Bis-Man INC! May 2023

TECH ON TECH

Publisher EDITORIAL Editorial Team Lead Editors

Art Director

Editorial Graphic Designers

Creative Strategist Content Specialist

Contributors

INTERACTIVE Business Development Manager Business Development Associate Videographer Director of Digital Advertising Results

Director of Creative Strategies

Graphic Designer Web Developer Social Media Specialist

ADVERTISING VP of Business Development

Sales Representatives

Mike Dragosavich

Brady Drake Brady@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Geneva Nodland, Grant Ayers, Sam Kise

Kim Cowles

Ty Betts, Levi Dinh

Josiah Kopp

Gary Ussery

Wendy Klug, Mike Schmitz, Arielle Windham, Ladyboss Lifestyle

Nick Schommer

Kellen Feeney

Tommy Uhlir

Jonathan Chicka

Megan Bergeson

Ben Buchanan

Kory Powell-Oliver

Ryne Bigelow

Paul Hoefer

Paul@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Al Anderson Al@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Devan Maki Devan@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Sales & Marketing Advisor

Marketing Associate

Client Relations

Client Relations Manager Marketing Coordinator

Operations Assistant

DISTRIBUTION Delivery

Tori Helland Tori@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Hailey Bebler

Hailey@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

ClientRelations@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Jenny Johnson

Jessica Mullen

Miranda Knudson

John Stuber

USING TECH TO OUR ADVANTAGE Editor's

incorporate new technology to benefit our workflows and find efficiencies.

Many companies within the tech industry have gotten ahead of the curve and implemented tech applications and programs to boost their productivity and brands to the next level. In this month's issue of Bis-Man INC!, we connected with a handful of tech companies in the Bismarck-Mandan area to discuss what technology they've implemented across their company to improve operations and provide more streamlined processes.

With AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and others truly coming into the fold, it's time for many to come to terms with this intimidating new technology. To answer the question on many people's minds, it doesn't look promising that this technology is anywhere near the point of taking over our jobs. Rather than viewing new technology as a path to Skynet from The Terminator or Sonny from I, Robot, we can

People across all industries can use this technology to create shortcuts without sacrificing quality, just as the original creators intended with many of these new technologies. This new wave of tech perfectly showcases that we're in a stage of radical innovation, and the best way to stay on top of new efficiencies is to hold on tight and stay up-to-date on the latest technology for your entrepreneurial efforts.

New boost

Bis-Man INC! Editor

MIKE BRADY KIM

LEVI TY

GENEVA

GRANT

SAM JOSIAH

JENNY

AL DEVAN TORI

HAILEY MIRANDA

JESSICA

NICK

KORY MEGAN

TOMMY JONATHAN

RYNE JOHN

CREATING DECADES OF SOLUTIONS

By Josiah Kopp | Photos by Josiah Kopp

MEET THE NEXUS INNOVATIONS TEAM, YOUR GO-TO STRATEGIC SOFTWARE

CONSULTING FIRM

The Story of Nexus Innovations

Sometimes opportunities come in unlikely ways. Twenty-three years ago, a phone call from Bob’s corporate boss broke the news that the North Dakota operation was shutting down in 30 days.

Rather than starting the job hunt, Bob and Lorie Pope prayed for wisdom and courage and decided to go after their dream by starting a new business.

That dream consisted of building a strategic consulting firm that met the needs of clients in the regional area. A business that had a purpose and strategic mission reaching beyond just "doing business.” Bob and Lorie wanted to provide services that genuinely helped organizations become empowered, successful, and able to attain the next level. They determined the heart of the

business would need to be built on trust relationships, high value to the customer, great culture, and serving the community.

That dream was planted when Nexus Innovations, Inc. began operations providing long-term, strategic planning on July 1, 2000, in Bismarck, North Dakota. The start was rocky, but they persevered as Bob and Lorie began building something that could last. Three years into operation, it became clear that Nexus needed to shift its focus from long-term, strategic planning to providing software solutions. Soon, the realization that

LORIE POPE CO-PRESIDENT

the shift was going to take longer than anticipated set in.

Their defining moment came in 2005 as they faced a "make or break" challenge. An advisory board member met with Bob and Lorie to decide whether to keep on going or close the doors. His words were, "I believe you need to go for broke. Many times, people give up right before the big breakthrough." Well, the Popes were already broke, so they gave it their all and continued pushing the dream forward. A breakthrough came in the form of a big opportunity three weeks later, and the dream started to become a reality.

As Nexus' focus shifted into the software development space, they began to build momentum and success. Clients took notice that they could trust Nexus Innovations to deliver high-quality strategic software consulting and services. In 2008, an additional office was opened in Fargo, North Dakota to better serve clients in the regional area.

Present

Fast forwarding to today, Nexus continues to grow and thrive as a regional strategic software consulting firm, working on enterprise-level projects in both government and private sector markets such as energy, healthcare, finance, and engineering. Their team of twentyfive consultants are in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

The core purpose of Nexus Innovations is to Empower Organizations for Success through Vision, Leadership, and Strategic Solutions. As Bob says, "We want to create a long-term, trusted partnership with clients that have that same desire. It's not about gaining as many clients or projects as we can. Lots of companies can develop software. What sets us apart is the customer experience."

Nexus Innovations has always focused on their "why"—building strong and lasting relationships with the people they serve. As Lorie states, "One of the reasons for our success is that Nexus goes beyond delivering an outstanding service—the difference is our people and the trust we build with clients."

The culture Nexus nurtures is one of empowering their team members to

be leaders. Son and COO Jordan Pope said: "What drives us every day is the opportunity to invest into people—inside our organization and outside of the organization. While our expertise is software consulting, we are in the service business; we strive to provide exceptional service to go with high quality technology consulting. Our team understands that each one of us is our best salesperson—our next project is dependent upon how well we serve our current customers."

The way Nexus has grown is also remarkable, as word of mouth is their primary source of marketing. This further emphasizes how organizations love working with the Nexus team and how they, in turn, build a strong level of trust. "We also feel a deep gratefulness to the many people who have mentored us along the journey. Therefore, we have made it a priority to be available and helpful to others in this journey.", Lorie stated

A Powerhouse of IT Solutions

With a focused range of services and solutions, Nexus is a proud Microsoft Gold Partner, offering game-changing solutions that enhance productivity, information management, collaboration, business analytics, and communication within organizations.

Nexus offers strategic software development consulting services stretching across the software development lifecycle, from Business Process Analysis and Improvement, Software Design and Architecture, Software Development Services, and Quality Assurance. Additional value-add services Nexus provides is Project Management Services and Organizational Consulting.

This means Nexus clients have a powerhouse of solutions for essentially every business need, with relationship-driven team members who are passionate about serving their community. That's really the essence of North Dakota businesses as a whole—the heart of it all goes back to serving the local community and treating clients like family.

As client, Erik Holmberg, from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota said, "The level of collaboration and thought leadership from Nexus are the biggest drivers of value within our organization."

A forRecipe Success: THE NEXUS CULTURE

As Nexus continues to grow and empower its team members, their culture has developed and grown with it. Nexus is excited to share its vision with new team members who are looking for a meaningful, impactful career. Lorie invests into the team on a weekly basis through leadership development and training, personal mentorship, and soft skills growth to add another layer of value on top of technical expertise to customer projects.

Nexus' goal is to be known as the go-to firm that delivers practical and innovative solutions with effective results—one of their ways to do that is by hiring people with the same vision.

"We have found team members who are most successful are those who want to be 'In the Arena', have a growth mindset, and who care most about the success of the team and client," Jordan said. "We have a lot of employees who formerly participated in team-based sports and activities who like being here. They are challenged every day, get to be part

of that team format, and can work towards a winning result for everyone involved. That's fun for them."

With that said, all Nexus leadership emphasized that building a healthy culture is never finished; it's growing and building upon the good foundation as we continuously learn and adjust.

At the end of the day, Nexus wants to instill the "servant leader" mindset into their team members.

