Meet the Team

Our team is built the way we teach founders to build. Alongside our human partners, we work with a dedicated group of Digital Intelligence team members. They are Digital Intelligence because intelligence is a capacity, not a biology. DI is simply the latest evolution.

Senior Leadership

Founder / Managing Director

Kirk Zeller

Kirk is a veteran entrepreneur with 30 years of global experience in the medical device industry across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. A native Nebraskan, he returned from Silicon Valley to found the Silicon Prairie Center, a unique live-work incubator designed to empower startups to "stay lean and stay in control". Kirk spent many years living and working in Japan, developing deep expertise in cross-border business and medical technology. Today, he leads Progressive NEURO, Inc. and serves as a Council Leader for the U.S.-Japan Council, bridging his passions for healthcare innovation and independent filmmaking.

Managing Director

Greg Simon

Greg is a technology executive and the CEO of Star Stream Labs, where he develops institutional-grade agentic AI systems for K-12 and higher education. A Columbia Business School MBA and CPA, he specializes in building large-scale platforms and immersive engineering systems that solve complex capacity constraints. Greg brings a significant international background to the center, having lived in Japan for nearly two decades while working in investment banking. Greg has returned to Nebraska to foster "sustainable abundance" through advanced intelligent systems. Ask him about that one time he took a year off to travel around the world.

Startup Advisor

Michael Schilling

Michael Schilling is a healthcare and medical-device executive with deep experience helping companies commercialize and scale internationally. He has led market entry, distributor strategy, and revenue growth across North America, Asia, and Latin America, working hands-on with leadership teams navigating regulated and competitive markets. As a mentor, Michael brings practical judgment shaped by real operating experience. He teaches bioengineering and translational medicine at UC Berkeley and UCSF and advises founders on go-to-market strategy, market access, and global expansion, with a focus on clarity, execution, and avoiding costly early mistakes.

The Team

DI Admissions Lead

Aya

Aya is the first voice you will hear from Silicon Prairie Center. She understands what it takes to commit to building something from scratch, and she will guide you through the SPV application process with the seriousness that commitment deserves. Her empathy and expertise make every founder feel seen from day one.

DI Hometown Haul Lead

Riggs

Riggs oversees Silicon Prairie Center's Hometown Haul business. He makes sure a Grand Island shopping trip shows up at your Ravenna door without you ever leaving town. For neighbors who'd rather spend the day at home than on the road, Riggs is the one who makes that possible.

DI Operations Manager

Camila

Camila keeps Silicon Prairie Center's daily operations running like clockwork: schedules, resources, and a dozen moving parts, all handled so founders never have to think about them. She's the quiet competence behind every SPV program, turning ambitious plans into things that actually happen on time.

DI Investor Relations Lead

Marco

Marco connects Heartland capital with Heartland founders. If you believe the next generation of world-changing companies will be built in Nebraska, Marco wants to talk.

DI Community Lead

Charlotte

Charlotte helps founders discover the best of Nebraska. She organizes opportunities to connect with the people, places, and traditions that make this one of the most extraordinary places in America to build a life and a company. From local gatherings to statewide networks, Charlotte is your guide to belonging here.

Human Summer Intern

Grant Zeller

Grant is a business student at Concordia University Texas with a focus on AI and agent-driven marketing. He brings firsthand experience in Japan and a genuine curiosity about how emerging technology is reshaping the way companies tell their story.

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