NMotion powered by gener8tor kicked off the spring accelerator with its newest cohort by touring community spaces around Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Last Thursday, the six companies in the accelerator visited with several Omaha startups, including Quantum Qool, Workshop, Entry Envy and Elevator. 

The startups in the NMotion cohort are: Nebraska-based Kool Kapz, Leadfoot Analytics, Login.Health and Veer; Iowa-based NarrateAR; and Oklahoma-based Immigify. 

NMotion is a startup accelerator in Nebraska that invests $100k for 7.5% equity in each selected company. Participants receive one-on-one coaching, networking opportunities and access to additional resources and services. The program occurs twice a year in the spring and fall, runs for 12 weeks and is industry and business model agnostic.

Scott Henderson, NMotion managing principal and general partner of gener8tor Great Plains Fund I, said he believes in the significance of founders discussing the realities of running a company. Henderson said he introduces the cohort to startups in Nebraska — some of these startups being NMotion graduates — because he sees it as a way for the community to apply lessons learned and support one another. 

“I don’t want founders to tell the story they tell on stage,” said Henderson. “I want them to share what they would say backstage behind the curtain.”

Meet the cohort

The Spring 2025 cohort includes six companies in a range of industries and markets:

• Immigify: A platform that utilizes AI to streamline the process for skills-based migration to the United States and speeds up the immigration workflow for both employers and employees. The team includes Emma Olorunsheyi, Ayodeji Adesola and Diana Melendez. 

• Kool Kapz: Patent-pending head cooling technology that can fit into a variety of headwear to improve safety during recreational and work activities outdoors. Founded by Chuck Christenson. 

• Leadfoot Analytics: Software that incorporates AI to help automotive services and repair centers automate back office operations. Co-founded by Joe Toscano and Alex Rapp. 

• Login.Health: A platform that enables users to access, manage and share personal health records in a single, secure space while navigating the healthcare system. The team includes Jon Rhoades, Chase Francl and Jeff Stafford. 

• NarrateAR: An EdTech startup that utilizes AI to personalize learning for students with disabilities, keep them engaged and adapt for their needs. The team includes Karri Haen Whitmer, Ph.D, Christopher Whitmer, Ph.D, and Vikas Jyoty. 

• Veer: A platform that simplifies home healthcare operations by assisting providers with scheduling, mapping routes and managing staff. The team includes Mollie Cox, Natalie Beard and Scott Foster. 

“NMotion powered by gener8tor identified over 1,500 prospective startups and received a record-setting 239 applications from across the country for the program,” said the accelerator in a provided press release. “The six selected companies were chosen based on their growth potential and investor readiness.” 

Finding a sense of community

While visiting with founders of the Omaha community, cohort members heard insights on a variety of topics regarding the startup journey. Subjects ranged from honing pitches and pivoting directions in order to find customers, to understanding the struggles of co-founding a company with a significant other and maintaining a work-life balance. 

“You just can’t explain how fast it moves,” said Entry Envy Founder and NMotion Graduate Jennifer Lea. “I don’t remember what it was exactly like to be in their shoes right now, but I remember how much it meant when we talked to so many founders that had companies that were farther along than we were at the time.”

Beyond the ups and downs of running a company, founders also brought attention to the opportunities and limitations that exist in Nebraska. These included the innovation infrastructure within the state, such as growing robotics programs, as well as the struggles with retaining technical talent. 

Following a presentation at Quantum Qool’s lab and office space, Co-founder and NMotion Graduate Kent Campbell said young talent coming out of the Nebraska universities didn’t have to go elsewhere to experience interesting work in tech and engineering. 

During the Scale Omaha gathering later in the evening, Workshop Co-founder Ben Stevinson said Nebraska needs to do a better job highlighting these opportunities to encourage students and tech talent not to move out of the state. He argued that the current pool of skilled programmers is only going to get smaller otherwise. 

Cohort members shared their appreciation for the founders’ candor and encouragement.

“A lot of people get caught up in the overnight success stories, but so many of them are multiple years in the making,” said Veer CTO Scott Foster. “To be able to resonate with the trials and tribulations that they went through really inspires and gives us confidence as founders ourselves.”