The Nexus spirit really embodies the "Man in the Arena" quote by President Theodore Roosevelt, who spent time in the North Dakota Badlands. In fact, for nearly 20 years, one of the Nexus traditions is to take the employees and their families to the Medora Badlands each summer for two days of fun team-building.

Q&A A

WITH BOB, LORIE, AND JORDAN POPE

Many businesses may think they can solve all of their challenges internally and they don't need external consultants like Nexus. Why would an organization need consulting from Nexus Innovations?

JORDAN Pope

Being an expert in all the different areas of software development is a big challenge for any organization. We are intentionally laser-focused and strong in our offering areas so that we provide extremely high value to our clients. Because of this focus, we bring experience, expertise, and insights that only come with doing the work every day, year after year. If we say yes to a project, it is because we believe the client will receive value above and beyond what they can do internally. Along with providing and delivering high quality work, our team is evaluating how to best empower the customer for success long term so that they can be successful and call us only when they want to call us—not because they are dependent on us.

BOB Pope

Our objective is to help the clients' IT team continually advance their abilities, and then utilize Nexus for the work above that level.

LORIE Pope

Nexus has been going strong for 23 years—what are a few keys to that success?

We are always looking to set the customer up for success with the best path and long-term solution; we are able to solve specific problems in very strategic creative ways. That said, that really does set us apart because we look at them as a partner with their best plan and growth through strategic lenses.

How does Nexus plan to keep growing?

JORDAN Pope

We’ve found our niche market and have more opportunities than we can say yes to today. Our focus is adding additional depth and expertise to our team so that we can provide even greater value to our customers.

LORIE Pope

Nexus has had solid steady growth over the past 23 years. We plan on continuing to go along that path—capitalize on steady growth and adding new markets strategically. In many ways, our story is like the Tortoise and the Hare. Another way to look at this growth is illustrated in this quote by Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A: “If we get better, our clients will demand we get bigger.”

Why I Love Working for Nexus

SOLUTIONS CONSULTANT

The three most rewarding aspects of working with Nexus for me are hearing a customer's satisfaction after a successful project, being able to challenge myself on a daily basis and working through those challenges to put together a top-notch solution, and being there for and being supported by teammates that are part of the Nexus family.

With those foundations in leadership and building trusting relationships at Nexus' forefront, it has challenged my leadership skills at a much deeper level. This has resulted in stronger, long-term relationships with our clients that are built on trust.

When you work for Nexus, they are investing in much more than what you can bring to the table from a skillset perspective. They are investing in who you are as a person, your family, and the values that matter the most to you.

Every day I get to work with a group of people that challenge and empower me to do my best in the work which I have grown to love.

Because the Nexus team is a smaller group, you feel motivated to always put your best work forward as it is a reflection of everyone at Nexus and the reputation that comes along with it.

There is never the feeling of your voice not being heard simply because of how experienced you may be. Everyone is valued so highly and considered a key member of the team.

Leslie Pearcy CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

The three most rewarding aspects of working with Nexus for me are helping clients find solutions that positively impact their business, having opportunities to discover my sweet spot, and working with other great teammates who are all equally invested in providing quality service, maintaining our culture, continuous learning, and having some fun along the way.

Nexus has helped me become a better teammate and leader as I’ve learned and embraced my leadership style, learned and practiced having critical conversations, gained an understanding of my teammates, learned and practiced interacting with people who think and approach things differently from me, and focused on healthy relationships.

Overall, Nexus is a great place to work because their values are lived out daily, practiced, reinforced, and celebrated. They aren’t just something nice on the wall—it’s the real deal.

Fun fact: We regularly have “Sausage Friday” where a teammate shares one or more types of sausage with the team.

Tony Ambrose

The three most rewarding aspects of working with Nexus for me are working with a high-trust team, investing significantly in my personal and professional growth both technically and non-technically, and having high-challenge and innovative work with a variety of customers across several industries.

We approach things differently, with a true relationship-based customer focus. At Nexus, I am encouraged and empowered to pursue and develop lasting, trustbased relationships with our customers by focusing on long-term, big-picture benefits.

Nexus provides the right environment and resources to identify each person's sweet spot—the intersection of skillset, passion, and value-add—and strives to have that be what we actually do in our day job.

In many ways, Nexus has its priorities in the right place. Few organizations I've run across dedicate as much time, energy, and effort to personal growth and internal leadership development.

A NEW NAME A STRONGER VISION

BY COLLECTIVE

At the turn of 2023, Collective rebranded from their previous Alliance Management Group name, utilizing the new name as a way to better represent their mission in creating communities and serving their residents.

A PERSONABLE APPROACH TO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

In providing dwelling places for people, the industry of property management is naturally an intimate business—that's why the team at Collective approaches every situation with a service mindset that helps them build a collective community of people. Meet Nate Nelson and Quinne Meslow, two team members at Collective who are passionate about serving the community by providing beautiful living spaces.

"Our approach at Collective is different from the mainstream way in that we focus on doing the right thing and working with our residents based off their feedback to find the best solution," Meslow said. "We do our best to let them know that we care and understand that our

NATE NELSON MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN

QUINNE MESLOW COMMUNITY MANAGER

AND JOSIAH KOPP • PHOTOS BY JOSIAH KOPP

communities are their homes—they’re more than just a rent payment to us."

As a Community Manager at Collective, Meslow works to build lasting relationships with residents, helping build a sense of belonging and community. One of the ways she is able to do this is through hosting resident appreciation events, focusing on property upkeep, and frequently visiting properties, ensuring every resident's needs are met. Through that, she has been successful in creating trustful relationships with Collective's residents.

The team at Collective has been in the resident's shoes before; they understand how overwhelming finding the perfect home can be. That's why as a Maintenance Technician, Nelson strives to ease any anxieties around moving and settling into a new home, ensuring everything in the home is running smoothly and no needs are left unmet or unanswered.

"All of our team members have rented a home at one point—we take our personal experiences and use them as tools to relate to potential residents," Nelson said. Collective's wide variety of homes helps a wide range of needs and they want to give potential residents options that best suit their desires.

An inside look at the Whispering Creek Apartments in South Fargo, one of Collective's newest community additions.

5 THINGS COLLECTIVE IS NOT

1. WE ARE NOT TRANSACTIONAL

We want to get to know you and help you find a place to call home that fits your needs.

2. WE ARE NOT A TYPICAL CORPORATE COMPANY

We want to build relationships with our residents.

3. WE ARE NOT HANDS-OFF

We deliver proactive customer service while making an impact in all the communities that we serve.

4. WE ARE NOT IMPERSONAL

We genuinely care about our residents’ concerns and wellbeing, and we make that known from the start.

5. WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS OF CONDUCTING OUR ORGANIZATION

We welcome any kind of feedback from our residents, vendors, and team members within Collective to conduct ourselves in the best way possible.

Q&A WITH NATE & QUINNE

Negative emotions and bad communication from many large rental companies can leave residents feeling overwhelmed and frustrated—what positive emotions are you aiming to deliver to each of your clients?

Nate: We are building an organization that focuses on trust, belonging, and doing what’s right. Our values drive every interaction we have with customers, vendors, and other leaders in our community.

Quinne: Without [our residents], and the leaders within our community, there would be no Collective. Our sole purpose is to serve them as best as we can. They deserve to live in a community they can be proud of, and with a management company that treats them like family.

How do the values and mission of Collective enhance your role?

Quinne: As someone who has worked for another property management company in our area, joining the team at Collective has been a breath of fresh air. Here at Collective, we are a tight-knit organization that educates and empowers our team members, along with hearing out any new ideas that may be presented to us. We’re open to doing property management differently, and I believe that’s one of the many characteristics that set us apart.

What are a couple of ways you’re building relationships/community with clients?

Nate: We recently had a resident appreciation event at our Southport Heights office where residents could come in and help themselves to snacks, had drawings for gift cards, and could come in and meet the team. This was such a wonderful experience and I look forward to continuing to serve our residents in the future.

Technology is a critical, ever-changing component of the workplace. It’s safe to say that without certain technology, most companies wouldn’t have the reach and efficiencies that they do today. In the Bismark-Mandan area, plenty of forward-thinking, respectable work is being made to push the benchmarks and standards of IT, software, and other technology to heights unseen before.

