PRESS RELEASE

APRIL 17, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KEARNEY, NE, USA- During this time of social distancing, UNK’s Interdisciplinary
Entrepreneurship Academy (or the IDEA program) is working together with two Finnish
companies to bring international higher education learning opportunities. The IDEA program
was launched in January 2020 by UNK's Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development to
work with students and faculty across different fields of study to expose them to the
entrepreneurial mindset through grant funding from the Aksarben Foundation.
This exciting collaboration is to promote an international perspective of entrepreneurship in
the Midwest within the communication field and provides a UNK student a unique opportunity
to work with two companies in a real-world collaborative project, with true experiential
learning.
Dr. Sonja Bickford, an assistant professor in the department of communication at the University
of Nebraska at Kearney, USA is one of six founding fellows within the IDEA program that just
started this spring, and Madison Dimmitt, an IDEA scholar and a senior majoring in Advertising
and Public Relations, have partnered with not one, but two, Finnish companies for a project in
market entry research.
“During this time of isolation and social distancing, the experience of using online
communication software and gaining the experience in international business communication
etiquette is an invaluable and real-world experience that Madison will carry with her into her
career,” states Dr. Bickford.
Madison and Dr. Bickford will be working with Silverbucket, a company that provides project
management software for companies throughout Finland and Europe. Silverbucket is entering
the American market with their current product, as well as planning a US launch for their
brand-new time tracking product Actually. The other Finnish company engaged in this
collaboration is Vetter Communications, which has been essential in building this bridge
between Silverbucket and the IDEA program. Vetter Communications help companies build
international relationships through providing multilingual communication and PR services on a
global scale.
“We are thrilled to be part of Silverbucket’s journey to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean,”
states Vetter Communications CEO Jutta Vetter. “Enabling international collaborations like
these is always a great honor for us, and we feel privileged to be working with the University of
Nebraska at Kearney.”
Also, Toni Uimonen, Chairman of the Board at Silverbucket, is very much looking forward to
new global co-operation. “With the IDEA program, we are targeting to establish successful
routes to the US market now and in the future,” he says.
Madison and Dr. Bickford have found a way to complete an international experience despite
the current situation. Finding success and experience in international collaboration and
education provides positivity and energy into research as we remain socially isolated. Being
able to communicate and continue to work on projects across borders is so important and
something Madison has strived to do throughout her college career.
“I’m taking what I’ve learned in class on a theoretical level and am applying it on an actual
international project, which is really exciting. I’m a contributing member of a professional team
where I’m directly collaborating and communicating with international entrepreneurs, in
addition to learning about business cultures abroad. This is really giving me the drive to push
forward during this pandemic,” states Madison.

During the yearlong project Madison, with Dr. Bickford’s mentorship, will be researching and
conducting targeted marketing research for Silverbucket and assisting Vetter Communications
with the copywriting of materials for a U.S. market. The hope is to establish the relationships
and work during the spring and summer and Madison will hopefully be able to travel to Finland
and complete a job shadowing experience in Finland in late summer or fall. Madison plans to
present this research at a regional conference in Nebraska.

"The work of Dr. Bickford and IDEA student scholar, Madison Dimmitt, is an excellent example of
our vision for the IDEA program; creating the opportunity for Madison to work with dynamic,
global companies on innovative steps to grow and expand their markets. The experiential
impact of this project aligns with the educational vision we have for students at UNK,” says Lisa
Tschauner, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Madison Dimmitt, UNK AdPR Major
IDEA Scholar
dimmittmr@lopers.unk.edu

Dr. Sonja Bickford, Assistant Professor

Department of Communication
IDEA Founding Fellow
bickfordsh@unk.edu

Lisa Tschauner
Center for Entrepreneurship and Rural Development
tschaunerle@unk.edu
(308) 865-8135

Jutta Vetter
Vetter Communications
press@vetter.fi
www.vetter.fi

Toni Uimonen
Silverbucket
toni.uimonen@silverbucket.com
www.silverbucket.com
www.getactually.com