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HTI Labs fights human trafficking through research, technology, policy
An Omaha-based company using a data-driven approach to combat human trafficking recently raised funding to expand its crucially needed work to support law enforcement, victims and survivors of the practice. HTI Labs, a social enterprise corporation combating human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault through data-driven research and tech, has grown far larger than CEO…
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Companies find ways to fight hunger using technology in the Midwest
As food insecurity rates have nearly doubled in Nebraska since March, local food banks and community nonprofits have expanded their tech resources, and a new field of innovation is emerging to serve their needs. Since the onset of COVID-19 restrictions began in March, Nebraska’s yearly unemployment rate has risen from 3.1 to 5.2 percent, bringing…
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IO2020: the New Innovators’ Summit connects entrepreneurial community (and tickets are free this year)
Great ideas start with curiosity. Bringing those ideas to life is its own challenge. That’s what longtime entrepreneur Brian Ardinger believes, and that’s why he’s made it his mission to help Nebraska startup founders, business leaders and innovators solve those challenges. Ardinger is cofounder of InsideOutside.io, an innovation-focused resource network for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, enterprises,…
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Researchers at UNO and the University of Missouri create CHAOSS for open source communities (in a good way)
Over $1.6 million in grant funding has been awarded to a project started by researchers at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Missouri. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Mozilla, the Community Health Analytics Open Source Software (CHAOSS) project seeks to ensure a healthy future for open source software. …
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Developing Leadership When Things Are Not Good
Originally posted on the AIM Institute blog No one knows how the coronavirus pandemic will evolve, how long the economy will stay underwater, or even what recovery looks like. But the radical workplace upheaval and sudden ad hoc shift to remote technology over the past month suggest two truths: We need more tech talent. We…
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In midst of COVID-19, St. Louis-based GiftAMeal supports hungry people, restaurants
Andrew Glantz embodies the spirit of altruistic entrepreneurship. As a teen, Glantz served for 4 years as VP of the Southern California children’s charity Jr. Variety, planning fundraisers that obtained over $400,000 for various children’s causes. In college, he co-owned a nonprofit storefront promoting reuse and sustainability. And in October 2015, while still a junior…
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Hybrid85 passes profits onto farmers
At the very top of the Nebraska State Capitol building stands a 32-foot tall bronze statue of the Sower, a figure representing agriculture’s vital role in the development of modern civilization. Maybe it wasn’t the best fit for the state license plate, but the Sower is an undeniable symbol of Nebraska. According to the Nebraska…
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Weekly Funding Report
The Silicon Prairie had an excellent week as deals appear to be closing before the holiday rush. St. Louis and Minneapolis had strong weeks. And we had a big round in Oklahoma. The Zero Card of Tulsa which provides an interesting software solution to healthcare costs received significant outside funding – including participation from the…
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Funding Roundup for the Week of November 18th & 25th
This week we are writing a funding roundup that really covers one and ½ weeks to cover Thanksgiving week plus the week previous. During this time period, Chicago received a disproportionate amount of the funding dollars in the region. However, Omaha and Oklahoma City both had companies close out fund raising campaigns. Also, the region…
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FinTech Company, FinLocker, Raises Big Round
According to SEC filings, St. Louis based FinLocker has raised a $10.389 million round from the St. Louis Arch Angels and other undisclosed investors. FinLocker is a software tool for individual consumers seeking to improve their financial position and literacy. The company specifically helps aggregate a consumer’s financial data and then analyzes and recommends mortgage…