This month, I had the pleasure to catch up with a small handful of the most forward-thinking technology companies making an impact and notable difference within the Bis-Man community and asked them about the tech that they use both within their own company and recommend to others.

About Prominent

Prominent is an IT staffing and custom software development company. Established in 2009 as an IT consulting company by CEO Alan Peltz, Prominent provides tailor-made solutions that act as a long-term asset, allowing for increased productivity, efficiency, scalability, security, and fast-acting support.

“We have a unique and proven ability to get to the bottom of your needs, provide results-driven recommendations, and implement those to produce the results you need to succeed. Talented people join our team to participate in a stimulating community of skilled professionals. Our relationships and successes are built on integrity and trust. As a custom software

Prominent WHAT THEY USE

development team, we typically build software that meets the exact need of our clients. When there isn't an off-the-shelf solution that exists... we build it,” Sannon Norick, Business Development Manager at Prominent, said.

With deep roots in custom software development and IT staffing, Prominent aims to operate with integrity and build relationships on trust. Since its founding in 2009, Prominent has grown a wide-ranging client base and expertise in industries from the medical field to telecommunications, finance, and beyond. 14 years later, Prominent is making an impact as an IT staffing and custom software development company.

TRELLO - PROJECT MANAGEMENT

“Trello is the ultimate project management tool. Start up a board in seconds, automate tedious tasks, and collaborate anywhere, even on mobile. Trello is a visual tool that empowers your team to manage any type of project, workflow, or task tracking. Add files, checklists, or even automation: Customize it all for how your team works best.” -Trello Website

As a software development firm, we use tools that increase our efficiency and allow us to do things with as little effort and energy as possible so that we can pass savings on to our customers.” -Sannon

Norick

“Trello is a great application for tracking your projects. The user interface is easy and intuitive.” -Sannon

trello.com

Norick

TRACKER - ATS (APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM)

“One platform to manage your candidates, client contacts and leads, job and placement records, and everything in between. Everything is connected with seamless integration, making everyone’s job easier. Manage the entire recruitment workflow from candidate sourcing to submittal to placement and beyond with Tracker.

Eliminate time-consuming manual data entry and let your team move quickly through each step of the recruitment process. The power of Tracker is in the fact that every conceivable piece of information about your business and how this information relates to each other is held within a single application. Easily see what’s going on in your recruitment and sales pipelines, in one comprehensive system.”

-Tracker Website

“Tracker is a tool we use on the staffing side of our business. As an applicant tracking system, it benefits our team to create a seamless flow of candidates for our clients.”

-Sannon Norick

SANNON NORICK

Business Development Manager at Prominent

Meet Sannon Norick

“My role at Prominent is to develop our relationships. As the Business Development Manager, my job is to walk clients and potential clients through our discover, build, deploy, and maintain processes.”

CONTACT

| (701) 390-9355

| goprominent.com

| info@goprominent.com

| /GoProminent

| @go_prominent

| /company/goprominent

| 1120 College Dr, Suite #105 Bismarck, ND 58501

HARVEST - TIMESHEET

“Harvest is the application we use for all of our timekeeping and billing,” Sannon Norick says. Harvest time tracking makes it easy to gain insights from past projects and capture time. Furthermore, it can make a great way for employees to be properly billed and paid for their work. Through tracking time and expenses in Harvest, employers capture critical project data that allows the company to learn from its past, keep current projects on track, and better estimate the cost and time of projects moving forward.

getharvest.com

Next Page >

tracker-rms.com

JOSIAH KOPP

Nexus Innovations

JORDAN POPE

Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nexus Innovations

Meet Jordan Pope

“As Chief Operating Officer, my goal is to serve our team by helping them find their sweet spot where their passion, skills, and value to customers meet, setting them up for success in the types of projects we say "yes" to taking on and assisting with any bumps in the road. My goal in serving our customers is to build solid relationships where we have mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual appreciation. These types of relationships take time and must be earned— which is why our focus is always on what is best for the success of our customers. ”

About Nexus Innovations

Nexus Innovations is a strategic software consulting organization that strives to empower their clients for success through vision, leadership, and strategic software solutions. Nexus Innovations was first founded 23 years ago by Jordan’s parents, Bob and Lorie Pope, with the goal of being able to provide firstclass consulting to organizations within our region.

“Over the last 23 years, our goal and mission have remained the same, while we have worked to deepen our areas of expertise across the software development life cycle. Today, we have a team of 25 experts across North Dakota and South Dakota whose focus covers project management, business

analysis, custom software development, Microsoft 365 platform development and consulting, business intelligence, and organizational culture/change consulting. Because we don't have any salespeople, our next project is reliant upon us going above and beyond our current clients' expectations,” Pope said.

JOSIAH KOPP

WHAT THEY USE

MICROSOFT TEAMS

“The Teams platform allows for file collaboration, chat and messaging, video conferencing, and secure audiences all within one toolset.” -Jordan Pope office.com/teams

MICROSOFT SHAREPOINT

“There's a reason it has been around since 2003. It's a great toolset for company intranets, information sharing, and document/records management.” -Jordan Pope office.com/sharepoint

MICROSOFT POWER BI (BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE)

“The Power BI toolset allows organizations to pull data from virtually any data source and develop real-time visualizations of KPIs across the organization.”

-Jordan Pope powerbi.microsoft.com

MICROSOFT POWER PLATFORM

“Power Apps and Power Automate are low code / no code development and workflow platforms that allow organizations to quickly develop apps and solutions without writing custom code.” -Jordan Pope powerplatform.microsoft.com

As Microsoft Gold Partners, Nexus Innovations utilizes the full Microsoft suite of tools for both their team and their customers. According to Pope, “The Microsoft 365 platform has changed the game for efficient collaboration within an organization that no longer requires hardware and an IT team to manage everything internally.” Some of the highestvalue apps within M365 that Nexus Innovations both uses and recommends are:

MICROSOFT FORMS

“[This is] an out-of-the-box form and data-capturing toolset that allows you to target both internal and external audiences.” -Jordan Pope forms.office.com

MICROSOFT PLANNER

“This app allows you to quickly create and manage tasks within a project that can include both internal and external audiences, it's a perfect "light" project management tool.” -Jordan Pope tasks.office.com

WHY THEY RECOMMEND THESE

“Because the toolsets all live on one platform, they integrate with each other, use the same back-end security and user logins, and require no back-end hardware or server management. They eliminate the need to be emailing copies of documents and reports and allow business users to do work that used to require IT involvement.”

Next Page >

About Lucit

Lucit was co-founded in 2019 by Gina Gordon and Eric Kubischta. Since the launch of Lucit, the two co-founders have remained focused on developing software solutions that help power digital creatives in the out-of-home space, including roadside digital billboards. They formally launched in 2020 as the first application to connect automotive and real-estate inventory to digital billboards in real-time. Clients are able to manage their advertisements, automatically generated based on their current inventory, through an app on their cell phones. Capabilities include the creation of new ads, removal of inventory items not wished to advertise, control of ad frequency, review of stats, and much more.

CONTACT

| (701) 415-3500

| lucit.cc

| /LucitTech

| @LucitTech

| /company/lucit-tech

WHAT THEY USE

While Lucit isn’t afraid to admit that they don’t rely heavily on custom software tailored to their specific needs, they’ve learned to use standard products to their advantage. On the other hand, Lucit’s DevOps environment is “half custom and half Phabricator (now Phorge).” Furthermore, their CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is home-grown on top of the Lucit platform itself.

GENEVA NODLAND

Meet Eric Kubischta Kubischta architected custom data

ERIC KUBISCHTA

Co-Founder and CTO of Lucit

WHAT THEY USE

ADOBE

Adobe offers a wide range of various platforms and products for personal and professional use, including Photoshop (Image editing and design), Illustrator (Graphics and illustration), Adobe Express (Social graphics), Lightroom (Cloud-based photo service), and much more.

adobe.com

CANVA

Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool for creatives at all levels. Canva can be used to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos, and much more.

canva.com

QUICKBOOKS

QuickBooks is an accounting software package developed and marketed by Intuit. QuickBooks helps small businesses compare and manage everything— from cash flow and tax prep to inventory and entering time—all in one place.

quickbooks.intuit.com

What is DevOps?

