Most people think you have to leave places like Nebraska to build a successful tech company.

But in this conversation, Kirk Zeller, founder of the Silicon Prairie Center, shares what it actually looks like to build, grow, and even relocate companies here.

Kirk’s path isn’t typical. He grew up in central Nebraska, spent years in Japan building his career in business and medical device startups, and worked across both large and early-stage companies before returning to Nebraska to build something of his own.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, employers, and anyone thinking about where innovation can really happen.

We get into:

• Why building in Silicon Valley isn’t always the advantage people think it is
• What it takes to bring companies and talent into Nebraska
• How reversing brain drain can actually work

This isn’t theory. It’s someone actively building companies and ecosystems in a different way.

Most people think mentorship is about giving advice.

But in reality, it is just as much about listening, reflecting, and helping someone see themselves more clearly.

In this episode of the TEN podcast, host Shonna Dorsey sits down with Sherry Hutcherson, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and National Strategic Partnerships at Bellevue University.

Sherry brings decades of leadership experience across corporate, public sector, and higher education. She also shares her broader perspective on education, shaped by a lifelong connection to public schools and a current focus on expanding access and outcomes for students across Nebraska.

This conversation naturally evolves into something deeper.

We get into:
• The difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and why both matter
• How mentorship helps you grow personally and professionally
• Why reflection is one of the most important leadership skills
• How to navigate feedback, setbacks, and growth moments with intention

One idea that stands out: growth often comes from learning how to see yourself clearly and making adjustments over time.

Sherry also shares how Bellevue University partners with employers to support upskilling and reskilling, along with her passion for strengthening education systems, including literacy, early childhood education, and career pathways.

If you are early in your career, leading a team, or continuing to grow as a leader, this is a conversation that will stay with you.

Most companies are investing in employee experience.

But for a lot of employees, it still feels confusing, disconnected, and harder than it should be.

In this episode, Adriana Cisneros Basulto, Co-founder and CEO of Maxwell, breaks down why that gap exists and what it actually takes to fix it.

Adriana has seen this from both sides. As an employee, she experienced what it feels like when things work. In HR leadership, she saw how difficult it is to create that kind of experience when systems, tools, and programs are all operating separately.

That’s what led her to build Maxwell, a global award-winning platform designed as an “Experience Layer” that connects everything into one simple, intuitive place.

In this conversation, we get into:
• Why employee experience feels fragmented in so many organizations
• How that fragmentation impacts both employees and HR teams every day
• What it looks like to move from managing systems to creating something that actually works
• How behavioral science and AI can be used in practical ways to improve engagement

What stands out is how real and actionable this is. This is not about adding more tools. It is about making what already exists actually work together.

And the barrier to getting started is lower than most people think.

If you are building teams, leading HR, or thinking about retention and engagement, this conversation will give you something to take with you.

Most organizations have a strategic plan.

But actually tracking progress against it and knowing what’s working and what’s not is where things start to break down.

In this conversation, Taylor Korensky, CEO of VisionSync, shares how organizations are moving beyond scattered spreadsheets and disconnected updates to something much more clear, accountable, and actionable.

This episode is for leaders, employers, and anyone responsible for turning strategy into real outcomes.

We get into:

• Why strategy execution is harder than strategy itself
• Where things break down across teams and organizations
• How visibility and accountability change performance

Taylor also shares how Tech Omaha has grown into a 300+ person, community-driven event that brings together builders, developers, and tech leaders across the region.

Most people think internships are just about gaining experience.

But in this conversation, we get into what actually helps students move from school into real opportunities, especially in tech pathways.

Guest host Shohina Sultonova, intern at the Aksarben Foundation and senior at the University of Nebraska Omaha, sits down with Andre Tan, Career Experiences Coordinator at Metropolitan Community College, and Michael Lathan Jr., a tech student, mentor, and student ambassador.

Together, they talk through what students are learning in real time and where stronger alignment between students, educators, and employers is making a difference.

We cover:

• Why internships are meant to be learning environments, not perfect matches
• How many students miss opportunities simply because they don’t understand recruiting timelines
• The reality that some internships expect longer-term commitment (not just summer)
• Why hands-on experience, even outside formal internships, still builds valuable skills
• How coaching, mentoring, and career services help students prepare beyond the classroom
• The importance of being open to adjacent roles like cloud, IT, and business tech to build broader skill sets
• What students gain from simply getting “in the room” with employers and asking questions

Andre also shares how his role connects employers directly into curriculum, helping ensure students are learning what industry actually needs.

Michael brings a student perspective, highlighting how real-world experience through coaching, mentoring, and internships helps students understand both the work and themselves.

At the end of the conversation, Andre shares more about a recent AI and Industry Showcase that brought together students, employers, and educators to explore how AI is being used in real work today. While the event has already taken place, it reflects the kind of connection and exposure that makes a difference.

If you’re interested in getting involved in future opportunities like that, Andre is a great person to connect with. Reach out to him at atan@mccneb.edu.

Most people think AI is about replacing jobs.

But in this conversation, Christopher Frankland introduces a different perspective: the rise of the “bionic agent”—using technology to make people more capable, not obsolete.

This episode is for leaders, operators, and professionals trying to understand how AI is actually showing up in real work today.

We cover:

• Why AI is shifting from automation to human augmentation
• The move from humans serving machines → machines serving humans
• The real risk of becoming too dependent on AI tools
• Why the Midwest is emerging as a powerful innovation corridor across insurtech, agtech, and climate tech

Christopher is also working on building a new Midwest-focused initiative to bring together innovators, operators, and thought leaders across the region through curated meetups and future events.

If you’re interested in being part of that community, this is one to pay attention to.

In this episode of Tech. Entrepreneurs. Nebraska., Shohina Sultonova visits with Archana Raghu, Quality Lead at Quantum Workplace, where she leads both traditional and AI quality, partnering with data science teams on AI evaluation and testing.

Her work focuses on building the systems and frameworks that make software reliable, fair, and trustworthy in production.

Everyone is focused on speed. Fewer are focused on responsibility.

Archana breaks down what it actually means to test AI in the real world and why failures don’t always show up loudly. Sometimes they show up quietly through bias, flawed data, and unreliable outputs that impact real people and real decisions.

We also talk about her passion beyond the workplace.

She is deeply committed to developing the next generation of tech talent through her work at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Girls Who Code, CodeCrush iSTEM, and mentoring students in the NSF-funded PRIME Scholars program and UNO tech seminar course.

In this episode:
• The difference between traditional and AI testing
• Why AI failures are harder to detect
• The gap between building fast and building responsibly
• What it takes to build trust in AI
• How students and professionals can stay relevant

If you care about where AI is going, this conversation will challenge how you think about quality, speed, and accountability.

What happens when you stop waiting for change and start building it?

In this episode, special guest host and Aksarben Foundation intern, Shohina Sultonova visits with Maura Abad, COO at Reliability Leadership Institute and Founder of Women in Reliability & Asset Management (WIRAM).

She started with 5 women in a room.
Today, that community includes 1,800+ women across the globe.

Through WIRAM, Maura was also an early supporter of the inaugural Nebraska Women in Tech Summit, contributing to efforts that continue to expand access and opportunity across Nebraska’s tech ecosystem.

In this conversation:

• How one question turned into a global workforce movement

• Why reliability and asset management are critical to safety, sustainability, and business success

• What it takes to build inclusive talent pipelines in technical industries

• The importance of developing both strengths and gaps

• Turning personal experiences into purpose through creativity

This episode is a reminder that workforce development moves when people take action.

🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: What am I building?