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Prairie Portrait

  • Prairie Portrait: Kristin Kenney of Polsinelli Shughart

    Silicon Prairie News: Given that you once doubted you’d join a big firm, what was it that drew you to Polsinelli Shughart? Kristin Kenney: Polsinelli is an entrepreneurial firm that values lawyers who think like business people. Although it’s now a large national firm, Polsinelli has remained headquartered in Kansas City and is committed to…

  • Prairie Portrait: Lucas Turner, Creighton University senior

    Silicon Prairie News: To what would you attribute your interest in social entrepreneurship? Can you pinpoint any particular individuals or experiences that sparked it? | Lucas Turner: I first became aware of social entrepreneurship as a potential career path after coming to Creighton. It sounded like the perfect major because it allowed my passions of…

  • Prairie Portrait: Shane Adams of AMC Theatres

    Silicon Prairie News: What’s the latest and greatest on the interactive marketing front at AMC? | Shane Adams: For the last couple of years, I’ve been working pretty hard on a project to completely overhaul the AMCTheatres.com site. We started first with the architecture. All our developers are in-house, and we’re using an agile methodology,…

  • Prairie Portrait: Ben Hanten of Ben’s Brewing Co.

    Silicon Prairie News: You spent several years in magazine publishing before opening Ben’s Brewing Co. What led to your decision to make such a significant career shift? | Ben Hanten: I don’t see publishing as being a lot different than running a bar. Both types of businesses need to be run like a campaign in…

  • Prairie Portrait: Katie Weiler, Drake University senior

    Silicon Prairie News: What were your main takeaways from the Big Dream Gathering last week at Drake? | Katie Weiler: I love the connections that are made at Big Dream Gatherings. We had someone who wanted to learn Hebrew who was able to connect with someone who speaks it fluently. There as also a woman…

  • Prairie Portrait: Wade Steenhoek of Central College

    Silicon Prairie News: What are the biggest challenges you face in helping cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among college students? | Wade Steenhoek: Students often mistakenly think that entrepreneurship is reserved for someone else and question their own place in this space. Part of my role is to establish competence in starting a new venture but…

  • Prairie Portrait: Abby Goltz of Banno

    Silicon Prairie News: What were the biggest challenges you encountered last year moving from a job in the advertising industry to your current gig with Banno? | Abby Goltz: I would say the biggest challenge was just learning and working in a completely different niche. I went from proof reading disclaimers and pulling manufacturer incentives…

  • Prairie Portrait: Kaylee Williams of VolunteerLocal

    Silicon Prairie News: What are the most important lessons about being a community builder you’ve learned in your eight months at Volunteer Local? | Kaylee Williams: I think most importantly, know your product. Know its strengths and weaknesses. That’s important. Second, know your competitors. My first project for VolunteerLocal was to complete in-depth reviews of…

  • Prairie Portrait: Matt Barr of VoterTide

    Silicon Prairie News: What led to your decision to join the team at RockDex? | Matt Barr: The offer fell into my lap at the right time and in the right way. I had gained general software lifecycle and project management skills while working at Kiewit, and when I moved on to LeaseTeam I was…

  • Prairie Portrait: Beka Doolittle of The Pink Store

    Silicon Prairie News: For those who aren’t familiar with The Pink Store’s origins, what’s the story behind the business? | Beka Doolittle: I was living in a house with our three teenage boys and my hubby when the idea for The Pink Store came to me. I knew I wasn’t the only one who loves…