Put on Your “Thinc”ing Caps! Thinc Iowa 2012 Returns to Des Moines Next Week

The organization that has brought the Midwest knockout events such as Big Omaha and the Silicon Prairie News Awards is back and bigger than ever in the city of Des Moines, Iowa.  The team at Silicon Prairie News is returning to the humble city of Des Moines from October 9-11, 2012 to bring the entrepreneurial community its second annual Thinc Iowa conference.

This year it’s bigger.  It’s better.  And more importantly, it’s longer.

“Last year, I think the conference went by too fast!” said Brittany Mascio, event coordinator for Silicon Prairie News.  “This year, we are extending Thinc Iowa to 2 days in order to put people together, longer.  We want to enhance the conference and leave a lasting impression on these entrepreneurs.”

This year, the Thinc Iowa event will feature 15 speakers (including Steve Case, CEO of AOL), three can’t-miss parties and two full days of startup inspiration, entrepreneurial presentations and introductions to new, innovative concepts.

“Our focus is on entrepreneurship and innovation,” says Geoff Wood, COO of Silicon Prairie News.  “But we will be featuring both old companies and new startups.  I’m excited to listen to Gentry Underwood of Orchestra because I’ve heard him speak online before.  I can’t wait to see him live.  I’m also excited for Neal Sales-Griffin of The Starter League.  But I think I am most excited for the things that we don’t plan for during conferences like this—they are always the most interesting.”

Thinc Iowa is expecting around 350 attendees this year, a slight increase from last year’s 300.  Thinc Iowa will take place for the second year in a row at the Temple for Performing Arts.  Parties will take place at Wooly’s, Exile Brewing Company, Americana and West End Architectural Salvage.  All events will be taking place in Des Moines, Iowa.

“All three cities that we focus on—Omaha, Des Moines and Kansas City—we want to see grow,” says Wood.  “A big part of this conference is for people to come in from outside and see what’s here.  We have attendees from 20 different cities.  We want them to become our ambassadors.”

“Des Moines is a place that was very open to the idea of the conference,” agrees Mascio.  “We believe it is a great area to highlight.  We really want to bring the demand of Big Omaha to the city of Des Moines.”

Thinc Iowa will take place from October 9-11, 2012.  To purchase tickets for Thinc Iowa, visit http://2012thinciowatickets.eventbrite.com/.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Think Big Counts Down to the Silicon Prairie Awards in Omaha

One week from today, Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum will be filled with hundreds of people in attendance of the 2012 Silicon Prairie Awards. Over 400 entrepreneurs, investors, creatives and professionals will come together to honor the world of startup innovation and recognize individuals and companies for their creativity and success.

The inaugural event will distinguish 12 companies and individuals for particular strengths such as outstanding products, remarkable leadership and noteworthy contributions to the Silicon Prairie community over the course of this past year. The night includes an opening reception, a keynote talk, a closing party and a few surprises along the way.

The awards, which are put on by the people behind Big Omaha, Thinc Iowa and the Startup Job Crawls, will be given to businesses selected by a combination of a popular public vote and a vote by the selection committee.

This year’s awards include:

·       Startup of the Year

·       New Startup of the Year

·       Consumer Startup of the Year

·       B2B Startup of the Year

·       Mobile App of the Year

·       Startup Executive of the Year

·       Startup Technologist of the Year

·       Startup Designer of the Year

·       Startup Investor of the Year

·       Startup Service Provider of the Year

·       Silicon Prairie Community Champion

·       Silicon Prairie Ambassador

When the doors open at 6 pm, the Silicon Prairie Awards festivities will begin. This is not the type of event you want to be fashionably late to— the opening reception will offer everything from complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres to good company. The reception will also feature the Startup Alley, which will showcase nine Silicon Prairie startups...complete with demos and all.

After the opening festivities, guests will sit down for much-anticipated speeches and awards. They keynote speaker, David Cohen, will share his insights on the world of startup. David Cohen is huge in the entrepreneurial community. His company, TechStars, is one of the nation’s most respected startup incubators. His keynote talk will be sure to highlight his experiences with building TechStars and his passion for entrepreneurship.

After David Cohen shares his insights and the awards have been given, guests are invited to enjoy the closing party. There will be more complimentary food and drinks and guests are encouraged to continue to meet one another and learn more about the featured startups.

All are invited to the Silicon Prairie Awards and there are still a limited number of tickets available. Whether you’re the CEO of a startup or an entrepreneurial enthusiast from afar, we highly recommend you attend the event. For those of you wondering what to wear, don’t worry about that tux or gown. The attire is startup suave, so come in something classy but not overly formal. We expect to see you at the Joslyn on the 30^th, you’ll be in for an excellent night of startup ingenuity!

