The Nebraska Startup Academy (NSA) is an Omaha-based nonprofit that seeks to educate, connect and grow the state’s startup ecosystem. Launched in 2023, the organization offers free resources to founders such as curated curriculum, networking and mentorship meetups and opportunities for founders to pitch their startup products to industry leaders.

“People don’t realize that startup ecosystems and, honestly, venture capital, it’s not zero sum,” NSA Board Chair and Director of Technology John Grange said. “We need other venture capital investors, we need a bunch of founders, we need stuff to win, we need stuff to fail.”

Current NSA offerings:

• Open office hours that follow public gatherings such as 1 Million Cups Omaha and Idea Pub: Morning Edition. 
• An online platform for linking with other entrepreneurs, mapping out ecosystem providers and learning through guided modules. These courses cover topics such as customer discovery, fundraising and building a team. 
• A multipurpose coworking space based in Millwork Commons called The Grove.
• Events, such as the monthly speaker series Scale Omaha.
• Invite-only Corporate Pitch Days. NSA presents startup founders who have an available solution to corporations. The goal is to make industry leaders more aware of the startup scene and to foster pilots and partnerships. 

NSA Director of Entrepreneurship Alyssa Cave said the nonprofit has evolved to meet the needs and questions expressed by founders as they attempt to scale their businesses. While startups outside of Nebraska and the Midwest can join the platform, she said much of their content and introductions are geared toward high-growth founders in the region. 

Cave was the first full-time hire for the organization in July 2024. 

According to its recently released 2025 Impact Report, the NSA touts $200 million in cumulative economic impact in the state. Cave said the impact was calculated by tracking and measuring the progress of all the startups over the last three years who “touched the NSA.”

This includes new founders and career entrepreneurs who participated in the different initiatives the nonprofit leads as well as individuals who connected and collaborated with the NSA team at office hours and other meetups. Such companies have gone on to launch, scale and bring on new hires. 

History and impact

Grange said that the origins of NSA begin with his and NSA Executive Director Charlie Cuddy’s interest in initially launching a venture capital fund in Nebraska. On top of the COVID pandemic disrupting community-building initiatives, Grange said he and Cuddy saw a need among both local investors and entrepreneurs in startup education.

They launched MOVE VC in 2023 to invest in startups and also launched NSA that year to teach and connect the state’s startup hubs — growing more companies and founders to potentially join their portfolio and others’. 

While he noted that MOVE portfolio companies have participated in Corporate Pitch Days and may have a presence on the platform, Grange said NSA remains independently tasked with supporting the larger ecosystem. He said the nonprofit tries to act as a “catalyst,” pointing entrepreneurs to additional leaders and organizations to turn to for guidance and possible funds. 

NSA has been an impactful force in increasing the visibility of startups in the state, according to Shonna Dorsey, executive director of the Nebraska Tech Collaborative and Aksarben Scholarships and Internships through the Aksarben Foundation. She pointed to NSA leading the charge with Corporate Pitch Days, which have included Aksarben Foundation board members and executive committee companies hearing pitches. 

As the Aksarben Foundation has shifted its priorities to education and workforce development, Dorsey said it has been beneficial to have a source to turn to for strategic collaborations and directing youth to startup experiences. Both the Nebraska Tech Collaborative and NSA were sponsors of the 2025 Nebraska Startup Job Mixer. 

Dorsey praised the NSA for building “access points” for entrepreneurs and said Cave is a nominee for award recognition at the upcoming Nebraska Women in Tech Summit. 

Andover Analytics Founder and CEO Joshua Hample said he became aware of the NSA through the consistent presence of its team in the community, and he was invited to participate in a Corporate Pitch Day. He said he values the opportunities for camaraderie and honest feedback through NSA.

“Entrepreneurship is really hard and people try to do it alone,” Hample said. “(NSA) just gives people a place to realize that they are part of a community — they do belong.”

Grange said NSA is in the process of expanding its team and exploring more corporate engagement. NSA recently partnered with Werner Enterprises to create an accelerator program. 

Cave said founders can meet directly with team members during hosted office hours or community events to learn more about NSA’s offerings. She also pointed to the online platform, which requires a short application to join.