Proven Ventures had a very good week.

Silicon Prairie News recently featured the Omaha-based fund and its push to deploy the remaining $1 million from its $10 million Fund One into Nebraska companies ready to grow. Proven is looking primarily at revenue-generating businesses with scalable models, with typical investments ranging from $250,000 to $500,000. Its debt-equity model is designed to give founders more flexibility while creating a path for them to buy back Proven’s ownership as their companies grow.

Posting because “we should probably post something today” is not a strategy.

Neither is throwing a random Reel into the algorithm and hoping the internet gods smile upon you.

This November, Lozafina Founder Josefina Loza is teaching Social Media Marketing That Works through MCC Business Development.

It’s a three-part class for business owners, marketing pros, nonprofit teams, and aspiring entrepreneurs who are ready to make social media actually support their goals.

We’ll dig into strategy, content that people might actually stop scrolling for, platform best practices, and how to tell whether any of this is working in the first place.

For Juan Padilla, economic opportunity begins with something many families and small business owners need but do not always have: access to fair, affordable financial services.

While debriefing with Eric Gautschi over the 2026 Hustle Conference excitement, we concluded: “Everyone who didn’t come this year missed out big time on Chris Barton and Liquid Death guys.” They were such a force.

Chris Barton, founder and original CEO of Shazam, message about starting from zero, challenging conventional thinking, and refusing to give up was easily one of the most inspiring moments of the day. Shazam ultimately went on to surpass 2 billion downloads.

Then Dan Murphy and Andy Pearson of Liquid Death closed the conference and pretty much jolted every marketer in the room awake.

For Sandra Lopez, more than 20 years in finance has grown into something larger than a professional career. Her experience has also become a way to support entrepreneurs, share financial knowledge, and serve Nebraska’s Latino community.

Today, October 2, marks six years since I officially started Lozafina.

Six years ago, I had an idea, a lot of experience, plenty of determination, and no real way of knowing what this would become.

Since then, Lozafina has grown into a team, a client roster, a community, and something much bigger than I ever imagined when I filed those papers in 2020.

Last week, we celebrated that journey with The Big Mix, surrounded by clients, friends, collaborators, and people who have supported us along the way.

And then, because this is Lozafina, we went right back to work.

There are moments when you look around a room and realize you are standing inside something you once only imagined.

The BIG Mix was one of those moments for me.

Celebrating six years of Lozafina surrounded by so many people who have encouraged, challenged, hired, referred, mentored, partnered with, and simply believed in us, was overwhelming in the best possible way.

Lozafina is proud to introduce the Rising Hustlers Cohort, a group of young creators gaining real-world experience while helping campaign for the 2026 Hustle Conference.

The cohort was created by Lozafina CEO and founder Josefina Loza to give emerging creatives an opportunity to develop content, strengthen their portfolios, build professional relationships, and contribute to a live marketing and public relations campaign.

“I wanted to use our access to create access for someone else,” Loza said.

Young creatives are often told they need experience before they can get an opportunity. Josefina Loza of Lozafina Marketing & Public Relations and Eric Gautschi, founder of the Hustle Conference, decided to flip that script.

They created the Young Hustlers Cohort to allow emerging creators to work on a real campaign promoting the entrepreneurship event.

“We’re proud to be sponsoring the Hustle Conference. But I didn’t want Lozafina’s sponsorship to be only about putting our logo on something,” Loza said. “I wanted to use our access to create access for someone else.”

For Bart Vargas, art has never been limited to what hangs on a gallery wall. A visual artist, educator, and advocate from Bellevue, Nebraska, Vargas has spent decades creating, teaching, and connecting people to the arts, both through his own work and by making sure others know what is happening in Omaha’s creative community.

Our client Proven Ventures has been busy, and we’re proud to see it.

First, the Proven Ventures team showed up at the Omaha Women’s Network’s Meant for More Summit, joining 250 women entrepreneurs, professionals, and business leaders for a day centered on leadership, community, and growth.

The room was filled with women building businesses, creating opportunities, and making moves across Omaha. That is exactly where Proven Ventures belongs.

We love seeing our clients get the attention they deserve.

Congratulations to the Hustle Conference for being featured in the Midlands Business Journal!

The story highlights what founder Eric Gautschi is bringing to Omaha on Sept. 30: top national speakers, investors, founders, and business leaders, all in one room at Creighton University.

Before Jamie Gutierrez became the CEO and owner of a multimillion-dollar company, she was a South Omaha kid waking up at 5 a.m. to help her parents clean. Her first job was cleaning ashtrays at a bowling alley. Today, she leads Midwest Maintenance, the family business her parents started in their garage in 1965, and continues a legacy rooted in hard work, community, and creating opportunities for others.

For Sergio Sosa, community organizing has always started with listening. A Guatemalan immigrant who has spent decades working alongside immigrant and underrepresented communities in Nebraska, Sosa believes meaningful change begins by understanding people’s lived experiences and building relationships from the ground up. That philosophy led him to found the Heartland Workers Center in 2009 and continues to shape his work today. 

When Lozafina announced last week that we were working with the Hustle Conference, people paid attention.

Within the first few days of the campaign, two Lozafina newsletters generated more than 900 direct clicks to the Hustle Conference website. It placed the event and its lineup in front of thousands of people across Omaha and beyond.

When Carolina Padilla noticed that immigrant seniors in Omaha were being left behind, she did not simply identify a problem—she built a place to address it. In 2009, Padilla founded the Intercultural Senior Center (ISC), creating a space where older adults could find connection, resources, and a sense of belonging. What began largely as a place for Latina seniors has grown into a nationally accredited organization welcoming older adults from cultures around the world. 

For Nebraska state Sen. Dunixi Guereca, public service begins with a familiar immigrant story: parents who came to the United States hoping their children could build something bigger.

Guereca, born in Torrance, California, in 1988, is the son of Mexican immigrants from Jalisco. His family story also stretches to Zarautz in Spain’s Basque region, where his paternal grandfather was from.

Okay, I’ve been waiting to share this one…

Lozafina is sponsoring the Hustle Conference. EEEKKK!

And the speaker lineup this year is honestly kind of wild. The founder of Shazam. Leaders behind GitHub and Liquid Death. An all-Nebraska female founders panel talking honestly about what it takes to build, lead, and grow.

Tickets are going fast for The Big Mix, and if you have been thinking about joining us, this is your sign to stop thinking and RSVP.

Lozafina Marketing & Public Relations and MODUS Coworking are bringing together entrepreneurs, journalists, nonprofit leaders, college students, creatives, business professionals, and community connectors for an evening designed to spark unexpected conversations and meaningful connections.

At a time when women were prohibited from serving in the U.S. Army, Cathay Williams refused to let the rules determine her future. Born into slavery, she disguised herself as a man and enlisted under the name William Cathay, becoming the only known and documented woman to serve as a Buffalo Soldier.

Her extraordinary story will be featured in the Great Plains Black History Museum’s upcoming Buffalo Soldiers exhibit, opening Oct. 1.