...And don’t forget to cheer on your favorite Kansas City nominees!  Although voting ended yesterday, you can still cheer on and support those KC individuals and companies who have been nominated for the Silicon Prairie Awards.  These KC superstars include RareWire, Klink Mobile, Sporting Innovations, LockPath (Overland Park), Front Flip (Overland Park), Leap2, myHomework, Naithan Jones (Overland Park), Chris Caldwell (Overland Park), Matt Angell, Rodrigo Neri, Jack Johnson, OpenAir Equity Partners, Greg Kratofil, Thad Langford, Joni Cobb and Nick Seguin.  

Big Omaha 2012: Let's Be Honest

Admist the hype, interactive photo booths, artistic arena and sold-out seating, Big Omaha 2012 stood for something that many attendees tend to forget: good, old fashioned Midwestern passion.  

According to Blake Miller, partner at Think Big Partners and Big Omaha attendee, the conference was one of the most honest, down-to-earth, comfortable events he had ever attended.  Why?  From the casual networking atmosphere to late night beers in the hotel lobby, Blake was able to reach out to other Big Omaha attendees at ease throughout the entire weekend. 

If you snagged a ticket to Big Omaha, consider yourself lucky.  The event doesn't print too many tickets, but for good reason.  The always sold-out conference gives off an intimate, cozy feeling that entrepreneurs cannot help but love.  This intimacy was one of Blake's favorite aspects of the entire conference.  Sometimes, the bigger the conference, the less you get out of it.  Big Omaha was the Goldilocks of entrepreneurial conferences--not too big, not to small, but just right.  The intimacy of Big Omaha allowed for attendees like Blake to communicate openly, honestly and comfortably.  Even when he had the chance to speak with Yael Cohen of F Cancer, Blake felt completely at ease and ended up engaging in a collaborative, interesting conversation.  Not bad for connecting with one of the most popular speakers at the conference!

Yael is a testament to the caliber of speakers that Big Omaha 2012 brought in.  Although the line-up may not have been as "impressive" as previous years, it clearly worked to Big Omaha's advantage.

"Although I didn't recognize a few of the speaker's names at first, I still got a ton out of every talk," said Blake Miller.  "In fact, it may have been even more valuable because I could sincerely relate to everyone who spoke. Sometimes it's tough to relate to those billionaire entrepreneurs who are one in a million." 

But Blake's favorite part of Big Omaha 2012 wasn't listening to the speakers, the professional networking or popping in on some photo booth pictures.  Blake's favorite memory happened to take place after-hours at Big Omaha's nightly casual, unplanned get-togethers.  According to Blake, some of the coolest people from the conference would clink beer glasses and chat after the day's sessions--and this provided some of the best insight.  After all, people with a touch of alcohol in them give off just a bit more honesty!

"I felt like I knew everybody at Big Omaha," said Blake.  "There were no strangers.  I felt like I could connect with every single person and have real, meaningful conversations with them."

Congratulations on a big success, Big Omaha!  Until next year...

Follow Big Omaha! @BigOmaha

Follow Silicon Prairie News! @SiliconPrairie

Follow Blake! @BlakeMiller32

Big Omaha: The Summer Camp You Never Want To End

Most of us have been there.  Whether it was summer camp, horse back riding camp, sports camp or (for the geeks at heart) science camp, almost all of us have experienced the great outdoors, youth camaraderie and bad hygiene during camp.

And along with the arts and crafts, kayaking adventures and capture-the-flag games, we have also all experienced anxiety before camp begins and sadness after we have to say goodbye to our new friends and counselors.

Silicon Prairie News event coordinator Brittany Mascio believes that Big Omaha gives off these same emotions; anxiousness, excitement and sad goodbyes.

What is Big Omaha exactly?  It's an annual entrepreneurship and innovation conference that aims to share stories and connect the Omaha community with the rest of the country.  But if you ask any member of Silicon Prairie News (the organizers of the event) or any past attendee of Big Omaha, they will be sure to tell you that it's so much more than that.

This year, Big Omaha will take place May 9-11 at KANEKO, located in the Old Market.  The conference will feature 14 keynote speakers, a dynamite MC, plenty of food to go around and the opportunity to check out the Omaha startup scene...not to mention tons of networking and interactive fun.

"Big Omaha is a good place for entrepreneurs and others looking for inspiration to collaborate with one another," said Mascio.  "Big Omaha is at the forefront of what's going on in the tech center."