“DevOps is the combination of cultural philosophies, practices, and tools that increases an organization’s ability to deliver applications and services at high velocity: evolving and improving products at a faster pace than organizations using traditional software development and infrastructure management processes. This speed enables organizations to better serve their customers and compete more effectively in the market.”

- Amazon AWS

PHORGE (FORMERLY PHABRICATOR)

Phorge is a suite of web-based development collaboration tools. It represents an open-source, community-driven platform for collaborating, managing, organizing, and reviewing software projects

“Phrabricator (now Phorge) is probably the most unique one we are using. We use it in DevOps for all of our source control (git repositories) and we use it for task and project management across DevOps, Operations, and Sales.”

we.phorge.it

Local Entrepreneurs

REFLECTING ON 2022, WHILE LOOKING AHEAD TO 2023 AND BEYOND.

By Grant Ayers

hroughout 2022, we interviewed a wide variety of entrepreneurs and successful business owners alike as they elaborated on their journeys to success and what advice they would recommend to others. We reconnected with a handful of these recently-featured entrepreneurs to learn about their biggest successes and struggles from the past year, as well as what’s on the horizon for them professionally.

LUCIT CEO (GINA) AND CTO (ERIC), CO-FOUNDERS

Gina Gordon & Eric Kubischta

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2022?

Our biggest accomplishment in 2022 has been our growth. This includes strategic partnerships we have built across the country in this industry and also the wide range of industries that are choosing to use Lucit to control their billboards.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS GROWN IN 2022?

We have added four employees, added another office space, and we’ve expanded into our 16th state actively using Lucit!

WHAT HAS YOUR BUSINESS DONE FOR THE BIS-MAN COMMUNITY IN THE PAST YEAR?

We partnered with iDigital Outdoor Advertising and gave free promotion on digital billboards in Bismarck-Mandan on Mother's Day so that anyone in the community could celebrate their mom in a big way.

WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS FOR 2023?

2023 will be an exciting year for Lucit. On January 9, we launched our new product, Lucit XR, which is going to change the way that people are presented with billboards and the way that companies sell them. It is a huge step forward in this industry and Lucit is excited to launch this across the country.

WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST SETBACK CURRENTLY AND HOW DO YOU PLAN ON OVERCOMING IT?

The biggest setback we have currently is the slow-moving pace of the out-

of-home industry as a whole. We just continue to push out new features and better solutions and eventually, the industry will catch up.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO FURTHER ENGAGE WITH THE BIS-MAN COMMUNITY?

We look forward to enhancing our relationships with media owners in our own backyard.

WILL YOU BE MAKING ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OR EXPANSIONS IN 2023?

No significant changes are planned in terms of operations or expansions in 2023 but stay tuned... a lot can happen in one year.

WHAT IS ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT BIS-MAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR AND SUPPORT IN 2023?

We always recommend Gusaas Signs to others, as they’re doing amazing work in the Bismarck-Mandan community!

MIGHTY MISSOURI COFFEE COMPANY OWNER

Brian Jackson

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2022?

I think that we, as a team, were able to do all of the things we set out to do this year, and do it with excellence. One specific standout was having been selected to attend the "Grow with

Photo by Ben Weisbeck

Google Business Meetup" in Washington, D.C. Being hand-picked among a hundred or so other small businesses around the country was an honor and it provided a time to connect and learn from the team at Google and other entrepreneurs who are managing incredible companies throughout the states.

We also were able to host the first-ever "Northern Coffee Sessions," bringing in wellknown podcast host and voice in the coffee industry Chris Deferio to speak to coffee professionals in the region. 2022 is the 10th year of business for Mighty Missouri, and I had some pretty cool opportunities to reflect on my entrepreneurial journey. I recognize we are a very small company, but when it began, I would say it was "super super small," so the growth has been very humbling to see. We have a really great team.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS GROWN IN 2022?

In 2022, we expanded our roasting space to double our warehouse, added offices, and expanded our team. We were able to hire additional managers who have brought creative ideas to continue to innovate within our company. Online sales have increased and we have not seen a "post-COVID" slowdown in our storefront, which was a big fear in the coffee industry.

WHAT HAS YOUR BUSINESS DONE FOR THE BIS-MAN COMMUNITY IN THE PAST YEAR?

Mighty Missouri Coffee is the host of the BISMAN Triathlon, a swim-bike-run race at McDowell Dam. It's a race that has been going on for over 15 years, but over time leadership changed and eventually, the race was threatened to be canceled, due to a lack of a stable organization leading the effort. Mighty Missouri took it on, along with a really great leadership team of volunteers. It's no small task, but we've seen the race grow to become the USA Triathlon State Age Group Qualifier. We're committed to seeing it grow, and we're also committed to the volunteer

nature of the race. So while we've run it like a business, we're donating profits to area charities that we believe in. It's a fantastic community event and we're thrilled to be a part of it.

WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS FOR 2023?

Truthfully, Mighty Missouri Coffee Company has been a journey of faith. I'm fortunate that things have grown over the years, but every new decision is a scary jump. We're still small enough that a lot of decisions tend to be "make or break." Over 2022, those decisions involved investing in our employees. I'm confident that we will see growth in 2023 as a result of those team-building decisions—so we can move as a cohesive unit. We're also starting a podcast, but that's more fun and less risky (unless I say something stupid. Come to think of it, pretty risky).

WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST SETBACK CURRENTLY AND HOW DO YOU PLAN ON OVERCOMING IT?

I think our biggest setback is getting the word out. We're roasting incredible coffee with a lot of sales channels to communities across the Northern Plains. Reaching our audience and discovering new customers is a little tricky, especially from more of a grassroots perspective. We've always been doing videos and publishing content in new ways. We'll do a lot more of that in 2023.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO FURTHER ENGAGE WITH THE BIS-MAN COMMUNITY?

We're very excited to continue to grow the BISMAN Triathlon and encourage firsttime athletes to accomplish their goals in a positive and uplifting atmosphere! The Northern Coffee Sessions was a great way to bring different coffee shop owners and managers together, ask questions, and learn from reputable voices in the coffee industry. We'd love to do more of that. We're

always looking for ways to give back to the community that has given us so much.

WILL YOU BE MAKING ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPANSIONS IN 2023?

Our most recent significant expansion was back in January of 2022, but we're always airing out opportunities as they arise. Hopefully, something significant happens in 2023, but not overly significant. We’d like to see the appropriate level of significant change for a healthy, growing company!

WHAT IS ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT BIS-MAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR AND SUPPORT IN 2023?

I always recommend that people in our community support Goalrobber Hockey Schools and Solid Rock Music. They’re great

FUNATIX ENTERTAINMENT OWNER & CEO

John Bollinger

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2022?

Our biggest accomplishment as a business was selling out our Flock Memberships. These family and corporate memberships make up over half the seats in the ballpark each season.

Photo by Ben Weisbeck

They provide members with the best seats to the best Larks games and include free food and drink, ticket flexibility, discounts to other local events, quarterly magazines, and so much more.

We’ve made it our goal to provide entertainment value for businesses and families locally and statewide. Our Flock Members are the core of our business and we want to help them put FUN first by prioritizing quality time with those they care about. Our team worked hard all summer to provide the best experience possible to our fans, and this was reflected by our Flock Member renewal rate. Over 85% of Flock Members have already renewed their memberships for 2023.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS GROWN IN 2022?

In 2022, we took the processes and experiences we have developed and expanded our footprint into the event planning industry through our event company, Funatix Events. Funatix Events assisted numerous local businesses and organizations to maximize their event experience and reach their revenue goals.

We’ve had the privilege of working with the Bismarck Marathon since 2019 and the Bismarck Santa Run since 2020. In 2022, we formed relationships with the Mandan Rodeo and Designer Genes Walk for Down Syndrome for the first time. In addition, Funatix Events assisted some of our community’s major employers in hosting their employee summer picnics, including

Sanford Health, North American Coal and Bobcat/Doosan. Our team is grateful to work with these amazing organizations and their supporters, staff, and sponsors.

