2026 Speaker List
Heather Akin
Dr. Heather Akin is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication. Her research and service focus on understanding the social and psychological dynamics underlying publics' attitudes and behaviors related to science issues and risks. Her teaching focuses on the strategic communication of science, agriculture, and the environment.
Michael Anderson
Mike Anderson has been instrumental in the creation of the equestrian trails at Summit Lake SRA. Since 2020, he has been Chairman of the Nebraska Horse Trails Committee (NTHC), in addition to being a member in good standing for 26 years. Anderson’s goals for NTHC revolve around trails, advocacy and fundraising. He wants to maintain trails we have, but also open up new equestrian trail systems throughout the State of Nebraska. Mike wants to gain local participation for the maintenance and improvements of parks. He is proof that locals willing to put in the sweat equity is a powerful way to advocate for specific parks. Lastly, Mike knows that building a donor base and creating staple fundraising opportunities is the key to maintaining our trails across Nebraska for everyone’s enjoyment.
Outside of NTHC, Anderson is a sales engineer and has been in metal manufacturing for 47 years – or as he would say, “way too freaking long.” In his free time, Mike enjoys riding horses and camping. His favorite being packing his way through the wilderness in our Rocky Mountain states.
Kirstin Bailey
Kirstin Bailey is a Senior Project Manager at the Center for Rural Affairs, where she supports entrepreneurs, farmers, and rural communities through training, technical assistance, and community partnerships. Her work focuses on helping small businesses and agricultural producers strengthen their operations, explore new markets, and build resilient rural economies. She regularly works with entrepreneurs on practical tools for marketing, business planning, and innovation.
Benjamin Benton
Benjamin Benton is the center director of America’s SBDC–Nebraska. His office is located on the campus of Wayne State College in Wayne, serving 30 counties in Northeast and North Central Nebraska. Prior to the Nebraska Business Development Center, he was employed at the City of Randolph as city administrator/clerk for four years. He has prior experience in the transportation industry and as a contract turkey grower.
Becky Boesen
Becky Boesen was shaped by place. Growing up on the Great Plains sparked a lifelong curiosity about people, possibility, and what can happen when communities come together to get things done. Big horizons nurtured her imagination and taught her to look for abundance where others might see limits. Today, Becky brings that orientation to her work as Director of Asset-Based Community Development at Nebraska Community Foundation. She and her talented colleagues partner daily with over 1,500 volunteers across the state to uncover gifts, build trust, and turn shared hopes into action. Becky is energized by helping communities name what is strong, amplify what is working, and invite more neighbors into the story. She is continually inspired by the generosity and goodness she encounters throughout Greater Nebraska. Becky believes that when people are seen, celebrated, and connected, collective courage emerges and communities can build a thriving future—together!
Britanie Brewster
Britanie Brewster serves as the Administrative Assistant at the Lower Niobrara Natural Resources District in Butte, Nebraska, where she works with producers, board members, and state partners on water management, grants, and rural infrastructure initiatives.She is deeply committed to her community, curating the Butte Historical Museum, teaching CYO, coaching Girls on the Run, and volunteering in local efforts that strengthen rural Nebraska. Britanie is passionate about community development, not only locally but across the state.
Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel
Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel is a professor in the University of Nebraska department of agricultural economics and a Nebraska Extension specialist with Rural Prosperity Nebraska. She is located at the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff, where she brings over 30 years of community development experience to the position. She has focused her work in the areas of newcomer recruitment and retention, workforce development, and community planning. Dr. Burkhart-Kriesel has held leadership roles on several state and regional boards, including Nebraska Workforce Development and South Platte Natural Resource District, and she has been an active member of the Blueprint Nebraska statewide planning effort.
Graham Christensen
Graham P. Christensen was born in Omaha and grew up nearby on his family’s farm which was homesteaded by his Great Great Grandfather Christian in 1867. Despite the historical challenges presented to family farming, Christensen followed his family’s tradition and returned to the farm where he is actively involved in operating Christensen Farms, Inc. with his family. Inspired by the potential of agriculture solutions to deal with increasing ecological issues, the Christensens have been adopting regenerative principles on their farm. The Christensens combine the 6 regenerative principles with aligned technology to bring their vision to life. Christensen is also the President and Founder of GC Resolve LLC, a consulting and communications company, which focuses on environment and equality issues. Current focuses of GC Resolve include transitioning the food production system towards regenerative principles. Through these efforts, the RegeNErate Nebraska Project was founded. Christensen owns and operates a third business, GC ReVOLT, LLC, a small solar and alternative energy development company, which has developed approximately 115 residential, farm, and commercial solar systems.
