The ability to market Lincoln truly knows no boundaries, as the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development continues its exploration of Canada to market the city and its offerings. After attending the Collision Conference previously in 2019, LPED maintained a presence at this year’s conference in Toronto. Returning in person for the first time in three years, Collision saw nearly 35,000 people pack the Enercare Centre June 20-23 for what has been called “The Olympics of Tech” by Politico. 

One of the fastest growing tech conferences in North America saw over 600 featured speakers from Techstars, Wired, Ripple, MIT, Airbnb and many other companies and startups address the large crowds on a variety of topics, ranging from business innovation to cryptocurrency to journalism and virtually everything relating to technology and how it will affect the world’s future. 

Founders, CEOs and investors provided crash courses in how to kickstart a startup venture, who provided their wisdom and expertise by sharing their stories of failure and success. The ability to network and connect with new groups of people, back in person, proves to be a valuable enterprise when it comes to business expansion and finding out “what’s next” on the horizon for startups and entrepreneurs.

“The Collision Conference helps us spread the news about all of the great opportunities that exist for startups and individuals in Lincoln. We receive great feedback and interest about what we are doing, hopefully connecting new people to Lincoln and what they could do here,” says Kaylie Hogan-Schnittker, Director of Talent Strategy.

Startup attraction and retention continues to be a primary focus and success story for LPED, with the startup community in Lincoln becoming more diverse than ever before. It’s vital to bring new possibilities to the table and what better place to do it than with 35,000 people that may not be the most familiar with Lincoln. 

With Toronto remaining one of the hottest tech spots in North America, it acts as a model for which Lincoln is aspiring to in terms of investment, jobs and talent recruitment. Lincoln, as well as Nebraska as a whole, continue to grow and offer incredible opportunities for startups, setting records in the process. In 2021 alone, the total venture capital raised by Lincoln companies eclipsed $300 million, reflecting the exciting growth opportunities that exist on our “Silicon Prairie”. 

LPED continues to help startups through a variety of outlets, including the LaunchLNK program. By providing $25,000 grants, free professional services and connections to mentors and potential additional sources of investment, Lincoln’s infrastructure continues to grow and support a diverse startup climate. 

As live conferences and other similar gatherings return, LPED will continue to show attendees what their life could look like in Lincoln.