Omaha 100 and NBDC Partner to Open Doors for Nebraska Entrepreneurs

Omaha, NE –

In Nebraska, knowing the right people can open many doors. Entrepreneurs without established connections often struggle to find the financing and guidance they need to start or grow a business, and Omaha 100 helps with both.

For more than 30 years, the Omaha-based community development financial institution (CDFI) has helped Nebraskans pursue opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. It began by expanding access to homeownership and has since added business lending and entrepreneurial support. Trevon Brooks now leads the organization.

“We were started with a very simple mission, which was to create access points to the American dream here in Nebraska,” Brooks said.

That mission has grown into a partnership with the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), which brings business expertise and financial resources together in one place. 

Bringing Resources into the Community

Brooks sees Nebraska’s close-knit business community as one of its greatest strengths, though not everyone has equal access.

“A lot of the things that we’ve been very, very successful with is Nebraska is very much so, if you know the right folks, you can get some things done,” Brooks said. “But sometimes you have those entrepreneurs that are head down working, and they might not have the contacts or the proximity.”

NBDC business consultant Brandi Tarpley works on-site at Omaha 100 about two days a week, so entrepreneurs can get business advising alongside the organization’s lending services. Business owners can find help with financial projections, business planning, business models, access to capital, and professional connections without going to several organizations.

"One of the most important things we do is meet entrepreneurs where they are. This partnership is more than sharing a space. It's about building relationships, earning trust, and making sure business owners have access to the guidance and resources they need to succeed. By working alongside Omaha 100, we're making those connections easier and bringing support directly into the community," Tarpley said.

“Whenever we bring a lot of those organizations under one roof, there’s nothing that you have to find,” he said.

The arrangement lets Omaha 100 concentrate on lending while NBDC supplies business development resources, and it gives entrepreneurs a chance to build relationships and knowledge along the way.

“Expertise is always greatly needed,” Brooks said. “Our community is extremely talented. But sometimes everyone needs a little bit of direction and guidance to help folks take an idea and turn it into an actual business.”

Helping Businesses Become Bankable

Access to capital remains one of the biggest hurdles for entrepreneurs, especially those without an established credit history, enough collateral, or experience with the lending process. Omaha 100 works with those owners to understand their challenges and explore financing options, aiming to prepare them to work with traditional lenders. It also partners with banks across Nebraska, reducing lending risk and giving businesses a chance to show what they can do.

“Our job as an organization is to remove barriers that are there to make sure folks have access to capital,” Brooks said, “but to bridge them to the point to where they can get traditional capital.”

Brooks points to a government contractor that landed a larger contract than it had ever handled. The company’s bank was hesitant to finance the work because of the added risk, so Omaha 100 provided a portion of the financing. The contractor completed the project and went on to win more government work. With a stronger track record and higher revenue, it eventually worked more directly with its bank.

Omaha 100 has also helped businesses secure more favorable lending terms and build relationships with local financial institutions, which keeps more opportunities in the Omaha community.

Building a Stronger Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Financing is central to Omaha 100’s work, but Brooks’s long-term goal is bigger. He wants Omaha 100 to help build the Midwest's leading entrepreneurial ecosystem, where business owners can get capital and expertise and build the connections to create lasting wealth. He credits Omaha 100’s team and its community partners, including NBDC and local banks, for making that work possible.

“Nebraska's economic future depends on our ability to develop talent and create opportunities to build their careers here,” UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said. “When entrepreneurs succeed, they create jobs, strengthen our workforce, and open new career pathways for all Nebraskans. Through partnerships like this, UNO is helping build an economy where businesses and talent can grow together.”

Brooks said the most rewarding part of his job is the immediate difference access to capital makes in someone’s life, whether it’s a family buying its first home or an entrepreneur finally securing the financing to open a business. He sees it “every single time someone comes in, and they have the ability to see the dream that they’ve been dreaming about for years come to fruition.”

He thinks Nebraska could do more for its entrepreneurs.

“I wish we were as serious about supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs as we were about supporting our sports,” he said. “If we had that same mentality, we would have one of the top ecosystems in the country, and it wouldn’t be close.”