Jeff Slobotski

  • Announcing major support of SPN from the Kauffman Foundation

    The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation today announced major sponsorship of Silicon Prairie News in order to rapidly increase our organization’s presence in Kansas City, where the Kauffman Foundation …

  • We’re hiring: Speaker Manager

    At Silicon Prairie News, we believe events are more than what happens on the stage. They’re an experience, and from the moment attendees purchase a ticket to the time they depart the venue, our aim is to deliver a unique and engaging experience. We take that same approach when it comes to working with the…

  • We’re hiring: SPN Community Builder in Kansas City

    In the midst of our ongoing efforts to tell the stories of the region’s startups, creatives and entrepreneurs, we’re extremely excited to announce a new chapter in our own story: Silicon Prairie News is hiring for the position of Community Builder in Kansas City. Our mission is simple – build creative startup communities – and…

  • SPN Out & About: Visiting San Francisco August 1-3

    Next Wednesday, Dusty Reynolds, the director of innovation and entrepreneurship for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and I will touch down in San Francisco for three days of meetings with entrepreneurs and investors in the area. Though we’re based in the Midwest, it’s important to continue conversations and develop new relationships with other key…

  • Five key points from the Silicon Prairie Stories panel at TechWeek

    I participated Monday in a Chicago TechWeek panel titled “Stories from the Silicon Prairie: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Outside of the Valley.” I was joined by Naithan Jones of AgLocal, Thad Langford of Open Air Equity Partners, Ben Milne of Dwolla and Greg Kratofil of Polsinelli Shughart, who served as our panel’s moderator. This was…

  • SPN Out & About: Chicago for TechWeek

    This afternoon I’ll be joining a group of Prairie All-Stars for a panel discussion during Techweek 2012 in Chicago. The session takes place at 3 p.m. at The Merchandise …

  • Congratulations to Slowdown on five amazing years

    It’s hard to believe but Saddle Creek Records’ physical manifestation, Slowdown, in Omaha’s North Downtown district just turned five years old. Slowdown began in 2000 as an idea to start a rock venue, the club’s website explains. Jason Kulbel and Robb Nansel first sought to renovate a space in downtown Omaha to give the city…

  • Fast Company honors faces familiar to the Silicon Prairie community

    We’re thrilled to see Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” list released on Monday. This year’s list features four faces familiar to the Silicon Prairie community as introduced to us through Big Omaha and Thinc Iowa over the last year. …

  • Four years in, reflecting on the Big Omaha community

    It’s hard to believe that we’re days away from the fourth year of Big Omaha. It seems like just yesterday we were debating about hosting an event, fondly something similar to an “Omaha Web 2.0 / Social Media” conference. I for one am glad that we decided on the name “Big Omaha” instead of the…

  • Help us welcome a founder, a chef and a journalist to Big Omaha

    We’re super excited to introduce to you to two more Big Omaha 2012 presenters and our emcee. Please help us welcome Sahil Lavingia, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most buzzed about startups, Gumroad, and Eddie Huang, the dynamic young chef and budding media personality behind …