Upcoming event series are designed to provide up-close access to leaders from the tech and startup ecosystem in Nebraska. Tech Talks, a new speaker series from Tech Nebraska, will convene top CTOs and CIOs to shed insight on trends shaping the future of the tech industry. Starting with the March event, Nebraska Startup Academy will lead the production of Scale Omaha events and continue the fireside chat format. The event will now take place in The Ashton at Millwork Commons.
Tech Talks
Tech Talks is a speaker series that highlights some of Nebraska’s top CTOs and CIOs and their insights on industry trends and challenges. The first event is happening on Tuesday, March 25, and features Werner Executive Vice President and CIO Daragh Mahon.
The event is free for Tech Nebraska Members and $20 for non-members.
Tech Nebraska is an organization dedicated to connecting and growing Nebraska’s tech industry and workforce through networking opportunities, educational resources and advocating for or against policy.
Tech Nebraska Executive Director Laurel Oetken said the series is also an opportunity for the next generation of technology leaders to discover what opportunities are available in Nebraska and what potential career maps they could follow. She said students of two-year and four-year programs, as well as emerging high school students, can get in for free.
“I think there’s always a need for more transparency as a state of how we continue to elevate technology and innovation,” said Oetken. “Accessibility in the state of Nebraska is always something people talk about, so we are making some of those tech leaders more accessible to the general community.”
Scale Omaha Powered by The Nebraska Startup Academy
Scale Omaha was originally co-founded by Jake Burklund and Craig Heron as a regular event to bring the community together and interview prominent members of Nebraska’s startup ecosystem. Heron said the pair wanted to use storytelling as a means to counter the narrative that entrepreneurs have to leave the state to build a successful company.
Nebraska Startup Academy is an organization that seeks to lower the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs and startup founders through events and specialized curriculum available on its online platform.
NSA volunteered to take on Scale Omaha as Burklund and Heron decided to focus on their own personal ventures and careers. The series will now be called Scale Omaha Powered by NSA, and the events will be located at The Ashton at Millwork Commons instead of Modus Coworking.
NSA Executive Director Charlie Cuddy said he hopes to grow the impact and reach of the Scale Omaha community under the leadership of NSA.
The next Scale Omaha Powered by NSA event is scheduled for Thursday, March 20 featuring Mike Jung, managing partner at Grit Road Partners. It is free and open to the public.
