Invest Nebraska, a nonprofit venture development organization that supports entrepreneurs, was accepted into the 2026 Microsoft TechSpark Community Engagement Fellowship. Invest Nebraska seeks to better fulfill technology and business training needs for rural entrepreneurs through the program.

The Microsoft TechSpark program launched in 2017 to encourage economic investments and job opportunities for rural and remote communities. This involves increasing access to advanced technology and related skillsets. Microsoft emphasized topics such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Microsoft TechSpark Fellows launched in 2023 with the aim of collaborating with regional organizations. There are 24 nonprofit organizations in the 2026 TechSpark Fellows. 

“Our goal is to create jobs where people are,” Microsoft TechSpark General Manager Mike Egan said. “(Invest Nebraska is) creating jobs — they’re creating startups that really work and stay there in the community.”

The 2026 TechSpark Fellows receive $45,000 in funding to support their respective goals on top of guided training on Microsoft offerings.

Invest Nebraska Ecosystem Manager Jessica Rudolph said she is taking on the organization’s leading role of “fellow” for the TechSpark program. This involves participating in virtual training sessions, working directly with a Microsoft TechSpark coach and spreading teachings to Nebraska founders and stakeholders. Rudolph said she is also developing a case study to present on how local startups are using AI. 

“Really, it’s just encouraging our entrepreneurs to learn more about AI to possibly help them grow their business,” Rudolph said. 

Invest Nebraska said it will be focusing on agtech founders and rural communities through this program. Both The Combine, based in Lincoln, and Intersect Coworking and Incubator, based in Norfolk, will be directly involved. 

The Combine is a startup incubator that targets high-growth food and agtech industry founders with commercialization assistance, expert mentorship and professional networking. Intersect is a co-working space that offers business-focused programming and community-building events, such as 1 Million Cups Norfolk. 

This is the second year Microsoft has selected Invest Nebraska for its TechSpark initiative. From 2024 to 2025, the collaboration enabled Intersect to hire Ryan Ruff, its entrepreneur in residence, and launch the Rural Tech Entrepreneur Program — an incubator giving rural founders curriculum, guidance and tools to develop and scale their ideas. 

Ruff said Intersect will continue its Rural Tech Entrepreneur Program, including its $500 financial incentive for participants who complete the lessons. He said this iteration of the incubator has evolved to a flexible office-hours format. He added that its focus has moved to teaching “innovation” skills to both early founders and the teams of local businesses.

“(These skills) could be applied through entrepreneurship, starting your own company, but it also could be applied through intrapreneurship, where you help your company to come up with new initiatives, new strategies or either save money or make more money as an organization,” Ruff said. 

Upon the completion of this fellowship, Egan said Microsoft will work to move Invest Nebraska into its newly created alumni program to keep them connected in their network for further resource exchanges and access.

Interested participants in Intersect’s programming can either apply online or stop in during Innovation Office Hours. Interested applicants for The Combine can apply here.