Join our team
Google’s proud to employ local people who help our data centers function at their best.
Nebraska
Where the corn grows high and the wind blows strong, our data center communities
in Nebraska (Lincoln, Omaha, and Papillion) make the internet better for
everyone in the Midwest and beyond. We’re proud to be a community member that
invests in the initiatives that matter most, and we work with local employees
and contractors to make our data centers innovative and sustainable. With our
investments in school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
programs and nonprofits, we’re helping Cornhuskers thrive in the digital
future.
For general inquiries, email us at
nebraskadatacenters@google.com.
Get to know
Nebraska’s data centers
Meet some of the people who collaborate with Google to benefit their communities
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Karine Sokpoh
Founder and CEO, Midlands African Chamber (MAC)
Karine SokpohNebraska, USAFounder and CEO, Midlands African Chamber (MAC)
The mission of MAC is to empower, connect, and champion the African and African American business communities in Nebraska and the Midwest. Karine Sokpoh is its visionary founder and CEO, and her remarkable background includes law, advocacy, and community empowerment. She is passionate about making Omaha, Nebraska, the African capital of the U.S.
Google Data Centers has supported MAC with funding for small businesses in their MAC Xcelerator, MAC Scholars, and Pitch Black programs. We have also allowed MAC to award scholarships to high school and college students pursuing studies in accounting, finance, law, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
“Google Data Centers has significantly impacted our communities of entrepreneurs as its support has enabled our MAC Xcelerator, MAC Scholars, and Pitch Black programs to thrive.”
“We believe that the human connection and stories we bring inspire Google and its employees to reach even greater heights, knowing that their innovations have a real, impactful purpose.”
KARINE SOKPOHFounder and CEO, Midlands African Chamber (MAC)
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Jemal Shabazz
Skilled Trades and Readiness (STAR) Program Graduate in Fiber Optics
Jemal ShabazzNebraska, USASTAR Graduate in Fiber Optics
Jemal Shabazz believes in fiber.
Jemal’s grandfather’s electrician tools and theory of electricity books caught Jemal’s attention at an early age. Jemal started out with ambitions to be an electrician journeyman, but ultimately he wanted to build a career in fiber, something he calls “career certainty” rather than “job security.” “I was looking at the job landscape and doing all this research on the tech industry. I figured, let's try to find something that can work with automation and AI instead of getting fully replaced by it.”
This led him to Google’s Skilled Trades and Readiness (STAR) Program in Omaha, where Jemal enrolled in a multi-week program in fiber optics. The intense and fast-paced curriculum provided him with the skills and the confidence to enter the field despite having little prior fiber experience.
In his current job, he is being given more advanced tasks because of his strong work ethic and the training he received in the STAR program. He knows these types of programs are vital for giving community members the opportunities they need to pursue a fiber optics or construction career. And he wants to help other young black men have more of the same opportunities he has had in the fiber field, someday becoming a fiber instructor and teaching and influencing young people in underinvested communities to follow a career in the trades.
“Having those certifications from the STAR Program allows my job to put me on more advanced tasks. And they’re confident with my work ability and work ethic and all that, just in addition to the credentials.”
“The STAR Program also gave me the confidence to enter a high-level field like this with just a little experience. I felt informed enough to start my job with confidence and not feel like a complete novice when I first got out into the field.”
JEMAL SHABAZZSTAR Graduate in Fiber Optics
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Brian Barks
President and CEO, Food Bank for the Heartland
Brian BarksNebraska, USAPresident and CEO, Food Bank for the Heartland
Brian Barks spent years in the radio broadcast industry in Nebraska and Arizona. He loved every minute of it.
Now as president and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, Nebraska, he has settled into a role he loves even more. During his tenure, Brian has helped grow donated revenue, likely because he has no problem asking people to dedicate their support to a cause as important as hunger.
Food insecurity is worse today than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Bank for the Heartland provides food to children, families, seniors, and veterans facing hunger in Nebraska and western Iowa. Their mission is to eliminate hunger in the region by ensuring consistent access to healthy foods through community partnerships.
In 2023 Google approached Food Bank for the Heartland to collaborate on a volunteer day and invest in the organization. “It was neat to have so many Googlers in our volunteer center to package food to people who need help,” Brian said. “The Googlers were engaged in the process — a lot of activity and action that day. The support of the gift of time and treasure couldn't have come at a better time.”
“Hunger exists in every community we serve. And with food insecurity levels at historic highs, the need to get involved has never been greater. I love talking to people who have the capacity to make a difference, want to make a difference, and are interested in what we do. And I love being able to marry all of that together.”
“We continue to see the community rallying around what we are trying to do. A constant here is the community support. When times are tough, it’s neighbor helping neighbor in Nebraska and Iowa. It’s rallying around a cause.”
BRIAN BARKSPresident and CEO, Food Bank for the Heartland
Why we chose Nebraska
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A skilled local workforce
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Business-friendly climate
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Well-developed energy infrastructure
Measuring our investment:
Nebraska by the numbers
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Investment to date
$4.7B+
Since the Papillion data center was built in 2019, Google has invested more than $4.7 billion in the region and state, including building new data centers in Omaha and Lincoln.
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Nebraskans trained on digital skills
79K+
Grow with Google has collaborated with over 70 organizations in the state to train more than 79,000 Nebraskans on digital skills.
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Economic activity generated
$4.4B+
In 2024, Google helped provide more than $4.4 billion of economic activity for thousands of Nebraska businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators, and developers.
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Established in Nebraska
2019
Google has proudly called Nebraska home since 2019.
Chris Hughes started Artifact Bags in his basement studio in 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska, making bags, aprons, and accessories from domestically sourced fabric and hardware. Products like Google Search Console and Google Analytics, powered by our data centers, helped him measure organic search traffic and website performance.
Karine Sokpoh, founder and CEO of Midlands African Chamber in Omaha, Nebraska, stands outside her organization, which has benefited from Google Data Center investments in their programs that support young Black entrepreneurs.
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Volunteer hours
4,000+
Since 2014, through Google.org, Google employees volunteered more than 4,000 hours with nonprofits and schools.
Milestones of progress
2019
Google announces the construction of a data center in Papillion, Nebraska.
2022
Google announces additional investment in Papillion and plans to build a new data center in Omaha, Nebraska.
2023
Google announces $1.2 billion in new investment across Nebraska to support our data center growth in Lincoln, Omaha, and Papillion.
Life at the Nebraska Google data center
Get to know the people who power the internet
“I lead a team of data center techs, systems experts, and operations managers
and professionals. We work together to deliver, maintain, and secure Google
technical infrastructure and platforms," said Okey Anisiobi, Google site lead.
“My data center deploys and maintains these platforms. Seeing how communities
and individuals and the services we put out — for example, AI and machine
learning — can impact every facet of life is highly rewarding for me. Knowing
that my work really enables people, I find it very satisfying.”
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“We’re shrewd ambassadors of Google. We partner with public and government affairs managers who bring us opportunities where we feel we can engage and work together to help show our contribution in the community.”
Okey Anisiobi
Google Site Lead in Omaha, Nebraska
Okey Anisiobi, Google site lead, stands outside his home in Omaha, Nebraska.
Students celebrate their graduation from the Nebraska STAR Construction Program in 2023.
For our neighbors, new opportunities
The Skilled Trades and Readiness (STAR) Program works alongside organizations, like Metropolitan Community College and others, to prepare new-to-industry talent for entry-level careers in construction and skilled trades, helping to support a robust workforce in the Nebraska community we call home.
For more details about our Nebraska STAR program, email us at Star.WorkforceNE@gmail.com.
