Fargo INC! April 2021 by Spotlight Media

// APRIL 2021

FEATURES

Sponsored Content: Is Your Human Resources A Zoo?

Sponsored Content: Alerus: Focusing on Your Financial Future

Sponsored Content: Innovation in Education: Enhancing the Spud Experience

When Times Are Tough Lend A Hand Up Is There To Help

Golf Rebels

The Dirt Sheet

Meet The Entrepreneurs!

Faces of Fargo Business: Dr. Nicholas Adamas

10 Questions With John Machacek: Project Phoenix

100

Estate Planning Under The Biden Administration In 2021

102

Clubhouse

104

Ladyboss of the Month: Indira Kovaci

106

Academic Insight

108

Events Calendar

APRIL 2021

70 80

104

CHECK OUT FARGOINC.COM

All our stories in one place

Business events calendar

Read all the past issues

Extra video content

E d i t o r ’s n o t e

What can you say? W hen someone you know receives a life-altering medical diagnosis, it can be very hard to find the right words to say. You want to comfort them, make them feel alright and give them that perfect spark to catapult them forward, but you just don't know. That's okay.

one of the best things you can do is make yourself available. Let them know that you are there for anything they need and put the ball in their court. I'm not saying this is the only way to react, let your intuition guide you in the end, but just knowing you have people in your corner can be very comforting.

Over the years, I've learned that in trying to support those around you,

Thankfully, there are great organizations in town, like Lend A

Hand Up, to help facilitate this type of support. What makes them and other organizations like them even more special is the fact that we as a community have the opportunity to help those in need that we don't even know. All of the people in their program need lots of help, so let's make sure we're there for them. Take the

time, read the article and if you're able, lend a hand to a stranger in need.

Brady Drake Fargo INC! Editor

Brady Drake, Fargo INC! Editor

fargoinc@spotlightmediafargo.com

EDITORIAL BOARD

President

United Way of Cass-Clay

As we move into spring, it's that time when many of us are filled with hope and plans for a fresh start. Right here in our community, families are moving into places of their own after experiencing homelessness and they too are looking forward to a fresh start. Most of them are moving in without the basic household supplies they need to make a smooth transition. Our United Way Home for Good project aims to change that, and you can help. Give now through April 30 to support our goal of providing 120 local families in need with a Home for Good basket. Businesses are also invited to become a Home for Good Basket Backer and be recognized for their commitment to helping families break the cycle of poverty. Learn more at unitedwaycassclay.org.

APRIL 2021

President & CEO

Dakota Business Lending

Last month was an exciting month for us as it marked two years since our team founded “ACTIVATE Women” – a learning workshop series designed to help women business owners learn, grow, and network on their entrepreneurial journey. Since then, we have expanded the program to 5 locations across the state, hosted over 40 sessions, and helped hundreds of women entrepreneurs as they navigate the ins and outs of their entrepreneurial journey. While the current climate has forced us to adapt the program, we’re still finding ways to reach these movers and shakers throughout our state and connect them with experts that can provide tangible insight on various topics. If you are or know a woman business owner who may be interested, check out our next ACTIVATE Women session coming up in May and visit our website for more information: https://www. dakotabusinesslending. com/activate-women

Acquisitions/Communication

Moore Holding Company

The golf professional managing your local club has a unique career. Just to be a PGA of America member, they need to be good enough golfers to pass a formidable playing test. After that, they go through several rounds of book learning, on-site training and applied skills – all to stay involved in a sport they love. They are teachers, advocates, sounding boards, event coordinators and, most of all, business people. This eclectic set of skills called me to profile two local pros for this issue, Lisa Schwinden and Chris Larson, who struck me as golf rebels. I hope you enjoy hearing more about how they’re working to lower barriers and bring more people into the golfing world.

Communications and Marketing Officer

FM Area Foundation

We are extremely fortunate to live in a generous community with individuals, families and businesses committed to giving back. If you’re looking for a way to create a more intentional giving plan, the FM Area Foundation has vehicles to help make that happen. For example, Donor Advised Funds are becoming increasingly popular because of their favorable tax treatment, simplicity of administration, and flexibility in addressing issues and needs you care about most. The team at the FM Area Foundation can help you find a charitable giving plan that is right for you, your family, or your business. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

SHANNON FULL President and CEO

FMWF Chamber of Commerce

This past year of challenges and changes, successes and struggles, have taught us all a lot. One of the greatest lessons for me has been the power of connection. Chambers exist to bring people together. And now that there is light at the end of the tunnel, we are so excited to announce that Chamber events are back, IN PERSON. Although we have been successful executing events virtually, we are so looking forward to seeing you again. Rest assured though, we will continue to have options for both in-person and virtual attendance, so you can engage however you are comfortable. Another opportunity is our Leadership FMWF program that helps individuals grow personally and professionally. If you or someone you know is interested, please consider applying for the 2021-22 class. This 10-month program kicks off in August, and applications close on May 14th. Learn more and apply at fmwfchamber. com/leadership. Thank you for continuing to engage with us. The strength of The Chamber is because of the involvement of each of you.

Director of Ecosystem

Emerging Prairie

"What makes Fargo great?"

Founder and Director

The Lend A Hand Up program is this supportive network personified. Every year, I'm amazed with the amount raised by Giving Hearts Day and this network. Every Lend A Hand Up story is amazing and shows the strength of our community.

KODEE FURST Program Manager

The Executives Club of Fargo - Moorhead

Greater FM Economic Development Corporation

The Nice Center

You can have an easy life, or you can grow, you can’t do both.

With the ND Legislative session wrapping up, it was encouraging to see some action that provides for more investment into North Dakota primary sector companies. While these were both not yet formally approved at the date I’m typing this, the actions I reference involve LIFT and the Legacy Fund.

Earlier this year, we announced our moonshot: 95x25. For the next five years, we’re focusing our efforts and resources on introducing entrepreneurship to 95% of North Dakota high school freshmen to college graduate students. It’s a lofty goal and we know we can’t do it alone.

"It's the people." I can't tell you how many times I've had this conversation. Most of us recognize our region's strength lies in the people. You can't live here and deal with blizzards, floods and tornadoes without seeing the support from our community.

Chief Innovation Officer

Growth comes from challenging yourself. Challenges are uncomfortable, but also afford us the greatest opportunity to learn. The darkest situations often bring out the greatest opportunities. A Chinese saying "Chi Ku Shi Fu" (eating bitterness is good fortune) shows us the idea that there is incredible opportunity for wisdom and growth in suffering. While we generally don't have control over the situations that life brings us, we do have a choice as to how we will react to them. Learn to embrace difficulty. Nietzsche believed that hardship and joy operated in a kind of osmotic relationship — diminishing one would diminish the other. For business leaders, embracing hardship can be a surprising secret to happiness.

LIFT was introduced last session and allocated at $15 million. This has proven to be a highly impactful program both for supporting existing growth companies here as well, as a way to attract companies to establish a presence in ND to commercialize their technologies. The demand and quality of applicants were strong, and the entire $15 million was fully deployed in only 8 months. The latest number I heard will hopefully double this allocation for the next twoyear cycle. Also going through legislation will be the state’s directive to utilize some of the Legacy Fund to invest in stocks & equity of ND companies. This is an encouraging sign of adding more tools to the tool chest to encourage more investment here.

To help us get there, we’re launching a new initiative called Nice Corps; Peace Corps for entrepreneurship. Nice Corps members will be recent college graduates hired to expand our work across the state and be stationed in a region to provide hands-on support to teachers, students and community members. We’re bullish on North Dakota, young talent and the power of community. We’re looking for diverse perspectives with a shared spirit of connection and energy for supporting students with ideas. If this is you or someone you know, share your experience by applying at thenicecenter. org/nicecorpsjob!

BETHLEHEM GRONNEBERG Founder

uCodeGirl

"We the people are the change makers." ~ Ian Somerhalder It is heartwarming and impactful when individuals devote their time, passion and professionalism to help social purpose organizations like uCodeGirl thrive and serve communities as board of directors. We are grateful for exceptional talents like Bree Langemo, Director of Entrepreneurship at Concordia College and Sandi Piatz, Site Leader at Microsoft who served and provided consistent and thoughtful guidance. We are excited to have a new and diverse group of individuals join our board. They will bring their unique expertise, perspectives and agency to uCodeGirl to further our vision of promoting a world where the people who create and build technology products and services mirror the societies for which they create and build. Welcome Becky Newell, President at Levridge, Trevor Gruby, Senior Software Development Manager at Amazon and Dr. Ronda Zelezny-Green, Training & eLearning at Internet Society.