Ben Dutton
Ben Dutton is a career educator and long-time businesses owner. His passion is helping entrepreneurs and existing small business owners grow and prosper. Ben has earned a BSBA, MBA, M.Ed and is a career educator having served as a high school business teacher, principal and superintendent as well as an educator and administrator for Nebraska Extension. Ben owns a small business in residential rehabilitation and management. He is a Gallup Certified Coach and an Accredited Small Business Consultant. Ben also speaks Spanish.
Marci Goodwin
Marci Goodwin is the co-founder of SmartStart Business Development and a longtime entrepreneur who has spent the past 15 years helping others start and grow their businesses. After seeing how traditional business support systems fail to meet the needs of the smallest, most common businesses, she helped create SmartStart to lower the barriers to entrepreneurship specifically for micro-businesses. Marci focuses on practical, real-world strategies that help communities better engage and support their local micro-business ecosystem.
Shawn Kaskie
Shawn Kaskie is an Extension Educator for Rural Prosperity Nebraska at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, serving an 8-county area in Central Nebraska. He leads the eCommunity program, which support entrepreneurial ecosystem building and small business development across rural Nebraska communities. Shawn specializes in helping rural economic development leaders leverage innovative tools and frameworks to strengthen their local business environments and build community capacity. His research experience conducted research with the International Economic Development Council has provided valuable insights into what economic development leaders need and use to maximize their professional efficiency.
John Kelly
John R. Kelly, P.E., is a licensed Professional Engineer and experienced public servant with over a decade of leadership in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He currently serves as Senior Economic Development Coordinator at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), where he leads strategic initiatives to attract and retain businesses, collaborating with municipalities, developers, and site selectors to support regional economic growth and infrastructure planning. John’s career at OPPD has spanned engineering, operations, and customer account management. He has held roles including Senior Account Executive, Technical Services, and Nuclear Design Engineer, supporting critical infrastructure clients such as hospitals, railways, data centers, schools, and other public institutions. His technical expertise and project leadership have been instrumental in both plant operations and customer-focused energy solutions. In 2021, John was elected to the City Council of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, where he helps oversee the city’s water, sewer, and street departments. He is actively engaged in the Greater Fremont Development Council, MAPA (Metropolitan Area Planning Agency), and many of the other Economic Development Organizations within OPPD’s service territory. John previously served as President of the OPPD Society of Engineers, a professional network that fostered development, engagement, and community outreach among engineers.
Adam Kroft
Adam Kroft is the founder of redthread, a creative advertising agency in Lincoln that helps businesses grow through smarter marketing, bigger ideas, and campaigns that actually drive results. He works with companies across the US to simplify their marketing, identify the right customers, and turn strategy into action. Adam is known for cutting through the noise and making marketing make sense. When he’s not working, you’ll likely find him boating, wakeboarding, playing softball, learning how to use a miter saw, or chasing his Boston Terrier and wife around.
Elijah Landell
Throughout his career, Coach Elijah Landell has seen potential in opportunities and his ability to adapt to situations has been his guide. He began his leadership journey as a junior at Evangel University. There, he took on the responsibility of Men's Intramural Director. While running all men's intramural sports, the head softball coach approached him, admiring his management of the sports program. This led to a nearly two-decade coaching career in the competitive softball world. Coach Elijah discovered the subject of Sport Psychology through the world of softball. He earned his graduate degree in this field at Illinois State University. This milestone created the foundation for his love of leadership development. While a graduate student, Coach Elijah stumbled into personal training, developing a parallel career while coaching softball players of all ages. Then, in 2020, shortly after moving home from Colorado to work alongside his brother in the supplement industry, everything halted. The shutdown eliminated both the retail job with his brother and his ability to physically train clients. In a moment of uncertainty, Elijah decided that it was time for a career change. He took his recently earned Maxwell Leadership certification and launched Rising Tide Leadership Development. This opportunity was a segue to apply the principles of both personal training and softball coaching to the professional realm. Fast forward to today. Elijah and his wife, Sarah, are both coaches at Rising Tide. She joined him in early 2025 after earning her leadership coaching certification. Together, they travel across the state coaching, presenting at conferences, and facilitating workshops to advance "Creating Leaders Who Light the Way."
Doris Lux
Doris Elifritz-Lux is a Business Coach and serial entrepreneur from the Columbus area who works with rural Nebraska entrepreneurs on the goals, strategies, and action steps needed to sustain and grow their businesses. Through the UNL eCommunities program, she has helped Merrick County businesses leverage more than $2.15M in private investment and generate $5.76M in combined revenue growth. Doris will be co-presenting with Eric Block, founder and co-owner of Country Brothers Ice in Central City — a startup that opened its doors in May 2025 with ambitions to serve customers statewide.
