Corporate Sponsorship
Lighting the Way to Life-Changing Careers
Every graduate on these pages was working just as hard a year ago. What changed was having a door held open.
"If you bring your creativity, leadership, and resources to Ignite Nebraska, you will have a lasting impact on the future of our communities."
I've learned that everyone can lead from where they are. Ignite Nebraska was founded on this belief — that harnessing the strength of partnerships can eliminate employment barriers and create real pathways to financial stability. Many people in our communities work full-time yet remain unable to make ends meet, kept out of high-paying careers by systemic inequities, not by effort. We work closely with employer partners, educators, and state officials to open doors to real opportunity.
Founded inside Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. First Ignite Tech cohort graduates; Boys Town & Union Pacific join as partners.
Becomes its own 501(c)(3).
The 10×10 program launches.
Methodist Health System & Werner Enterprises join as Tech partners.
Employer Partner Network launches, 20 Founding Members. Alumni surpass $2M in salaries.
What Changes, When Someone Gets a Chance
The jump in earnings from before Ignite to after — from getting by, to a career that pays.
Employment is just the beginning. At Year 1 and Year 2 after completing Ignite, alumni self-report measurable improvements across the areas that matter most.
Self-reported by alumni via follow-up survey, at Year 1 and Year 2:
Why these numbers matter: These aren't isolated success stories. They're measurable indicators.
2026 Impact Snapshot
The numbers behind the momentum — where Ignite Nebraska stands today.
Working Full-Time. Still Falling Behind.
In Nebraska, 35% of households — more than one in three — earn too much to qualify for public assistance and too little to cover the basics. Researchers call this population ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. For many, the barrier isn't effort or ambition. It's access — to training that leads somewhere, to transportation that gets them there, and to an employer willing to take a first look.
Source: United Way ALICE Project, Nebraska County Data, 2024 (all 93 counties) — 284,043 of 811,502 Nebraska households are in poverty or ALICE. UnitedForALICE.org/Methodology.
The gap isn't ambition or work ethic. It's access. Ignite exists to close it.
One Life, Unfolding
Training opens the door. Support helps someone walk through it — from the first phone call to a career that lasts.
"I didn't just get a job. I got my life back." — An Ignite Graduate
Recruit & Vet
Referred by a friend or partner, then matched for the right fit.
Up-Skill
Five weeks in the 10×10 Career Accelerator, building real skills.
Navigator Support
Childcare, transportation, housing — handled before they derail progress.
Partnerships
Introduced to an employer who's guaranteed to meet them.
Career Secured
Support keeps going long after the offer — this is just the start.
"Look at the person. Talk to the person. If they feel like a fit, hire them — the risk is so much less, and the benefit is so much more."
Employer Designed
Built for roles employers need.
Career Navigation
One Navigator, start to career.
Navigator Support
Childcare, transportation, housing — handled early.
Employer Network
Guaranteed 1st-round interview.
Soft Skills Training
Professionalism employers notice on day one.
Long-Term Success
Careers — not placements — are the goal.
Real Transformations
"Had I not joined Ignite I definitely wouldn't have gone back to school. I would be paycheck to paycheck, struggling horribly without the program."
- Working hard, ready for more
- Looking for the next step
- Seeking a path forward
- Bachelor's Degree
- Graduate School
- Career Growth
- Financial Stability
"There has been so much freedom for me to do things with my family again. When you're working 60 to 70 hours a week, that doesn't leave a whole lot of time for anything."
- 60–70 hrs/week
- Little family time
- No flexibility
- Stable Career
- Time with Family
- Career Flexibility
- Continued Growth
Invest in Nebraska's Future Workforce
We believe meaningful careers can break the cycle of generational poverty. Your sponsorship helps remove the barriers in the way — choose the level that fits your organization.
Sometimes the only thing standing between someone and employment is a car repair, childcare, work boots, or a certification fee. You remove those barriers.
One person. One career. One completely different future. Funds a full journey through training — 10x10, healthcare, or tech — from day one to job secured.
Help celebrate the moment someone's hard work becomes a career, with a speaking opportunity.
Five careers. Five families. Lasting community impact. Funds five participants in one cohort, at a better rate, with deeper recognition throughout the year.
Fuel an entire cohort from recruitment through employment — and put your name on a graduating class.
Expand Ignite into new industries and new communities across Nebraska. Funds participants across two or more pathways.