FARGOINC.COM

APRIL 2021 Volume 6 Issue 4

Fargo INC! is published 12 times a year and is available at area businesses and online at FargoInc.com.

Publisher EDITORIAL Editorial Team Lead Editor

Mike Dragosavich Drago@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Nolan Schmidt Brady Drake fargoinc@spotlightmediafargo.com

Graphic Designer

Kim Cowles

Creative Strategist

Josiah Kopp

Contract Photographer Contributors

INTERACTIVE Business Development Manager Videographers

Jeremy Albright Shontarius D. Aikens, Ladyboss Midwest, Bethlehem Gronneberg, John Machacek, Fredrikson & Byron Nick Schommer nickschommer@spotlightmediafargo.com Tommy Uhlir

Business Development Associate

Kellen Feeney

Digital Marketing Lead

Emma Bonnet

Graphic Designer

Ben Buchanan

ADVERTISING VP of Business Development Sales Representative Senior Leader of Digital Solutions

Client Relations

Paul Hoefer Paul@SpotlightMediaFargo.com Al Anderson Brady Sprague

clientrelations@spotlightmediafargo.com

Client Relations Manager

Jenny Johnson

Client Relations Strategist

Cora Sather

Marketing Designer ADMINISTRATION VP of Human Resources Account Strategist DISTRIBUTION Delivery

Christy German Colleen Dreyer Cassie Wiste John Stuber

Fargo INC! is published by Spotlight LLC, Copyright 2020 Fargo INC! & FargoInc.com. All rights reserved. No parts of this magazine may be reproduced or distributed without written permission of Fargo INC!, and Spotlight LLC, is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to or reliance on such information. Spotlight LLC, accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.

Spotlight LLC 15 Broadway N, Suite 500 Fargo, ND 58102 Info@SpotlightMediaFargo.com ADVERTISING: 701-478-SPOT (7768)

MEET OUR TEAM AT CORA - Client Relations

EMMA - Social Media

AL - Sales NOLAN - Editorial JEREMY - Photography

JENNY - Client Relations TOMMY - Videography

BEN - Design

PAUL - Sales CHRISTY - Design

CASSIE - Admin

JOSIAH - Editorial

KIM - Design

JOHN - Distribution COLLEEN - HR & Operations

NICK - Digital Services KELLEN - Digital Services

BRADY - Digital Solutions

BRADY - Editorial

“We have been working with SWL for 8 years. They help us with HR practices, contracts, and other legal issues that come up. I love how progressive and proactive they are. They have always felt like a partner and not just a law firm we call when we need something.” MIKE DRAGOSAVICH

Founder, Spotlight

CHECK OUT SPOTLIGHT MEDIA'S OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Small business is a vital part of any community. Regardless of the type of business, Fargo-Moorhead continues to be a burgeoning area for new, local businesses. An industry this is potentially most prevalent in is fashion and shopping. We have been so lucky to welcome new boutiques, stores and businesses to our ever-growing community. This month, we highlight a few small businesses in that industry. Each of the four businesses featured within has its own niche within the shopping world. What they all have in common is this: they are owned and operated by women. Meet these strong women and the businesses behind them.

Plug And Play recently announced 14 more startups that will expand the center's knowledge on precision farming, soil/ plant health, supply chain, livestock, agrifintech and big data analytics. Get to know these new startups as they help revolutionize the agtech world. Coming Soon!

Look for us in April. Coming Soon!

Look for us in May.

WE ARE YOUR RETIREMENT SERVICES EXPERTS.

Monica Millette

Jana Samek

HAVE PEACE OF MIND KNOWING YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN IS IN GOOD HANDS. Our services include:

PLAN DESIGN AND CONSULTING EDUCATION AND GUIDANCE INVESTMENT ANALYSIS FIDUCIARY SUPPORT Find a full list of services on our website

HEARTLANDTRUST.COM

1202 27th St S, Fargo, ND 58103 | (701) 235-2002

SPONSORED CONTENT

It was a lot on me. I was responsible for all the HR, time management, payroll, safety and everything related to employment," said Jacobson. "It was a lot of extra work that I had to fit into my day. I used to think that being the CEO of a small organization just came with those responsibilities. Being able to use PRO has really helped save me a lot of time so I can focus on what I need to do and my area of expertise, business profitability and growth."

APRIL 2021

That "job" that Jacobson is now more free to do, is an important one. Not only is the Red River Zoo a place of employment for over two dozen of our citizens, but it is also a pillar of the community and a beacon of hope for a number of endangered species. "Our zoo is really a space of community," said Jacobson. "When people are considering moving to the area, they'll look around and really try to see what the community is all about and what it has to offer. The zoo is a huge part of the community with all of our events, hosting of birthday parties and just being a place for people to come to see the animals and enjoy the scenery."

Conservation Work At The Red River Zoo The Zoo is a protected haven where breeding and caring for threatened animals can help protect them from extinction. The Red River Zoo is known around the world for its work with Chinese Red Pandas, Sichuan Takin, and Pallas Cats, all of which are endangered species. "We are dedicated to helping the animals that we can," said Jacobson.

FARGOINC.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT Prior to working with PRO Resources, Jacobson and her team were managing everything through a series of "home-made" spreadsheets and manual processes. Anyone who has done this knows that it is less than ideal and very time-consuming. Jacobson was aware that there was a better way of doing things and that their organization could benefit from outside help. As a non-profit, she didn't think the Red River Zoo was in a place financially to change the way it was doing things. She found out she was wrong. "Our income and how we spend our money is so critical," said Jacobson. "However, after meeting with PRO, I was really surprised at how affordable their services are and that a business like ours could take advantage of something like that. It was a lot less than hiring a person to do it all. It was a no-brainer."

APRIL 2021

Which service has been most impactful for your business "I think the HR management has been really key for us. They know the answers to all of our questions and are able to give us updates when employment and HR laws are changed. We have best practices always in place. They also provide these fabulous trainings and everything is tracked through the portal." -Sally Jacobson

Since onboarding with PRO Resources, which included a discovery meeting to determine the Zoo's specific needs, a proposal of their services and a quote, Jacobson and her team at the Red River Zoo have been the beneficiaries of PRO's seamless technology. Their system can be used for all new employment paperwork, time and attendance, PTO tracking, training, document access, benefit

election, reports and they have a team of professionals that support them at PRO Resources. "They have a fabulous portal where we can track all of our employees' timesheets and progress on training," said Jacobson. "It's sort of a one-stop-shop to go to for questions on safety to questions on training or benefits. I can email one person and have that person help me with everything. It's really the perfect mix of technology and personal touch. I feel really comforted working with someone and knowing that their job is to assist us, answer questions and keep us in compliance. I sleep a little better at night now." Working with PRO Resources has also allowed the Zoo to offer employee benefits to its staff. Something they weren't able to provide previously. "It's also very difficult to recruit people to come live and work in our area," said Jacobson "It's a highly competitive market in our industry, so to be able to offer benefits to the employees coming in to join our team, has been an excellent way for us to attract and retain our top talent." To learn more, visit proresourceshr.com

SPONSORED CONTENT

Alerus: Focusing on Your Financial Future With roots running back to 1879, Alerus has been a part of our region’s history for more than a century, serving consumers and businesses with one core belief: Everything they do is in the best interest of their clients. Alerus has readily embraced changes over the years, but they’ve always held true to that core belief. Every change they make is made with you in mind. The diversified services Alerus offers today makes it possible to provide holistic financial care for you and your business, from business banking and payroll services, to retirement plans, benefits packages, and wealth management. By pairing you with a dedicated business advisor, Alerus is able to identify the right mix of products from its full suite of services for every client’s unique needs and long-term goals. Running a business is complicated enough without having to worry about mastering every financial topic that runs across your desk. Alerus business advisors provide the financial expertise so you can focus on doing what you do best.