Big Omaha 2012 will follow the same structure as the 2011 conference, but with a few cool additions.  Although the Silicon Prairie News team wouldn't give all of the secrets away, they did inform us that this year, Big Omaha is adding artists into the mix.  The SPN team hopes that this addition will help the conference promote its theme of inner-connectivity.

So when Big Omaha closes and it's time to head home (tear!), what will you walk away with?  Mascio gave us the inside scoop:

1.  Advice. 
After Big Omaha, you will have a plethora of stories to reflect upon.  All of Big Omaha's 14 keynote speakers will tell founder stories and give an inside look at how to become a successful entrepreneur.

2.  Connections. 
You will leave Big Omaha with more than just a notebook full of entrepreneurial scribble.  You'll also leave with stacks of business cards, informational handouts, major swag and a completely full contact list.  Big Omaha is all about energizing people to connect with other attendees.

3.  Memories.
Just like summer camp, Big Omaha provides unforgettable memories and nonstop fun.  It's a conference that helps many startups out there realize that entrepreneurship can be fun.  It truly is that summer camp you don't want to end.

Unfortunately for you, Big Omaha is completely sold out!  The good news? Silicon Prairie is creating a waiting list for those entrepreneurs who are dying to get a foot in the KANEKO door.  To learn more, be sure to visit http://www.bigomaha.com/.

Follow BigOmaha! @BigOmaha
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Entrepreneurs Unpluggd: Every Section is a VIP Section

Have you ever been in the front row of a concert?  You can see every detail of the rockstar's face.  You get the chance to touch their hands (and never wash yours again, right?).  You can hear their heavy breathing and see the sweat beads on their forehead.  You're up close and personal.  You're a VIP.

But not everybody gets to be a VIP.  There are also people sitting at the very back of the venue.  To them, the rockstar is simply a speck on stage.  They cannot see the rockstar's facial expressions or touch their famous hands.  The back-row attendee's experience is a different one compared to the VIP.  It's not quite as exhilarating.

Which is why Entrepreneurs Unpluggd is hosting an entrepreneurial event that allows every attendee to be a VIP.  The Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event in Kansas City on November 15th will put attendees up close and personal with standout entrepreneurs in the KC area.  It's a day of storytelling, not lecturing.  A day of dialogue, not monologue.  A day of VIP treatment, not back row squinting.

"The Entreprenerus Unpluggd event is much more intimate than your typical business event," says Tim Jahn, co-founder of Entrepreneurs Unpluggd.  "It will be candid and informal.  It's storytelling that comes from the heart."

The Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event, How to Find Your First Customers, will feature three entrepreneurs from the Kansas City area who will tell their own startup story for approximately 30 minutes each.  Speakers at the November 15th event include Bo Fishback (Founder and CEO of Zaarly), Debra L. Ellies (CEO and President of OsteoGeneX Inc.) and our own Tyler Prochnow (Co-founder of Think Big Partners).

"All of our speakers come from different backgrounds," says Stella Fayman, co-founder of Entrepreneurs Unpluggd.  "We leave a lot of time for the audience to ask these speakers questions at the end.  We have found that the audience feels much more comfortable asking the hard questions because they are in a more intimate, personal environment."

But where in the world did an idea like Entrepreneurs Unpluggd come from?  Did it start in Kansas City?  No--but it did originate in our own Midwestern backyard; Chicago.

The first Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event took place in Chicago in February of 2011.  Ever since, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd has hosted four successful events in the Chicago area.  The events were so successful, in fact, that Entrepreneurs Unpluggd decided to expand its speaking events to other Midwestern cities--starting with Kansas City.

"We have a lot of connections in the Midwest, but most importantly, in Kansas City," says Jahn.  "I had the opportunity to meet passionate people at Big Omaha this past year and a lot of them were from Kansas City.  There is so much activity in KC that this all just fell into place!  There is a growing community here."

How to Find Your First Costumers will be an event that no Kansas City entrepreneur will want to miss.  Join the Think Big Partners team and Entrepreneurs Unpluggd at Screenland Crown Center in Kansas City from 6:00-9:00pm for an intimate, VIP event.  Buy your ticket today!

Follow me!  @AllisonThinkBig

Thinc Iowa Amplifies Midwestern Entrepreneurship

It's no secret that there are a lot of entrepreneurial initiatives going on in Kansas City: Google Fiber, the Kauffman Foundation, The Gigabit Challenge (just to name a few).  Sometimes, we can't seem to keep up with it all.  But even when things seem to get so hectic, so busy and so exciting, we still have to take the time to look beyond the Kansas City community to glance at the booming entrepreneurial movement that's happening throughout the Midwest.  From Chicago to Omaha, St. Louis to Indianapolis. 

