Jim Krieger Receives Nebraska Entrepreneurship Outstanding Service Award

Jim Krieger, founder of the Krieger Family Foundation and chief financial officer of Gallup, was honored with the 2013 Nebraska Entrepreneurship Outstanding Service Award at the 7th Annual MarketPlace Nebraska Conference. The award is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Enterprise Fund and the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Task Force.

Monica Braun – Director, Rural Enterprise Assistance Project Women’s Business Center (left); Jim Krieger, Gallup CFO (center); Rose Jaspersen, Executive Director of the Nebraska Enterprise Fund Director (right)

Individuals or organizations that have demonstrated sustained and outstanding state and/or national leadership and advocacy for entrepreneurship education and/or business development services are eligible to receive the award. Nominees must have made contributions that are noteworthy in advancing the mission to educate, engage and empower entrepreneurs of all ages throughout Nebraska.

Krieger said, “Nebraska needs to create a business climate that supports individual entrepreneurs and gives them the tools to succeed. There’s no silver bullet about what you can and can’t do. You have to get back to what each individual does and what we can do to support that effort.”

The nomination for Krieger highlighted a few of the multiple initiatives and programs that owe their existence in whole or in part to him and the Krieger Family Foundation, including:

• “Entrepreneurship in Nebraska,” the groundbreaking book that started significant dialogue and support for entrepreneurship education and advocacy efforts in Nebraska.
• Lincoln Public Schools’ Entrepreneurship Focus Program.
• UNL 4-H Extension entrepreneurship curriculum and programs, including EntrepreneurShip Investigation (ESI), LEAP into Careers and Community Connections.
• Annual support provided for the Nebraska Summit on Entrepreneurship.

The Nebraska Enterprise Fund is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s CDFI Fund. NEF provides direct loans to start-up and existing micro/small businesses across Nebraska. NEF works collaboratively with lending organizations and banks to assist in filling financial gaps for businesses.

The Nebraska Entrepreneurship Task Force-NETForce  is an actively engaged group of collaborating partners focused on the high-income, high-skill, and high-demand entrepreneurial career opportunities available to Nebraska’s youth and adults. Collaborating partners include the Nebraska community college system, Nebraska Department of Education, nonprofit service providers and economic development organizations, private colleges and universities, and the University of Nebraska.

An article with video comments by Krieger posted on Nebraskaentrepreneur.com on Jan. 28, 2011, can be found at: Gallup CFO: Support for Individual Entrepreneurs Crucial to Nebraska’s Economic Health.