APRIL 2021

SPONSORED CONTENT How to choose a financial partner that adds value One of the best aspects of business ownership is you get to choose who you do business with. When evaluating financial service providers, remember that this relationship can last decades — from start-up to succession. The right advisor will become as emotionally invested in your wellbeing and success as you are. Here’s what to look for: ○ Proactive communication. No successful relationship is a one-way street. If you find yourself initiating all of your conversations with your financial advisor, you can bet they are not spending any extra time thinking about you or your business’ success. Find an advisor who is accessible and contacts you regularly, and you’ll find a true business partner. ○ Service, with your best interest in mind. It’s important to choose a financial services provider with the capabilities and services that will meet your needs as your business evolves. But make sure you work with a provider that puts your unique needs and best interest above products and services. A financial advisor who takes time to understand your business can play a key role in helping you achieve your long-term goals. ○ Good corporate citizenship. Banks can be more than a business. Those that value doing the right thing, respecting everyone, serving with passion, and embracing change can be catalysts for economic development, community champions, and dream makers — helping you succeed while strengthening the entire community together.

Alerus offices near you: 3137 32nd Avenue South, Fargo 51 Broadway, Suite 150, Fargo 901 13th Avenue East, West Fargo

One Point of Contact, Full Suite of Services ○ Financing ○ Treasury management ○ Retirement and benefits ○ Payroll services ○ Wealth management ○ Succession planning

Trending now:

Employee financial wellness programs In an October 2020 survey released by the National Endowment for Financial Education, 84% of Americans said COVID-19 is causing stress on their personal finances. Over half of those surveyed said not having enough money saved for emergencies, retirement, college, and other uses ranks among their top financial concerns. A growing number of employees have begun looking to their employers for help in establishing and maintaining financial wellness plans. Employersponsored wellness plans can be a win-win; providing employees with tools to improve their financial outlook can increase their workplace productivity and give employers a recruitment/ retention advantage, among other benefits. If you are one of the many employers who would like to help their employees

become more financially secure, but aren’t sure where to start or how to enhance your existing retirement plan, here are a few popular options: ○ Retirement accounts. Common types include traditional 401(k) accounts, SEP IRAs, or simple IRAs. Eligibility for these accounts may vary based on your company’s employee headcount and individual employee earnings. Other differences include withdrawal penalties, deferral limitations, and federal filing requirements for the employer. ○ Health savings accounts. These are long-term savings accounts specifically for health care costs that are paired with low premium, high deductible insurance plans. Contributions are not taxed and earn interest.

○ Personal financial fitness tools. Technology offerings like MY ALERUS give employees a holistic view of their finances and provide guidance to help them build their financial confidence. Employees can access their retirement accounts, track their emergency savings, create a personalized budget, and manage debt using one tool, empowering them to take control of their financial future. Retirement and benefits plans are numerous and confusing. Know the basics going in, ask lots of questions, and work with a provider who recognizes your employees as individuals instead of plan participants.

Disclosure: The information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. Alerus does not provide legal or tax advice. Always consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation. FARGOINC.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT Guidance from Start-up to Succession On any given day, you might find Alerus lead business advisor Bill Carlson working on a new client’s business plan, helping a company develop its employer-sponsored benefits plan, meeting with a client’s employee to answer their 401(k) plan questions, or providing wealth management guidance to a business owner after completing a successful succession. “That’s my role – to be involved at every level, wherever they need me to provide guidance,” Carlson says. “Business bankers at many banks are primarily focused on loans and deposits. Being a business advisor at Alerus is so much more than making loans. We really get to know our clients and their businesses, and as a result we become an important part of their team. We are able to provide strategic guidance and services tailored to their needs and long-term plan.” Carlson has been providing financial guidance to Alerus business clients for more than 30 years, developing relationships with many business clients that have lasted decades — from start-up to succession and beyond. When one of his clients decided they were ready to plan their exit from business ownership, Carlson was one of the first people they told. He then spent six years helping them develop and successfully execute a plan for minority owners to purchase the business. He now provides financial guidance to the new business owners, and wealth management services to the previous owners.

Bill Carlson is a lead business advisor at Alerus.

Has the pandemic changed your business plan? Contact: Bill Carlson Alerus Lead Business Advisor Bill.Carlson@Alerus.com 701.280.5079

APRIL 2021

“That’s what I love most, is working with clients throughout their careers and lives,” he says. “There is a lot of information out there today, but people still need advice and expertise. Advisors can draw on their experiences, the successes and mistakes they’ve seen, and provide grounded advice that really makes a difference in their clients’ financial lives.” Carlson has worked with all types of businesses over the course of his career and finds something interesting about every one of them. But he especially enjoys working with entrepreneurs because of the energy they have for everything they do. “Entrepreneurs are full on the gas,” he says. “I love the passion they bring, but I sometimes have to be the person to tap the brakes. I’m keeping their best interest in mind, however it’s a give and take. It’s important not to stomp on their vision and, instead, be a voice that helps guide their vision to reality.”

SPONSORED CONTENT The Relationship Quarterback for your Finances After having worked for years at other financial organizations, Jessica Hoppe joined Alerus in 2012 because she wanted to do more for her business clients. “The entrepreneurial spirit at Alerus and the ability to serve as one point of contact for my clients makes a huge difference in the service I’m able to provide,” she says. “I have the opportunity to really get to know my clients and offer meaningful advice that helps them achieve their goals. Plus, when their needs change, they can just call me and know that I will bring the right experts to the table. It’s kind of like being the quarterback for their financial team — I know the ins and outs of business banking and make sure to include the right players at the right time.” Hoppe is an experienced advisor for all types of business clients, but after growing up in a family-run business and watching her parents experience the highs and lows of business ownership, she has a soft spot for helping small business owners. “My parents worked so hard. They were in the store before I went to school and worked until after I went to bed every night,” she says. “For many small businesses, finances are one of the most difficult aspects of ownership. They need the help that banks can provide, and it is very satisfying to set them up for success.”

Jessica Hoppe is a senior business advisor at Alerus.

Ready to update your employee benefits program? Contact: Jessica Hoppe Alerus Senior Business Advisor Jessica.Hoppe@Alerus.com 701.280.5135

Financing structures are a great example of how business advisors can provide additional value to their clients. “Many clients believe the most important financing factor is rate,” Hoppe says. “In reality, the terms, amortization, equity structure, and operational cash flow support are more important factors to the business’ success. Of course the rate should always be competitive, but 'lowest' doesn’t always equal 'best'. " An experienced business advisor will work as an extension of the business’ financial team, providing expert input in navigating complex U.S. Small Business Administration federal funding programs as well as evaluating traditional financing options. They can explain available programs and processes, review financial results, and help the owner decide which opportunity is right for them, now and for the long term. “The best part of being a business advisor at Alerus is our overarching priority to help clients succeed, no matter what,” Hoppe says. 'Do the right thing' is far more than a motto in our company. It drives how we work with clients. Our goal isn’t to sell products, it’s to provide solutions that our clients actually need as we support their journey.”

FARGOINC.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT

Driven by Honesty and Integrity There’s nothing Brad Loween likes better than sitting down with a business owner to find out what makes them tick, and then helping them reach that goal. “What is the ultimate goal of ownership?” he says. “Do you want to remain stable in your current state? Do you want to grow the business and sell it? Provide a succession opportunity for your kids? Everyone is different, so it’s important to think about what matters to them, and then we figure out a way to get there.” After spending a decade in the financial industry specializing in wealth management and business banking, Loween joined Alerus in December 2020. He says he was attracted to the company for three reasons: its size, capabilities, and emphasis on providing holistic care for clients. “It’s exciting to be the main point of contact and take care of any need my clients have, from lending and treasury management to employee retirement and benefits plans or wealth management services,” he says. “I meet with them more often and get a clearer view of their financial picture, which allows me to provide better service. And Alerus has all of the products and capabilities to meet any business need my clients have, but we’re able to still provide personal service. Clients aren’t just a number and don’t get shuffled around.”

Brad Loween is a senior business advisor at Alerus.