Kristin Malek
Dr. Kristin Malek, or Dr. K as she is known by her students, has nearly two decades in hospitality and event management experience. Most recently she served as the Executive Director of Events for a third party planning company in Las Vegas where she was in charge of the medical association meeting market. In this role she managed association events greater than one million dollars and led a team of staff and interns. She has received many recognitions for her work to include the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as a Hospitality Hero during National Travel and Tourism week for both 2014 and 2015, by Meetings Today Magazine as a Top 20 Meetings Industry Trendsetter for 2016, was recognized as an Emerging Leader of the Year for PCMA Heartland Chapter in 2018, won the Excellence in Extension (Individual - Impact) award and the Omtvedt Innovation award both in 2020, and most recently won both the International Excellence in Teaching and Training Award from ICHRIE and the Bob Dallmeyer Educator of the Year Award (IAEE) in 2022. She has achieved designations as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Event Designer (CED), Digital Event Strategist (DES), and Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE). Prior to becoming faculty, Dr. K received her Master’s Degree in International Hospitality and Tourism Management from the University of South Carolina and her PhD in Hospitality Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Blake Martin
Blake has 25 years of franchising, and small business ownership experience. He is a Certified Franchise Executive and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Psychology Program. During his years in the franchising industry, Blake has built franchise systems from the ground up, helped more than 500 aspiring entrepreneurs on 6 continents become small business owners, and he currently owns a local franchise himself – FranNet of The Heartland. FranNet is a Franchise Brokerage & Consulting firm that provides no-cost coaching and consulting to entrepreneurs who are seriously considering new, or additional, small business opportunities. Think of Blake as the Match.com for local entrepreneurs. Blake’s volunteer experience includes The 50 Mile March Foundation, SCORE Business Mentors, The Business Ethics Alliance, Nebraska SBDC’s FranFit Program, Offutt’s Boots to Business trainer, and a founding member of The Entrepreneurs Education Collaborative. He is a life-long Midwesterner and lives in Omaha with his wife and two sons.
Dustin Marvel
Dustin Marvel serves as the Government & Community Relations Manager at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), where he is committed to delivering reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to the district's 13 counties in southeastern Nebraska. With about 85% of this area being rural, Dustin strongly emphasizes the importance of Nebraska's opportunities to leverage resources by working to preserve the state’s heritage while addressing the increasing electricity demand. With over 25 years of fostering community engagement and driving impactful initiatives nationally, Dustin’s robust background in public service and organizational training plays a crucial role in advocating for renewable energy projects from a public power standpoint throughout Nebraska. By working with local elected officials, the agricultural sector, and key community figures, Dustin has successfully empowered individuals and organizations to take an active role in their communities, emphasizing transparency and collaboration. His efforts have cultivated a culture of inclusivity and innovation within public power initiatives.
Rachel Morgan
Rachel Morgan oversees the Creative District program at the Nebraska Arts Council, as well as managing the Arts Project, Mini, Annual Series & Events, and Basic Support grants. She also participates on the Community Panel for Opera Omaha and the Washington County Public Art Committee. Previous to working at the Nebraska Arts Council, she lived in Holdrege and was the Foundation Director at Holdrege Memorial Homes and was the Executive Director of the Tassel Performing Arts Center. In her spare time, she teaches classes at the Blair Family YMCA and cheers on her kids in their various activities. She received her BS in music education at Peru State College and was a music teacher in greater Nebraska.
Charlotte Narjes
Charlotte joined Nebraska Cooperative Development Center in March 2019 and is a Nebraska Extension Educator focused on cooperatives. She has been connected with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics for over 20 years and is aligned with Nebraska Extension’s Rural Prosperity Nebraska initiative.
Melissa Nelson
Melissa Nelson is a Nebraska farm and cattle gal who transplanted to Northwest Iowa after college to build an agricultural education non-profit and marry an Iowa farm boy. Her farm background and creative, entrepreneurial spirit allow her to put a unique spin on everyday items in her small business, Hungry Canyon. Melissa helped found the non-profit, Siouxland Agriculture in the Classroom and served as its Director from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, she began serving as Externship Coordinator for the Applied Agricultural and Food Studies Department at Morningside University. Melissa and her husband Mark have cour children, seventh generation farm kids and lovers of tractors and cows. They live on a farm near Correctionville, Iowa.
