UNO’s College of Business Administration’s Entrepreneurial Living Learning Community (ELLC) empowers students to explore, create and lead through a transformative blend of community, mentorship and real-world experience.
by MELISSA LINDELL KOZAK
Sr. Director of Communications & Marketing, College of Business Administration
When students arrive at the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a spark of curiosity, the Entrepreneurial Living Learning Community — or ELLC — fans it into a flame. For more than a decade, this unique program has provided Mavericks with the tools, mentors and community they need to transform bold ideas into thriving ventures.
Housed in Scott Village, the ELLC brings together first- and second-year students who live, learn and collaborate alongside peers who share their entrepreneurial spirit. Upperclassmen often return as mentors, guiding the next wave of innovators. Together, they explore what it means to think like an entrepreneur — not just in business, but in life.
“It’s about surrounding yourself with people who are just as curious and motivated as you are,” said Nate White, a current member. “We build on each other’s ideas and push each other to improve.”
Second-year member Moto Hiro Tsuchiya agrees. “We can exchange ideas. The group supports my ideas and ventures.”
That sense of community is central to the program’s design. Weekly meetings feature visits to startups, guest speakers and hands-on workshops. Students get a behind-the-scenes look at Omaha’s growing innovation ecosystem — touring coworking hubs like Elevator and Millwork Commons, learning from founders of companies like Viva Fit Kitchen and Appsky, and even serving as “sharks” in pitch competitions with local high schoolers.
“Curiosity is built into everything we do,” said Alex Wewel, assistant director of UNO’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising, which oversees the program. “Students bring their ideas — whether it’s a new restaurant concept, an app or a small business they’ve already launched — and we work through frameworks like the Lean Canvas to test, refine and pivot. It’s a safe space to experiment, fail fast and grow.”
For some, like sophomore Bobby Snodgrass, the ELLC provides fuel for an already-running venture. His mobile detailing company, Detail Omaha, continues to grow thanks to the connections and mentorship he’s gained. Others, like first-year Lesly Sanchez, find the structure gives them the time and encouragement to move an idea from the “someday” list to the priority list.
Perhaps most transformative are the experiences outside the classroom. Each spring, the ELLC takes students to a national hub for startups. Last year’s trip to New York City gave participants a glimpse into the fast-paced world of Wall Street, venture capital and innovation at scale.
“It was like a playground for entrepreneurship,” said junior Brady Faltys, who balances projects in real estate with a composting startup. “You see just how many different paths there are, and it makes you want to take your own ideas further.
ALUMNI REFLECTIONS
Alumni say the program’s impact lasts long after graduation.
“ELLC had one of the greatest impacts on my college experience,” said Yolvin Aguirre, who still keeps in touch with mentors and peers he met through the program. “It connected me with CEOs, business owners and opportunities I never would have had otherwise. The community fueled my ambitions and gave me the skills to keep building beyond UNO.”
For Samantha Barrett, the ELLC was both a launchpad and a lifeline.
“The ELLC is full of different opportunities,” she said. “Not only are you able to meet a wide variety of people throughout the community, but you can also fully immerse yourself in entrepreneurship. It allowed me to ask every question I had directly to business owners and mentors — and those answers shaped the way I think about business today.”
Barrett said the friendships and mentorship she gained were equally life-changing.
“Being a freshman, it was scary coming into a new environment with no friends. ELLC gave me a solid group I could rely on. My mentor helped me navigate not only college, but life and work.”
Bailey Kaisershot echoed that sentiment, crediting the ELLC with shaping both her academic and professional path.
“The experiences I had and people I met through the ELLC, I will forever cherish and remember,” she said. “Our cohort went on multiple entrepreneurship-based trips to San Francisco, Denver and Boston, where we toured startups and businesses while also exploring new cities together. Living in Scott Village made our cohort feel more like a family than classmates.”
Now pursuing optometry, Kaisershot said her mentor connections were invaluable.
“I was paired with Dr. Lindsey Behrendt, an optometrist at Exclusively Eyecare, and that opened the door to shadowing, volunteering and even my current job as an optometric technician. If it wasn’t for the ELLC, I wouldn’t have these opportunities or experiences that are now directly preparing me for optometry school.”
At its core, the ELLC reflects UNO’s commitment to innovation — empowering students to explore, create and lead.
As Wewel put it: “It’s a simple concept with a huge impact. When you put curious people together, ideas ignite — and entrepreneurs grow.”
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
- Detail Omaha: Sophomore Bobby Snodgrass runs a mobile detailing business that thrives on word-of-mouth and connections built through the ELLC.
- Real Estate & Composting: Brady Faltys is learning how to scale ventures from sustainable composting to property flips, inspired by the mentorship he’s found in Omaha’s startup community.
- Pushing Ideas Forward: First-year member Lesly Sanchez says the ELLC gave her the structure to prioritize her entrepreneurial idea rather than letting it linger.