Do you have a business finance question? Contact: Brad Loween Alerus Senior Business Advisor Brad.Loween@Alerus.com 701.280.5061

APRIL 2021

Loween says Alerus’ one point of contact approach also saves clients time. Instead of surfing the web for specialists or calling around to arrange appointments for various needs, they can make one call to Loween and get back to running their business. “When we can help provide peace of mind by focusing on the financial considerations of their business, that’s what we do best,” he says. A 21-year military veteran with two overseas deployments under his belt, Loween refers to himself as a regular Joe who enjoys contributing his financial expertise to help fellow veterans and businesses succeed. He especially enjoys working with core businesses that are essential to the economy. “Construction firms, wholesalers, healthcare providers … it’s those types of businesses that are the engine making our world turn,” he says. “My job is to support my clients’ growth, offering advice and guidance to help them succeed.”

New residential community IN HORACE

BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME

The ideal Horace location for your family Near Horace High School and Heritage Middle School Choose your builder Limited availability. Contact us today to reserve your lot!

cubcreeknd.com | 701.639.6245

SPONSORED CONTENT

The new school will be built in two phases with over 75% of the footprint built to the north of the existing school.

Innovation in Education: Enhancing the Spud Experience Collaborative learning, student engagement and authentic experiences are at the core of a multiyear effort by Moorhead High School to re-imagine education for every student in their diverse and growing student body. This transformation started nearly four years ago with community engagement and the development of the Portrait of a Graduate, characteristics that Moorhead Area Public Schools hopes to instill in every student.

APRIL 2021

SPONSORED CONTENT

We are re-imagining the High school experience to ensure each Moorhead High student engages in modern career exploration and investigation. This new, innovative learning encompasses all students and programs at both Moorhead High and the new, yet to be named, career academy.” -Dr. Brandon Lunak, Superintendent.

Innovative changes to curriculum and scheduling will enable students to have improved access to career pathways with the goal of making every student ready for college, career or both when they graduate. Moorhead is unique. The sense of pride that comes with being a Moorhead Spud is tangible and permeates students and alumni on multiple levels. Strengthening that identity continues to be extremely important throughout the community. The idea of maintaining that Spud identity by continuing with a single high school that has two sites was born during discussions with citizens and parents during the planning and pre-design phase. This approach, along with the creation of learning neighborhoods, will allow the district to provide smaller learning communities within the framework of a large high school.

The 3-court gymnasium will feature arena style seating for over 3,000, with access from court level or the second level running track.

The commons will be the focal point for student life on campus and provides the hub for academic wings and activities areas.

FARGOINC.COM

SPONSORED CONTENT

Rendering of the Moorhead Area Career Academy, which is currently under construction.

The design process has included several community engagement meetings and extensive administrative and staff involvement.

Regional workforce development and expanded educational opportunities were key drivers behind the concept of adding a regional Career Academy to compliment the high school. In November of 2019, Moorhead residents overwhelmingly approved a bonding bill that will support these efforts. Prior to the passing of the referendum and in the months since, over 300 community members, teachers, staff and students have participated directly in the development of plans for the new Career Academy and the new High School. This has truly been a collaborative effort in partnership with Zerr Berg Architects and Gehrtz Construction Services. Construction of the Moorhead Area Career Academy is underway. Work began in August, 2020 on the first phase of the High School project, which will re-purpose the former Sam’s Club building and provide program space for multiple career pathways including Farm to Table, Health and Human

APRIL 2021

Potential, Entrepreneurship and Business, Information Technology and Design Thinking, Manufacturing and Transit, Personalized Core Curriculum and Liberal Arts & Communication. Robust new lab spaces for building trades, automotive and small engine repair, metals and wood fabrication will be provided along with several large flexible lab spaces for STEM courses such as engineering, robotics and aviation. Local partners will be instrumental in the development of spaces and curriculum for the Career Academy. “We are partnering with industry experts to offer unparalleled experiential learning about careers and self, based on industry and professional standards. As students explore, they discover their passions, keeping them engaged and building their confidence for success in whatever future path they choose,” claims Josh Haag, Career Academy Principal. Students will begin using the Academy in the fall of 2021.

The new theater will seat just over 1,000 and will be constructed as part of the second phase.

SPONSORED CONTENT Work will begin this spring on the construction of a new high school. “We believe high school should be relevant and personalized. Moorhead High School will create and implement Small Learning Communities to increase student success and personal connections by making a large school smaller,” said Dave Lawrence, Moorhead High School Principal. Community members felt strongly that the new school should be built on site of the current building, creating challenges and requiring a well-defined phasing plan. The first phase of construction will

include the construction of three new academic wings, the commons, and athletic spaces on the parking lot north of the existing building. Students will occupy this space fall of 2023 at which time the existing school building will be removed to allow for construction of Phase II, which includes spaces for music and the arts along with a 1,000-seat theater. This capstone project for Moorhead Area Public Schools will be completed late fall of 2024. The District will celebrate 150 years and over 25,500 graduates in 2023 while the new school is under construction.

In the halls of Moorhead High School, you will often hear someone say, "It's a great day to be a Spud!" This project is an investment in students and the community. Future students will have incredible opportunities in these new facilities to explore their potential, discover their passion, work toward industry certifications and gain real work skills, ultimately impacting their communities and the world. This investment in our community ensures it will continue to be a great day to be a Spud!

East building entrance is adjacent to the existing Sports Center and provides direct access to the athletics commons. The weight room and cardio mezzanine are to the right of the entry.

For updates on the construction progress, visit the MAPS district construction website at moorheadschools.org/construction or visit ZerrBergArchitects.com

FARGOINC.COM

Photos By J. Alan Paul Photography 44

APRIL 2021

In November of 2018, photographer and videographer Jesse Hoorelbeke spent an evening at Lend A Hand Up’s annual Thanks for Giving Event. With a wide lens, he helped capture the stories of families who had received a hand up during medical challenges. Little did Jesse know, two years later, he would receive his own diagnosis of metastatic colon cancer.

FARGOINC.COM

uring the fall of 2020, Jesse first noticed some bouts of high fever and fatigue. Each time, tests confirmed it wasn’t COVID-19. By year-end, his symptoms increased in frequency and intensity. Jesse took another trip to the doctor where tests revealed his liver enzymes were high, leading doctors to believe there was an infection of some type. He slept through most of the 2020 Christmas holiday. As the new year unfolded, his symptoms persisted. It became increasingly challenging for Jesse to work. Carrying around heavy equipment for even a short time left him utterly exhausted. This time, he was referred to a Gastroenterologist. Through further testing including a colonoscopy, Jesse was informed that he had a serious medical challenge at hand. He was shocked by the diagnoses of colon cancer that had metastasized to his liver. "My reaction to the doctor was, 'I know people that have had cancer, my mother had cancer. I know what I'm going to have to go through. What's next? What's the plan of attack?'" Within days, Jesse had a port placed in his chest connected to a pump, allowing him to receive chemotherapy at home. As a result, Jesse’s life abruptly changed.

JALANPAUL.SHOOTPROOF.COM TAKE A LOOK AT JUST A FEW OF THE GREAT OPTIONS!

APRIL 2021

Now, a couple months into treatment, Jesse remains optimistic that he will benefit from the treatment plan he has chosen, yet he admits it’s a struggle to withdraw from work and activities that bring him meaning and joy. And he admits to mounting anxiety about financial burdens as lost wages coincide with increased medical expenses.

THE SPOTLIGHT IS Thankfully, coworkers and friends are passionate about lending a hand up to Jesse. The team at Spotlight Media lost no time in forming a plan and partnership with Lend A Hand Up, a local charity that helps people host fundraisers and boosts proceeds up to $5,000 per individual/family. In a matter of days, Jesse’s Lend A Hand Up online fundraiser produced significant financial help for Jesse. Also helpful were the scrolling comments. The caring sentiment and well wishes of so many were emotionally uplifting for Jesse. "We really care about Jesse," said Spotlight CEO Mike Dragosavich. "He's a great friend, a great photographer and a great person. We want to do everything we can to help him." To help, visit jessecancerfund.com where you can either make a donation directly through Lend A Hand Up or purchase a print from Jesse's online store. Cash and check gifts payable to Jesse Hoorelbeke Benefit Fund may be directed to Western State Bank, 755 13 Ave E, West Fargo, ND 58078.

