The May 28th Weekly Market Report

Nicole Buntgen, Contributing Writer

The Capital Grille plans to open its first Nebraska location southwest of 144th & West Dodge Road at 14500 Branch Street. The 1.9-acre lot is between the Carson Group and Union Bank buildings. According to a City of Omaha building permit filed yesterday, the prime steakhouse will construct a 9,144 sq. ft. building. The Capital Grille was founded in 1990 in Rhode Island and is now part of Darden Restaurants. The brand has 77 locations in 30 states with the closest existing ones in Kansas City and Minneapolis.

Pancake Café by Agave Azteca will open tomorrow, May 29, at 5170 South 72nd Street in Ralston. The grand opening will include a ribbon cutting, free pancakes and a live mariachi band. The new concept expands Agave Azteca’s offerings with breakfast entrees.

7 Brew plans to build another Omaha location at 4316 South 130th Street, according to a building permit. The 1-acre lot is south of an existing Tommy’s Express Carwash. Plans call for 7 Brew’s typical set-up – a 934 sq. ft., drive-through-only building. 7 Brew, which sells coffee, tea and energy drinks, has a shop open in northwest Omaha and one scheduled to open June 1 in Council Bluffs. Another 7 Brew is planned for 168th & Harrison Street.

Another Bar (its actual name “Another Bar”) has replaced True American Bar at 3710 Leavenworth Street in Blackstone under different ownership. True American originally opened in May 2024 in the former Marylebone Bar & Grill space.

Bora Bora Smoothie Café plans to open in a recently constructed retail strip northwest of 192nd & Q Street. Exterior signage is already in place, but interior build-out has not started. The quick-serve restaurant serves juice, smoothies, coffee, waffles and crepes. Bora Bora Smoothie Café was founded in Kuwait and has 25 U.S. locations mostly on the East Coast. Bora Bora Juice, which has the same logo, has an Omaha store at 13110 Birch Street.

Sonny’s will open a second seasonal outdoor bar this June at 724 North 16th Street in the Builders District near Creighton University. The new location will sit in a small park between 16th & 17th streets south of Cuming Street.

We reported earlier this year that Anna’s Place, a speakeasy bar inside downtown’s Hotel Indigo, plans to move to1111 Harney Street in the Old Market. Anna’s Place filed for a building permit this week to remodel the space, which was once occupied by Mouth of the South.

Dundee Barber, the historic two-chair barbershop located at 50th & Dodge Street, has doubled in size after expanding into a neighboring space formerly occupied by Merle Norman. Established in 1927, Dundee Barber has added staff and updated the existing space. The ownership wanted the updated space to be “upscale, classic and traditional to fit the neighborhood.”

Sculpt Studio, a local Lagree Pilates studio, is opening a second location. The company announced that their second location will be in Sterling Ridge near 132nd & Pacific Street. Their current location is at 1402 North 203rd Street.

For the fourth consecutive year, Coneflower Creamery has been nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards among 20 ice cream shops nationwide. Voting is open daily through June 8.

Boulder Creek Amusement Park at 14208 S Street in Millard has listed its property for sale. The listing includes 3.33 acres, a 2,288 sq. ft. building and a miniature golf course.

Hooters, a sports bar famous for wings and skimpy waitress uniforms, has closed permanently at 12710 Westport Parkway in La Vista. The metro area’s only remaining Hooters location is at 2910 23rd Avenue in Council Bluff

Learn more about Anderson Convenience market at www.Anderson1952.com

Change in City Policy Leads to Street Mural in Little Bohemia

Artist Eric Conner recently painted a horizontal “mural” on the intersection of 13th & William Street in Little Bohemia, brining a fresh kind of artwork to Omaha’s public streets for the first time under a new city policy.

The project was a collaboration between We Make Omaha, Local Artists Local Art, Omaha by Design, the 13th Street Business Improvement District and the City of Omaha’s Planning and Public Works departments.

The mural was the first project to move through the city’s Policy for the Installation of Colored Pavement (“street art”) on Public Streets, a framework developed by the Public Works Department to create a clear, consistent permitting process for street art on public right-of-way. The Little Bohemia project serves as a pilot, helping the city test and refine the policy before it is more broadly available.

