cities and states are starting to take notice.

What is one emerging industry or technology that you believe will have a significant impact on the Nebraska startup ecosystem in the next few years?

I think Nebraska is the kind of place that’s going to have great success with the kinds of things that other places may overlook or think of as not “flashy” enough. Given our agricultural heritage and things like our expertise in infectious diseases, we are well-positioned to lead in areas like sustainable agriculture, water conservation, pandemic management or other healthcare innovations.