It was an amazing turnout for Lincoln’s recent Techstars Startup Weekend, with over 100 people participating in the 54-hour weekend from January 25-27 in the Capital City. The goal of the weekend was to pitch an idea for a business, form teams and get their business ready to launch within the three-day period.

The Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development continues to work in our community to cultivate what has become a vibrant scene for startup businesses. However, the road to business success often has many challenges. Whether it’s providing businesses with the resources to succeed or potential employees the education required to thrive, it’s vital to present opportunities to continue growth in our community.

Get your first customer. Get ten more customers. Repeat step two.

That was one snippet of advice from Hurrdat and opendorse Co-Founder and President Adi Kunalic to a receptive audience at Startup Grind X, one of the many events throughout Lincoln during its seventh edition of Techstars Startup Week. The October 25 event continued a week-long series of meetups, networking events, panels and other discussions aimed to the cultivation of the robust and powerful Lincoln startup community.

Throughout the week, events focused on the many aspects of beginning a startup business, maintaining it and eventually taking the next steps to grow it. For the seventh year in a row, the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development organized various events with the help of presenting sponsor Assurity. With events scattered around Lincoln at various venues such as Turbine Flats, The Barnyard, Fuse and elsewhere, the schedule presented opportunities to participate in both small group and larger group settings at different times throughout the day.

The Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development received a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for its Lincoln Economic Dashboard, a project in the category of Annual Report from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

As 2018 nears its conclusion, the economy continues to boom in the Lincoln area. With September drawing to a close, big announcements of expanded facilities and operations highlighted some notable success stories in the manufacturing and retail areas of business. 

From sporting goods to natural pet foods, aerospace products and renewable energy pursuits, these expansions show that business in Lincoln is enjoying incredible success and reaching for more. This continued and substantial investment in areas such as research and development, workplace renovation and in some cases, brand new buildings, sends the message that companies can extend their successes and carry forward with ambitious plans for their companies.

“We decided from an economic development perspective that it makes sense to look at recruiting startups for a variety of reasons,” said Christina Oldfather, LPED’s Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “We can have a broader impact with smaller companies.”

A record 511 students registered for this year’s edition of Nebraska Undergraduates Becoming Engineers (NUBE), which took place on August 16 and 17. The collaboration between the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development and the UNL College of Engineering gives students the opportunity to meet with faculty, peers and mentors within the college of engineering and also tour various industries throughout Lincoln.

The task of growing Nebraska truly knows no borders.

Trading with other countries continues to be a lucrative and vital proposition for Nebraska's economy, whether it's selling agriculture commodities or the fruits of manufacturing hours. Japan continues to be one of Nebraska's most important international trading partners as Governor Pete Ricketts, Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development investors and the state delegation welcomed Governor Toshizo Ido of Japan's Hyogo Prefecture to Lincoln last week.

Over 300 interns are participating in MyTern 2018, with employers from across the city sending their young and potential future employees to discover Lincoln. The interns get an opportunity to forge connections with one another and network, but they also get to see what Lincoln can offer them should they choose to make it home once they've decided to start their careers.

“Silicon Valley does not have a monopoly on innovation.”

Bernard Moon’s message to those at the annual Inside / Outside Innovation Summit seemed to be a fitting theme for three days of collaboration, collision and connection May 29-31 at the Graduate Hotel in downtown Lincoln. Moon, co-founder and partner at SparkLabs Group, was one of many leaders in the realm of startup and corporate innovation to share their message at Inside/Outside this year as the summit moved smoothly into its second year.

After launching in 2017, Inside/Outside organizer Brian Ardinger felt 2018’s edition was able to build on a successful start a year ago and pave the way for future growth for the summit.

The message of author and keynote speaker Scott Steinberg was simple for the hundreds of business leaders at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel at the 2018 Economic Development Breakfast on May 24. The latest Business Conditions Index compiled by the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bureau of Business Research shows that employment continues to grow for the Lincoln area as the population increases according to ongoing long-term trends.

Carlos Estrada has been selected as the new managing director of NMotion, an organization that guides startup founders through the critical stages of early company development.  NMotion is supported by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, Invest Nebraska, local companies and private investors.