03/24/16

Why I Love Business and Straight Shot Omaha

I love business.

More importantly, I love doing business in Omaha.

Starting and keeping a business can be a lonely endeavor but I know from personal experience that it only takes one person to believe in you to make a difference. I also know that many great ideas never become reality because they lack the support, guidance and setting to come to fruition.

Enter Straight Shot – a catalyst for startup success across the nation, right here in Omaha.

“Straight Shot is dedicated to rapidly developing technology startups in a way that will allow them to succeed the first time.”

Straight Shot turns great ideas into growing companies by bringing together the strategic capital, mentorship and guidance their founders need to excel.

I’m privileged to serve as a mentor with Straight Shot and original investor. OBI Creative has committed to two more years as a venture investor in the Straight Shot Venture Fund because we believe in the power of business to uplift entire communities and make our world and lives better.

That’s why OBI Creative and I support Straight Shot; because we want businesses to know that we believe in them.

With the Presidential election in full swing, there’s a lot of talk in the national media these days about which candidate will be best for business. Who will help small businesses start and large ones thrive? Who will steer our economy in the direction of success? Regardless of where you lean or whom you plan to vote for, supporting business in America isn’t just the job of Presidents and politicians. It falls on each one of us to do what we can to support enterprise in America.

At OBI Creative, that means working hard every day, turning out strategy and creative that sells, and continuing to invest in the Straight Shot Venture Fund.

Skyrocketing Success
In its first three years, Straight Shot has invested a total of $400,000 in 20 companies. Those companies that have gone on to raise additional capital have brought in follow-on funds totaling $4,239,200 (and counting). That’s a more than 10x increase in capital investment in the Fund’s portfolio companies. It makes sense for OBI Creative to invest in the Fund, not just because it yields a good return, but because it supports home grown innovation and helps place a spotlight on Omaha as a special city in the national landscape.

The Omaha Model
I love that Straight Shot named its methodology after our city. Having lived and worked in some of the nation’s largest cities including New York and San Diego, I understand that Omaha is often overlooked, even by our own residents. Straight Shot elevates the local and national perception of our city – something that helps all of us who live and work here to enjoy a better quality of life.

Omaha is unique because we have a deep, rich talent base and a disproportionate number of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies for our population size. What makes us special is our culture; the business community here is collaborative, charitable and both founded on and fueled by relationships. Our word is still our bond and our deals are cemented with handshakes between trusted allies.

To succeed here, you have to work with us, not in isolation.

Straight Shot recognizes that our culture makes our city uniquely qualified to build mutually beneficial bridges between startups and large, established corporations. We have both a sophisticated workforce and abundance of qualified mentors, strategic advisors and potential investors.

I share all this with you today because I want you, and the rest of the world, to know that Omaha is an amazing place to live and work and that there’s nothing we can’t accomplish when we work together, free of the shackles of self-limitation. Like my father always said, ‘all it takes to start a business is to have one person believe in you.’ At OBI Creative, we believe in you; we’re in your corner, cheering you on to victory, because when your business wins, we all win.

What’s your great idea? What will it take for you to turn it into reality? What do you love about living and/or working in Omaha?

Mary Ann O’Brien, CEO and Founder

A nationally recognized branding and marketing thought leader, Mary Ann has been tapped by some of the most successful brands in the world to help steer their strategic direction. She has led national and global strategic initiatives for Intel, Microsoft, Sony, Gateway computers, Viewsonic, D-Link and Advance Auto Parts, SAC Federal Credit Union, Bridges Investment Management and Creighton University. Prior to founding OBI Creative in 2001, Mary Ann served as Executive Vice President of Marketing at Gateway in San Diego, California, and Vice President of Sales & Marketing at GoAmerica in Hackensack, New Jersey.

A pioneer in the study of customer experience, she co-authored the O’Brien Voice of the Customer™ (o.VOC) study that has served as the foundation for numerous business success stories globally, nationally and within the Omaha metro market.