Hey, everybody! It’s Ben, again.

Before many of us spend the upcoming Fourth of July grilling hot dogs, sitting in lawn chairs and ignoring a certain family member’s inventive idea for how to Frankenstein together a firecracker, I wanted to share with you a startup story that I think embodies a bit of our country’s identity.

Immigify is a tech startup using artificial intelligence to try to improve a system that has been in the news quite a bit: immigration.

The company offers a digital platform and management dashboard that helps immigration consultants and businesses guide clients and employees through U.S. immigration pathways. They also have resources and support networks for individuals and students going through the process.

Co-founders Emma Olorunsheyi, Ayodeji Adesola and Diana Melendez have firsthand experience with the pain points surrounding immigration to the United States. Olorunsheyi and Adesola are experienced entrepreneurs from Nigeria. Melendez is a paralegal and consultant who helped Olorunsheyi on his own path to citizenship.

Together, the trio have found a supportive network in Omaha, which convinced them to move their operations previously in Oklahoma to Nebraska. Through their work and connections, they have recently announced the raise of an over $1 million pre-seed investment round. 

Beyond praising the assistance they received from ecosystem names such as NMotion and the Greater Omaha Chamber, Adesola said he has found inspiration from local startup stories such as Hudl, Workshop and Buildertrend. 

“It can be isolating if you didn’t grow up here in the United States, and just saying you want to start something, you can feel overwhelmed and alone,” Adesola said. “But seeing these great stories gives us that encouragement, and I say, ‘OK, let’s go do it.’”

Before celebrating America’s 250th birthday and getting your hands sticky with a s’more, click to see the full story on SPN.

Also, feel free to still add to our quick poll on the following question: If you could ask Nebraska venture capitalists one question, what would it be?