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By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Fallon Wells tried to hide her tears, but the emotion of the moment was clearly visible.
When the University of Nebraska at Kearney senior was announced as the winner of this year’s Big Idea UNK entrepreneurship competition, she immediately put her hands to her face, overcome with joy as audience members cheered from their seats inside Discovery Hall.
Wells earned first place and $3,000 for Birthday Blooms: Preserved Floral Gifts, a new product line highlighting the flowers associated with each person’s birth month.
“Unreal. I still can’t believe it,” she said Wednesday evening while celebrating the win with family and friends.
Meaningful Gift-Giving
A Central City native, Wells has worked in the floral industry for more than six years. Her business focuses on transforming real, preserved flowers into custom gifts – including charm necklaces, calendars and cards – that add heartfelt meaning to special occasions.
“I wanted to solve the overall stress of gift-giving,” Wells explained. “I want people to have a personalized gift option – something that makes everyone feel special.”
Wells currently works at Divas at Kearney Floral Co. while studying interior and product design with an entrepreneurship minor. On May 1 – exactly one week before graduation – she’ll take ownership of Full Bloom, the flower shop in her hometown where she first discovered her passion.
“In high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” Wells said. “I’ve always loved art and design, but I didn’t have a specific career in mind. I started working at the floral shop in my hometown during my junior year, and it kind of became a running joke with the owner. ‘Oh, you should just come back and buy it.’”
“I guess it’s not so much of a joke anymore,” she added with a laugh.
The Big Idea UNK prize money, she said, will go directly into building inventory and launching her preserved floral line, which she plans to offer at the Central City business before expanding to online sales and other retailers.
“This money is immediately going into a business fund to help me improve and grow,” she said. “I’d love to do weddings, funerals and larger preservation pieces so people can keep those special moments forever.”
Her decision to pursue entrepreneurship grew naturally over time.
“There’s this saying that you have to have an itch for entrepreneurship and it comes at the most random times,” Wells said. “I definitely got the itch. I want to be my own boss. I want to make a difference in my hometown.”
Wells is part of Startup Studio, a program offered by UNK’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development that allows students to immerse themselves in the business development process. Participants receive mentorship from Nebraska entrepreneurs, tour regional businesses, attend networking events, collaborate with peers and work one-on-one with staff to launch or grow their ventures.
“Startup Studio has been extremely valuable,” Wells said. “Through that program and my UNK classes, I’ve learned how to create a business plan and better understand the financial side – all the things that seemed scary before but now feel possible.”
Bringing Blueprints to Life
Second place and $1,000 went to UNK senior Kade Schrock, a computer science major from Kearney whose company allows architects and their clients to step inside a design before it’s built.
YourVision takes traditional architectural drawings or 3D models and transforms them into fully immersive digital environments. Using Unreal Engine, the same advanced rendering technology used in blockbuster video games, clients can walk through a building in real time, helping them visualize how design decisions – from layout to lighting to landscaping – will impact the final space.
“I would compare it to a first-person video game,” Schrock said. “You can walk through the building, look around and really understand the space. It’s about making sure people feel secure in what they’re investing in.”
His business partner, Klayton Pagel, graduated from UNK in August. The pair have already completed two projects for a local architecture firm, producing still images, video renderings and VR walkthroughs.
“It takes a lot of software engineering experience to produce one of these demos, and that’s not realistic for most architecture firms,” Schrock explained. “They’re not going to have a team of software engineers to work on a project. We handle all of that complexity for them so architects can focus on design.”
Schrock plans to continue growing YourVision after graduation.
“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “Almost every family member I have is an entrepreneur, so it’s just what I grew up with. It just seems normal to me. And I think other students should consider it, too. It gives you so much freedom in your life.”
Jesse Bertrand of Funk earned third place and $500 for Robust Pivot Tracks, a system that replaces irrigation pivot tires with track-based components to improve stability and prevent tipping in the field.
Celebrating the Entrepreneurial Spirit
In its 14th year, the Big Idea competition is organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development and sponsored by the UNK College of Business and Technology and NUtech Ventures, the nonprofit technology commercialization affiliate of the University of Nebraska.
Nearly 60 submissions were received this year – reflecting strong momentum among UNK students – with the 10 finalists pitching their ideas to a panel of judges and more than 50 people in attendance.
Sara Bennett, the center’s director, called Big Idea UNK a “launch pad” for Lopers.
“The quality climbs every year,” she said. “We’re seeing bold, imaginative ideas that are grounded in real community needs. This event gives students the platform and the confidence to say, ‘Yes, I’m going to try this now.’”
Brooke Envick, a Big Idea judge and dean of the College of Business and Technology, emphasized the broader message.
“Entrepreneurship is problem-solving with purpose,” she said during the event. “Entrepreneurs are constantly looking for ways to solve problems and add value to people’s lives. Tonight is about celebrating that spirit and mindset.”
For Wells, the support from UNK – and the friends and family who filled several seats – made the night unforgettable.
“Having so many people behind me has been such a blessing,” she said with a smile. “I’m just excited. I can’t wait to get started.”
Photos by Ryo Suzuki, UNK College of Business and Technology