But you didn't think we'd be talking about Des Moines, Iowa, did you? 

This month, Des Moines will be a city hard to ignore.  Not only is entrepreneurship making leaps and bounds in this growing Midwestern city, but Des Moines also has an upcoming event sure to blow the socks off of any Midwestern entrepreneur.  It's called Thinc Iowa.

Thinc Iowa (October 20-21) will gather individuals from startups and established corporations across the U.S. for a day and a half of inspiration, idea generation and collaboration.  It's a whole new perspective for the entrepreneurial community from the people behind other knock-out Midwestern events like Big Omaha.

For those of you who can't help but believe that Thinc Iowa may be just a podunk conference in the middle of nowhere...think again.  With powerhouse speakers like Ben Silbermann (Pinterest), Scott Case (Startup America Partnership), Ben Milne (Dwolla), Douglas Olson (Microsoft) and many others, Thinc Iowa is changing the face of Midwestern entrepreneurship.  According to the Des Moines Register, Thinc Iowa's goal is to unite startups and corporations--something that the Midwest needs.

Ready to start thinking big at Thinc Iowa?  Register today!  Tickets start at $199.00...and it will be well worth the investment.  Take one day out of your busy startup week and get connected with some of the coolest entrepreneurs in the Midwest.

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Midwestern Small Businesses Turn to Silicon Prairie for Startup News, Entrepreneur Opportunities, and Business Ideas

Today, we would like to spotlight Silicon Prairie, a blog and event producer founded in Omaha, Nebraska in July of 2008.  The company posts interviews with entrepreneurs and small business owners, gives updates about startup companies, announces and hosts business events, and provides entrepreneurs with business opportunities and startup advice. 

Silicon Prairie provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with numerous startup opportunities and business events, including Creative Capital Pitch Session, the Big Omaha conference, Omaha Tweetups, The Omaha Blog Co., Barcamp Omaha and Highlight Midwest.  All of these entrepreneur events are designed to bring together the region’s startup companies and the people who envision them; serious entrepreneurs.

So if you want to read up on the latest startup news, successful business ideas, and Midwest entrepreneur opportunities, visit the Silicon Prairie website.  On the site, you will be able to watch interviews with successful entrepreneurs, creatives, and investors, read features such as the Weekly Wrap Up, Five in Five, and the Tools for the Trade. 

In addition, Silicon Prairie displays other business events that are taking place in the Midwestern region.  This week, Silicon Prairie highlights the Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneur Conference taking place today at the Hy-Vee Hall Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. 

Visit Silicon Prairie and read up about what our neighboring entrepreneur promoters and advocates are doing to enhance entrepreneurship in the Midwest and give recognition to successful Midwestern startup companies and small business leaders! 

Written by Allison Way.  Allison Way is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc, two of Kansas Citiy's newest entrepreneurial resources.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner.  

Big Omaha - An Event Worth Checking Out!

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Dusty Davidson, Co-Founder of Silicone Prairie News, about an upcoming event called Big Omaha.

In 2009, Big Omaha's inaugural event brought together 400-plus entrepreneurs, innovators and creatives to hear almost a dozen nationally-recognized speakers of the like. The goal of the event was simple: inspire attendees to follow their passions, build the businesses they love and strengthen their creative communities.

There seems to be a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who are passionately making their mark on their communities - and not waiting for the next government bailout to show them the way to economic success for themselves and the town they live in.

In Kansas City, the event that embodies this spirit is Think Big Kansas City.

In Omaha, it's Big Omaha.

This event brings together the region's best and brightest to motivate, challenge, excite and connect with one another, and in turn raise the bar on the level of work that they are producing. The Amercian Dream is alive and well in Omaha!

This year, Tony Hsieh is speaking. Tony Hsieh is the author of "Delivering Happiness" and the CEO of Zappos. In 1999, Tony sold LinkExchange, the company he co-founded, to Microsoft for $265 million. He then joined Zappos as an advisor and investor, and eventually became CEO, where he helped Zappos grow significantly while simultaneously making Fortune magazine's annual Best Companies to Work For list. In November 2009, Zappos was acquired by Amazon.com in a deal valued at $1.2 billion on the day of closing. Zappos is a model of customer service excellence, and a case study for every company that desires raving fans.

So, if you are in the area and willing to make the trip for a good dose of entrepreneurial inspiration, be sure to check out Big Omaha. Tickets are on sale now and worth checking out!