We Make Omaha, the city’s public engagement effort, helped initiate the project after community members across the city consistently called for more art in public spaces. Recognizing an opportunity, the team offered to pilot the policy, coordinate partners and conduct the public engagement that shaped the final design.

LALA, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting working artists, provided funding and coordination for the artwork, as well as the process for selecting an artist.

Conner’s design reflects the history and character of the Little Bohemia neighborhood. His design draws on the neighborhood’s Czech and Slovak folk-art heritage, translating it across the intersection’s corner bump-outs.

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Isaiah Ang, Contributing Writer

Union Omaha plans to build a retail shop in the Builders District. According to a building permit, Union Omaha will occupy about 3,000 sq. ft. at 1501 Mike Fahey Street. The 4-story, mixed-use, mass-timber building is home to Noddle Companies, The Roots Coworking, Fly Fitness and other tenants. The Good Life Sports Bar plans to open in the building this summer.

Completed in 2023, the building is the first hybrid mass timber building in Omaha. Union Omaha is currently playing home games at Creighton University’s Morrison Stadium. The soccer club plans to build a 6,500-seat stadium further north near Millwork Commons for the 2028 season.

Lanoha Real Estate expects to begin construction this year on a 6-story, 160-room hotel in Heartwood Preserve. Groundbreaking is anticipated to take place late this summer or early this fall. The boutique hotel will be part of the Marriott Autograph Collection and will be called The Elowen. Plans call for a top-floor cocktail bar with an outdoor terrace.

Crews have assembled a tower crane that will be used to construct a $25 million, 650-stall parking garage northwest of 11th & Nicholas Street. The site is in Millwork Commons, a mixed-use district just north of Charles Schwab Field. Owned by the City of Omaha, the 5-story parking garage will total 240,000 sq. ft. and will have about 10,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor commercial space. Several other buildings are under construction in Millwork Commons, including an apartment building known as The Frame, The Millwork Hotel and the Nova, an apartment building that is almost complete.

Methodist Jennie Edmundson Behavioral Health held a ribbon cutting last week for its $55 million building at 3620 South 24th Street in Council Bluffs. The 96-bed behavioral health hospital will begin serving patients in June. The project is a joint venture between Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital and Tennessee-based Acadia Healthcare. The hospital will care for children, adolescents and adults, including acute inpatient care, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs and electroconvulsive therapy.

Several dilapidated houses are being removed near 14th & William Street to make way for Little Bo Village, a $40 million development in Little Bohemia. Several other historic buildings will be saved and incorporated into the new development. Clarity Development plans to add 160 residential units in a total of 10 buildings. Construction should begin soon.

Construction of the Gretna Landing Apartments is now complete, according to Metonic Real Estate. Located northwest of 192nd & Highway 370, the project has five residential buildings. The 220 apartment units are 65 percent occupied and 79 percent leased.

The City of Papillion is wrapping up construction of its renovated City Park, and announced that it will be open for the annual Papillion Days celebration June 17 through 21. Construction of a new stage and shelter area will not be complete and will be off limits during this year’s festivities. It was delayed because of floodplain issues. City Park is located just south of downtown Papillion at South Washington & East Lincoln streets.

Omaha ranks #24 out on WalletHub’s list of Best Places to Raise a Family for 2026. WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities on 45 metrics. The top five cities were 1. Fremont, Calif.; 2. Overland Park, Kan.; 3. Irvine, Calif; 4. Plano, Tex.; and Columbia, Md. The worst cities were Detroit, Memphis and Cleveland. Lincoln also ranked high at #25.

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DLC, a New York-based owner and operator of open-air shopping centers, has entered the Omaha market by acquiring Papillion’s Shadow Lake Towne Center. Located near 72nd & Highway 370, the 640,328 sq. ft. shopping center is currently 90 percent leased. The seller was Cincinnati-based PREP Property Group Inc. Shadow Lake’s anchor tenants include JC Penney, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ross Dress for Less and several others.

