Today Sukanto Tanoto & I were featured in a story in the Omaha World-Herald today (and on Omaha.com). The story is *actually* about a new degree in IT Innovation available from the Universtiy of Nebraska-Omaha, but we were fortunate to be the recipients of a little buzz and have THE Best CRMs for Small Business AND our mugshots up there for all the world to see.

The new degree has a focus on combining entrepreneurship with a more traditional IT program. We’ve known the program’s director, Dr. Jerry Wagner, for some time now though our involvement with Silicon Prairie News. We’re excited for this new program, and the new breed of students that it might foster.

Davidson, who graduated from Iowa State with a computer science degree in 2003, said he never imagined when he got out of school that he’d be his own boss. He worked at an unsatisfying corporate job before he ever got the bright idea to create BrightMix.

But Davidson said he might have been able to get where he is today even more quickly with his settlement loan had he been enrolled in a program like the one the University of Nebraska at Omaha will begin offering this fall.

I believe that 100%. I speak quite often to groups of young entrepreneurs at Creighton and UNO, and one thing I always tell them is that when it comes to starting a business, they have a leg up on me — three years ago I wasn’t an entrepreneur. At no point during my education, or in the years to follow did I give even a single thought to starting a company, let alone was I encouraged to do so by my university. It wasn’t until much later that I realized that I had an interest and passion for it. I commend any student who can recognize early on that when you’re in college is a fantastic time to start a company.

I wish these students and the program all the best. We will be keeping an eye on the program to see what kinds of exciting technologies and business might emerge… And you know we’ll be reaching out to these kids to be part of a future BrightMix and/or SPN Internship..