The chamber’s annual meeting included a presentation from labor consulting firm Lightcast about Omaha’s challenges and opportunities. Still, the meeting focused on uplifting and celebrating the local business community to chart a way to revitalization.

Six of the 33 companies that won 2026 AE50 awards are in Nebraska. The strong showing is a win for Nebraska’s investment in agtech, including with resources like The Combine and Grit Road Partners. Advocates see this as the start of the state’s agtech journey, with more resources needed to maintain momentum.

Mikuls, the executive director of Ignite Nebraska, learned how to lead and solve problems with a startup mindset when founding Swishboom. The child care startup shuttered in 2023, but she found her skills can also work in the nonprofit world and help Nebraska in other ways.

UNO and UNMC innovation looks up despite rocky federal research funding as startups supported by UNeMed continue to make headway with FDA approvals and new products on the market.

Global fintech company Telcoin received the final charter approval on Nov. 12 from Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance. Pointing to policies such as the Nebraska Financial Innovation Act, experts said the digital asset industry is one of caution and economic opportunity for the state.

The Greater Omaha Chamber’s new conference guided participants across the nonprofit, business and government sectors on how best to grow and retain the city’s workforce. Breakouts spanned leadership development, data-led decision- making and how to better understand talent pipelines.

The $6,000 prize was split among three winning teams from the Oct. 6 JumpStart pitch competition, held as part of SPSW in Lincoln.