Every fall, a new wave of students enters Miller Hall at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to begin a journey of building an entrepreneurial business. From the moment they step inside the building, they are recognized as more than students – they are owners of future businesses developed in the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, planting roots all across Nebraska and serve people nationwide. 

The program is inspirational because of the character-building process that is included in the course design.

“Early on, we thought our job was to build companies, and then we figured out that it was really our job to build people, and those people would build great companies,” said Tom Field, Director of Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 

Engler students help to stimulate the economy by introducing new goods and services to the marketplace across the state, creating jobs, and paying taxes.

Many of the ventures eventually become thriving enterprises and the identity of Nebraska is built by the emerging success stories.

Fail Forward, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap…Learn like Crazy

One principal takeaway of the Engler program is learning the art of failure.

Instead of lectures, Field said Engler students learn through experiences and shared wisdom from a community of peers and mentors. One piece of wisdom is for students to become comfortable with failing. To be innovative, students will have multiple failed attempts before something works best.

The program consists of short, intense modules taught from entrepreneur experts holding undergraduates to high standards. In Engler, lessons are often learned through multiple failed attempts, and those attempts are an important piece of any entrepreneur’s story. 

According to Field, one of the famous mantras of the Engler program is, “Fail Forward, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap…Learn like Crazy!”

Field said failed attempts build lifelong character traits of perseverance and innovation carrying entrepreneurs through their professional careers.

Support Local

The courageous pursuit of entrepreneurship owns many risks, but most times, the offset is freedom. Freedom inspires entrepreneurs to settle in rural Nebraska where they can be a factor in the survival of their hometown. But, in order to contribute to rural Nebraska, they must have community support.

Field said approximately 95% of Engler graduates aspire to live and work in Nebraska but establishing roots in rural areas can be challenging for entrepreneurs as not everyone is going to accept the new innovations.

An important aspect of community vitality in rural Nebraska lies in the support that the community has on people and businesses, according to Field. Supporting local businesses is crucial to their success. Entrepreneurship offers rural communities the chance to thrive.   

Field said that entrepreneurs are compassionate people who love their communities, love their families, love their neighbors, and will work in the hardest way to build something.

“If we can have the wisdom to support them and stay out of their way, then we will build the kind of state we really want,” Field said.

Engler Success: TractorMat

A prime example of an Engler success story that has served farmers across the country, is the company TractorMat, created and owned by Thomas Kayton, a 2018 graduate of the Engler program.

TractorMat was sparked by a common chore Kayton had growing up as a kid – cleaning out vehicles. Kayton wanted to design custom removable floor mats for farm machinery to make this process easier. Upon joining the Engler program, Kayton brought his passion to life by borrowing his parent’s minivan to travel around Nebraska and sell mats. 

“TractorMat is exciting because Thomas did not wait for us to give him permission,” Field said. “He just went and did it and then we supported him and helped him grow it. That is a true entrepreneur.”

Field said it is entrepreneurs like Kayton that bring businesses, jobs, and ideas to rural Nebraska, which drives communities and its economy.

TractorMat is one of the many success stories to come out of the Engler program.

Women’s Entrepreneurial Initiative

There are many opportunities for involvement within Engler, and are all founded by students. One example is the Women’s Entrepreneurial Initiative – a program that embodies strong women in leadership positions. This program is based on the challenge’s women face as business owners. The group of women meet every week to have transparent conversations and support each other through their endeavors as entrepreneurs.

“At the start, women were not launching companies quite at the same rate as men and we could not figure it out because it certainly was not an issue with talent,” Field said. “We found that women needed to have a place where they could talk to each other and be transparent and genuine with each other. This initiative accomplishes that goal.” 

This initiative is essential for building women of strong character and confidence that will one day control a thriving enterprise.

Building Long-Lasting Community

The Engler program establishes a true sense of home for many students. Embellishing the walls of Miller Hall are photos of trademarked businesses as a result of the program. 

Meandering deeper through the classrooms, legendary mottos are hand painted on the walls. The Engler program is more than community – it is lifelong friends and family.

The relationships between classmates and professors live long after graduation. The alumni are very active and a great resource for students active in the program. Alumni provide a source of wisdom and networking connections for students. There are many opportunities for involvement within Engler and they are all founded by a deep sense of ownership by students yielding a community of entrepreneurs ready to create the future.