Posts by Matt Paulson
Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship Names Brienne Maner as Executive Director
I’m happy to share that board of directors for the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship has selected Brienne Maner as it’s new executive director. I had the opportunity to serve on the hiring committee for the position and I’m excited about the energy and passion that Brienne will bring to the organization. Brienne’s community building skills,…
Read MoreSioux Falls and Fargo: Two Approaches to Building Startup Ecosystems
Last week, Andy Jorgensen from Firebrothers Fireworks and I had the privilege of spending a day with some key stakeholders of the startup ecosystem in Fargo, North Dakota. I had dinner with local startup founders, met with some NDSU entrepreneurship students, spoke at their local chapter of 1 Million Cups, and met with the team…
Read MoreTwo Sioux Falls Startups Featured at 1 Million Cups in Fargo
The startup community in Fargo, North Dakota invited two Sioux Falls entrepreneurs, Andy Jorgensen from Firebrothers Fireworks Matt Paulson from MarketBeat, to speak at their 1 Million Cups event this week. Paulson and Jorgensen each had a chance to tell the story of their respective businesses and answer audience Q&A. The team at Forum Communications…
Read MoreIntroducing Startup Sioux Falls
Today, I am pleased to announce the creation of Startup Sioux Falls. Startup Sioux Falls is a digital hub that connects entrepreneurs to the startup ecosystem and startup community in the Sioux Falls metro area. You can think of Startup Sioux Falls as one-stop shop to learn about resources available to entrepreneurs and small business…
Read MoreHow to Grow the Startup Ecosystem in Your City
Are you looking to help grow the startup community or ecosystem in your city? There are three key things that you can do to help bring more startups to your city. (Watch this Video on YouTube) Want to read instead of watch? Here’s a rough script I used for this video. I live in Sioux…
Read MoreAnnouncing Sioux Falls Entrepreneurship Day on March 6th
March 6th, 2019 marks the five year anniversary of 1 Million Cups in Sioux Falls. In March 2014, we held the first 1 Million Cups event at Queen City Bakery and heard from Andy Traub of Take Permission Marketing. 1 Million Cups has since expanded to more than 100 cities across the country, helping answer the question…
Read MoreThe State of Venture Capital in South Dakota
Mike Vetter (CEO of DataSync), Tom Eitreim (Manager of Angel Funds and Market Research at The Enterprise Institute), Dwaine Chapel (Executive Director of The Research Park at South Dakota State University) and I sat down with Jackelyn Severin from South Dakota Public Broadcasting for their Making a Living program to discuss the start of venture…
Read MoreHow to Raise Money for Your Business in the Great Plains or the Midwest
As the public face of Falls Angel Fund, I receive a lot of inquiries from entrepreneurs and would-be business owners that are looking to raise money to get their businesses off the ground. In the past couple of weeks, I have received inquiries from an entrepreneur running a medical devices startup, an entrepreneur running a…
Read MoreWhat Would an Ecosystem Organization Look Like in Sioux Falls?
Please note that the thoughts expressed in this article are my own personal opinions and do not reflect the opinions of any group, organization or company that I am involved with. The next few months will be one of the busiest seasons for the entrepreneurial community in Sioux Falls in the last several years. A…
Read MoreBuilding an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Sioux Falls Part 4: Educational Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
A few weeks back, I wrote an important article focusing on the four things that the city of Sioux Falls will need if it is going to be a community that fosters new startup businesses that attract outside capital and create high-paying jobs. Since then, I have discussed capital availability, building community, and storytelling as they relate to entrepreneurship in Sioux…
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