For 40 years, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Center for Entrepreneurship has helped students turn ideas into businesses and build relationships that support them long after graduation. Founded in 1986 and housed in the College of Business, the center was one of the nation's first dedicated entrepreneurship centers. Today, Nebraska ranks No. 35 globally and No. 1 in Nebraska on the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine’s list of the Top 50 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs.
To celebrate four decades of entrepreneurship at Nebraska, the center invites alumni, entrepreneurs, mentors, donors, and friends to a 40th anniversary celebration during the Nebraska Business Alumni Tailgate on Saturday, Nov. 21.
"Please join us as we celebrate the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship’s legacy over four decades," said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business. "I hope entrepreneurs who graduated from the university and those who took one or more of our entrepreneurship classes, competed in our competitions, provided financial support, mentored our students or judged in a competition will join us in celebrating this milestone."
The center connects students from across the university with entrepreneurship courses, competitions, mentoring, cohort programs, venture funding and specialized experiences in family business and the newly established Hogan Franchise Leadership Program.
“We meet students wherever they are in their entrepreneurial journey,” said Sam Nelson, Bauermeister Family Presidential Chair in Entrepreneurship, director of the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship and professor of practice in management. “Whether they have an idea they want to pursue or they simply want to learn more about entrepreneurship, there is a place for them.”
The College of Business offers a management major with a track in entrepreneurship and innovation, an entrepreneurship minor for business majors and a separate entrepreneurship minor for students in other majors. Online graduate entrepreneurship courses are also offered in the Master of Business Administration program.
"The Center for Entrepreneurship was an important organization in my life. It helped me stay in school because I felt like I had a place on campus to follow my passions. My company wouldn't exist without the support I received from the center and the relationships I made still play a role in our continued success today," said Lizz Whitacre, '17, owner and founder of Pawlytics software.
That community is central to the center's work.
Collaboration
"Our goal is to create a community where students can learn from each other, faculty, staff, alumni and find the resources they need to take that next step," Nelson said. "The Center for Entrepreneurship provides knowledge through our entrepreneurship courses, skills learned through the co-curricular competitions, and connections with alumni, entrepreneurs, peers and mentors across the university and in the greater entrepreneurial ecosystem."
The Entrepreneurship Catalysts program introduces first-year students from across the university to entrepreneurship through a yearlong cohort experience. The Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator works with student entrepreneurs across campus as they develop and grow their ventures. Both cohort programs provide scholarships, weekly hands-on experiences, access to entrepreneurs and business leaders, and a built-in community.
"The cohorts were the missing component that helped us connect with more students, and they help spread the word about the center and all we offer," Nelson said.
Competitions
Students can get involved through the 3-2-1 Quick Pitch competition, which gives them three minutes to pitch an idea to volunteer judges.
"This is a great way to start as it’s low barrier, with no need for a business plan or presentations materials. Students pitch in different areas of Hawks Hall pitching an idea to entrepreneurs, alumni and friends, who help mentor them during this competition," Nelson said.
The center also hosts one of the nation's longest-running New Venture Competitions, which will undergo a transformation in its 40th year this spring.
"Last year, the New Venture Competition drew a record 84 applications this year, with 64 teams representing 46 majors across the university competing for more than $80,000 in donor-funded awards," Nelson said. "This year we plan to revamp it to allow for even more university students to compete."
Seniors from Bloomington, Minnesota, Jackson Donley, a management major, and Frank Arth, a business administration and finance major, co-founded SomeGuys Services, a window-cleaning company. Part of the first Accelerator cohort, they won the New Venture Competition before taking the top prize in the Advanced Traction Bracket last year. They had a successful exit from the company in August 2026 and are focusing on graduating in May.
"The center gives students opportunities to actually build businesses, not just learn about them in a classroom. Its biggest value has been the community of mentors, staff and other students who encourage you to ask questions, try things and keep learning," Donley said, who plans to start his next business venture soon. "The center connected us with mentors we could turn to for advice about business and life, and gave us opportunities to compete for funding that helped us keep building. The money was valuable, but the relationships and support meant even more."
Community and Campus Fellows
Students can also build connections with entrepreneurs and business leaders through the center's Community and Campus Fellows, who share their expertise as guest speakers, mentors and competition judges.
“Our Community Fellows help our students expand their entrepreneurial knowledge and build meaningful networks with people across Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Because we know entrepreneurs come from all backgrounds, our Campus Fellows help us to connect with students and collaborators across the university,” said Amanda Metcalf, director of operations and external relations for the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship. “Through mentoring, guest speaking in classes and at special events, and judging competitions, these leaders help prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs and contribute to Nebraska’s economic future.”
Hands-On Experience
In partnership with the University of Nebraska Foundation and Invest Nebraska, the center oversees the student-led Husker Venture Fund. Built alumni and university supporters, the fund gives students hands-on investment experience while awarding funding to early-stage Nebraska-based startups.
“I not only learned about venture capital, but also how to build something I was passionate about. This is an unparalleled leadership experience that prepares alumni to work at top-tier venture funds, high-growth startups, accelerators and Fortune 500 companies,” said Emily Kist, ’22, one of the fund’s founders.
Support from the Abel family helps the center prepare students to lead and grow family-owned companies.
"Students with a family business apply to enroll in a course to learn about governance, leadership, resolving conflict and planning for succession, and the challenges and opportunities that come with working in a family enterprise,” Nelson said.
The newly named Hogan Franchise Leadership Program, established through a gift from Paul, '85, and Lori Hogan, expands opportunities for students in any major to learn about franchising and gain experience through franchise courses, experiential learning, internships, and the Husker Franchise Club. Students explore the franchise model, connect with franchise owners and industry professionals, and develop skills for business ownership and leadership.
“In the mid-1980s, I had the opportunity to study franchising, join a Franchise Club, and get an internship with a franchise company. That set me on a life-changing journey,” said Paul who co-founded Home Instead with Lori. "We want students to know if they want to understand franchising, or become great franchise leaders, there is no better place than Nebraska."
Future Support
The center has built a strong foundation through the generosity of its supporters and the dedication of a team that finds creative ways to connect students with entrepreneurs, experiences, and resources. Despite its 40-year history, the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship is sometimes mistaken for a young program, Nelson said.
“People sometimes ask about our history because we don’t have a named center or question how we sustain our programs without a large endowment,” Nelson said. “We’ve been fortunate to have generous supporters who believe in what we’re doing and a dedicated, scrappy team that makes the most of every resource to create meaningful experiences for our students. As we look to the next 40 years, a named gift could help us sustain and grow these programs, reach more students across the university, and create even more opportunities for students to learn from entrepreneurs and put their ideas into action.”
Arth, Donley, Kist, the Hogans and Whitacre represent a legacy that includes thousands of alumni and entrepreneurs. Farrell, Nelson and the center's team invite those lives and businesses shaped by the center to return to celebrate its 40th anniversary during the Nov. 21 Nebraska Business Alumni Tailgate and help inspire its next chapter.
