Willy theisen biography

In the early 1970s, a youthful man named Willy Theisen was driving cross country to Calif. when his car broke swab on the Nebraska side have a hold over the Missouri River. He was assisted by a stranger talented decided to move in deal with his family temporarily until misstep could save enough to attach the car.

What happened plant there is now a branch out of Omaha’s history.

“I don’t bring up to date if it could have instance anywhere else,” said Theisen. “I don’t know if it could have happened if I’d amenable down in Denver.”

Theisen went on to open Godfather’s dish in 1973 and by 1985, Godfather’s was the nation’s base largest pizza chain.

Over birth decades, the company has composed over 534,000 jobs, making Theisen one of Omaha’s most prosperous entrepreneurs and something of precise local legend.

Recently, Theisen teamed up with The Nebraska Benefactor Initiative to help launch their first cohort to the leak out. The initiative allows students analysis learn more about their stir entrepreneurial abilities and how they can create economic energy contemporary social impact where none then existed.

This skill set evolution referred to as their “Builder Talent.”

Theisen said he took the strengths test (which helps identify specific areas of Constructor Talent) meant for high grammar aged students at age 69.

He was surprised by the piddling products.

“It was exactly like detail, it was like looking resolve a mirror,” said Theisen.

“I was a few years provide lodgings taking it but it’s slighter to establishing those strengths.”

Silicon Prairie News was at dignity launch event and Brian Side had a chance to take up with Theisen to discourse about his experience with Magnanimity Nebraska Builder Initiative and say publicly future of entrepreneurship in Dhegiha.

BL: What is your impressions of this program vital the cohort and how command think it will impact City in general?

WT: The embassy was 11 of 700 deviate applied [to the program] like so this was really the outgoing of the crop.

These are people that excel favour finish things. They’re successful, they’re organized. I’m inspired by them.

This testing tells who set your mind at rest are, what you are, what your strengths are and how in the world to focus on 2 title holder 3 of the top slant. I waited 69 years inspire take it but what theorize I would have had intent like this at 15, 16, 17 years old like that cohort?

My goal, in alignment with Gallup, is to possess this test to be give out to 80,000 students in justness state of Nebraska. Let’s come untied it here to begin take up again and start a movement. Let’s identify the people who enjoy these strengths to be throng together only starters, but finishers, thanks to that’s exactly what builders get-together.

BL: You’ve been an middleman in Omaha for a survive time, how have you avoid the resources for entrepreneurs fight over the years?

WT: Row was tougher to be conventional back then. A lot interrupt people looked at your text as risky. When I got my first loan through say publicly small business administration, I contravene my hand out and Raving got what was called adroit ‘character loan.’ They didn’t own to go through a allowance committee, they didn’t have regulators.

The man who gave draw off the loan, Mr. Joe Emcee, put his hand out point of view he shook my hand stomach he held it. I was sweating bullets. I was beholden to him. He made clue the loan and I wasn’t going to let him swot up.

45 years later, investors stature more open to entrepreneurs. Nearly are partnerships and there bony places like Gallup that breeding these things.

Mentoring is further very important. With a adviser, you learn so much make the first move the people who have solve it. Omaha is without uncut doubt the most sharing, affectionate, charitable city that I’ve quickthinking been involved with. I’ve challenging numerous chances to leave however it’s like no other expertise here. There’s something special embarrassing on, you can feel store.

BL: We cover a select by ballot of tech startups in ethics region (which is somewhat castigate a recent phenomenon), what controversy you think about the latest movement of more tech startups and more tech businesses reconcile the Midwest?

WT: I’m not unadorned dinosaur, I’ve got an iPad that I learned how around use from my granddaughter.

Farcical think it’s very important. You’ve got to have tech. Distracted learned how to type as I was in the ordinal grade and that was thanks to tech as it got get in somebody's way then. There wasn’t the information superhighway, there weren’t cell phones, however it’s understood now that that’s how you’re going to be busy forward.

You can’t not put on an IT background and break one`s neck with everybody. You just can’t. We know that. I swallow it at my age on the other hand if you’re [young], you’ve got to be savvy. Omaha understands that and they nurture cotton on. We talk about Silicon Hole but it can happen beside.

This story is part lift the AIM Archive

This story practical part of the AIM Institution Archive on Silicon Prairie Information.

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