A federal regulatory agency is pausing its review of Omaha-based Union Pacific’s proposed $71.5 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Surface Transportation Board today said it needed more information to “thoroughly evaluate” the two railroads’ revised application for a merger that would create a transcontinental rail giant. A UP spokeswoman said the company is still confident that the board will make a ruling in mid-2027, the timetable that the company had earlier projected.

Baker’s has started hiring for its $40 million Baker’s Marketplace store under development at 204th & Q Street. The 123,000 sq. ft. grocery store expects to hire 85 full-time and 185 part-time employees. Opening is expected later this year.

Brain Health Nebraska has leased 4,479 sq. ft. of office space at 8601 West Dodge Road, according to Maddie Dugan and Deb Graeve-Morrison of NAI NP Dodge, who represented the landlord. The tenant offers mental health and brain wellness services in Omaha including TMS therapy, psychiatry, concussion treatment, and cognitive health care.

Centris Federal Credit Union held a groundbreaking ceremony today for a future branch office at 25th & Capehart Road. When it opens in 2027, it will be Centris’ second Bellevue location. Centris currently has 15 branches.

Regus, a global provider of coworking spaces, plans to open an office in a two-level space at La Vista’s City Centre, a mixed-use development east of 84th Street between Harrison Street and Giles Road. Regus La Vista will offer private offices, meeting rooms and professional amenities to its business clients.

Van Meter Inc., has leased a 20,000 sq. ft. industrial space at 11741 Centennial Road in La Vista, according to John Meyer and Trenton Magid of NAI NP Dodge. Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Van Meter is an electrical supply distributor and automation services provider.

Grow Omaha Business News is brought to you by Thompson, Dreessen & Dorner, Inc. (TD2). Since 1967, TD2 has partnered with municipalities, developers, architects and builders to shape the places where people live, work and connect. TD2 provides comprehensive services in civil, structural and geotechnical engineering as well as land surveying, materials testing and construction observation — all with a focus on client service and community impact. Discover how TD2 is engineering Omaha’s future HERE.

The Munroe-Meyer Guild’s 57th annual Garden Walk is set for June 14, and tickets are on sale now. Participants can tour five gardens spread across Omaha while raising money to support projects such as innovative virtual reality therapy for children with cerebral palsy, specialized therapy designed to bolster social skills for children on the autism spectrum and more.

MyCity Greater Omaha, a program which expands knowledge of leadership and civic engagement among Omaha’s immigrant and refugee populations, has produced its first cohort of graduates. The group includes 24 participants, who received a $500 stipend along with a $1,000 scholarship for continued development. MyCity GO was launched by the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement in collaboration with the Greater Omaha Chamber.

Grant applications for Omaha Community Foundation’s Field of Interest Funds open June 1. There are three funds: The Jetton Charitable Fund, which goes toward youth access to the arts, history and natural sciences; the Creche Childhood Education Fund for early childhood education; and the Richard A. Shaw Fund, which funds history, natural sciences and outdoor education. Applications close July 15.

By sponsoring this section, your brand gets in front of nearly 25,000 Grow Omaha newsletter subscribers, who care about our local nonprofits. Our highly engaged nonprofit readers include executive directors, development professionals, philanthropists, community leaders and concerned citizens. For advertising information, contact Karla Steele, Sales Coordinator, at karla@growomaha.com

Omaha Area Housing Market Overview- April 2026

By Jill Anderson

Market data courtesy of Great Plains Regional MLS

The Omaha-area housing market remained active and relatively balanced in April 2026, with existing homes continuing to account for the most sales activity. Existing home sales rose 5.7 percent year over year, and overall closed sales across all property types increased 6.8 percent, reflecting steady buyer demand despite broader affordability pressures.

Pricing Trends

Home prices remained stable. The median closed price for existing homes was $299,900 in April 2026, up just 0.3 percent from a year earlier. On a year-to-date basis, the median price for existing homes increased 3.1 percent to $299,000, pointing to steady appreciation without sharp spikes. New construction continued to command a premium, with a median closed price of $434,373.