Lend A Hand Up provides unique and comprehensive resources to rally support for coworkers and community members who are hurting due to health issues. The program is a nonprofit subsidiary of Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF). All resources are offered at no charge to support eligible fundraisers. And, unlike most other crowdfunding sources and online auction platforms, Lend A Hand Up takes nothing away from the giving process. Instead of charging a fee or taking a percentage of proceeds, the opposite occurs. Due to generous program sponsors, donations made to Lend A Hand Up’s

1. "ASK FOR HELP" Although humbling, Jesse experienced many positive takeaways from asking for help. Asking for the input of others who have experienced a similar health battle was especially insightful and comforting to Jesse as he began his own journey. Knowing what to expect helped him prepare for treatment and side effects. Knowing what to expect lessened his fear. 48

APRIL 2021

individual and family fundraisers are boosted 20 percent so generosity goes further to help coworkers, friends and community members. "I always loved working with Lend A Hand Up because I know all the good they do for people," said Hoorelbeke. "But this is my first time being on the other side of something like this." Fundraising resources include access to the LendAHandUp.org crowdfunding platform, an online auction site, personal coaching, how-to guides, planning worksheets, marketing templates

Requesting financial help in tandem with Lend A Hand Up resources went a long way toward alleviating his financial stress, enabling him to focus on treatment. It has also elevated his spirits to know that others were rallying around him. Asking for help in a multitude of ways enabled Jesse to receive treatment through the comfort of his home.

and media contacts. Additional resources are provided through community partners. Fundraising champions receive promotional opportunities, auction items, signage, and other perks to increase the success of their fundraisers. Individual/family recipients receive gas and grocery gift cards. Community involvement is the key to hosting wildly successful fundraisers.

fundraiser,” said Jeana Peinovich, Lend A Hand Up Director. To start a fundraiser or support one, go to www.lendahandup.org, program office: 701.356.266

”Beyond tools and technology, we provide a caring team of people who provide guidance, enthusiasm and opportunity to enhance the impact of every

2. “GET SCREENED” Jesse encourages everyone to be observant. Don’t ignore symptoms like excessive tiredness, blood in your stool, painful lumps, moles that look odd... anything that feels different. Check in with

other family members who have experienced health issues. Ask them about their symptoms and when they were diagnosed. Get screened as advised – or sooner if you experience symptoms.

3. “STAY POSITIVE” Jesse believes that a positive mindset is powerful. He offers the following advice to others, regardless of whether you are battling a health issue or not. “Rest when needed, but also take advantage of every opportunity to stay active.

Get outside. Call a friend. Work and play as you feel up to it. Surround yourself with people who energize you. Listen to uplifting music. Journal.” He believes that staying active and focusing on positives is crucial to getting through bumps in the road and making the most of every day. " FARGOINC.COM

LEND A HAND UP TO In addition to Jesse’s fundraiser, there are many other active Lend A Hand Up fundraisers providing you with an opportunity to help your neighbors battling cancer and other significant health issues. Among them:

Michelle has lived in north Fargo since grade school and has many friends stepping up to help her as she undergoes aggressive treatment for stage 3 inflammatory carcinoma/triple-negative breast cancer. Since the diagnosis in February 2020, her treatment has been extensive, requiring surgery and out of area care. As a sole provider who has had to lessen her work hours as a travel agent due to treatment and side effects, she finds it especially tough to pay medical and other expenses. Whenever possible, Michelle spends time with her parents on Cotton Lake which is her happy place. She is incredibly grateful to her friends for hosting an online benefit through Lendahandup.org and a benefit at the Fargo El Zagal the end of March to raise financial support for her through pasta, pulled pork, a silent auction and raffle.

Since launching in February 0f 2008, Lend A Hand Up has partnered with community members to raise $19M for 560 families residing in Cass County, Clay County, and parts of Becker County. Lend A Hand Up is a non-profit subsidiary of Dakota Medical Foundation which has invested more than $100 million to operate initiatives and expand the impact of nearly 500 organizations in North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota.

APRIL 2021

Cody is a 22 year old from West Fargo who suffered a severe spinal cord injury while diving into shallow water on the 4th of July, 2020. Cody was flown to St. Cloud, MN were he underwent neck fusion surgery to repair a shattered C5 vertebrae. Cody spent the next 100 days at Craig Hospital, a world-renowned rehabilitation hospital, in Denver, Colorado. Cody continues daily rehab sessions at Craig Hospital now as an outpatient. Because of Cody's injury and his ongoing rehab, he has been unable to continue college courses to earn his degree in Microbiology or work as a phlebotomist. Cody and his mom live separately from his dad, sister (who is a highschool senior) and brother who is a sophomore at NDSU. Cody continues his fight for increased mobility and independence daily. His drive and determination to resume an impactful life are an inspiration to all that know him.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOUR BUSINESS • Encourage your employees to be engaged in helping others. Lead with kindness. • Donate space, food, auction items and/or talent to support a benefit for a local family. • Build awareness of current online and in-person fundraisers through your intranet. Post flyers or place copies in your break room. Sponsor and ad or other promotional opportunity. • Share jeans day proceeds with a family. Use LendAHandUp.org to review local families who could use some help. Engage your workforce to participate in determining who will benefit from your generosity. • Form a fundraising team and contact Lend A Hand Up to start your own online or in-person fundraiser for a local family. Or host a fundraiser to support the program’s boost which will benefit many families. • Adopt a current fundraiser as an employee team. • Set up a meal train. Shovel. Mow. Offer to bring groceries or supplies.

Brent is a husband to Jodi, a father to Brooklyn, and a hockey coach from Detroit Lakes who had a sudden seizure on August 5th of 2020 while driving to help at a charity golf event in Oakes, ND. He was quickly sent by ambulance to Sanford in Fargo where a stage 4 Glioblastoma brain tumor was found. Since his initial diagnosis, Brent has undergone surgery, radiation and chemo. Although he wears a treatment device on his head 20 hours a day, he continues to work full time and maintain a positive outlook. After 30 years of coaching in the area from the bench, he continues to be an ambassador for youth hockey but now gives advice from the stands as a fan attending games. He strives to live his life with gratitude and to help others who are also dealing with cancer-related health issues. Brent’s favorite quote is, “Hope is the gasoline that fuels your faith, and if you have enough faith you can move mountains!”

Bryan, 47, is a husband to Sarah, a father to Kinley, 7, and Kolton, 9. He is also a program developer and a long-term Fargo North Baseball Coach who is battling a rare genetic disease that causes liver failure. In November of 2019, he was transferred to the Mayo Clinic and notified that his only option for a healthy life is a liver transplant. Subsequent trips to and from Mayo, weekly paracentesis and other medical tests and treatment have created financial hardship for the family. Luckily, Bryan has a gigantic network of friends who teamed up with his brothers to host a well-attended benefit on March 20th at the Fargo El Zagal to rally financial help for Bryan through free-will offerings, a bake sale and a large silent auction. His online Lend A Hand Up fundraiser, active since early November, has provided substantial additional help. Bryan is known to be a humble guy and a hardworker who values his family and any and all opportunities to coach youth. Currently, he awaits “the call” when a liver will be available, allowing him to return to the active life he dearly misses.

Teddy is a 3-year old, West Fargo kiddo who has already been through multiple surgeries and procedures in addition to chemotherapy for a cancerous brain tumor. Teddy and his parents, Ross and Jessica, have spent most of 2020 in the hospital. Currently they are at the Mayo facility receiving chemotherapy and transplant treatments. Teddy is doing very well and keeps a smile on his face as he bravely handles each step of his journey. In addition to the Lend A Hand Up online fundraiser, a lasagna drive-through was hosted by his daycare teachers at the Fargo YMCA. Another fundraiser is scheduled for Monday, April 19 th at the West Fargo VFW from 5-7pm. “I remember Teddy’s first day here at Schlossman YMCA. He walked in and was excited to learn! He made friends right away and was eager to get to know them! He was such a kind, loving, silly little boy. He loved jokes and making people laugh! He loved nap time and snuggling with his blanket. He adored being outside and playing with all the toys. He loved the challenge of a puzzle as well as sitting with his friends and participating in a lesson! His smile brightens the room and his laugh is so contagious! We miss and love you Teddy! Love Miss Rachel, Miss Alysa, &amp; All your Bruins 1 friends"

APRIL 2021

Ava is a sweet 7-year-old from Fargo who battled brain cancer in 2018, only to have it return in 2020. Ava and her mom are currently in Memphis, Tennessee, more than 1,000 miles from their home. Ava is receiving treatment for high-risk medulloblastoma through a trial study designed to be longterm, lasting one to three years. Despite the side effects of treatment and being so far away from Elijah, her 5-year-old little brother, Ava is doing well. She is especially happy when she is outside enjoying the warm weather. Ava’s mom, Ashley Erdmann and her former coworkers at Prime Numbers CPA are hosting a raffle and online auction through Lend A Hand Up to provide financial help for the family. The online auction is scheduled to run through April, 9.

