The second annual Silicon Prairie Startup Week is officially underway! Events on Monday and Tuesday take place in Lincoln. Registration is appreciated, but not required. Come out and join the celebration!

Silicon Prairie Startup Week is only a few days away with events, including the second annual SPSW Startup Showcase and Pitch Competition, happening Oct. 6-11. Judges will select five finalists from the group of 20 startups to pitch live for a $10,000 grand prize immediately following the showcase on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

The event, hosted by Don’t Panic Labs on Sept. 27, was part of Silicon Prairie Startup Week. Participants who go on to pitch for the JumpStart Challenge on Oct. 6 will compete for two $2,500 prizes as part of industry challenges and a $1,000 wild card category prize.

The 10-week pre-accelerator provides early-stage founders access to courses, workshops and mentoring from industry experts in the global Techstars network. This opportunity for Nebraska founders is available due to Greater Omaha’s inclusion in Techstars Startup Community Partnerships.

A new assessment launching at HUSTLE is designed to give leaders insight into how they guide teams and drive outcomes. Developed at Creighton University with researcher Sangeeta Badal, the Entrepreneurial Leadership Profile will also shape the school’s entrepreneurship minor.

A new $2.5 million co-working and business incubator space hopes to create more job opportunities in this rural community. Combined with two colleges and a rush of new housing, that’s an opportunity to keep students local and, perhaps, reverse a decades-long population trend.

The SPN Ecosystem Project is a multimedia series tracing key players, startups and events that have shaped Nebraska’s entrepreneurial landscape since the early 2000s. This installment spotlights Karen Borchert, founder and CEO at Alpaca.

Earlier this month, Lincoln-based Don’t Panic Labs, a software product company, laid off 19% of its staff following the “sudden cancellation” of a major initiative at one of the firm’s partner organizations, according to company leadership. The staff reduction largely impacted software engineers and developers.

Makers Street in Omaha’s Old Market offers a shared storefront where local makers can sell handmade goods without the cost of running a store alone. Since opening in June, the collective has become a launchpad for small businesses and a draw for residents and visitors alike.

Silicon Prairie Startup Week is back, Oct. 6-11, with another combined regional celebration of the Nebraska startup community, featuring events in Lincoln and Omaha. New for 2025: Each day, events will be held at a single location to make it easier for attendees to navigate. Keep reading to see what else is in store.