Buck Rasmussen
Buck Rasmussen is a Super Bowl champion, motivational speaker, consultant, and award-winning sales professional, but more than that, he's someone who knows what it’s like to overcome obstacles that feel impossible. His journey has taken him from the NFL to boardrooms, and through personal trials that tested everything he believed in. Along the way, he discovered that the power to overcome lives within each of us. He started Epic Journey to share what he's learned and to help you tap into your own resilience, live with intention, and become the person you were meant to be.
Brett Stohs
Brett Stohs is a Clinical Associate Professor of Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He directs the Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic that he founded in 2012, which provides free legal services to Nebraska startups, small businesses, and nonprofits. As the Director of Clinical Programs, Brett oversees Nebraska Law’s nine clinics, which operate as a unified law firm with distinct practice areas to provide law students with critical professional experiences before they graduate. Brett also manages Nebraska Law’s renowned client counseling program and serves on the Board of the Brown Mosten International Client Counseling Competition.
Jordan Swenson
Because his uncle was superintendent at Mahoney State Park, Jordan Swenson grew up in the park system. He has been the Park Superintendent at Summit Lake SRA since 2019. Prior to the past seven years, Jordan worked at a plethora of Nebraska’s parks including Ponca State Park, Chadron State Park and Smith Falls to name a few. He has run a gamut of work from prescribed fires and hazard tree removal to management and financial responsibilities. Swenson loves the outdoors and working with people, so naturally the most rewarding part of his job is seeing folks utilize the facilities he and his team work so hard to maintain. His advice is to always ask the question, because the hardest part of any endeavor is simply getting started.
Left to his own devices, Jordan would mostly likely be found golfing, hunting or fishing. He is also proud of his wife and two little boys, ages four and one and a half. They live in Oakland with their dog and cat.
Amanda Trudell
Amanda Trudell is an avid equestrian and user of horse trails. She loves working a chainsaw and is frequent to help build and maintain trails. She was one of the original volunteers to jump onboard for the creation of the trail system at Summit Lake SRA. Trudell enjoys the value her contributions have made especially when she rides her leopard Appaloosa, Oliver, and they camp there for the weekend.
Amanda’s true asset lies in her knack for visual storytelling. Originally from Michigan, she moved to Omaha with her camera, her horse, and a sense of adventure. Amanda produced national television for RFD-TV, including two featured documentaries for Mecum Auctions. She also hosted the nationally-aired Mecum’s Gone Farmin’ TV show and worked as an in-house video producer for 10 years at a major insurer. From customer testimonials to coordination of live events to creating promotional videos airing on The Hallmark Channel, Amanda has done it all. She owns PonyTale Media LLC and is now a full-time freelancer who directs, produces, films, edits, animates, and is a licensed drone pilot.
Jason Tuller
Jason Tuller has more than 20 years of experience in Economic Development. He is an Extension Educator in Rural Prosperity Nebraska and has a 10-county region. His areas of focus are Economic Development and People Attraction. He has worked as a Small Business Consultant as well as a local Economic Development Director. During his time as a small business consultant he covered an 18 county area in Western Nebraska. He helped clients in all stages of business from start-up to transition. He worked directly with over 750 clients. These interactions led to 66 new business startups, over 200 new business plans, and created or saved over 375 jobs over his seven years as a small business consultant. More than $35 million dollars of investment were used in new businesses and expansions. As an economic development director Jason managed a 75-acre mixed use development park. There were twenty homes built in the development park as well as four commercial buildings built, which totaled over $10 million dollars invested in the community of Imperial, NE. Jason received his MBA from the University of New Brunswick in Saint John in a class where he was the only American and his classmates came from all over the world, including China, Nigeria, Russia, Ukraine, and Iran. He is also certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) by the National Development Council.
Kelsey Van Patten
Kelsey Van Patten is a Paralegal Supervisor/Program Manager at the University of Nebraska College of Law. Kelsey is in charge of overall business operations for the Clinical Law Program, which operates as a unified law firm with distinct practice areas to provide law students with critical professional experiences before they graduate. She also provides legal support for the Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic, assisting students in their work and connecting entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits with legal service providers.
Katie Walmsley
Katie Walmsley has worked with Valley County Economic Development for over five years, previously serving as the Deputy Director and overseeing all activities for the Ord Area Chamber and Valley County Tourism. Katie now serves as the Business Coach, a joint position with VCED and Central Community College. The unique partnerships of community development organizations in Ord and its surrounding communities allows Katie to work on a variety of projects, including business supports, economic development initiatives, Ord Area Chamber programs, and tourism marketing. Katie is also a business owner, operating Penny Hill Creative with her business partners.