Marketing and Entrepreneurship Programs
From pitch competitions to entrepreneurial start ups to celebrations of growth in the business community of Omaha, a variety of programs and competitions are waiting to be explored!
BigIdea! Pitch Contest
Do you have a business idea worth the startup capital? Are you looking to grow your existing business? All it takes is a 90-second pitch for a chance at $1000 in cash prizes! The BigIdea! Pitch Contest, hosted by the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Franchising (CIEF), is a contest where any UNO & UNMC Student with an innovative and original idea can showcase their business idea and receive funding.
Maverick Business Plan Competition
Sponsored by CIEF, the annual Maverick Business Plan Competition gives UNO students a way to launch great ideas, and maybe even make the world a better place. To compete, students develop a simplified business plan identifying an opportunity and presenting a viable proposal. Winning plans can be based on new or novel innovations, or on a better way to implement existing technology or target new markets.
Maverick Venture Fund
The Maverick Venture Fund invests seed capital into startups founded by UNO students and alumni. A student venture board researches, recommends and monitors investments of $1,000 to $5,000 under the supervision of local venture capitalists who train the students in the art of startup investing. Students gain insights into the world of Venture Capital and Angel investing. They learn the key principles and concepts necessary to conduct due diligence, calculate investment returns, write term sheets, make investment recommendations and manage the investments made in student, alumni and community ventures.
Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference
Each April, CIEF hosts the Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference. For two days, more than 300 UNO students gather at Kaneko in Omaha to hear from some of the nation’s most dynamic entrepreneurs — including recent graduates and students like themselves.
Entrepreneurial Living Learning Community
Starting fall 2016, the new Entrepreneurial Living Learning Community (ELLC) will give freshmen of any major the opportunity to live together on campus, learn with like-minded students, and network with Omaha entrepreneurs. Scholarships are available.