It’s been a couple of weeks since Silicon Prairie Startup Week and the team is still reflecting on our favorite parts of SPSW 2025. This year SPSW featured more than 30 events between Lincoln and Omaha. Keep reading to see highlights from the SPN team.

Ani’s highlight

My biggest takeaway from SPSW was the power of collaboration and rapid problem-solving when people with different skill sets come together. Throughout the week, I saw how Nebraska’s startup community thrives on shared ideas, experimentation and openness to feedback. Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens when founders, students and the ecosystem come together to roll up their sleeves and build together.

That spirit came to life during Break Through Weekend: Short and (S)crappy, the final event of SPSW. Working alongside other participants to tackle problems and prototype solutions with Codebuddy’s rIDE programming platform reminded me how creativity flourishes under pressure. We brainstormed, coded, laughed and pitched — all in a short window of time. My favorite part: It’s always fun to see how people from different backgrounds can come together to solve a problem, whether it’s silly or not.

Ben’s highlight

When writing stories for SPN, sometimes we only see the interesting lab, makerspace or startup office through a laptop screen during a video interview. So I think the most memorable moment for me was getting the opportunity to finally tour the Nebraska Innovation Studio in Lincoln. 

From the passionate creatives showcasing their robotics and leatherworking skills to the heavy machinery that went above and beyond what I picked up from Bob the Builder — the Nebraska Innovation Studio: 10 Years in the Making event really highlighted what cool things are being made in the state by local experts, artisans and students. 

It was hard not to feel inspired to finally learn what the other tools in my toolbox are used for besides the screwdriver (pretty self explanatory). 

Lev’s highlight

As a new person to Nebraska and the entrepreneurship scene here, it was great to really see the startup community in action during SPSW. There was a mix of familiar faces, new faces and people who I might have seen around but hadn’t talked to yet. But everyone interacted as equals and were committed to making Nebraska better tomorrow than it is today.

And through events like the 10 Hour Challenge, the JumpStart Challenge, and the SPSW Pitch Competition, it was awesome to see the startup muscles really flex. It’s one thing to talk about ideation or pitch decks, and another to actually witness the hard work and adrenaline that drives innovation. So kudos to all the folks who put themselves out there — and I’m looking forward to seeing the continued success of this ecosystem.

Stef’s highlight

My favorite part about SPSW is meeting so many founders for the first time and learning about what they’re building. It’s a reminder of just how much activity there is in the Nebraska ecosystem. Running the pitch competition gives me a front row seat to that momentum.

This year, 44 founders submitted their Nebraska-based business to the pitch competition, which was sponsored by Open Range. From the initial pool, 20 companies were invited to participate in the Startup Showcase and connect with the public. 

The five founders that make it to the pitch finale at Millwork Commons in front of an audience have already been through multiple rounds of judging, including a semifinal round that afternoon. This year’s semifinal judges were Alyssa Cave, Joe Petsick, Josafina Loza and Nancy Williams.

The finalists competed for a $10,000 grand prize in front of a separate panel of judges. The founders get more time to pitch at each stage in order to provide more in-depth details and time for answering judges’ questions. The 2025 final judges were Brian Ardinger, Malinda Williams and Stephanie Kidd. The audience also had an opportunity to vote for the people’s choice winner to receive a $2,500 cash prize.

I’m so inspired by the grit, resilience and ingenuity of founders in Nebraska. Every founder that participated should be incredibly proud of their efforts!

Preparing for SPSW 2026

Thank you again to the hundreds of people who came out to support SPSW at events in Lincoln and Omaha. An extra thank you to our sponsors, partners, event hosts and presenters. This community effort wouldn’t be possible without our community. The 2026 dates will be announced soon. We’re already working on the programming and incorporating your feedback to make next year even better.

Stay tuned! And be sure to reach out if you have ideas or want to get involved in 2026.