Inventory and Market Pace

Existing home inventory increased 9.4 percent year over year to 1,309 homes for sale in April.
Months of supply rose from 1.4 to 1.5, giving buyers slightly more choice while still favoring sellers.
Existing homes continued to move quickly, averaging just 19 days on market.

Buyer and Seller Activity

Buyer activity remained healthy. Pending sales for existing homes were nearly unchanged from a year ago, slipping just 0.7 percent, while year-to-date pending sales were up 4.7 percent. Sellers also continued to receive close to asking price, with existing homes averaging 99.1 percent of list price received.

Overall Outlook

Overall, the Omaha housing market continued to show resilience in April 2026. Stable pricing, improving inventory and solid demand for existing homes point to a competitive but healthy environment. Although supply has edged higher, inventory remains tight enough to support home values for both buyers and sellers.

Do you have a real estate question? Let’s talk.

Grow Omaha Residential is developed and sponsored by Jill Anderson, President Residential Sales, NP Dodge Real Estate 402.255.5099 or jill.anderson@npdodge.com.

We’re not just real estate. We’re NP Dodge.

Cole Young, Contributing Writer

Creighton baseball fell short of a second straight Big East Tournament title on Sunday, falling to St. John’s, 5-3, in the title game. Despite the loss, Creighton’s Rocco Gump earned the 2026 Jack Kaiser Award, given to the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Gump had 10 hits, three home runs, nine RBI and scored six runs over the weekend. Teammates Connor Capece and Shea Wendt joined him on the All-Tournament Team. Creighton finished 31-26 and 13-8 in Mark Kingston’s first year as head coach.

Omaha baseball saw its season end last Thursday at the Summit League Baseball Championship, falling to first-seeded Oral Roberts, 6-0. Both No. 2 seed Omaha and No. 1 seed Oral Roberts were sent to the elimination game after dropping their tournament openers. Omaha finished the season 21-26 overall and 16-11 in Summit League play in Evan Porter’s final year as head coach. Porter finished his 10 seasons with a 196-275-2 record, two Summit League Coach of the Year honors and the program’s first NCAA Division I tournament appearance in 2019.

Union Omaha defeated the New York Cosmos on the road Wednesday night, 2-1, to improve to 8-2-1 on the regular season. Omaha forward Aaron Gomez delivered his first goal of the year to put the Owls ahead 1-0 in the 60th minute. Not long after, New York defender Anderson Holt answered with a strike in the 80th to even the match and set up a potential midweek draw for the clubs. It was Omaha’s Kempes Waldemar Tekiela who scored the winner in the fourth minute of extra time, strengthening the Owls’ hold on first place in USL League One standings. Omaha returns home Saturday, and will host FC Naples for a match beginning at 7 p.m.

USL League One announced its Team of the Week for Week 11/12 on Tuesday. Goalkeeper Cole Jensen, midfielder/forward Diego Gutierrez and forward Sergio Ors Navarro each were given honors, while midfielder Ryen Jiba and defender Sami Guediri earned spots on the bench. Head coach Vincenzo Candela was also named USL League One Coach of the Week.

The Omaha Supernovas have named John Cook and Kirk Thompson as the organization’s Governors. Thompson will serve as Governor, while Cook will serve as Alternate Governor. Under the league’s franchise model, each organization is represented by governors who collaborate on the league’s highest-level strategic decisions that impact the growth and framework of MLV. The pair will assume the roles previously occupied by Ben Priest, who recently departed as governor and divested as co-owner to pursue a similar role with expansion MLV franchise Los Angeles.

The Novas opened free agency strong on Wednesday announcing seven players for the 2027 roster and the re-signing of local stars Merritt Beason and Kiara Reinhardt. Among the five newcomers is opposite hitter Kimberly Drewniok, who comes to the Supernovas from LOVB Omaha, where she finished third in the league in both total points (302) and kills (278).

Creighton men’s basketball will open play in next season’s Players Era Championship against defending national champion Michigan. The pairing was announced by Players Era, MGM Resorts International and ESPN last week as part of the brackets for the 2026 Players Era Men’s Championships. The Players Era 16 Championship will be held Tuesday-Saturday, November 24-28, in Las Vegas.

League One Volleyball announced last week the addition of its 10th professional team for season three, LOVB Miami Volleyball. LOVB Miami will debut during the 2026-27 season. Beginning in season three, LOVB will also introduce an Eastern and Western Conference format. The Eastern Conference will feature LOVB Miami, LOVB Atlanta, LOVB Madison, LOVB Minnesota, and LOVB Nebraska, and the Western Conference will include LOVB Austin, LOVB Houston, LOVB Los Angeles, LOVB Salt Lake, and LOVB San Francisco.

Omaha softball head coach Mike Heard has agreed to a contract extension through at least the end of the 2030 season, Vice Chancellor / Director of Athletics Adrian Dowell announced Tuesday. Heard, the two-time Summit League Coach of the Year, led the Mavericks to back-to-back conference regular season titles in 2025 and 2026, and a stretch of three consecutive conference tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances from 2023 to 2025.

The Omaha Storm Chasers are hosting the Memphis Redbirds for a series at Werner Park this week, and currently trail 0-2, falling 19-5 on Tuesday and 5-2 Wednesday. Thursday night, first pitch is at 6:35 p.m. for $3 Thursday, where fans can enjoy hot dogs, Lay’s chips, ice cream cones, 16-ounce Pepsi products, Busch Light cans, and select tickets for just $3 each.

Major League Volleyball has announced the launch of its Los Angeles franchise ahead of the team’s inaugural 2027 season. The franchise is led by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, majority owner and founder of MLV LA and a minority stakeholder in the Los Angeles Lakers, alongside Ben Priest, who will serve as governor and managing partner.

Upcoming Events

• Omaha Storm Chasers vs. Memphis | May 26 – 31 | 6:35 p.m. Thursday
• Union Omaha vs. FC Naples | Saturday, May 30 | 7 p.m.

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The Story of Omaha’s Union Station

By Patrick Wyman

The skyrocketing popularity of passenger train travel resulted in Union Pacific replacing Omaha’s old Union Station with an extravagant new building in 1931.

It was built on the site of the old station at 801 South 10th Street in the area that would become known as the Rail and Commerce District. The new station, in addition to the renovation of the Burlington Station to the south, provided “Omaha railroad passengers, terminal facilities equal to those of any city of its size in the country.”

Union Station was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood of Los Angeles and constructed by Peter Kiewit and Sons. The steel frame structure was covered with glazed terra cotta and featured sculpted figures of a brakeman, locomotive engineer, civil engineer and railroad mechanic atop its entrances on the west and north sides of the building.

It was the first U.P. station designed in the Art Deco style. Inside, the focal point was the Main Hall with its 60-foot ceilings that featured sculpted plaster painted with gold and silver trim, 10 cathedral-like plate glass windows, patterned terrazzo floors, colonnettes of blue Belgian marble and wainscoting of black Belgian marble. Hanging from the ceiling were six chandeliers measuring 13 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter.

The station provided travelers with a wide range of amenities, including a dining room, gift shop, soda fountain, telegraph and telephone rooms, barbershop and a ladies’ lounge.

In what is now the Swanson Family Gallery on the eastern end of the station was the popular Hayden House restaurant. The restaurant was divided into two with one side offering a formal dining experience and the other à la carte meals. The room was decorated with six murals depicting stages in the development of transportation, painted by Los Angeles artist Joseph Keller.

The building’s 13 tracks established Omaha as an important passenger hub in the west when it opened in 1931, serving eight railroads including Union Pacific, Rock Island and Missouri Pacific. When combined with Burlington Station, it made Omaha the fourth-largest railroad center in the country. Union Station peaked with 64 passenger trains and 10,000 passengers per day. The concourse connecting the two stations was erected over the railyard in 1937.

During World War II, the railroads became a critical tool with which the military mobilized troops and supplies. To assist in this effort, a USO center with letter writing facilities, a dormitory and shower and bath facilities was added to Union Station.

Following the war, the combination of increased air travel and completion of the interstate system significantly reduced passenger traffic starting in the 1950s. As a result, the federal government consolidated passenger rail service when it formed Amtrak in 1971. In the aftermath, U.P. announced it would cease passenger service on May 1, with the last passenger train departing Union Station at 2 a.m.