Deseray, is a Moorhead resident, wife, and mother of two teenagers who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in January. Her aggressive treatment has resulted in many weeks of inpatient care, medical bills and the need for mobility devices. Deseray has not been able to work at Eventide where she is known for the kind-hearted way she takes care of others. Family and friends plan to host a benefit in May to show her the same love and care she has provided to so many residents, family and friends.

Kenny and his wife Dede are active members of the West Fargo community where they raised their children Huston and Shawna. Kenny worked at Outlet Recreation in Fargo up until early December when he was admitted to Sanford and diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. Post-operatively, he was doing well until December 19th when he developed hypoxemic respiratory failure and was intubated and sedated. Since then, he has remained hospitalized. Kenny has had ups and downs during his long recovery, however, he remains a fighter and this inspires us to help in the best way we can which is financially. Due to the loss of income and looming medical bills, Kenny’s friends have hosted an online fundraiser and a benefit through Lend A Hand Up to raise financial help for the family. Wienckowski Wolfpack shirts and mugs are still available with all proceeds benefiting the family. Since there is no end in sight to Kenny’s hospitalized care, another benefit is scheduled for May 20 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Fargo Brewing Company.

FARGOINC.COM

Larry, a husband and father of two active children, has been unable to complete projects as a metal fabricator/ artist through his company P2 Industries since his February diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In January, he began experiencing fatigue and joint pain, but thought it was a virus. On February 6, he went to the clinic with swelling in his extremities. Bloodwork revealed abnormally high white blood cells and he was quickly diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. He was admitted to the hospital and spent 27 days there because his kidneys were failing, having been attacked by cancer cells. Larry began chemo and antibody treatments which produced results, but also terrible and frightening reactions. Throughout his hospital stay, Larry received several blood transfusions, platelets, and fluids and was on the verge of needing dialysis when he turned a corner and was able to go home on March 5. It was the first time he was able to see his children in over a month! Since returning home, Larry has been struggling with side effects and fatigue. He has not been able to return to work or enjoy camping, hiking or other family activities. Family and friends are planning a benefit this summer when he will, hopefully, be feeling well enough to attend.

Noreen is a long-term Fargo South resident who was diagnosed with Stage 2A invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer) in October. She is an RN and respected massage therapist who has been unable to work for many months due to two surgeries, follow-up radiation and the pandemic. Although thankful for her medical care and treatment, Noreen has severe tissue damage which has prevented her from resuming her massage therapy business. As the sole provider, she is struggling financially to keep up with personal and medical bills. Noreen’s daughter Mallari and several members of the Fargo community launched an online Lend A Hand Up fundraiser in January which was further supported by a T-shirt fundraiser in February and March to raise help and hope for Noreen. Since Noreen worked tirelessly as a single mom to raise Mallari in a home full of love and opportunity, it has been meaningful for her daughter to turn the tables and help her. Since Noreen’s cancer was caught early, her prognosis is good. She encourages everyone to be vigilant about getting an annual physical.

APRIL 2021

Wendy Kunze, West Fargo, is a wife, mother and grandmother who recently suffered a major heart attack at the age of 53. Following 40-50 minutes of CPR, she was life-flighted to the University of Minnesota Medical Center. Her life forever changed because every organ of her body is damaged in some way. She has undergone two surgeries to amputate her right leg above the knee and has suffered from mini-strokes which have affected her mobility. She is currently on kidney dialysis and has a long road to recovery. She will need future heart surgery and extensive rehab to teach her how to walk with a prosthetic leg and complete daily tasks that most of us take for granted. Wendy has devoted her life to serving others. She is currently employed by Child Support Services of North Dakota. Formerly, she was employed in the neurology department at MeritCare, now Sanford for 15+ years. Personally and professionally, she has gone above and beyond to put everyone’s needs before her own. Wendy’s family is her number one priority. She has a tight bond with her daughter Amanda and her four grandchildren. Wendy loves to joke around, give people a hard time in a fun and loving way, and has a bright personality that lights up the room! Wendy’s family cannot stress enough how blessed they have been with the support of Lend A Hand Up along with friends and community members who have reached out with thoughts, prayers, and donations.

Henry is a Fargo resident, distinguished military servant and John Deere employee who is currently receiving treatment for Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Henry “Hank” Domine has distinguished himself as a great co-worker and an amazing friend to so many. Lately, most of his time is spent preventing Glioblastoma – an extremely aggressive brain cancer – from defining him. Hank has spent 17 years protecting our friends, neighbors, and countrymen via his career in the National Guard. He’s fought floods stateside, and wars abroad. He’s also volunteered for STEM programs which help area youth understand technology. Hank has also spent the last few years working at John Deere bringing green technology to agriculture. Hank is an active outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing. He’s introduced many people to their first fishing excursion and pheasant hunt. He’s even served on the board of Pheasants Forever, a habitat conservation group. In short, Hank has always been the go-to guy when someone needs dependable help. Since his diagnosis of Glioblastoma, Hank has been the one needing dependable help. His parents moved in with him to provide 24/7 care and monitoring, and his network of friends stepped up to offer support, encouragement and even a few meals. Hank has made a habit of building and supporting the community, and now needs, I hope you agree, the support of the community to give him a fighting chance of winning his war with brain cancer. Let’s support him so he’s not fighting this war alone.

FARGOINC.COM

APRIL 2021

REBELS Local pros adapting to changing times. By Gregory Wald

FARGOINC.COM

NOLAN SCHMIDT

CHRIS LARSON Head Golf Pro, Moorhead Country Club I’m kind of a golf hippie,” Chris Larson says as he glances out the large window in his office overlooking the tenth tee at Moorhead Country Club (MCC). He wants people to stop worrying about whether their swing is worthy, whether their clothing is acceptable. “Golfers should enjoy playing a calm game in a natural environment. It’s beautiful here and I hope we offer an atmosphere where people can abandon their preconceptions and truly appreciate the experience of it.” 62

APRIL 2021

Larson is the head golf professional at MCC, a private club that has seen its membership soar in recent years like a Bryson DeChambeau tee shot. “I want people to be comfortable here.” Lisa Schwinden is the head golf professional at Osgood Golf Course on Fargo’s south side. As North Dakota’s only female member of the PGA of America, she knows something about taking on golf’s traditions. She also knows that Osgood’s women and junior programs are busting at the seams. “We focus on making the game accessible. People want a social environment that allows them to enjoy their friends, spend time outdoors in the beautiful North Dakota summers,

and not worry about their scores or whether they have the rulebook memorized." Larson and Schwinden are part of a new generation of golf club professionals focusing on community and a relaxed, social atmosphere.

NOLAN SCHMIDT

LISA SCHWINDEN Head Golf Professional, Osgood Golf Course People always ask me how to get more kids interested in golf,” Schwinden says. “It’s simple, but not easy. What do kids like? They like to hang out with their friends and have a good time. So, you create opportunities for them to be social and have fun. Golf does not need to be a solitary endeavor, you against the course. It can be that, but it can also be a less stressful, more communal activity.” “I always try to remember why I fell in love with golf in the first place. It was because all my friends were into it. The golf course was our sandlot. It’s just what we did,” Larson says. “It was organically fun. No one had to convince me to like it or to want to get better at it. It naturally became one of the main focal points of my social life growing up.” Culture changes catch up to golf tradition

ensuing centuries. The cost, time and difficulty of the modern game made it prohibitive for many. “Golf is intimidating,” Schwinden says. “First, it’s a hard game to master. Then, people see the equipment and the clothing and the cost and the rules, and it’s overwhelming. We’re trying to cut through that to be more open and inviting.” While Larson and Schwinden respect and honor the traditions of a game that has fed their passion and given them careers, they also recognize 21st century American culture is more focused on experiences, balance and interconnecting all facets of their lives. “The worst thing a beginning golfer can do,” Larson says, “is strictly follow the rules and keep score.”

