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Big Omaha, Day 2
You might think that on the second day of a convention, where the enthusiasm was infectious on the first day, the atmosphere would be a little more subdued on Day 2.
That was certainly not the case on Friday at Big Omaha.
The morning line-up featured highly engaging talks from Brian Wong of Kiip, an online rewards network for virtual achievements; Charles Best of Donors Choose, who surprised the crowd with a $10 Donors Choose card for each attendee; Sarah Prevette of BetaKit, an online hub for tech entrepreneurs; and Eddie Huang of New York restaurant BaoHaus, whose candid tale of hustle and overcoming his troubled past, was my personal favorite of the day.
In the spirit of the day, where technology and opportunity come together to create magic, Omaha web design company What Cheer set up a one-off of their "I Live in Omaha" websites for attendees to see where they might be able to make a local impact using their Donors Choose cards. Even if you didn't attend Big Omaha or receive $10 from Best, I would recommend visiting the site and making a donation to one of our local schools.
So, what did I take away from Big Omaha?
First, it really does live up to the hype. If you're at all interested in entrepreneurship, technology, social media or keeping up with what's happening locally, make plans to attend next year.
Second, no matter what your passion -- if you really live and believe it -- never give up. Believe in your idea and devote yourself to bringing it to life. Each speaker who took the stage showed how worthwhile committing to your idea can be, but you must be in it for the long haul -- because the road will be bumpy.
Lastly, keep your head on straight. Entrepreneurship isn't an "If you build it, they will come" proposition. As several speakers pointed out, if you want to make money on your idea, you have to figure out how to monetize it first -- then share it with the world. Entrepreneurs often approach their strategy in the opposite way, hoping their passion will turn into sales. That's not how it works.
I think I will be riding high on Big Omaha for weeks to come. Entrepreneur or not, it's invigorating to be in such a high-energy environment. I'm already looking forward to next year.
Big Omaha, Day 1
With all of the anticipation surrounding Big Omaha, the region's premier event for technology and entrepreneurship, I was more than a little excited to get my hands on my personalized pink and white lanyard at Wednesday night's kickoff party at the Slowdown. That night was the official start of the fourth year of the conference, which brings together like-minded entrepreneurial and technological types for a three-day festival of speeches, conversation and -- most of all -- inspiration.
So, did Day 1 of my first experience at Big Omaha live up the hype? I think so. Here's why:
1) Massive amounts of people: More than 600 people are attending Big Omaha this year. What's even more awesome is that 27 states and three countries are being represented. Plus, it's been reported that more than 400 viewed the live stream of the event.
2) The Tweets. Search the hashtag #bigomaha on Twitter. You will find pictures, video and at least one Tweet per minute from the time the event kicked off on Thursday morning. Tweet a quote from a speaker, watch it get re-Tweeted, follow a new person, gain a follower. Twitter is where some of the most interesting Big Omaha conversations are happening. I was addicted all day.
3) The networking. As interesting and inspiring as this year's line-up of speakers might be, at times they take a back seat to the connections that are being made throughout the presentations. Attendees are there to network, and striking up a conversation with a perfect stranger is the norm. No awkwardness, no cliques -- just real people talking, relating and connecting.
So Day 1 of Big Omaha is in the books, and I'm thrilled to have been part of it. The energy at Kaneko is intoxicating, and I'm looking forward to another fix on Day 2.
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