FOR THE

OF NEBRASKA

AKSARBEN WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF NEBRASKA

Since 1895, Aksarben Foundation has worked tirelessly to support prosperity and growth for every Nebraskan. In order to overcome many of today’s workforce challenges and position Nebraska for future success, we’ve launched several initiatives aimed at increasing the number of jobs that are high-skill, high-wage and high-demand. Aksarben convenes leaders across the state in business, education, government, and philanthropy to help develop strategies to attract and retain talent. Building a better Nebraska and growing talent is at the heart of everything we do. Through our many initiatives, we continue striving to make “The Good Life” even better.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2025 AKSARBEN MOST HONORED CITIZEN!

JOAN SQUIRES

The Aksarben Foundation is proud to name Joan Squires, President of Omaha Performing Arts (O-PA), as its 2025 Most Honored Citizen, recognizing her visionary leadership and lasting impact on Nebraska’s arts and culture.

OUR MISSION

The Aksarben Foundation convenes leaders and leads initiatives to grow our economy.

ADDRESSING NEBRASKA'S MOST PRESSING ISSUES

Aksarben was founded to convene leaders across Nebraska’s business, government, and philanthropic communities to help solve challenges facing our state. Whether it was supporting the state fair for tourism and economic development, founding scholarship programs to advance the education of thousands of Nebraska students or providing grants to support community improvement efforts, Aksarben has been there to help invest in our people, places, and opportunities.

Continuing that mission today, we have implemented focused initiatives that not only bring people together, but are actively making progress to address critical issues affecting Nebraska’s growth and future success.

OUR INITIATIVES

Research and trends show Nebraska business leaders are facing a shortage of workers and a "brain drain" of educated talent. In response, Aksarben has launched initiatives by both industry and region to address these challenges. With Nebraska’s prosperity as our main goal, Aksarben is gathering leaders in business, education, technology, government, and philanthropy across the state to help develop strategies to attract and retain talent.

Each of our “Powered by Aksarben” initiatives are guided by an Aksarben Board Member who recruits other key stakeholders within the Aksarben network and among the larger community. Each initiative is designed to be scalable, sustainable, and replicable, with a clear focus on attracting and retaining talent in high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand careers.

INITIATIVES POWERED BY AKSARBEN

For decades, Aksarben has awarded scholarships to Nebraska students and community grants to valuable projects impacting local towns. With scholarships awarded each year, these funds go toward education at Nebraska colleges and universities. By contributing to higher education in Nebraska, Aksarben is working toward building a bigger and brighter talent pipeline.

Developing, attracting, and retaining tech talent and entrepreneurs.

Empowering futures through scholarships and internships.

INITIATIVES STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITIES

Through all this work, Aksarben recognizes the importance of supporting regional initiatives, actively engaging with local leaders to understand specific community needs, and honoring those who have strengthened Nebraska's ag economy. By doing so, we can offer tailored supporting to help propel success. This work is unique and the rewards are significant.