Madison Kreifels and Seth Wright competed in the Nebraska Governor’s New Venture competition for the second time this year, winning third place and a $10,000 cash prize. The team found that the competition was an opportunity not only to earn a financial reward, but also to expand their network and meet with business founders across Nebraska.
Participating in the competition also allowed the team to envision and promote the future of their business.
“Being part of a pitch competition really helps you to think about the future of your business because you have to portray the future of your business as feasible and worth the investment of a cash prize,” Wright said. He explained that the threat of failure can’t be viewed as discouraging, but as a driving force to excel. This opportunity was unique in that they were able to keep 100% of their business, gain financial investments, build their network and support Nebraska.
The pair will invest the prize money into new equipment for the business, InfoFilm, with the goal of expanding their team and hiring a new employee. InfoFilm now offers social media management to their customers, and Kreifels and Wright are looking to add a member to their team to maximize efficiency. The hiring process will take some time as they want to maintain sustainability and efficiency in InfoFilm.
“Before hiring someone, I really need to make sure that I'm the person I need to be with them,” Kreifels said.
Growth and expansion won’t stop with a new employee. When asked about the future of InfoFilm, Kreifels said, “I want InfoFilm to be viewed as a trustworthy source of information for the agricultural industry throughout the Midwest and the United States.”
Thus far, InfoFilm has worked with customers in Nebraska and Texas, sharing stories and showcasing the truth behind everyday agriculture. The two look forward to expanding their customer base to work with clients all over the U.S., as well as working with return clients. They will continue to invest in relationships and advertising to grow their arsenal of customers.
InfoFilm kicked off in October 2023 as a result of one unsettling comment. While on the annual Engler Entrepreneurship Business trek, Kreifels and Wright traveled to Portland, Maine, where they attended a leaders brunch. During the meal, the two expressed their passion for agriculture. In response to this, a woman in attendance exclaimed, “How can you trust farmers when all they do is lie?”
This comment catalyzed the launch of InfoFilm. Kreifels was determined to share the unseen story of agriculture with the world. “We’re from Nebraska," she said, "and everyone around us is familiar with agriculture because it's everywhere, but people elsewhere are not familiar. And when they are not familiar, mistrust builds up.” Prior to initiating InfoFilm, Kreifels worked as a videography intern for the Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources and used the skills and experiences she had to turn her passion into a business, bridging the gap for those who aren’t familiar with agriculture’s story.
Wright joined InfoFilm in February 2024, bringing his skills in business, management, accounting and finances to the table. In combination with Kreifels’s skills in communication and storytelling, InfoFilm has been able to grow. This power team, now an engaged couple, intend to give back to their community with their developing family enterprise.
“Being able to have two businesses to support a family and to provide jobs to a community and to future family members is our goal.”
The two plan to expand InfoFilm as well as Wright’s business, Scrappy Woodworks.
Kreifels and Wright attribute a lot of their success to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Wright explains that the learning environment offered on East Campus cultivates growth and community. “I feel at home when I’m over here,” he said. “Education over here is based on application and how it is used instead of theory.”
Kreifels added to this, describing CASNR as one of her biggest cheerleaders in her collegiate and professional careers: “They take the programs that they’ve created and mold it to each individual student.”
They both gave the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program credit as another major source of impact. “Engler is by far the best part of my college career, from an education standpoint and what I'm learning, to how I feel welcomed here and the friends I've met,” Wright said. The team has gained several mentors through the program. “I never refer to the Engler staff as professors, they are mentors,” Kreifels said. She explained that they care about the individual, not just their program. Dave Lambe, Brennan Costello and Tom Field are a few of the names that they mentioned as especially impactful in their business and personal lives.
CASNR and the Engler program have enabled the two to also influence others. The team works to lead by example. “It is simple things like sweeping the shed, cleaning up around the space or pursuing business," Wright said. "Dreams don’t work unless you do and if you’re not working at yours, then don’t try to tell somebody to work at theirs.”
The team works to give back to the places that have poured into them, Kreifels said. She described the give-and-take system as a continuous flow of having mentors and being mentors. The team advises all students to maximize their experience in college. “Find what you are passionate about, narrow it down to one sentence and pursue it,” Kreifels said. She encourages students to adopt a humble mindset and become sponges for knowledge during this time. “There is a difference between being fulfilled and happy, and checking all the boxes,” she said.
Wright added to this by challenging students to decide if they are attending college in order to attain a degree, or to make their dreams and passions into realities. “You can have a mediocre time and learn a little bit and be set up to have a career. But is it fulfilling or not?" he said. "That’s up to you.”
Wright and Kreifels have adopted a mindset that has allowed them to “fail fast, fail forward, and fail cheap,” according to Wright. Using your greatest weaknesses and failures to your advantage is how you learn and grow, he said. This mindset is what led the team to success in the recent competition and will be a continuous driving force, spurring them on to pursue agricultural advocacy, family business and personal growth.
