Moderators: Coyote, nebugeater, Brad, Omaha Cowboy, BRoss
I think this thing is about to take off for Omaha. I think it will be great in the next few years as this thing grows to start having multiple locations for the speakers downtown. They did have a free concert for the attendees at The Slowdown which I think is a great addition.Ross Boettcher WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:The conference drew more than 500 attendees from 20 states and three countries to downtown Omaha.
Huffingtom Post wrote:Lots of attention, research and many-a blog post are devoted to the question, "How do you build a successful startup?" Indeed, this is one of a number of questions (and answers) we are pursuing at the Kauffman Foundation, where I work.
Just as important, and likely a fundamental component of the answer to the above, is the question "How do you develop an entrepreneurial community?" Rigorous network analyses and research are being performed to provide insight in this area, but sometimes a cup of joe and some experience help too.
A few weeks ago the Kauffman Foundation sponsored Big Omaha, a popular annual conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. I hosted a breakfast bright and early one morning for a number of the speakers from around the country along with local entrepreneurs and business leaders to have an informal discussion on entrepreneurial community building...
Big Omaha and its namesake city are prime examples of a community consciously changing itself. The team at Silicon Prairie News, the universities, big companies, the media, the government and the workforce are working to build a culture. I believe all of the national speakers attending the conference agree: communities around the country can take notes from Omaha. The city is a model for developing a community that is critical to the success of new companies.
