Omaha Almost five ago, I was having a beer at Crescent Moon with a man I'd never met before. His name was Jeff Slobotski. He was pitching me his concept for Big Omaha. He had recently partnered with Dusty Davidson (who I knew from his web development shop Brightmix) to launch Silicon Prairie News, a media site centered around celebrating entrepreneurial efforts in the Midwest. Big Omaha was to be the in-person manifestation of their ideas—an event … read more

Omaha Big Omaha inspires giant ideas, and this year we're adding a simple and expressive design twist to those ideas by incorporating high fashion. It's a design theme we can't wait to display in the experimental elements at our fesitivites that take place next week and one that will help make Big Omaha 2013 the most fabulous conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. We invite you to join the party fun. … read more

Omaha Oxide is honored to have had the opportunity to work with the fine people over at Silicon Prairie News for all five years of Big Omaha. During this time, the Giant Cow has taken on a variety of forms. From the literal Giant Cow illustrations of year one and two, to the completely conceptual letters to the Cow of year four. For this year, we wanted to capture the feeling of being the next big thing. Of being glamorous and—dare we say—fabulous. Taking our … read more

Omaha Turning former inmates into entrepreneurs, creating an online social space for dogs, growing mushrooms in a kitchen and taking an email inbox to zero are just a few of the tasks performed by the companies of our Big Omaha 2013 speakers. To help you get to know the speakers better we've rounded up their bios, compiled recent media and linked to their Twitter handles and company websites. … read more

Omaha The Silicon Prairie News team has been working hard and reflecting on the experiences of the past four years to make Big Omaha 2013 our best event yet. With a speaker lineup that's sure to inspire attendees, a freshly remodeled conference home and a few suprises up our sleeve for the commemorative year, we can't wait to finally share the event's full schedule. Below you'll find our comprehensive agenda … read more

Omaha At my first Big Omaha I landed a job, but it wasn't with another attendee or sponsor, it was with the company behind the event, the less than one-year-old Silicon Prairie News. Six years ago, I worked in the same office building as Jeff Slobotski, and at least once a week, I'd make my way over to his desk to chat startups and hear the latest on the "web 2.0 / social media conference" he and his co-founder Dusty Davidson were planning. I was … read more

Omaha If you caught Shane Mac's Big Omaha attendee reflection post, nearly half of his most memorable moments happened with our speakers. They learned from one another, had a bit a fun together at our after parties and even collaborated on projects beyond the event Interaction like Shane's is not just a coincidence for some, it has become the norm for many at Big Omaha. We're excited today to announce our final speakers who will become those individuals that attendees will get to know and create new … read more

Omaha Sometimes, when you look back, a single moment in time can have so much more impact on the path we are on than we think. Big Omaha is one of those. Four years ago, I responded to a tweet from a girl who lived in Omaha. A week later, on Skype, she said I should check out her brothers conference in Omaha. That I should go. I signed up for the waiting list. She introduced me to her brother … read more

Omaha Big Omaha is right around the corner. With our fifth annual conference on innovation on entrepreneurship three weeks away, we're excited today to reveal four more speakers who will be joining us May 8-10. When curating our speakers, we strive to invite individuals who are making waves in the startup world. … read more

Omaha We tailor the Big Omaha experience differently each year but one thing remains the same: the accessibility to key individuals in the national startup community. The crowd we assemble extends beyond one's immediate network, and as a member of Big Omaha, you're tapped into this group of phenomenal, hard-working innovators who have become part of this developing community. From May 8-10, there's an opportunity to spark up great friendships with everyone involved … read more