Greater Omaha 2040

People

It’s 2040. In our region, every resident – natives and newcomers alike – can gain a foothold on the prosperity ladder and climb as high as their ambitions and abilities take them.

This is a place where the brightest and best choose to live and work, where talent is manifested in near-magic innovation and inclusivity fuels a future that is already within reach. Thanks to enthusiastic collaboration over the past two decades, our collection of corporate headquarters and tech startups has expanded to serve the world with impactful, imaginative initiatives that empower and embolden others to choose Greater Omaha as home.

2040 Goals for the Region

By 2040, we will be a region of 1.3 million people; a place where everyone thrives with:

  • The best and most accessible early childhood education in the world
  • Exceptional public schools with a renewed focus on career-based skills, post-secondary preparation and alignment with regional future-focused jobs
  • Large-scale corporate, philanthropic and social support channeled toward young professional attractions offering social, educational and recreational opportunities
  • Competitive wages compared to other growing talent markets
  • A connected network of welcoming neighborhoods that creates a cultural tapestry unique to the Midwest and seizes on the talent attraction opportunity presented by rapidly-changing demographics
  • Diverse leadership with 50 percent of business leadership positions held by women and minorities, powering a reputation that minorities and women excel here
  • Highly-successful and internationally-recognized acceleration of technology based startups, which creates an acclaimed hub for innovators and entrepreneurs in social and public sectors

What “disruptions” would increase our performance in this area?

  • Securing funding for a multi-modal public transportation system. The region’s talent landscape will be transformed with the emergence of a significant investment in a multi-modal public transportation system. This investment will allow businesses to access talent and talent to access employment – and it will create a stronger sense of place and build culture.
  • Building a statewide economic development strategy that unites business and education leaders in targeting high wage and knowledge-based job opportunities
  • Aligning post-secondary degrees/certificates and curricula with future-focused jobs; aligning college and high school career training programs directly with needs of the business community
  • Guaranteeing every student in the region graduates from high school with no fewer than 20 intensive career experiences
  • Redefining the markers of a quality education available to all students by coupling “increasing high school graduation rates” with “decreasing college freshman remediation rates”
  • Cultivating a broad base of employers that make a commitment to developing hiring and promotion policies that reflect excellence in diversity and inclusion outcomes and specifically increasing the diversity of their leadership team
  • Exploring and advocating for fair and effective education financing