WHAT HAS YOUR BUSINESS DONE FOR THE BIS-MAN COMMUNITY IN THE PAST YEAR?

Our mission is to use FUN to make a difference in people’s lives and that includes the community as a whole. We take pride in spending locally, providing local jobs and internships, and giving back to our local communities.

The Larks are proud to work with dozens of local suppliers from Mandan’s Cloverdale Foods and M&W Beef Packers to Bismarck’s Image Printing and Mann Signs. Also, we employed more than 115 seasonal employees in 2022. Over 21% of our staff were new to the North Dakota workforce and chose the Larks to be their first job this year. I think my favorite part of the Larks experience is bringing people together to give back to the community. Through 50/50 raffles, Miracle Minutes, Jersey Auctions, silent auctions, and charity events, our fans and sponsors helped raise over $100,000 for local charities this year.

We also ran the largest single-day food drive in North Dakota, donating over 3,800 pounds of food (nearly 3,200 meals) in 3 hours, and organized a Reading Program for local schools that impacted 689 classrooms and over 12,500 students. Finally, while we love baseball, we hosted 10 community events

throughout the year that, courtesy of our amazing sponsors, were completely free to the public—everything from a Kids STEM Day and fishing safety event, to a new wacky way to play baseball called “Flock Fest” and a Carnival Day.

WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS FOR 2023?

The Larks want to continue providing exceptional value and service for fans, groups, and sponsors. Big initiatives this year to do that include:

• Being more competitive on the field.

• Grow and foster a fun, new in-state rivalry. with the Minot Hot Tots.

• Celebrate the 2023 Northwoods League All-Star Game in Bismarck with our Flock Members in a big way on July 31 - August 1.

Internally, I’m really focused on empowering the next batch of leaders within our organization to keep taking us to new heights. We have an amazing group of 16 fulltime employees. We strive to make working for the Larks as fun and meaningful as being a fan.

WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST SETBACK CURRENTLY AND HOW DO YOU PLAN ON OVERCOMING IT?

Managing the price of inflation this past year was a challenge. For a company that thrives on all-inclusive value to fans, the cost of everything increased more than our business. This year, our front office is focused on value innovation—how can we provide maximum entertainment value for our fans and sponsors while ensuring we’re more conscious of inflationary pressures? We have an incredible front office that is dedicated to this challenge and we’re already seeing amazing innovation and ideas heading into 2023.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO FURTHER ENGAGE WITH THE BIS-MAN COMMUNITY?

One project I’m particularly passionate about is the beginning of a separate 501(c)(3), the Larks Community FUNd. We created this nonprofit because we saw a need to further impact underprivileged families and youth in our communities through access to sports, scholarships, and positive life experiences. Modeled closely after the Twins Community FUNd, we are fortunate to have an amazing board of community leaders and an exciting vision to use FUN to make a larger difference in people’s lives. I’m eager to begin bringing these initiatives to life in 2023 and beyond.

WILL YOU BE MAKING ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPANSIONS IN 2023?

The Larks are extremely fortunate to have a great partner in Bismarck Parks and

Recreation. Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field, has been a gathering place in our community for over 100 years and, fortunately for us, Bismarck Parks continues to find ways to invest and make it the best place to experience a baseball game.

This summer, courtesy of a matching grant between the State of North Dakota and Bismarck Parks and Recreation, fans will get to experience the largest video board in the Northwoods League. We’re so excited about the potential this board will bring to our experience!

Also—after feedback from fans last summer, we are trying to further accommodate smaller groups with additional, private areas where they can sit and enjoy a game together. The NEW Dugout Club and Larks Suite will begin booking dates in the New Year and I believe groups will love the amenities and exclusivity included with these areas.

WHAT IS ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT BIS-MAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR AND SUPPORT IN 2023?

Keep supporting Bis-Man events overall—big and small. It not only means the world to the events and their cause when you and your family come out, but it also is good for you too!

Ok, I’m kind of a dork, but Robert Waldinger, a leading psychologist on happiness and the director of the longest study on happiness, found that people who are more socially connected to their families, friends, and community are happier, physically healthier, and live longer than people who are less connected. Events bring families, friends, and

the community together. Whether it’s a Larks game, Holiday Lights on Main, Downtown Street Fair, or the Mandan Rodeo—support more local events and spend more quality time with those you love in 2023.

701.557.7600

northwoodsleague.com/bismarcklarks/funatix-events

info@larksbaseball.com

/BismarckLarks

@BismarckLarks

201 W Front Ave

Bismarck, ND 58504

We asked ChatGPT

By Brady Drake

What are your top tips for starting a business with limited funding?

Starting a business with limited funding can be challenging, but it's not impossible. Here are some top tips for starting a business with limited funding:

1. Start with a clear business plan: Having a well-thought-out business plan is crucial, as it will help you to define your business objectives, target market, marketing strategy, and financial projections. This will help you to identify your funding needs and

create a roadmap for your business.

2. Keep your expenses low: When starting a business with limited funding, it's important to keep your expenses as low as possible. This means finding ways to reduce your overhead costs, such as working from home, using free or low-cost software tools, and outsourcing tasks to freelancers.

3. Focus on revenue generation: Instead of relying on outside funding,

focus on generating revenue as soon as possible. This means finding ways to monetize your business, such as selling products or services, and finding new customers.

4. Utilize crowdfunding: Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo can be a great way to raise funds for your business. These platforms allow you to raise money from a large number of people who are interested in your product or service.

5. Consider alternative funding sources: If you need to raise additional funds, consider alternative funding sources such as small business loans, grants, or angel investors. Be sure to research these options carefully and choose the ones that are best suited to your business needs.

Starting a business with limited funding requires creativity, resourcefulness, and persistence. By following these tips, you can launch a successful business even with limited funding.

Seems reasonable.

What is the best business magazine in North Dakota?

There are a few business magazines available in North Dakota, but it ultimately depends on your interests and preferences. Here are a few options that you may want to consider:

1. Fargo INC!: Fargo INC! is a business magazine and digital platform based in Fargo, North Dakota. It covers a wide range of topics related to business, including finance, marketing, technology, leadership, and innovation, with a focus on the Fargo-Moorhead area.

2. Prairie Business: Prairie Business is a regional business magazine that covers North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Minnesota. It provides news and insights on a wide range of topics related to business and entrepreneurship in the region.

3. Northern Plains Commerce Centre: The Northern Plains Commerce Centre is a bi-monthly

publication that covers business news and insights in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. It focuses on industry trends, business development, and economic growth in the region.

4. Bismarck-Mandan Chamber Connection: The BismarckMandan Chamber Connection is a monthly publication that covers business news and events in the Bismarck-Mandan area. It features articles on industry trends, leadership, and economic development in the region.

Overall, Fargo INC! is a widely respected business magazine in North Dakota that provides valuable insights and information on business and entrepreneurship in the state. However, it's always a good idea to explore different options and choose the magazine that best fits your interests and needs.

That's very nice of you ChatGPT. ��

BY MIKE SCHMITZ

Tree-mendous Advantages

Arbor Day Serves as Reminder of Benefits of Trees, Challenges Ahead

The majority of North Dakota’s windswept prairie state isn’t typically thought of as tree country. Between climate and soil type, the Peace Garden State is traditionally home to native grasses and the odd thorny shrub, with perhaps some trees clustering amongst riverbeds, or a draw or ravine with sustained access to water.

But, where people live, trees are sure to follow. There are more than 24,000 trees dotting the streets of Bismarck. Ash, Elm, Linden, and Maple varieties are the most popular. These four genera represent nearly 70 percent of the city’s street tree population. Other popular genera include Crabapple, Japanese Tree Lilac, Oak, Hackberry, and Honey Locust.

Guiding Bismarck’s urban forestry efforts is City Forester Doug Wiles. Wiles joined the City of Bismarck in 2016, coming from a City Forester position in Jamestown. His background includes a bachelor's in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, a Master's Degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Idaho, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Mary. He has also worked with the U.S. Forest Service as a wildland firefighter and a forestry technician. His professional life has centered on the care for trees and sharing how this plant is an adaptive resource to meet your needs.

