This year, Silicon Prairie entrepreneurs are thankful for…

Two years ago, we asked the Silicon Prairie a simple question: What are you thankful for this year? So keeping with tradition—we published a similar post last year as well—we spoke with 20 different founders, investors and entrepreneurs about what they are thankful for this holiday …

Two years ago, we asked the Silicon Prairie a simple question: What are you thankful for this year? So keeping with tradition—we published a similar post last year as well—we spoke with 20 different founders, investors and entrepreneurs about what they are thankful for this holiday. 

Responses ranged from family and friends to hard-working teams and supportive mentors, but whatever the reason, we found that Silicon Prairie entrepreneurs have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Share what you’re thankful for in the comments below.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Claude Aldridge, Trellie

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the following: my wife and kids, health and happiness, my cofounder and team, women who miss important calls, coffee americano style, Andrew Wiggins, movember, Boulevard beer, tax credits, Elf on a Shelf, our investors and advisors, and the rest of our friends, family and supporters. Thank you.

Peter Awad, Goodblogs

Super thankful for my wife, Melissa. Without her support, I am not sure I could make it through the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur (especially the downs). She’s my top investor. Thankful for the amazing group of entrepreneurs we have in the Midwest (specifically Iowa) and the way everyone wants to lend a hand and make a connection. It’s automatic. 

Nathan Benjamin, Planet ReUse

My list of reasons to be thankful is large and growing. I’m grateful to go to work every day at a company whose mission I truly believe in, surrounded by a community that encourages and fosters the entrepreneurial spirit. I have incredibly encouraging friends and family and I am lucky enough to be married to a woman who is the most patient, smart, amazing person in the world.

And most importantly, I am so thankful for the delivery of one tiny, perfect baby boy a month ago.

 

Weston Bergmann, BetaBlox

BetaBlox is thankful to the Midwest in general. There are no better people to surround yourself with when it comes to the uphill battle that is entrepreneurship. Cost of living, central time zones, little traffic, The Kauffman Foundation and access to a network of experienced mentors doesn’t hurt either.  

 

David Chait, Travefy

My wife, who is my rock and my everything.

My family, who is always there for me.

The Travefy team, which amazes me every day.

Everyone in the Silicon Prairie who welcomed us with open arms this year!

Joe Dallago & AJ Nelson, clusterFlunk

We’re thankful for all of the kick-ass people in the Silicon Prairie. Our flunkers, team, investors, friends, family—the list goes on and on. We’re thankful enough that we had enough cool people around us that we are able to do what we do. Thank you!

Riddhiman Das, EyeVerify 

This year, I am thankful for the opportunity to be working on something I really believe in and am passionate about, and the relationships I am lucky to be surrounded with—my family, my girlfriend, my co-workers, my friends, my mentors, professors and teachers, and the startup community in Kansas City and the Midwest. The support, advice, guidance and the company of these people help me do what I do every day and I’m grateful to have them around me.

Lacey Ellis, LittleHootz

I was inspired by a project I did with my 3-year-old son last week. We made a turkey out of construction paper and I asked him to start listing all the things he’s thankful for. I assumed the answers would start with my house, my toys, etc., but every word out of his mouth in rapid fire, was all the people in his life. One of which was, “Mommy’s work Family.” 

So I thought it only appropriate to list the people and organizations that LittleHootz is grateful for this year on the feathers of a construction paper turkey like Jett’s. I call it, “LittleHootz is thankful for the people of Kansas City” And I ran out of turkey feathers before I could list everyone, but I think that’s another thing to be thankful for.

 

Christian Fisher, Briefcase

WOW 2013! I am most thankful for my son, my lovely better half, Sara, and my entire Briefcase team for a kick a** product and year. 2013 was clearly the year of the Prairie, so I’m thankful for all of the courageous disruptors who paved the way for us up-and-comers this year and the years before. We are happy to take the torch from here.

Megan Hunt, Hello Holiday

I’m grateful to live in a community that’s so supportive of entrepreneurs, big thinkers and difference-makers in both the nonprofit and business sector. We have an incredibly generous community and so many opportunities for mentorship and personal development. I can’t imagine a better place to run a business and raise my family.

Matthew Marcus, Hoopla.io

To my Hoopla.io teammates, thank you for being awesome and working your tail off to make our dream a reality. Fellow KCSV co-leaders and village supporters, thank you for helping to make Kansas City a great startup community. Hey CSL, thank you for the guidance and weekly dose of spiritual support. Last but not least, many thanks and much love to you, friends and family, for your continued and unwavering love and support. #namaste

 

Roby Miller, TelePharm

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all the people contributing and building the entrepreneurial culture in Iowa City, the Corridor and the state. I am extremely grateful and thankful for an awesome team and mentors!

Michael Morrison, Tutor Universe

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for life, my family, friends, this country and the opportunity to create and experience great things. I’m also thankful to the men and women across the Armed Forces and government that are committed to freedom and keeping us safe.

Tony Noecker, Flywheel

So much to be thankful for. First and foremost, family and friends; my wonderful and supportive folks; an amazing lady friend who understands the demands that the startup life can bring; friends who are always there for me (even when I’ve been hiding behind a computer screen for weeks). I’m grateful for the team we’ve built at Flywheel; an incredibly talented group of humans that I wouldn’t trade for the world. And as always, thankful for some good live music this holiday season.

 

Kyle Rogers, Knoda

I’m thankful for my co-founder James Flexman. Digital Sandbox. SparkLabKC. Our investor. Advisors Thad Langford & Davyeon Ross. Supportive friends. Intelligent former coworkers. Great previous bosses and mentors. Steve Jobs for creating the iPhone and the creators of Android. Facebook and Twitter for creating brilliant person-to-person distribution channels. My brother Drew and parents Scott & Vicki. 

Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik, Hello Holiday

This holiday season, I am thankful for the overwhelming community support we’ve received for our startup, Hello Holiday, my supportive, giving husband Jon and this little baby boy growin’ in my belly! 

 

Herb Sih & Think Big Partners 

We are thankful for strong relationships with our families, our partners, our clients and our community. We have gratitude for the unexpected kindness that sometimes comes in the most needed and stressful times.

We give thanks for the opportunity to help others other achieve their dreams, and for the faith they must place in us to help them nurture their ideas into reality. We are thankful for the opportunity to use our skills, talents and passion to help build a stronger, more vibrant community in our own backyard and across the country.

We thank our clients, partners, peers and community for the opportunity to reward our hard work with the opportunity to help us achieve our own personal and professional goals. We are grateful for the endless opportunity to learn from our mistakes, forge new relationships that are based on trust and get up every day feeling that we can produce results that can move the human race forward.

We give thanks that we can live our daily lives with passion, for the endless love we receive from our families and friends and for the chance to make a difference in the lives of others.

 

Ryan Weber, KCnext

I am thankful for the incredibly talented team I have the pleasure of working with every day, and the amazing support we receive from all of the KCnext member-companies, sponsors and partner organizations. Additionally, I am thankful for living in a wonderful community with such great potential.

 

Erik Wullschlenger, Sprint

I’m thankful for amazing partners in crime at Sprint (Tina and Doug), a leader who constantly pushes me beyond my perceived limits (Kevin), a loving and understanding wife (Stacey) … and … sweatpants. After Thursday, I’ll be extremely thankful for sweatpants. 


Happy Thanksgiving from Silicon Prairie News!

 

Credits: Weston Bergmann photo from Facebook. Christian Fisher photo from Cobrapps. Roby Miller photo from Google+. All other photos courtesy of respective individuals. 

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

Get the latest news and events from Nebraska’s entrepreneurship and innovation community delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday.