Union Bank & Trust (Dave Vrbas) & NDED (Ben Kuspa) @ LNK 1MC

At this week's 1 Million Cups Lincoln, Dave Vrbas of Union Bank & Trust and Ben Kuspa of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development shared how small businesses can access banking support and state funding. Dave, part of UBT's dedicated small business banking team, walked through how banks evaluate loan applications and what founders can do to prepare. He also shared the fundamentals his team wishes every owner knew, including why cash flow often matters more than profit, how to keep business and personal finances separate, and what documentation strengthens a loan request. Ben, program manager for the state's Business Innovation Act, outlined the grant and investment programs built to help innovative companies bring products to market. He explained how offerings like the prototype grant, academic R&D matching, SBIR support, and seed investment through Invest Nebraska can carry a startup from early product development through its first funding rounds. 0:00 Intro 3:17 Union Bank & Trust 11:09 Union Bank & Trust Questions 19:59 Nebraska Dept. of Economic Development 36:44 Nebraska Dept. of Economic Development Questions 40:41 Announcements & Wrap-up #1MillionCups #1MCLincoln #LNK #Nebraska #Startups #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Funding