Golf professionals didn’t always talk this way. For a game invented by Scottish shepherds whiling away the hours on the sandy land linking pasture and sea, golf developed a rigid formality and hierarchy over the

FARGOINC.COM

Osgood Golf Course

Americans have a nearly inexhaustible number of recreational choices, and are willing to spend their disposable income to engage in them. Time will tell how the post-pandemic world will sort itself out, but signs point toward even greater desires for social engagement and interconnected lives. Work life flows into personal life, and athletic activities flow smoothly into social and work activities. Silos and compartmentalization disappear. There is no work life, personal life, family life or recreational life. There is only life. That’s why golf’s rebel pros like Larson and Schwinden aren’t betting on the traditions of the game to attract new participants to the game. “It’s a marketing challenge,” Larson says. “People, especially kids, already love golf. Some of them just don’t know it because they haven’t tried it or they haven’t been in

APRIL 2021

the kind of environment where they were able to thrive. We have to create opportunities for them to discover it.”

golfers in the U.S. in 2018 than there were in 2003, according to the National Recreation and Park Association.

“You can’t invite people into the game and then put up barriers,” Schwinden says. “That’s not what people respond to these days.”

While 2020 was a banner year for golf courses everywhere because of the game’s relative safety as a recreational activity during the COVID-19 pandemic – “It perfectly checks all the boxes for social distancing,” Schwinden says – MCC and Osgood have both seen consistent growth for years.

Acceptance and status in 21st century America are conveyed through a flatter social hierarchy. This attitude is expressed many ways in modern golf. Music blasts from Bluetooth speakers on a golf cart, and team formats are all the rage. Schwinden says participation in Individual format competitions is down. Team and league formats fill up quickly. Growth in a declining market Tiger Woods’ victory at the 1997 Masters brought unprecedented attention and growth to the game of golf. But that burst did not sustain itself. There were 6.8 million fewer

“We have 400 members now,” Larson says. “We used to think 320 members was full capacity for our club. The surge of new members has allowed us to rethink the structure of our membership and the services we can offer.” Schwinden says her Tuesday tee times dedicated to women’s league fill up quickly every week, and she’s continually adding more sections to her junior leagues and lessons programs.

Early opportunities Golf was a natural part of the childhood experience for Schwinden and Larson. They were both north Fargo kids, with Schwinden growing up just a block south of El Zagal, Fargo’s par-3 course. She and Larson say they spent countless hours there with friends improving their games, but more importantly, just having fun. Both also credit long-time Edgewood Golf Course pro Greg McCullough with giving them early chances to see what a career in golf might be like. A multi-sport athlete at Shanley High School, Schwinden’s first paying job was at Edgewood working the driving range and then pro shop. Similarly, Larson’s first opportunity came from long-time MCC pro Larry Murphy. Both learned the ropes from these local

legends and others, from golf operations to selling merchandise to teaching lessons. “The Fargo golf world is a tight-knit community,” says Larson. “Everyone is so helpful and supportive.” After nine years as an assistant pro at MCC, Larson became the head professional there, his dream job. Schwinden was named Osgood’s first head pro when the brand-new course opened in 2005. Pros need business and people skills over golf ability Golf club professionals don’t just play golf all day. And they don’t hobnob with the playing professionals you see on TV. “No, I don’t know Tiger Woods,” Schwinden wryly offers.

“Our jobs are incredibly diverse,” says Larson. “One minute, I’m putting a new grip on a club. The next I’m dealing with a member’s comments about the pin position on a green. Then, I go to a management meeting where I explain and justify my budget. You need a wide variety of skills to succeed at this job.” “I wish I had more business training,” Schwinden says, “because that is where I spend the bulk of my time – marketing, developing programs, hiring employees, taking care of the accounting, completing forms. And I’m a journalism major!” “Starting out, I thought it would be much more about teaching lessons and interacting with customers. I do those things, but the business aspects are constant,” she says.

Schwinden and Larson both say business acumen is the most important trait needed to do their jobs well. That includes people skills.

FARGOINC.COM

Building a successful niche Larson and Schwinden continually assess the landscape and try to offer what people want – new programs, events, merchandise and other amenities. “What advantage do we have?” Larson asks himself. “We try to offer things people can’t get other places. That starts with our logo. Members want merchandise with the club logo on it.” He also offers brands customers won’t find elsewhere. Boutique golf brands are hot right now, and offer opportunities that golf megabrands like Puma, Nike and Ping might not. Lately, he’s been stocking nongolf items like the Minnesota made Duke Cannon line of colognes and soaps.

APRIL 2021

“It’s a novelty here. People don’t expect it. And we’ve done really well with it. We try to surprise our members sometimes with the products we bring into the pro shop,” Larson says. In another sign that today’s golfers are looking to blend all aspects of their lives, golf clothing is trending toward the athleisure market – pants that work for 18 holes in the afternoon and then transition to a night on the town afterward, and spikeless golf shoes that are indistinguishable from other street shoes. It’s all just one big life. Golf technology is also surging right now. Larson says GPS yardage finders are an

expected amenity these days, and MCC is adding them to their carts this summer. Following the trend in other sports, golfers are increasingly interested in measuring their performance – things like club speed, ball speed, launch angle and spin rate. That’s why MCC’s two golf simulators are booked solid and members are calling for more simulators, more available times. Cold weather simulator leagues have been a big revenue boost for MCC. “People love the latest tech, and they love to hang out with their golfing buddies in the dead of winter,” Larson says.

Moorhead Country Club

Schwinden is known for her focus on programming for women and kids, because that’s where the growth opportunities lie. Even though she’s the pro at a public golf course, she develops and manages her own leagues and lessons programs, which she promotes through GolfwithLisa.com. “The Fargo Park District allows me to take this wherever I see an opportunity. And the success or failure is on me,” she says.

Suite Shots, a self-described “golf entertainment facility” is set to open in south Fargo in coming months. Larson and Schwinden are looking forward to it.

Like many industries, golf is changing rapidly. Customer expectations are evolving, and golf professionals like Larson and Schwinden are ready to respond.

“It’s a very low-risk opportunity for people to try the game, if they don’t consider themselves golfers,” Larson says. “It follows the spirit of what we’re trying to do to make the game more accessible.”

“I’m not stuck in the past or tied to tradition,” Schwinden says. “If there’s an idea and we think it will work, let’s try it. If it grows the game and people enjoy doing it, I’m all for it.”

What’s next?

“Golf in North Dakota is not like golf in Arizona,” Schwinden says. “We normally need to cram a year’s worth of activity into six months. Indoor and heated facilities make it more of a year-round activity.”

That’s golf pro rebel talk.

“We have to keep growing the pie,” Schwinden says. “We need to create more paths for people to get into the game at all levels.”

FARGOINC.COM

Dakota Dirt Coffee Company is creating delicious coffee right in America's heartland.

APRIL 2021

FARGOINC.COM

akota Dirt Coffee Company is a business you want to root for. As a North Dakota based company, its products are a direct result of its founders and the American heartland. Their coffee is delicious but also signifies the hard-working North Dakotan whether they are working on the farm or in a cubicle. Much of that is thanks to the founder's upbringing. Wyatt and Landon Mund and Beau Goolsbey all grew up in Milnor, North Dakota. Becoming quick friends at a young age and into college, the trio always dreamed of starting their own business together. They wanted that business to be a representation of them and their small-town roots. What they all seemed to bond over is their love for coffee. So, the Mund brothers and Goolsbey decided to start their own coffee company in March 2020. They spent six months test roasting, branding, developing a selling strategy, facility setup and other business operations. All of these efforts contributed to a successful public launch on September 1. The three pillars of the company became Midwest attitude, direct-to-consumer and product integrity. Dakota Dirt Coffee Company makes sure to stand on those three pillars. The trio gets beans from around the world at market price from a Minneapolis import company. They then roast the beans within the week of being shipped. That freshness has helped the company succeed despite the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing is for sure, these three are North Dakotans you want to see succeed. Not that they are going to see themselves fail anyway. We discussed all things coffee and more with the Mund brothers and Goolsbey.

