Never give up on your ideas. Someday they may find the right place in time to work. My presentation is about releasing records, running a record label, starting companies and how creating a communal sound can change the world. Being a musician and artist in Lincoln has been life changing for me. After moving back to Lincoln from Chicago, it quite literally "ignited" my life. Along with my wife and two kids, we all quickly realized how a communal and thriving arts scene was the answer to our goals. It became a fertile ground to plant our ideas into. I started a record label called Sower Records, in which we just released our 15th album on vinyl. We then organized a concert to stop the Keystone XL pipeline and brought Willie Nelson and Neil Young to Nebraska...and it worked. And I continue to organize groups of creative minds to make positive change all across the nation. Onward and upward, people!

Mike is an artist, musician, do'er, business owner, father and husband. Studying to be an entertainer, director and writer in college, Mike always thought moving away to the "big city" was the answer. However, sometimes the truth is in the soil right beneath your feet. After moving back home to Lincoln with his family in 2013, he quickly realized there was far more action happening right here in Lincoln than he had ever expected. He now owns and operates a record label (Sower Records), owns a successful media company (Red Rebel Media) and organizes multiple music festivals and events across the state.