Posts by Andrea Van Essen

The bioscience and technology industry in Sioux Falls is strong, and South Dakota Biotech exists to make it even stronger. As the state affiliate of the national non-profit, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, SD Biotech is a trade association formed in 2006 to support the state’s bioscience industry. Executive Director, Joni Johnson, says the primary responsibilities include…

An early-stage venture fund with a focus on tech startups may have its sights set on Sioux Falls’ emerging market. Spearheaded by an experienced team of tech investors and entrepreneurs, Great North Labs is a Minnesota-based fund committed to bringing powerful capital to the Midwest. Ryan Weber is co-founder and one of three managing partners…

For many small business owners or hopefuls, the process of starting and maintaining a business can be daunting, to say the least. Once the challenge of launching the business has been met, small business owners are then tasked with growing the company, or perhaps one day passing it on. It’s enough to make anyone feel…

If you’ve ever been curious about the forces behind the city’s continuously growing economy and quality of life, a fitting place to turn is Forward Sioux Falls. While it’s just one facet of what goes into successful community development, the organization has provided Sioux Falls with vision, strategy, and financial backing since 1987, when the…

After a successful career in nursing and overcoming a critical cancer diagnosis, Kim VanderPoel found herself part of a women’s group focused on encouraging them to live within their priorities. “I had only been given a 30 percent chance to live, so I sort of asked myself, ‘What do I want to do when I…

Are you a designer looking for a community of like-minded creatives? A business owner or agency employee who wants to understand design’s role in your organization? Then you might want to check out the South Dakota chapter of AIGA: the professional association for design. With a primary goal of advocating for design and local designers,…