UNeTech Institute’s Opportunity Corps program is on hiatus for 2025 due to lack of funding. Originally funded by the Ewing Kauffman Foundation out of Kansas City, the program was not renewed for funding when the Kauffman Foundation decided to prioritize funding Kansas City-based programs.
Program History
Since its inception, UNeTech has partnered with both Bio Nebraska and the Nebraska Tech Collaborative Powered by Aksarben to provide Opportunity Corps: Women in STEAM (OC:WiS) and with Nebraska Enterprise Fund and Collective Futures Design Lab to provide Opportunity Corps: Bell-Jewell (OC:BJ).
Both Opportunity Corps programs rely on a curriculum based on the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program. Twenty-five fellows are selected from a competitive application process each year for the eight-month programs. OC: WiS is for women and femmes working in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, or Math fields who have an interest in entrepreneurship. OC: BJ is for Black and African African American entrepreneurs. Both programs partner fellows with mentors, successful entrepreneurial leaders in Omaha. Throughout the program, fellows learn about the business model canvas.
The combination of programs, with a total of four cohorts, have graduated 78 cohorts, each earning a $500 stipend when they reach completion.
Highlights from Opportunity Corps graduates include:
- Sheila Fields. OC: WiS graduate 2023. After graduating from OC: WiS in 2023, Sheila was selected as a mentor for the 2024 cohort. During her mentorship year, she expressed interest in becoming a founder of a UNeTech Institute startup business and was matched with Antibiogram, an automated, real-time antibiogram software platform designed to assist hospitals and clinics in managing and treating infections with antibiotics. Sheila and her team took that idea to the National Science Foundation’s Great Plains Region I-Corps program. She was recommended and selected for an NSF National I-Corps program, a course that includes a $50K investment in Sheila and the Antibiogram research; she will participate in May 2025.
- Heather Nelson. OC: WiS graduate, 2024. Local founder and CEO Heather Nelson brought her idea Poll the Vote to the program in 2024. CEO of Ideologix Insights, a data analytics laboratory that powers Poll The Vote—a nonpartisan civic engagement platform designed to connect constituents with their elected officials. Poll The Vote is an innovative platform aimed at enhancing civic engagement by providing a secure and efficient channel for constituents to communicate with their elected officials, thereby fostering a more informed and connected society. Heather also graduated from a Regional I-Corps program, and her business is flourishing in Omaha. She presented at Omaha’s 1MC and competed in numerous pitch competitions. Her project received partial funding through a $75,000 prototype grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development under the Nebraska Business Innovation Act.
- Ami Polite. OC: BJ graduate, 2023. Ami completed the OC: BJ program in 2023. She is the founder and owner of Polite Gardens, a company specializing in assisting busy individuals and older gardeners with garden maintenance. Ami published “Garden My Hair: A Growing Mix,” a memoir that intertwines her experiences with natural hair care and gardening. Since graduating, Ami has expanded her business and begun partnering with local organizations. Notably, she led a Plant Repotting and Propagation Workshop at the Healing Roots African Diaspora Garden in October 2024, where participants learned about plant care and the origins of houseplants from the African Diaspora. Additionally, she participated in the “Seeds of Heritage” panel discussion at the Kiewit Luminarium in August 2024, exploring urban farming and its intersections with ancestral lineage and entrepreneurship.
Research consistently highlights the critical role of targeted entrepreneurial support programs in bridging opportunity gaps for historically underrepresented groups in STEAM fields. Programs like Opportunity Corps are not just beneficial; they are essential in leveling the playing field for women and femme-identifying individuals seeking to innovate, lead, and build businesses in high-growth industries.
It takes approximately $115,000 per year to fund Opportunity Corps in its current form—a relatively modest investment when compared to the vast economic and social returns it generates. With additional funding, we could expand its reach and deepen its impact in ways that would further support the entrepreneurs who face systemic barriers to success. Conversely, without financial backing, we risk losing a program that has already changed lives and strengthened our innovation ecosystem.
The research is clear:
Women in STEAM entrepreneurship face persistent funding disparities. Studies show that female-founded startups receive less than 2% of venture capital funding, despite evidence that they deliver higher revenue per dollar invested. Programs like Opportunity Corps provide critical early-stage support to mitigate these inequities.
Mentorship and structured entrepreneurial training significantly improve outcomes. According to the Kauffman Foundation, mentorship increases an entrepreneur’s likelihood of success by more than threefold. Our program is built on this principle, pairing participants with experienced mentors who help them navigate the challenges of commercialization, funding, and growth.
Black entrepreneurs face compounded challenges. Research shows that Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., yet they receive less than 1% of venture capital funding. Access to mentorship—specifically from successful Black professionals in STEAM and entrepreneurship—is a key determinant of success, yet too often, these networks are inaccessible. Opportunity Corps: Bell-Jewell was designed to address this gap, providing culturally competent mentorship, funding connections, and business development support tailored to Black entrepreneurs. Without funding, this essential piece of the program will disappear, further widening the opportunity divide.
Investing in women entrepreneurs benefits the broader economy. Research from McKinsey & Company suggests that closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship could add $5 trillion to global GDP. Programs like ours create pathways to leadership, innovation, and economic contribution that would otherwise remain inaccessible to many.
We know this program works. We know the need is there. But without funding, it cannot continue.
If you know of a funding source—whether a foundation, corporate partner, or private sponsor—that aligns with this mission, please reach out. The future of equitable innovation depends on it.
