Sidney inspires other community leaders at E3 event

SIDNEY, Neb. — Nebraskan community leaders traveled to Sidney to learn about the town's growing ecosystem.

The Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) held their E3 event in Sidney for other community leaders from around Nebraska to come learn about the community and how Sidney has grown on Sept. 22 and 23.

NCF Chief Operating Officer K.C. Belitz said the goal of the E3 groups is to learn from other communities to build the ecosystem in each community. Belitz said Sidney is a great community for other towns to learn from.

“What’s happening here is Sidney, and what’s been happening here in the recent past," Belitz said. "It's such a tremendous example for these other communities to know they can do it, and also to come here and see first-hand how you do it.”

Belitz organizes all E3 project from an NCF team in Lincoln. He said the entrepreneurial and community stories are what get people's and businesses interest in Sidney. 

"That’s the point of the project is encouraging communities to do those things, to learn from each other and to build that ecosystem in place," Belitz said.

Leaders from other Nebraskan towns toured Sidney to learn what they can bring home to benefit their own community.

Deputy Directory for Economic Programs Katie Walmsley said, “I think I was most impressed with the resiliency of the business community in Sidney. You took your greatest tragedy, Cabela’s closing, and turned it into your greatest asset and uncovered all these business owners and created all these great businesses.”

Walmsley is from Ord, Neb. and wants to encourage small businesses and entrepreneurs more in her own town. 

Coordinator for McCook Community Foundation Ronda Graff said she wants to implement some of the successful programs from Sidney schools to McCook.

“At the high school we visited the printing company, and the coffee shop, and we got to see the Raider made bus with the kids serving the coffee,” Graff said. “This isn’t just a concept or an idea, but they're put this to action.”

Graff and Walmsley said they are inspired by listening to other communities and seeing what they’re doing.

“One of the most inspirational pieces is that the Sidney E3 core team are not paid employees,” Walmsley said. “We’re paid to be here. We’re part of our community development as paid staff and nobody here today from Sidney was getting paid to be here.”

Belitz said it’s clear that Sidney has a future.

“The ecosystem here that would encourage someone to come here and start and run a business, it’s clearly improving,” Belitz said.