The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Center for Entrepreneurship selected 23 student entrepreneurs for the inaugural cohort of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator. The initiative empowers entrepreneurial students from across the university through a comprehensive approach to supporting them on their entrepreneurial journeys, combining individualized development plans, and providing access to exclusive resources and structured peer groups.

"This inaugural cohort is full of go-getters, builders, doers and innovators. They're solving real problems that will positively impact the State of Nebraska and beyond," said Mallory Krenk, student engagement and recruitment coordinator for the Center for Entrepreneurship. "This cohort represents six colleges on campus. There’s power in bringing students from diverse backgrounds and skill sets together, and we’re fortunate to provide programming that connects them."

The accelerator features a $1,000 scholarship and a unique combination of resources, experts and programming. Students can opt to receive college credit for their participation.

"Participants benefit from an individualized developmental plan that caters to each person's unique leadership and entrepreneurial journey. It connects each student to carefully curated, exclusive resources and experts designed to support and grow a business or innovation. The program also utilizes structured peer groups to elevate communication and collaboration skills, while promoting business progress," said Lindsay Thomsen, assistant professor of practice in management and director of business development for the Center for Entrepreneurship. "This unique and holistic approach leads to a supportive environment filled with exclusive opportunities to build a business and valuable connections."

Some of the exclusive opportunities include visiting with local businesses, workshops and programs that provide assistance and feedback for creating prototypes, learning about funding options, establishing legal entities, developing marketing strategies, sourcing talent and planning for expansion.

Each student will be paired with a mentor who volunteers with the center or serves as one of the center’s Community Fellows. Community Fellows are a group of nearly 60 successful entrepreneurs who impact the university's students in a variety of ways throughout the academic year.

“We paired their mentors based on the needs students indicated in their application. All have a proven track record in providing exemplary mentoring and coaching to students through our past competitions and programming,” said Krenk.

The Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator stands apart from other startup accelerator programs by being primarily tailored to undergraduate students, operating on an academic calendar and offering scholarships without requiring equity investments. The center plans to continue evolving and expanding the program, with ambitions to offer even larger scholarships in the future to attract top talent.

"We’re confident that this program can be a tool for recruiting and retaining the best entrepreneurial students to Nebraska. Our goal is to connect them to the economic fabric of Nebraska and ensure they continue to impact our local economy long after they graduate," said Thomsen. "Offering impactful scholarships to this group of top talent will be key to making that goal a reality. We're counting on the support of our incredibly generous community to raise funds so we can offer $3,000-$5,000 annual scholarships per student in this program in the future."

The first cohort of the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator for the 2024-25 school year, with their year in school in the fall 2024 semester and academic major(s), are:

NEBRASKA

Arapahoe: Reilley Einspahr, senior finance

Cozad: Dante Dyches-Chandler, junior data science

Fremont: Adelaide Witte, junior agribusiness

Gothenburg: Seth Daup, senior finance (Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management)

Grand Island: Carlos Ferrer-Moya, junior business administration

Lincoln: Flor Bescansa Luers, senior anthropology; Michael Endacott, senior computer science; Joseph Flodman, sophomore undeclared; Joseph Lacey, senior emerging media arts; Lena Lankas, senior computer science (Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management); Yamen Seanwan, senior business administration; Mitch West, sophomore advertising and public relations

North Platte: Ethan Munson, senior management (entrepreneurship)

Omaha: Judith Gelber, Ph.D. student in leadership studies

Petersburg: Seth Wright, senior agribusiness

Pleasant Dale: Cheyenne Prentice, senior international business

Syracuse: Madison Kreifels, senior agricultural and environmental sciences communications

ELSEWHERE

Scottsdale, Arizona: Sam McCracken, senior Clifton Builders management

Buffalo Grove, Illinois: Alex Swidler, senior management (entrepreneurship); Ben Swidler, senior management (entrepreneurship)

Bloomington, Minnesota: Frank Arth, sophomore finance; Jackson Donley, sophomore management

Babira, Iraq: Taz Blasiny, junior management