Each spring, Omaha becomes the epicenter of global business as Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting draws tens of thousands of investors, executives, and innovation enthusiasts. (The 2025 theme is “Camp Berkshire.”) Often called the “Woodstock for Capitalists,” the event brings a unique energy to the city—one that ripples far beyond the convention center.
For Omaha’s entrepreneurship and medtech communities, this isn’t just a spectacle—it’s an opportunity. From investor access and global visibility to culture-building and economic momentum, hosting the Berkshire Hathaway meeting is a strategic advantage for local startups.
Visibility is Currency
When Omaha hosts the world, it tells a story—not just about Berkshire Hathaway, but about the city’s entrepreneurial potential. The spotlight creates organic buzz around organizations like UNeTech Institute, Startup Omaha Week, and local university accelerators.
This kind of exposure is rare and valuable. Startups operating out of coworking spaces, academic labs, or university-linked incubators may get press attention, social media traction, and even site visits from global guests. Visibility fuels investor interest, talent attraction, and credibility—all key to startup scaling.
The Real Cost—and Value—of a Berkshire Shareholder Seat
Getting access to the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting may seem exclusive, but it’s surprisingly accessible. While a single Class A share (BRK.A) costs over $600,000, most attendees buy Class B shares (BRK.B), which trade around $350 per share. One share is enough to receive a coveted shareholder pass.
For founders, this modest investment unlocks access to an unparalleled business summit. Shareholder status grants admission to:
- A full-day Q&A with Warren Buffett and Berkshire leadership
- A convention floor featuring major Berkshire-owned companies
- Exclusive networking events, panels, and pop-up talks across the city
For a small medtech or tech startup, this $350 investment can offer high-ROI exposure, networking opportunities, and insights usually reserved for billion-dollar boards.
Access to Capital & Corporate Influence
Omaha’s startup community benefits from the sheer density of venture capitalists, corporate innovators, and institutional investors that descend on the city for the event. While most of them come for Berkshire, many stay for other business forums and ecosystem events that piggyback off the shareholder meeting.
Local medtech founders—especially those affiliated with translational research hubs like UNMC or UNO—can attend parallel pitch events, investor receptions, or sector-specific panels that take place in and around the Berkshire weekend.
And let’s not forget: many of Berkshire’s subsidiaries (GEICO, BNSF Railway, Berkshire Hathaway Energy) are increasingly tech-integrated and hungry for innovative partnerships. Having them in the neighborhood, even for a week, is an open door.
Elevating Entrepreneurial Confidence
For early-stage founders, especially underrepresented innovators in medtech and tech, the Berkshire weekend is a validation loop. Watching the world’s most powerful business figures walk the same streets, eat in the same diners, and admire the same city creates a shared sense of possibility.
It’s a psychological shift that matters. Founders begin to say, “If global capital is coming to Omaha, why can’t it come to my startup?” This confidence builds culture, attracts new entrepreneurs, and cements Omaha’s status as a place where big ideas can grow.
A Flywheel for Ecosystem Growth
During Berkshire weekend, Omaha’s economy gets a surge—and startups benefit. Tech founders running SaaS platforms, digital health tools, or even food tech startups gain exposure to visitors. Pop-ups, demos, and activations thrive. Innovation hubs like Nebraska Tech Collaborative or NMotion often time programs or launch announcements to ride the wave.
This leads to:
- More investor eyeballs on early-stage ventures
- Stronger university–industry partnerships
- Growth in coworking spaces, lab access, and local VC interest
The Berkshire meeting doesn’t just stimulate the economy—it kickstarts ecosystem momentum that lasts long after Buffett and Munger leave town.
Building a Lasting Legacy
Buffett’s long-game mindset is leaving an imprint on the local startup landscape. Omaha’s entrepreneurship community isn’t just chasing quick exits—it’s building companies rooted in value creation, sustainability, and impact. Medtech startups born in academic research settings are now thinking not just about product development, but long-term go-to-market strategies and cross-sector collaboration.
Community leaders, nonprofits, and universities are increasingly aligned in their goals: to turn the annual Berkshire buzz into year-round opportunity. From DEIB-focused entrepreneur programs to university-backed accelerators supporting women and BIPOC founders, Omaha is channeling the event’s energy into long-term transformation.
Conclusion: Omaha’s Global Moment—And Ours
As Warren Buffett shares their timeless wisdom, Omaha shares something, too: a blueprint for what a thriving, inclusive startup ecosystem can look like in the middle of the country. For medtech innovators, tech entrepreneurs, and academic researchers dreaming big, this is more than a shareholder meeting—it’s a signal.
Omaha is on the map. And we’re just getting started.
Warren and Charlie, 2019
In this May 3, 2019 file photo, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, left, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, briefly chat with reporters before Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholders meeting. Buffett credited his longtime partner — the late Charlie Munger — with being the architect of the Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate he’s received the credit for leading and warned shareholders in his annual letter not to listen to Wall Street pundits or financial advisors who urge them to trade often. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