However, a tree’s value isn’t limited to a residential property. Often there are overlooked opportunities for businesses to benefit from trees, too. After all, North Dakota’s most abundant natural resource—its wind— doesn’t care where your property is zoned and the sun doesn’t care if your heating and cooling bills are line items on a business’s or family’s budget. There are significant benefits to be had with trees.

Benefits of Trees

Trees are an important component of a successful property. In an urban environment, a city’s managed

Photo by Kayla Schmidt

Mike Schmitz Mayor of Bismarck

forest is critical to a growing community for a variety of reasons:

• Ecological and Environmental Values

• Production of oxygen and improvement of air quality, conservation of water, return of nutrients to the soil, and support of wildlife.

• Practical and Commercial Values

• Production of wood products, as well as fruit, nuts, syrups, and medicinal resources.

• Property and Economic Values

• When trees are strategically planted, they have a significant impact on the environment in summer and winter.

• Trees increase property value by as much as 20 percent, depending on where you live.

• Landscaping can return 100-200 percent on investment.

• Community and Social Values

• Trees bring natural elements into urban environments.

• Trees planted in front of businesses are seen as more aesthetically pleasing. Customers will travel further distances to, and stay in areas longer, that have more trees.

One program that Bismarck home and business owners can utilize is the Partners in Planting Program. This reimbursement program offers a 50 percent reimbursement for the cost of street trees, up to $100 per tree, with an annual maximum of $700 per property. The first step to participating in this program is to contact the Forestry Division and request a Permit to Plant Trees on a Public Street Right-of-Way.

“Partners in Planting is one of those programs you may not have heard of before,” said Wiles. “But once someone has heard about it, and once they see how it can benefit their home or business property, they don’t forget about it.”

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, benefits of a thriving urban forest carry quantifiable benefits:

• Trees help absorb the sounds of traffic in urban areas by 40 percent.

• Neighborhoods with trees are seven to nine degrees cooler than those without.

• Trees reduce energy costs by up to 25 percent by shading buildings and protecting them from winter winds.

• Homes with trees have higher property values.

• Green space plays a significant role in improving mental and physical health.

• Planting and maintaining trees helps to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, mitigating the effects of climate change.

When businesses or homeowners are ready to incorporate trees into the boulevards of their property, Forestry staff are available to conduct an on-site inspection that will help determine tree planting locations, explain what species are best suited for each site, and to issue the permit. These recommendations also come with maintenance insight. Certain types of trees may require more water initially, whereas some shrubs may require consistent care and perennials may need to be cleaned up seasonally or annually. After the permit to plant trees on the boulevard is received, a business or homeowner can purchase the trees and plant them as indicated on the permit.

To receive reimbursement, the appropriate paperwork (a copy of the receipt showing the types of trees purchased, the cost for each tree, and the company from which they were purchased, as well as a copy of your Permit to Plant Trees on a Public Right-of-Way) must be submitted to the Bismarck Forestry Division no later than December 15 of the same year the trees were planted. After receiving the paperwork, forestry staff inspects the planting site and a reimbursement payment should be received in four to six weeks.

Please note this program has finite funding and reimbursement is on a first-come, first-served basis. Grant funds can be depleted. In 2022, the program helped 108 property owners plant 245 new trees.

A Threat on the Horizon

One tree in particular, the Green Ash, has little care for the rogue’s gallery of North Dakota’s conditions that limit tree growth. A hearty tree, the Green Ash flourishes in the state’s conditions, serves as a shade tree, and is a familiar adornment across many of North Dakota’s cities.

But, when looking to add or manage trees on a property, it is important to know about the possibility of certain threats. Some of these threats may have to do with a property’s utilities and making sure that a tree is far enough from a service water line, so the root system doesn’t create damage as it searches for the next source of water. Other threats are on the horizon.

The start of 2023 brought unwelcome news to the Red River Valley as the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) insect was announced near Moorhead, Minnesota,

in early March. North Dakota foresters have watched the approach of EAB since 2002 when it was first discovered in southeastern Michigan, likely from adult beetles that crossed an ocean in wood packing materials coming from Asia.

There is speculation that the Upper Midwest’s frigid winters may not be a hospitable setting for these beetles, though. Cold temperature has been shown to kill a percentage of the larvae responsible for EAB. But so far this theory has only shown to slow EAB’s progress, not stop it. Still, this slowed expansion does open the door for forestry staff to have more time to make progress with mitigation measures.

“The only way EAB can make big jumps across the region is through transported materials and firewood,” said Wiles. “This makes it that much more important to make sure if you are using wood, that it's local wood and not from out of state or from near the Fargo-Moorhead area.”

To date, North Dakota is one of 14 states that has not detected the pest. This is particularly fortunate because many communities in North Dakota turned to Ash trees as

their go-to variety following the rise of Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970s and 1980s. Bismarck was no different, as upwards of 40 percent of the city’s trees were Ash varieties at one time.

Following the potentially expensive proposition of a city needing to care for a large percentage of its tree population, the philosophy of urban forestry has changed in recent years. Now more emphasis is being put on a city’s overall tree diversity. To ensure a city’s urban forest health, one genus should not make up more than 10 percent of the overall tree population. Bismarck has made a concerted effort to lower the overall Ash tree inventory in the past six years, lowering the city’s total Ash tree population from 35 percent to 25 percent. This catalog of the 31 different genera of Bismarck’s trees is maintained and evaluated each year to account for new diseases and potential impacts.

Tracking the community’s urban forest goes back decades. “Our forestry managers knew the importance of what they had, so they could make wise decisions for the community,” said Wiles. “This inventory allowed them to extrapolate costs when they encountered a disease

Photo Courtesy of the City of Bismarck

and to know what costs could be incurred if they followed mitigation measures versus doing nothing. Knowing what we have to work with is Step 1 of an urban forest management program and the tree inventory is the most important tool we have.”

But, with 1 in 4 trees in Bismarck serving as a potential home for EAB, businesses are encouraged to make tree decisions now, before their hand is forced due to infestation. If the decision is made to keep an Ash tree, the only way to ensure the long-term health of that tree is to regularly inject it with insecticide for the remainder of the tree’s life.

“The main thing businesses can do is evaluate trees on their property. If your Ash tree is planted in the boulevard, the City will help take care of that evaluation of trees that should be removed preemptively,” said Wiles. “But on private property, now is the time to make those decisions. You don’t want to wait until EAB is identified in Mandan or Bismarck, or somewhere closer than what it is now.”

In Bismarck, the approach to EAB is to focus on identifying trees that are in poor condition, young, or in conflict

City Forester Doug Wiles (middle left) talks about tree planting best practices during a Bismarck Sesquicentennial event in October. At the event, 150 trees were planted in New Generations Park. The trees will help serve as a living snow fence to help reduce the time needed by City staff to manage snow along nearby roadways.

with utilities or intersections. As the pest approaches, so does how aggressively the City will make some of these decisions.

Part of what makes EAB so damaging is that the insects do not immediately kill the tree. In contrast to Dutch Elm Disease, which takes about two years to kill a tree, EAB keeps deteriorating the tree for years—allowing the pest population to build—before there are any outward signs. Communities may not see the first signs of EAB until after it has been at work for three to six years. This period of time, known as a death curve, means that by the time there are outward signs of damage, in many instances, it is often too late for any rehabilitation.

If you believe that a tree located on your boulevard or in a park may be infected, the City of Bismarck’s Forestry Division will inspect these trees for free. If the tree is located on private property, a $25 inspection fee will be charged. The Forestry Division is also available to discuss tree options for businesses that are moving to a new location.

The Start of Tree Planting Season

With Bismarck setting a new benchmark for snow totals and a winter feeling that stubbornly refused to leave until April, the 2023 Arbor Day served as more of a kickoff for spring than in other, recent years. Arbor Day and the City of Bismarck share a similar bond, as both celebrated a sesquicentennial, a 150th anniversary, last year.