Afterward, there were multiple suggestions for Union Station, including converting it to a shopping mall; a downtown campus for UNO; a sports hall of fame; a combined library, museum, and auditorium; and even a theater for the Omaha Junior League. When none of those ideas came to fruition, there was talk of demolishing it due to the cost of maintaining and operating the building. The Nebraska State Historical Society managed to save it from the wrecking ball, in part, by nominating it as a national historical site.

Following the preference of Mayor Eugene Leahy, the building was converted into a museum, and the Omaha Public Library saw it as a potential home for its Byron Reed collection. The collection, which had been willed to the library after Reed passed away in 1891, consisted of rare books, manuscripts, medals, autographs and both American and foreign coins. His collection of colonial and U.S. coinage was said to be one of the most complete in the United States. It remained in bank vaults as the library couldn’t afford the security and insurance required to display it.

U.P. donated the building, which had been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, to the City of Omaha in 1973. The Western Heritage Museum moved in and opened its doors in 1975. The building was designated an Omaha Landmark in 1978. The Reed collection was finally moved out of the vaults and into the museum in 1985 under the stipulation that a portion always be accessible to the public.

Its most extensive restoration was completed in 1996. It included a new parking deck, roof, mechanical and electrical systems, office space, a gift shop, and its authentic soda fountain. Just a year later, it was renamed the Durham Western Heritage Museum in honor of Charles and Margre Durham, whose generosity made it possible.

Charles was an engineer who built HDR into one of the country’s largest engineering and architectural firms. Margre served on the District 66 School Board for 12 years, becoming its first female president in 1967, and received three honorary doctorate degrees for her support of higher education and civic leadership.

Twenty-seven years after it opened, the museum celebrated its one millionth visitor in 2002. It has since been named a Smithsonian Institution affiliate and has partnered with the Library of Congress and National Archives, bringing exhibits and programming well beyond its original focus, prompting a change to its current name.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016, the building houses not just the Byron Reed collection and exhibits but an extensive photo archive, train cars and locomotives, a historic streetcar and a grocery store representing the one opened by Warren Buffett’s grandfather, Ernest.

Today, the building remains one of the finest examples of the Art Deco style in the Midwest and continues to pay homage to the importance of railroad travel in Omaha.

Since 1917, Bankers Trust has been a leading financial institution for commercial and consumer banking services. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, with $7.5 billion in assets, Bankers Trust is the state’s largest privately held community bank. Bankers Trust has operated a loan production office in Omaha since 2008 and opened its first full-service branch in 2025. Visit Bankers Trust at the corner of 192nd and Dodge to see how we can make a difference for all your personal and commercial banking needs.

The Durham Museum will offer “Happily Ever After Hours: $5 After 5,” a special-admission event every Tuesday evening starting June 2nd through August. The Durham will have $5 admissions after 5 p.m., with visiting hours extending until 8 p.m. This special event gives visitors the opportunity to explore the entire museum including the summer exhibition Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume.

It offers a fun and affordable option for family outings, date nights or an evening at the museum after work. Museum members can also bring an additional guest for just $5 on Tuesday evenings. Admission for children age 2 and younger remains free.

The Waiting Room Lounge will present Artikal Sound System with Josh Heinrichs on Tuesday, June 16 at 8 p.m. Artikal Sound System is a reggae band based out of South Florida which formed in 2012. After nearly a decade of playing together, the band honed their tune backing a series of Caribbean singers, creating the sound of friendship, hard work, imagination and the hope to spread their message of love, as well as the importance of having a good time. Heinrichs is another acclaimed reggae artist, originally the lead singer of the indie reggae band, Jah Roots, now current owner/operator of indie reggae record label, GanJah Records. Doors open at 7 p.m. Visit their website for tickets.

Omaha Performing Arts will present the musical Wicked at the Orpheum Theater June 17th through July 5th. This Broadway smash hit musical based on The Wizard of Oz takes place before Dorothy – when a young, misunderstood woman born with green skin named Elphaba meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular named Glinda. Their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.” Experience the wondrous songs and set live on stage this summer. Visit HERE for tickets.

