July has come and gone, and with it, the Turbine Flats monthly social! Caleb Moore, of Play Creative Design, gave a presentation illustrating what he does on a daily basis.
“For the first half of the presentation I did a sort of Steve Job’s Press Conference impression and poked a bit of fun at some of the common pet peeves of working in a design job,” said Moore. “I then went on to show a bit of the work I do. I showed a few shirt designs, a website I had just wrapped up, and a website that I helped concept.”
At the end of April, the TFP welcomed the newest edition to the community. For over a decade, New Digital Group has been active in Internet application development, building web based markets from the ground up.
Ever read a college newspaper online? NDG was responsible for the application that helped bring college-based newspapers to the Web. Visit the Daily Nebraskan, the University of Nebraska’s news publication, to glimpse a view of their handiwork.
Recently, the company has turned their focus to social network development, building online forums for hobbyists and fans alike. Motortopia, a gathering place for auto enthusiasts, and Husker Locker, built for dedicated Cornhusker fans, are a few examples.
Thursday night found tenants and founders alike, gathered in the TFP commons. ISoft Data Systems gave a brief rundown of the current happenings in their firm. Brian Roy demonstrated and explained a piece of online auction software, followed by Brad Moore showcasing his work on the company wiki. Afterwards, the hobnobbing began! This was the first of what will become a monthly gathering here at the Turbine Flats Project.
There’s always something happening at the Turbine Flats Project! We were honored to be the springboard for Lateef Johnson and his brainchild, Deckerton™, a business referral software based on the concepts of social media.
The goal? To allow easy connectivity for small businesses and consumers… without the hassles of ineffective advertising and dollars down the drain.
“We’re completely focused on helping businesses find new customers, …” Lateef said. The idea behind the software? “Customers who love a business (or service) refer their friends to that business. The business gets a highly qualified lead without the costs of and complexity of advertising.”
Click HERE to view the Silicon Prarie write-up and video about Lateef Johnson and Deckerton™.
“The Mayor made the remarks at a news conference at Turbine Flats, a center for small and start-up businesses at 2124 “Y” Street. One of its founders, Matthew Wegener, is on the leadership council of the Young Professionals Group, a supporter of the arena project. The Mayor noted a number of the rankings relate to younger workers, entrepreneurship and small businesses.” Taken from http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/93689984.html.
Jump ahead to 5:45 to hear what Matthew had to say!
The 2010 Make it Happen Quick Pitch Competition was a huge success! Over 200 people attended this event in the Memorial Stadium skybox, which was a beautiful sight to see indeed. Students from all levels loved the experience they gained and the feedback from the judges. After following up with each of the competitors, over 90% of them plan to start their business in the future! The next generation of entrepreneurs will soon be on their way to the top!
Here are what a few judges from Turbine Flats had to say:
“Its great to see the Lincoln community providing an outlet for entrepreneurial activity” ~Jeff Runyan, Allied Strategy
“Seeing over 200 people participating in an entrepreneurial event is proof to those who say that there aren’t any ideas in Lincoln and Nebraska” ~Kevin Hagemoser, Turbine Flats
Prize money of $1000 went to each of the following winners: University Division
Landon Bailey – York College
Morgan Allen – UNL
Brittany Benson – UNL
Community College Division
Kimberly King – Southeast Community College
High School Division
DeVante King – Lincoln Entrepreneurship Focus Program
Tanner O’Dell – Lincoln Entrepreneurship Focus Program
Thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers, judges, and competitors who made this event happen. The Lincoln community truly benefited from this event and will for many years to come.
Summit (sŭm’ĭt): The highest point or part; the top. A summit can mean many things. Mainly when that word comes to mind it often refers to tall mountain peaks such as the Mt. Everest or K2. Summit, however, can also mean a conference of highest-level officials, which ties in perfectly with the 2010 Nebraska Summit for Entrepreneurship. This year the summit includes many great sessions and breakout sessions. The presence of Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken, CEO and President of Gallup are just a few names that will be a part of this wonderful annual event.
Sessions ranging from family business success to student perspectives on entrepreneurship will also be major contributors to the overall perspective of entrepreneurship. Turbine Flats intern Doug Fernaays will be one of the student speakers during the 3rd session at the Summit and will relate his experiences through his successful endeavors at Turbine Flats, the UNL Venture Plan Competition and SIFE. Other sessions include a six-person panel on success legacies within family business and the big picture of entrepreneurship by Bo Fishback, V.P. of Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation.
The 2010 Nebraska Summit on Entrepreneurship should be a intriguing experience and networking opportunity for all. For more information visit http://nebraskaentrepreneur.com/
On October 1st Turbine Flats hosted the Creative Capital Pitch Session and dealt out a $1,000 prize with no strings attached. This event was a huge success and helped bring many people out to Turbine Flats. Quick Pitches or elevator pitches, as more formerly known, give people the opportunity to present their business ideas and concepts to a panel of judges within a short period of time, usually 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
For more information on what an elevator pitch is visit:
Coming on February 25th will be the “2010 Make it Happen Student Quick Pitch Competition” hosted by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship. This competition is targeted towards students in Nebraska and plans to encourage entrepreneurship among the younger aged demographic. Judges from all fields of every industry will be present and most impressively it will take place in the Memorial Stadium Skyboxes. This event should be a great experience for all whether you are competing or observing. Applications are open to all high school, 2- and 4-year college students, and graduate students. To find out more information please go to entrepreneurship.unl.edu; Applications are due February 12th .
