The University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK) Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development celebrated business leaders and the next generation of innovative talent at the 2025 Light It Up Awards Ceremony on April 22. Nominees and winners ranged from business owners and mentors to students seeking to grow their own ventures. 

Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development Director Sara Bennett said the Light It Up Awards are a way to showcase the work and impact of local entrepreneurs. She said nominees were submitted through an open nomination process and selected by an external panel of judges. She emphasized that the entrepreneurial journey can feel lonely to founders and students alike, so she said this event is a way to bring the community together, support one another and network. 

“On a localized level, there might be chamber awards or things of that nature, but how can we elevate the impact?” posed Bennett. “Also, how can UNK be more proactive in terms of creating awareness and opportunity in other communities? This is one way to do that.”

The 2025 awards and recipients included:

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• Student Entrepreneur Award: Alexis Bernthal and Klayton Pagel, co-founders of TheraText
• Emerging Entrepreneur Award: Drew Aldinger, founder of Raven Tech LLC
• Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award: Dusty Birge, founder of Fast Forward
• Entrepreneurship Advocate Award: Alisha Juelfs from Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (E3)
• Alumni Entrepreneur Award: Alexi Wellman, founder of Altaba

Bernthal, a senior at UNK, said the recognition from the award and the overall community have been meaningful in her goal of building up her company, TheraText. She co-founded the note-taking software company for therapists and counselors with fellow Student Entrepreneur Award winner Pagel. She said the two are planning on continuing to work on TheraText after graduation while also pursuing job opportunities. 

Bernthal said she appreciated the resources and networks in Kearney that helped her throughout her burgeoning entrepreneurial journey, such as Big Idea Kearney and Startup Studio. She also thanked mentors like Bennett and Fast Forward Founder and CEO Birge. 

“I think the biggest thing that I love about UNK is the people are willing to help if you approach them,” said Bernthal. “When you get that type of support…that kind of motivates me to want to do better and build something successful. So, hopefully someday I can also give back to the community that’s given so much to me.”

Bennett said UNK plans to host the awards again next year and that nominations typically open mid-March.

You can read descriptions of the awards and the full list of 2025 nominees here.