Liz Bavitz, Principal Architect and Project Manager and Kjersten Tucker, Lead Interior Architect and Principal at Sinclair Hille Architects, join Becca Fowler, Investor Relations Specialist with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of BusinessLNK. Liz, Kjersten and Becca talk about the history of Sinclair Hille Architects, who celebrates 45 years in business in 2026; some of their favorite projects over the years, including the new NRC Health building and Malone Community Center; what other projects Sinclair Hille is working on at the current time and what kinds of projects they will be taking on in the future.
Kendall Warnock, Founder and Owner of A1 Automotive, joins Jason Ball, President & CEO of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of BusinessLNK. Kendall and Jason talk about Kendall's love of cars, which started as a kid growing up in Rosalie, Nebraska, how he came to start A1 Automotive, why being involved and giving back to the Lincoln community and elsewhere is so important to him and why leadership is crucial to establishing culture within any business. A1 Automotive was honored as the Lincoln Chamber's 2025 Small Business of the Year at the 2025 Celebrate Business Awards and has grown to two Lincoln locations and one in Seward, Nebraska.
Dr. Roger Hughes, President of Doane University, joins Jason Ball, President & CEO of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of BusinessLNK. Roger and Jason talk about how Roger got into leadership in secondary education with Doane University upon becoming president in 2021, the most challenging factors currently facing secondary education as a whole, what's new on campus at Doane University and how Doane can continue working with the business community in Lincoln and Nebraska to provide great careers and futures for students.
Dr. Roger Hughes, President of Doane University, joins Jason Ball, President & CEO of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of BusinessLNK. Roger and Jason talk about how Roger got into leadership in secondary education with Doane University upon becoming president in 2021, the most challenging factors currently facing secondary education as a whole, what's new on campus at Doane University and how Doane can continue working with the business community in Lincoln and Nebraska to provide great careers and futures for students.
Liz Elliott, Director of Transportation & Utilities for the City of Lincoln, joins Katie Bohlmeyer, Business Policy Advocate with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of the BusinessLNK podcast. Liz and Katie talk about Project O Street, a major project designed to upgrade streets, sidewalks, water mains and public spaces along O Street in the heart of downtown Lincoln. With the project kicking off in April 2026, Liz and Katie also discuss the timeline for the project and how the city is communicating project details for business owners and public. You can learn more about Lincoln's Project O Street at https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Projects-Programs-Initiatives/Project-O-Street.
Gaylene Steinbach, Owner of Lulubee Artisanal Chocolates, joins Becca Fowler, Investor Relations Specialist with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of the BusinessLNK podcast. Gaylene and Becca talk about how she went from a career as a dental hygienist to opening Lulubee Artisanal Chocolates, what her favorite kinds of chocolates are and why some are more difficult to perfect than others, why the support of small businesses in Lincoln has been so important and the fun things coming up at Lulubee in the near future.
Randy Hawthorne, Vice President of Community Engagement with Downtown Lincoln Association (DLA), joins Jason Ball, President & CEO of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of BusinessLNK. Randy and Jason talk about upcoming initiatives for DLA as Randy steps into his new role, why it's important to have a vibrant downtown for communities and especially metros similar in size to Lincoln and how DLA and other organizations are gearing up for changes to the downtown area through road construction and more. For more details on DLA, visit their website at https://downtownlincoln.org/.
Anne Brandt, Executive Director of Lincoln Littles, joins Luke Peltz, Vice President for the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, in the AOI Podcast Studio to talk about the work that Lincoln Littles does in the Lincoln community and specifically, the recently created Family-Friendly Workplace Certification Program through Lincoln Littles and the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development. Anne and Luke discuss why this program is so crucial for families and why the business community has embraced this certification process, in addition to how the certification program works and why it benefits employers.
As of April 2026, 39 workplaces have been accepted and certified into the program. More details on the Lincoln Family-Friendly Workplaces Certification program can be found at https://www.selectlincoln.org/lincoln-family-friendly-workplace-certification.
Wendy Blotcky, directora y fundadora de Academia Latinos Unidos, se une a Angenita Pierre-Louis, coordinadora de participación de miembros de la Cámara de Comercio de Lincoln, en el estudio de pódcast de AOI para la edición más reciente de Latino Connect y BusinessLNK. Wendy y Angenita conversan sobre la trayectoria de Wendy desde Perú hasta Los Ángeles y, finalmente, a Nebraska; sobre cómo fundó Academia Latinos Unidos en Omaha; y sobre la manera en que los programas educativos ofrecidos a través de esta institución brindan mentoría continua, habilidades lingüísticas y oportunidades a personas de toda la región.
Wendy Blotcky, Director and Founder of Academia Latinos Unidos, joins Angenita Pierre-Louis, Membership Engagement Coordinator with the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce in the AOI Podcast Studio on the latest edition of Latino Connect and BusinessLNK. Wendy and Angenita talk about her background from Peru to Los Angeles and eventually to Nebraska, how Wendy built Academia Latinos Unidos in Omaha and how educational programs offered through Academia Latinos Unidos provide continued mentorship, language skills and opportunities for people across the area.