Omaha Performing Arts has also announced that Sonic LIVE In Concert will be coming to the Orpheum Theater October 15 as part of their world tour. The iconic video game title character, Sonic the Hedgehog, celebrates 35 years of Sonic games with the recently announced world concert tour by SEGA. With singers and a rock band performing live music in sync with in-game footage displayed, it’s a performance for both longtime and new fans. Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 28 at 10 a.m.

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LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Landing a coveted role at leading artificial intelligence firms has become so competitive, according to StartupHub, that candidates for positions at Anthropic reportedly spending an average of $4,600 on preparatory job coaching. San Francisco-based Ahthropic is the creator of Claude and a highly desirable destination for talented job seekers.

We have more proof that ultra-processed foods contribute to cognitive decline. The Hustle highlighted a recent survey that found participants’ scores on an attention test dropped .05 points for every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed foods they ate. Ultra-processed foods also increase your long-term risk of getting dementia.

Research shows that considering the legacy we are leaving behind can help us improve our mental health and find more meaning during our lives, according to the BBC. That applies even if you’re still quite young.

Does it seem like everyone has a podcast these days? That’s because darned near everyone does! According to Bloomberg, the podcast industry generated $9.2 billion in global sales last year. That’s a 23 percent, year-over-year increase. By the way, Grow Omaha has a podcast too!

SALES

Prospects ask about price on a cold call, because they’re overwhelmed, not because they’re serious buyers, says sales author Jeb Blount. The fix is a combination of better call timing, confident objection responses and language that redirects the conversation toward a meeting. Here’s Blount’s advice for handling a price objection:

When a prospect says, “How much does it cost?” most sales reps say something like, “Well, it depends. That’s why I want to set up a meeting.”

The word “depends” creates friction. It sounds like you are dodging the question, and it puts you on the defensive before you even get started.

Here is the language I recommend instead:

“That’s a great question, and honestly, it’s exactly what I expected you to ask. That’s why I want to sit down with you. I want to learn a little about your business, understand your goals, and then build something that’s actually going to work for you. How about I bring lunch wherever you’ll be on Thursday?”

Notice what that does. It validates the question instead of deflecting it. It shows you expected it, which signals confidence. And it immediately pivots to a specific, low-friction ask: lunch, wherever they are.

WISDOM

“The truth is rarely pure, and never simple.” – Oscar Wilde

Did you know the City of Omaha has an estimated population of 488,797, while the broader Omaha metro area has 1,009,836 people?

Did you know the CHI Health Center Omaha opened in September 2003 and cost $291 million to build?

Did you know that there are more than 70,000 UNO graduates who live in Omaha – more than any two other universities combined?

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Night Market Presented by Veridian Credit Union — Happening May 29
Omaha’s Night Market returns to Turner Park with live music, glow yoga, local vendors, lawn games and adoptable dogs. The free evening event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and brings together shopping, food, drinks and community fun in Midtown.

Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors — Opening May 30
Lauritzen Gardens transforms into a prehistoric adventure with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs placed throughout the garden. Families can explore ancient Earth, spot more than a dozen dinosaur species and enjoy the exhibit with paid garden admission.

Yard Opening Party — Happening May 30
Smash Park La Vista kicks off patio season with a full-day Yard Opening Party featuring Summer Jams Music Bingo, party games, drink specials and BOGO burgers. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with no registration required.

Shake Night: Double Feature with Opera Omaha and Old School Shakespeare Omaha — Happening June 6
Opera Omaha and Old School Shakespeare Omaha team up for a one-night-only Shakespearean double feature. The evening includes Opera Omaha’s one-act opera UnShakeable followed by an immersive performance of Hamlet.

Midwest Tacos & Tequila Fest — Happening June 6
Midwest Tacos & Tequila Fest returns to Bellevue’s Falconwood Park with live music, art, vendors, tacos and tequila. The day also includes mechanical bull riding, Lucha Libre wrestling, Micheladas and a taco eating contest.

Disney’s Frozen — Happening June 5–28
The Rose Theater brings Disney’s Frozen to the stage with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven on a musical adventure through Arendelle. This family-friendly production runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout June.

