From Classroom To Farm-To-Fork: How Bellevue University Alums Tony and Amber Ellsworth are Building a Thriving Business

Stepping Into a Business Filled With Possibility and Complexity

When Tony and Amber Ellsworth took ownership of a beloved farm-to-fork store, they were stepping into a business filled with possibility and complexity.

Today, Ellsworth Crossing is a thriving, seven-day-a-week marketplace connecting consumers with food from more than 100 local farmers and producers. Its shelves and freezers feature pasture-raised meats, fresh produce, sourdough bread, baked goods and other locally produced foods. Customers can shop in person, order for pickup, or arrange delivery throughout the Greater Omaha area.

The business has grown significantly since the Ellsworths bought it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet its success didn’t begin with a storefront. It began years earlier, through military service, demanding careers, personal health challenges and educational journeys at Bellevue University that gave Tony and Amber the practical skills and confidence to build something of their own.

An education that worked with real life

Tony joined the U.S. Navy at age 17, following a difficult period in his family life. The experience taught him discipline, responsibility, and the importance of working through adversity. After completing his military service, he returned to Nebraska and began pursuing a college degree while working 40 hours a week and raising children. Finding classes at another local university that fit his responsibilities was difficult until a coworker suggested Bellevue University.

Tony enrolled in an accelerated bachelor’s degree program in business at Bellevue. His cohort met on Saturdays, making it possible for him to continue working full time. The schedule mattered, but so did the classroom experience.

At this first university he tried, having been in the service and then working in corporate America, Tony said he had more knowledge and experience than most classmates. At Bellevue University, Tony found himself learning alongside vice presidents, directors and other professionals with real-world experience. His instructor was also a business owner. Instead of being the most experienced student in the room, Tony was surrounded by people whose insights challenged him to grow.

“It was way more challenging, and way more beneficial,” he said.

That experience changed his view of what higher education could provide. Tony later returned to Bellevue University to earn his MBA with a concentration in Information Technology, then his Master of Project Management.

His education journey helped him build a successful corporate career that included positions at Offutt Air Force Base, First Data, Kiewit and Charles Schwab. The service and Kiewit were generous in providing tuition assistance along the way. Working in IT for many years, he eventually became an IT Scrum Master, effective at Agile, and valued by his supervisors and team.

But the fullest test of his education was still ahead.

Two Educational Journeys Come Together

When Tony and Amber met, Amber had already built a career in nursing. She was raising two children as a single mother, while Tony was raising three. After marrying, they combined their families and later welcomed their youngest daughter, Abby.

Tony encouraged Amber to attend Bellevue University because his own experience had been so positive. Amber became the first person in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree, completing her undergraduate studies in healthcare. She went on to earn a Master of Project Management, finishing much of that education while the couple was operating the store.

Her achievement represented more than earning two degrees. It demonstrated perseverance, expanded what Amber believed was possible, and added essential capabilities in operations to the partnership she and Tony were building.

Their degrees complement each other very well. Tony brings knowledge of finance, marketing, technology, and business strategy. Amber combines her healthcare background with advanced project management skills and significant operational ability.

Together, they have the foundation for a business that unites food, farming, health, logistics, and community.

An Unexpected Opportunity

The Ellsworths’ farm-to-fork journey grew from their family’s interest in healthier food.

After experiencing fibromyalgia, Amber began exploring nutrition and functional medicine. Tony eventually followed her lead after dealing with his own health concerns. As the family changed the way they ate, Tony began raising chickens on their farm near Schramm Park.

That connected the Ellsworths with the family behind Plum Creek Farms, which supplied chicken to many Omaha and Lincoln restaurants. When the pandemic disrupted the restaurant industry, Plum Creek opened a small store to sell its products directly to consumers.

Amber began helping there. Tony later called to ask if she could work additional hours. The owner offered something much bigger: Why not buy the store?

Tony and Amber accepted the challenge – and sure got more hours in the process. They inherited a business that had been operating for only a few months and was open Wednesday through Saturday. They expanded inventory, developed relationships with local producers, added delivery and pickup options, hired employees, and eventually began operating seven days a week.

Their growth and resilience earned Tony and Amber recognition as Entrepreneurs of the Year from the Center for Rural Affairs.

“God Said, ‘Prove It!’”

Tony shared a revelation he had. He’d earned his MBA and all the knowledge across the business spectrum that came with it, and he applied that knowledge to the corporate world where he worked while Amber held down the shop. Then, a reduction in force of consultants, which Tony was at the time, opened the door to seeing what was meant to be. “It’s like God said, ‘Okay, you’ve got our MBA. Now prove it!’"

Running Ellsworth Crossing requires him to use nearly every part of his education. He manages finance, marketing, information technology, legal matters, and strategic planning. The business must navigate food regulations, refrigeration requirements, changing inventory and relationships with more than 100 producers (which, according to Tony, is like managing 100 additional businesses). and the financial realities of purchasing products before they can be sold.

Marketing is especially important. Tony credits Bellevue University professor Dr. Julia Cronin-Gilmore with challenging him to become a stronger student and marketer. In one of her classes, he completed an extensive business plan that helped him develop the analytical and communications skills he now uses to tell the Ellsworth Crossing story.

“She was my favorite professor at Bellevue University,” Tony said. “So, imagine my surprise the day she and her husband came into the store! I was delighted to see them,” he added.

The symbiotic relationship Tony and Amber exhibit is evident in how they each have their lanes in the business. Amber leads the store’s complex operations. One example is Thanksgiving, when Ellsworth Crossing coordinates approximately 300 pasture-raised turkeys in a wide range of sizes. Amber must work with farmers who begin raising the birds months in advance, manage processing schedules, anticipate customer preferences, arrange refrigerated and frozen storage, and coordinate fresh, frozen, smoked, and ready-to-serve orders.

Tony complimented his spouse and business partner. “If you saw what she manages every day and not just on the huge days like Thanksgiving,” he said, “you would be impressed, and you’d see how she puts her PMP to work.”

The Exponential Effect Of A Bellevue University Education

Small-business ownership brings constant uncertainty. Equipment can fail. Severe weather can close the store while expenses continue. Inventory must be replenished before existing purchases have generated a full return. Every growth opportunity involves risk.

Tony’s education helps him evaluate those risks, communicate with professionals and trust that he has the ability to find solutions. Amber’s education gives her the framework to manage complicated projects, organize people and resources, and connect the family’s commitment to health with the daily operation of the store.

Their degrees didn’t hand them a ready-made roadmap. They taught Tony and Amber how to create one.

That may be the most important lesson in their story. Education does not always lead someone along a predictable career path. Sometimes it prepares people for an opportunity they cannot yet see.

For Tony and Amber Ellsworth, Bellevue University provided flexible access to education during demanding seasons of life. It gave them practical knowledge they could apply immediately, challenged them to reach higher and helped them believe they were capable of building something extraordinary.

Today, the results can be seen throughout Ellsworth Crossing…in every carefully selected product, every relationship with a local farmer and every customer who walks through the door.