“Arbor Day always seems like it is the kickoff for spring,” said Wiles. “The grass is green, temperatures are warming up but still mild, and these conditions are perfect for planting trees. On an average year, we see upwards of 800 new street trees planted in Bismarck.”

This year the Forestry Division celebrated the history of the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District as part of its Arbor Day event on the first Friday in May. Retired Executive Director Randy Bina, who served the community for more than 43 years, was honored with his own tree in Sertoma Park. Bina was a collaborative leader and distinguished himself by advancing parks and recreation opportunities throughout Bismarck. The City of Bismarck has planted a tree on Arbor Day since 1978 and began dedicating trees to individuals a couple of years later, beginning with Lois Erickstad’s Colorado Spruce at the Tom O’Leary Tennis Courts in 1981.

In 2023, the City of Bismarck will maintain its status as a Tree City USA for its 46th year. More than 3,400 communities nationwide are Tree City USA. Arbor Day also centers on educational opportunities for the young and old alike. In the month around Arbor Day the Bismarck Forestry Division is in high gear with presentations, tree plantings, readings, and more for students in grades 3-5 and a variety of service groups.

“Our focus is on the future and the next generation,” said Wiles. “So much of what we do with trees is thinking about a decade or two down the road. We are always telling people that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time to plant a tree is today.”

For more information about all the Forestry Division’s programs, responsibilities, and impact on the City of Bismarck, visit bismarcknd.gov/101/Forestry. To speak with a representative in the division, call (701) 355-1700 and choose Option 3 from the automated menu.

Nonprofit of the Month: North Dakota News Cooperative

In the late 2010s, a small committee from the North Dakota Newspaper Association began to envision the mission of a nonprofit organization or cooperative. In 2021, the group officially formed the North Dakota News Cooperative as a 501(c)(3) organization.

The group formed the nonprofit with the mission to provide diverse, reliable, and contextual reporting on issues and events that impact the lives of North Dakotans . Furthermore, the organization is committed to advancing news literacy across North Dakota. I reached out to Jill Denning Gackle, co-chair of the North Dakota News Cooperative, to discuss the organization’s journey so far, their mission moving forward, and more.

According to Denning Gackle, North Dakota News Cooperative was first launched to address the issue of newspapers across the state oftentimes being understaffed. The North Dakota News Cooperative hired a journalist to dig into the stories that matter most to our state and would help in building a stronger state with vital communities and informed citizens.

By Grant Ayers | Photos Courtesy of North Dakota News Cooperative

Arianna Nygaard checks out a recent issue of Kid Scoop at Divide County Elementary School in Crosby, ND.

Powerful Progress!

At least 50 percent of the state's newspapers are running the North Dakota News Cooperative stories, while the western half of the state's schools are receiving the monthly Kid Scoop News with hopes (with enough funding) that by the fall of 2023, all the state's elementary schools will receive it.”

- Jill Denning Gackle

“We wanted to hire the right journalist for the job and that took some time. Michael Standaert joined us in July 2022 and has provided dozens of free deep-dive stories to newspapers statewide since. The response from the public is extremely positive. North Dakotans know that an engaged, informed public makes for engaged citizens who vote, volunteer, serve on committees and boards, and care about their communities and state,” Denning Gackle said.

On top of the goal to provide in-depth stories that are critical to North Dakotans, the organization also remains committed to improving news literacy across the state, as they work closely with educators and the Department of Public Instruction.

“The Department of Public Instruction is updating its standards in the library science and language arts area, both of which include standards for news literacy. Students are trained in how to determine what is a reliable source and, just like a news story, the importance of multiple sources,” Gackle said.

“We are at the table working with educators and the Department of Public Instruction team. We are also helping to get Kid Scoop News, an updated version of the popular Weekly Reader, into every elementary classroom in North Dakota. Reading scores are alarmingly low and we want to work with educators to provide students another tool.”

Jill Denning Gackle, Co-chair of the North Dakota News Cooperative

North Dakota News Cooperative’s Values

Accuracy: We must strive to report facts accurately or we will lose our credibility.

Independence:

We believe independence is a cornerstone of reliability.

Impartiality: We seek out multiple sources, disclose as much as possible about sources, and ask for comments from those with varied perspectives.

Accountability:

We are accountable for our work, prepared to accept criticism and publicly correct all factual errors in our reporting. Whenever a factual error in our reporting is confirmed, we will take immediate steps to correct it on our own platforms as well as in any newspapers or other media that have published, in print or online, reporting that contains the error.

- From the North Dakota News Cooperative Website

Kid Scoop News is one of the educational opportunities that donations are put toward when donating to the North Dakota News Cooperative through reporting services. Increased donations allow for Kid Scoop News, alongside its other in-depth stories, to expand its availability to a state-wide level.

Denning Gackle believes that some people have given up on news in many formats. This can be detrimental to both publications and readers that will lose out on important and pertinent information.

“Without real reliable and relevant information, we will struggle as a democracy. We’re working with the North Dakota Broadcasters Association on shared goals for the future,” Gackle said.

It’s evident that very few, if any, other organizations are doing what the North Dakota News Cooperative is doing, especially to their extent. Readers can support their cause through donations toward their reporting services, word of mouth, and sharing their mission with others.

Pam Podoll's secondgrade class at Velva Elementary School.

Kid Scoop News’ March issue cover

Teams Make the Dream Work Easier

By Wendy Klug, VBOC of the Dakotas Director

of VBOC of the Dakotas

About the VBOC

The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling, and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard, and Reserve members and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business. U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has 22 organizations participating in this cooperative agreement and serving as VBOCs.

There are a billion tasks to complete when building or continuing to grow a successful business. It will be some of the hardest work you have ever done and at times it will seem impossible to keep up with it all. However, if you’re not on top of all the important tasks of business ownership, your business could fail. This probably sounds overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. If you have the right “teams of people” in your life, it will be easier to build and maintain the business you have always dreamed of.

As an entrepreneur myself and a business advisor for the Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Dakotas, I have learned firsthand how important teams are! I often relied on my cheerleading team to help me when the water got rough. I relied on my SBA team to help me figure out ways to reach my

Photo Courtesy

ideal clientele. I always committed to community events to not only give back but to help me gain new exposure for future business. And now as a business advisor, I see every day the importance of these teams! These teams are forever growing in numbers and every now and then, another team category gets added to the list. There is no “I” in teams, so let’s get started on talking about who these invaluable team members are.

BAIL Team

Before you get too far into your business planning, make sure you assemble your BAIL team; Banker, Accountant, Insurance, and Lawyer. This is a team of people that will help you get your business off on the right foot and here is why!

Banker: If you are looking for financing, you are going to need to work with a bank. Start with a bank you are familiar with. Interview them to see what they know about small business loans as well as how interested they are in your business. They should work for you and be interested in seeing your success. If not, it’s probably time to search for a new banker. Also, you will need to set up a business checking account separate from your personal account. Having both a business loan and your business checking accountant at the same location can be a time saver!

Accountant: If you are confused about which legal entity will work best for your business, start with an accountant. They should also be able to assist you with preparing taxes and financial statements. It is best to use a CPA or Enrolled Agent who continues education requirements.

Insurance: You will want to protect yourself from any liabilities that come with your business. An insurance agent can assist with loss protection, business insurance, and “riders” for business and shared assets.

Lawyer: Don’t get a lawyer after something has gone wrong. If your business needs to have a contract of some

sort, make sure a lawyer reviews it and assures you that it meets contract and agreement standards. There are many types of lawyers, make sure you choose one that is a business lawyer.

SBA Advisors: If we don’t know how to do something or don’t know an answer, we have a network that we rely on to help us figure it out. We often coadvise with our Small Business Administration partners. This means that the North Dakota Small Business Development Center (ND SBDC) can be assisting you with financial projections and your business plan while I am assisting you with the marketing side of your business and helping you understand how to use your BAIL team. We all offer no-cost business advising and we all have specialty areas that we advise in. How do you know which one to pick? Start with the one that sounds like it will best fit what you need. If you reach out to one of us, the likeliness of you working with several of us is very high. We are your cheerleading team!