This section is sponsored by Eagle Mortgage, a locally owned, full-service mortgage company helping you with Conventional, VA, FHA and USDA loans in both Nebraska and Iowa. Learn how Eagle Mortgage helps people afford the home of their dreams by clicking HERE!

NP Dodge Property Management Company has hired Ryan Liberty as director of commercial property management. He previously worked with two other Omaha real estate companies and currently serves as Omaha chapter president of the Building Owners and Managers Association. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Real Estate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

WoodmenLife announced the appointment of Rachel Walker as director, customer experience. In this role, Walker will lead efforts across the organization to strengthen how WoodmenLife listens to its customers, evaluates customer journeys and aligns improvements to business priorities.

JPMorgan Chase announced that Carlson Koch is joining the firm as an associate, supporting the company’s Nebraska commercial banking team. Carlson is a lifelong Omaha resident and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The Greater Omaha Chamber is a catalyst and connector, advocating for businesses small and large. Learn, share and grow with more than 12,000 professionals from 3,000 member businesses across Greater Omaha. Click HERE to see our latest events.

During the first four decades of my wonderful investing adventure, the only road to the stock exchanges passed through the toll gates patrolled by the Wall Street elite. This monopoly control allowed Wall Street and their legacy brokerage-firm lackies to tell the investing public, “It’s my way or the highway.”

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, American investors have found a different highway.

The WSJ reports the big three discount brokerage firms – Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab – now hold 53 percent of the total assets of the American stock market. They have more than 60 million customers and are the largest provider of cost-effective 401k plan administration on the planet. And to add insult to injury, they are by far the largest manufacturer of mutual funds on the planet.

The first brick of the people’s new highway was laid in 1975 when the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted regulations that allowed the fees on stock transactions to be negotiated. Prior to that time, fees were set by the SEC at rates that were heavily tilted in Wall Street’s direction.

This seismic shift in fees prompted Joe Rickets to create a company that provided individual investors an electronic path that circumvented the stockbrokers’ tariff gates and allowed them to place trades directly the Wall Street exchanges. Thus, opening a way for Main Street to put more money in their pocket and less in Wall Street’s.

In that same year, Jack Bogle introduced the first index fund that was available to the general public. It was revolutionary in that it eliminated portfolio managers and their onerous fees and allowed individual investors to receive investment results that were both effective and efficient.

According to the WSJ, “Bogle was obsessed with the idea that high fees were a moral wrong perpetrated on the American investor by an ethically bankrupt Wall Street fund management industry.”

The final brick of the new investor’s highway was also laid in 1975 when the 401k program self-directed retirement program was introduced to the American workforce. This shifted the burden of retirement funding from large corporate and government entities and allowed American workers to own a share of the great American economic engine.

Each one of the big three discount brokers has their own distinct personality and organizational structure. Vanguard is owned by its investors; Fidelity is family owned, and Schwab is publicly traded. While each has its own unique corporate structure, combined they have provided competition for the Wall Street legacy firms. That has allowed American workers to amass a collective $35 trillion in their self-directed retirement accounts.

Grow Omaha’s Wall Street section is now available for sponsorship. Nearly 25,000 people subscribe to this newsletter, and as a group, they are influential, affluent and highly educated. That makes this section particularly popular! For advertising information, contact Karla Steele, Sales Coordinator, at karla@growomaha.com

Quantum Fiber in Omaha, Nebraska, is super-fast, reliable internet. We did away with data caps, bundles, and pricing gimmicks because you don’t want them. Instead, you get game-changing customer service, transparent pricing, and a powerful app for freedom, simplicity, and control over your internet. Quantum Fiber is what internet service looks like when it’s built for the world of you.

The Grow Omaha radio show broadcasts live every Saturday morning at 9:00, but now you can watch videos of each episode instead of just listening.

Grow Omaha’s brand-new website features video footage shot inside the radio studio during each week’s show!

Videos include News of the Week, Lightning Round, guest interviews, and “Grow Omaha Uncut,” a behind-the-scenes look at what happens during commercial breaks.

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