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Incubator

 

The Incubator Program

Our Rural Tech Entrepreneur Program is a comprehensive initiative to support aspiring tech founders in rural communities as they develop and scale their ideas and startups. This program is a collaboration led by Invest Nebraska, supported by their Entrepreneur in Residence (a position funded by Microsoft), and run in partnership with Microsoft TechSpark and a network of local mentors and community supporters to provide rural entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and guidance needed to bring their ideas to life. Founders and companies that successfully complete the program will also be eligible to receive a $500 grant from Invest Nebraska to support their continued growth and development. 

   01 Ideation Stage

   02 Whiteboarding & Solution Design

   03 Product-Market Fit

   04 Building the Solution

   05 Scaling & Growth Strategy

   06 Ongoing Support, Fundraising & Community Building

 

In the early stages of starting a company?

 

Goal-setting-&-roadmap
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Ideation Stage

Participants will dive into the problem-solving process by exploring their unique domain expertise, brainstorming ideas, and selecting a high-potential problem to address. With Microsoft’s AI Ideation Module, they’ll learn how to integrate AI capabilities into early-stage business ideas. 

 

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Whiteboarding & Solution Design

Entrepreneurs will transform their ideas into tangible concepts using visual design tools like Miro, supported by Microsoft’s Copilot training to streamline early development. By the end of this stage, participants will have a clear blueprint of their solution.

Business-model-canvas

 

Customer-interviews
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Product-Market Fit

 This phase focuses on validating the solution through direct customer engagement and feedback. Entrepreneurs will refine their concepts based on real-world insights, utilizing the Career Essentials in Entrepreneurship training for strategic customer discovery and mentorship from local experts. 

 

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Building the Solution

Participants will choose between low code/no code tools or other tech resources to build their MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Microsoft’s Startup Training Path will offer technical guidance and access to powerful development tools like Azure, while Invest Nebraska’s Entrepreneur in Residence will provide additional support in navigating tech development and contractor relationships. 

MVP-design

 

User-feedback
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Pivot & Refine

Entrepreneurs will meticulously track early adopters throughout every stage of the customer journey, from initial engagement to post-purchase interactions. They will gather comprehensive insights to deeply understand the reasons behind customer disengagement, analyzing patterns and feedback to identify potential pain points or areas of improvement. Armed with this knowledge, they will design innovative and tailored solutions to effectively prevent churn, ensuring that customers remain satisfied and loyal over the long term.

 

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Community Handoff

Beyond technical training, this program creates a supportive community where rural tech founders can connect, learn, and grow together. Regular workshops, mentorship sessions, and networking meetups will keep entrepreneurs engaged and supported as they scale, with guidance from local leaders and Microsoft TechSpark representatives. 

KPIs-&-operations

Team

TOUCH
Ryan Ruff Entrepreneur in Residence The Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) will play a pivotal role in supporting tech entrepreneurs participating in this program. The EIR will provide coaching and guidance through each phase, from ideation to scaling, ensuring that founders receive the necessary support to develop their ideas into scalable tech ventures. This position, funded by Microsoft, will involve collaboration with local mentors, community partners, and Microsoft TechSpark resources to offer rural entrepreneurs the comprehensive support needed to succeed.
Ryan Ruff Entrepreneur in Residence
TOUCH
Emma Bennett Microsoft TechSpark Fellow The Growth Manager will play a pivotal role in connecting Invest Nebraska with the Northeast Nebraska region while overseeing and optimizing various growth-oriented activities for Invest Nebraska as a whole. This multifaceted role combines the responsibilities of Community Development Manager and Marketing Operations Manager, resulting in a comprehensive position aimed at driving overall company growth and fostering business development.
Emma Bennett Microsoft TechSpark Fellow
Legal-&-accounting-basics
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Legal &

Accounting Basics

The Intellectual Property and Financial Fundamentals education sessions will have relevant mentors matched with supporting sponsors.

 

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Capital

Readiness

The last education session is entitled Term Sheet Basics. The company data room and the pitch deck will be updated.

Capital-readiness
why join

Why Join?

Participants will gain access to exclusive Microsoft training, tailored support from Invest Nebraska’s Entrepreneur in Residence, and a peer network of like-minded founders—all aimed at empowering the next generation of rural tech leaders. 

This program is ideal for rural innovators looking to transform big ideas into scalable tech ventures. Ready to take the leap and build the future of tech in your community? Join us today! 

Enrollment 

Open enrollment, have interested participants fill out a form, review and start as needed.  

In the early stages of starting a company?

Want to Join?

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