1. VBOC: A one-stop shop for service members, veterans, and military spouses (but not limited to) looking to start, purchase, or grow a business. VBOC provides training workshops as well as business development assistance such as training, advising, and resource referrals.

Specialty Areas: Veteran initiatives, start-up training workshops, and marketing.

2. ND SBDC: A network of credentialed business advisors that empower North Dakota small businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive. They accelerate business growth in communities across North Dakota by providing customized guidance and resources that help owners and entrepreneurs achieve their goals at every stage of their business life cycle.

Specialty Areas: Business planning, financial projections, industry/market research, and small business exit and succession planning.

3. SCORE: The nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors that are dedicated to helping small businesses plan, launch, manage, and grow.

Specialty Areas: One-on-one mentoring with a mentor that has worked in the business sector.

4. Women’s Business Center: The WBC is a leading voice, resource, and partner for women business owners. They work hard to amplify the collective voice and economic impact of their clients through advocacy and access to critical resources.

Specialty Areas: Networking events, one-on-one mentoring.

Diverse Business Team

When you are ready to start hiring for your team, diversity should be a goal. Although most professionals try to be as adaptable and flexible as possible to meet their job requirements, there’s no denying that each person has a core set of strengths. To give their best, people need to be put in situations where they use their most developed skills and their inborn qualities.

The Creative Type: Having someone on the team who can look at the world without blinders can help a business keep moving forward. A creative person can optimize operations, improve products and services, develop original marketing campaigns, and more!

The Analytical Type: This person will take ideas, analyze them, and turn them into business strategies by seeing the big picture while seeing each specific detail. An analytical person can also see inconsistencies and errors which can help a business save time and money.

The Organized Type: This person helps the business function every day by creating order. They prioritize tasks, create and organize schedules, and know to keep the team efficient. They have a wide

perspective on all aspects of the business which proves why they are so valuable to the team.

The Action-Orientated Type: Plans are just plans unless you have someone on your team that will help move them to action. This person can follow instructions while paying attention to detail, giving measurable results, and resulting in increased productivity levels. They help with the workflow of the business and help keep people on track to meet deadlines, resulting in increased productivity and hopefully profitability.

The Communicative Type: Communication is the glue that keeps a team together. While everyone should be able to communicate, the communicator will excel at this. They will be able to interact both verbally and in writing. They are good listeners who can listen to others speak about their plans and provide motivation. They help teams bond and make sure information flows between team members.

Community Team

Having a community is vital to a small business. Not only does the community provide you with an opportunity to learn and grow as a small business owner, but it can help you form genuine relationships and network along the way. This community also becomes a customer and helps your business

grow. When you support your community, they will support you back. To start finding a community team, attend networking events and reach out to local resources that support small businesses such as your local chamber and economic development centers.

Cheerleader Team

This is a team of people who believe in what you are doing and why you are doing it. They may be someone you shared your idea with about how your product could better someone’s life and now they are part of your cheerleading squad. It could also be your grandma who believes in everything you have done since you were five years old. Honestly, it doesn’t matter who they are if they are giving you the encouragement and support you need to believe in what you are doing. They are your greatest fans, your cheerleading squad. And when life gets hard, they are going to support you in the ways you need support to keep on going. Cheerleaders support you and your business!

No one has gotten to where they are completely on their own. Every business must have a supportive team system. The most successful businesses delegate tasks that they need help with because they know it is not possible to do it alone. The people you surround yourself with can make a world of difference in how you experience

entrepreneurship. At the end of the day, all these teams become one big team for you and your small business! Whom do you have by your side ready to become your biggest cheerleader? Reach out and get started today!

VBOC of the Dakotas

(701) 738-4850 und.edu/dakotasvboc /dakotasvboc @DakotasVBOC

4200 James Ray Dr Grand Forks, ND 58201

Photo Courtesy of Just James Photography

Women You Should Know

Jessica Wachter

By Arielle Windham Empowered by Ladyboss Lifestyle

“I have dyslexia, which made reading a challenge growing up. In a traditional education system, I had to adapt and learn in my own way. I needed something other than words to express myself. Dyslexia gave me a unique perspective to understand concepts and life in general. It opened up new pathways to selfexpression. That’s when I found art.”

Jessica Wachter never let her learning style keep her from sharing her unique perspective with the rest of the world. In many ways, her journey to becoming a nationallyrenowned artist began with the simple desire to understand herself— to work through the emotions, thoughts, and observations of the world around her through a more visual form of communication.

“The desire to create has always been with me. It’s like breathing,” Wachter said. That doesn’t mean it was always easy, though. “I’ve failed. I’ve hit rock bottom. But I think a genuine passion, a true calling, will always find its way back to you. And, in the end, it’s not all based on talent or luck. It’s the support of your community and the strength you find from your family, friends, and other creatives, too.”

Visual Communication

Bismarck Artist Finds Voice and Community Through Abstract Art

Finding Her Voice

At a young age, Wachter found a place in the local art community, attending Saturday art classes through the Bismarck Art and Galleries Association. She discovered abstract expressionism and the art of Joan Mitchell as she continued her art journey at North Dakota State University.

“It was a pivotal movement that changed the trajectory of my work,” Wachter recalls. “Abstract expressionism allowed me to put my thoughts on canvas, to share my most authentic self with the world. But it’s also open to interpretation. The viewer has to think, interact with the brush strokes, and find their own meaning. It challenges you to see the world differently. It challenges you to be vulnerable, and through that shared uncomfortableness and questioning, it promotes inclusivity for all emotions and perspectives. We might not feel the same things, but we feel something.”

However, it was more than just the connection she felt with Mitchell’s work—it was the sheer scale. As a child of the open prairie and the boundless sky, she was drawn to the vastness of the canvas. “In a way, it mirrors the big, open spaces we find all over the Dakotas,” she explains. “It can make some people uncomfortable, but I feel like that space gives you more room to explore.”

Abstract Expressionist and Owner of Jessica Wachter Art

Women You Should Know:

Photos Courtesy of Just James Photography

Wachter enjoys the opportunity to play with perspective provided by large canvases. The emotions evoked by the whole painting are often juxtaposed with the feelings found in a single brushstroke. “Paintings, like people, have layers. Spending time with them and discovering the details heightens our compassion," she said.

Creating Space for Women in Art

There was something else about Mitchell’s work that spoke to her, though. “Quick, name five female artists. We don’t realize how underrepresented women are, not just as artists, but within the industry—female gallery staff, owners, female museum curators, and directors. On those hard days, when I just don’t feel inspired, it’s the support of women creatives and entrepreneurs that pushes me to show up to the studio.”

In terms of support and resources, Wachter feels the Bismarck art community has done well in creating space for female artists while the region as a whole has made great strides to provide women the knowledge and tools for success in any industry. But it’s not just associations and organizations that make a difference, it’s the actions of a single person.

“It’s the easiest thing to show up, whether it’s an art show or a restaurant, but we often underestimate how much it means to other women. I wholeheartedly believe there are many great female artists out there who haven’t made it on the public’s radar yet. It’s not just creative talent that makes a difference, it’s the knowledge gained from the female entrepreneurs in my family, it’s the support of female artists and educators, that has brought me to where I am now.”

And her advice for other young women? “Trust your gut and go for it. Run with your passion. Be yourself, even if you’re afraid. Even if you fail. Learn to sit in the uncomfortableness. To turn your struggles into something meaningful. The people around you will pick up on your authenticity and engage with your art or your calling or your personal flame, whatever it is. And it’s not an age thing, either. It’s never too late to change a career or develop a new skill. There’s no one definition of success. Like a painting, the interpretation is up to you.”

For more information on Jessica Wachter, visit her website below. You can find examples of her work and sign up for her monthly newsletter. Her next public show will be in Washington D.C. later this year. Art resources are available through the Bismarck Arts and Galleries Association, bismarck-art.org, and the North Dakota Council on the Arts, arts.nd.gov Connect

"Trust your gut and go for it. Run with your passion. Be yourself, even if you’re afraid. Even if you fail. Learn to sit in the uncomfortableness. To turn your struggles into something meaningful."

- Jessica Wachter