How did you get to the point where you wanted to start a coffee company? Especially in North Dakota? Wyatt Mund: Honestly, we all really liked coffee and we've all really wanted to start a business together for a couple years. One day, we kind of put two and two together. Let's start a coffee company. Beau Goolsbey: What happened was is we all hang out as a group. We play basketball together and a lot of times, it'd be Thursday night league at the wellness center, or whatever and then we go out for beers after the league. We'd always toss around the idea of starting a company of some sort. Finally, one day, it kind of clicked that we all love coffee and we should experiment with it. That's why we started experimenting with it and then it just led to a business idea.

I think some people when they want to start a coffee company, specifically, it's either we do a brick and mortar front or just sell it online. How did you guys go about deciding on e-commerce as your foundation? BG: One of the factors was that we all have full-time jobs. Both me and Landon, it's like we have two full-time jobs before this company. We couldn't spend the time setting up a shop and being there every day. Wyatt is really good in the marketing field and he knows how to push a product online. That was one of his strong points. We figured me and Landon could work on the roasting part and Wyatt on the marketing, website and everything else. We tried it that way first and it was kind of a no-brainer for us to start with e-commerce and see how it goes. How did you guys go about the roasting process? Because I think people probably look at it and say 'oh, it can't be that challenging'. Is it something that you guys have experimented with before starting the company? Landon Mund: We first started researching, that is the first thing we did. During the time we were putting together the plan of how we were going to launch we really started just researching. We were roasting down in my basement in Fargo on this popcorn roaster. We realized quickly upon both the research and the actual experimenting with it that it wasn't going to be a good result. So we ended up graduating to a one kilogram roaster. We really spent hours and hours just trying to practice different techniques. WM: I mean, there's a rabbit hole of information on coffee roasting, right? BG: It's that sort of thing where you get caught up and all that sort of stuff. The thing is, too, is all these different

FARGOINC.COM

master roasters, they have all these different techniques. It was kind of challenging because we were looking at all this information and going, 'wow, this is complicated'. I remember the first time we roasted a small batch on that little roaster we had, it tasted great. We were thinking that maybe it's got a lot of people over-analyzing this process. We thought maybe it's not as hard as we actually thought it was. Then we really dug into putting the hours into it and feeling out the roaster because that has a lot to do with it for a successful batch. Just your level of experience behind the roaster. LM: There's a learning curve with each roaster too because now we have had three different roasters and they're all a little different. That takes a little learning as far as the roaster itself goes. BG: We have two of them right now that are one kilogram. We have put 1000s of hours behind these roasters and now we're going to go and get a bigger roaster that's 10 kilograms. That will probably end up being a whole new learning curve. So that'll be a challenge for us. You mentioned it, but you can get super overcomplicated with simple things like flavor profiles. How did you figure out what your flavor profiles would be? Was it just things that you guys liked to drink? BG: We'd all kind of had our own coffee that we liked before we started. Our mentality was that we wanted to try and make something that tasted better than those coffees. If we did that, we knew we were on the right track. We got there pretty quick to where we personally liked our coffee better than the coffee that we were used to drinking. That was a big factor

APRIL 2021

for us and a big stepping stone to saying we're ready to sell now. WM: We can get fixated on trying to come up with all these different varieties, flavors and signature blends. We really just said, let's grow diverse single-origins like Costa Rican, Colombian and really sell that idea. We're learning a lot and coming up with our own signature lines. That way, we're not waiting a year to come up with these plans. Then we're rolling out with the signature blends as we develop. BG: We're letting the customer decide if it is a good coffee or not too. We started with five origins and we would get feedback from the customer. While we were selling the coffee, we would get feedback and sort of know what different origins people like better. That way, maybe we can add that origin to a blend we're working on. It's just a lot of feedback from a customer. This is a relatively new venture for you guys in terms of business. I mean, what are some of those challenges beyond just the roasting process? LM: I would say the biggest thing is trying to divvy up what each of us is capable of, and what our strengths are. Like Beau said, as far as Wyatt, he's good at the marketing and sales side of it and customer relations. Beau and I have our own strengths too, but it's playing to those while making sure we cover our bases too. BG: I come from a business background. I knew a little bit about starting a business and running it. Of course, it's a totally different business. There's a lot of different things that go on with it, but it translates a little bit to

the previous businesses. Landon, he's been farming and so he's seen how a business runs right and operates. Right. We just tried to translate that to coffee. How have you gone about balancing farming, running other businesses and running this business? LM: I also do crop adjusting, but for me it's all about the season. It works out really well with farming and crop adjusting. It's just something where it's busier in the summer, whereas our farm is not so busy in the summer. We're busier in spring and fall and then those two paired with coffee roasting, it's been chaos to start. It's been long hours for sure, but it's been flexible. It's not like your typical eight to five because it's more seasonal. BG: I have a lawn care business and I also own apartments and rental housing. Like Landon, I've got some free time in certain parts of the year. That works well, but then again, when the busy season gets going for one of us, that's when we'll probably have the other pick up the slack. LM: At some points, we're both not very busy. The winters are really prime time to try to lift the company up for us. In the summer he'll get busy and my workload probably will increase with the company. Like any start-up, we all need to step up when called upon too. WM: I work at Sunbutter full-time so I'm doing that from eight to five. We're all doing these jobs, but we all knew it was going to happen with doing a start-up like that. BG: Anything I've started in the past, it takes a lot of groundwork to get it going. We all knew that we were gonna have to put in another

30 to 40 hours a week on top of the regular hours. None of us cut back at our original job, right? We just added on the weekend and odd hours of the day, right? I mean, roasting aside. One good example is every day, I bet we spend an average of one hour on the phone with each other. We're not always in the same seat together and so we'll have a conference call or whatever. WM: For the marketing side, I'm used to working with external partners, agencies. With this company, you have to do a lot of that stuff yourself like video editing and coming up with content. We're doing it all. Hopefully, the plan is to hire some people and this spring we'd be looking to hire some part-time help.

Building up that social media platform is such an underrated part of starting a business. What have been some of the challenges in building a social media following to get people to your website? LM: The number one thing for us has been working in our favor is that we're all from the same small town. That really created a nice foundation for a company because we had a lot of support from those in Milnor. It's built up a good, local following. BG: Word of mouth is pretty good, too. Content is hard to come up with sometimes though. WM: I mean, we have fun with our content too. We may have a new variety coming out or it's a pumpkin spice season, right? These guys are

APRIL 2021

good actors for stuff like that. I'll have a script, but it is timeconsuming to do all that stuff. It's so crucial too. Even big companies have a hard time doing that. Has a multimedia background been beneficial for you guys? Has it helped you jump into that deeper marketing water faster? WM: I think definitely has because I love doing that stuff. A lot of the stuff I've learned at Sunbutter has translated quite nicely and vice versa. I've been able to bring things on there. BG: It helps we've all been around film a little bit. I mean, these guys were making videos when they were in high school. LM: Wyatt's done a lot of video work as

a hobby and editing and filming both. That's probably been just as important. I feel as though marketing these videos has helped and people love the videos. One thing that I hear from people from small-town North Dakota is that you must have this 'grind it out' mentality. You're just conditioned a little bit differently. Do you guys share that sentiment? BG: We don't let ourselves fail. We'll just put in more hours. LM: I think the nice part for us is that it's only three of us to start. We each know each other very well and we can hold each other accountable. It's been nice that way to kind of

know what each person's role is and our expectations all around. BG: We can handle adversity pretty well. We all come from a sports background too. I think that's helped a little bit, too. I mean, we're used to working hard, and stuff like that. We've learned how to work hard from our family. It just translates to what we're doing now. How do you guys want to set yourself apart from other coffee companies? LM: We want our coffee to taste good. We want to represent the Midwest. As a whole, that is how we want to stand out in many ways. BG: We want to be active throughout this whole process. For example, we don't want to

just hire somebody to do the video or just hire an actor. We want to be the face of it. Are you surprised by the correlations and the parallels to coffee and agriculture? You buy coffee beans just like someone would buy crop? Were you surprised at how close those two are related? LM: I would say I was surprised, but I don't know why. They are both commodities, but it is surprising because you've got all sorts of people consuming this commodity of coffee every single day, which is just like any agricultural commodity. What are some tangible goals that you guys have set for yourself? BG: One big goal is that we're going to build a facility. We're getting this new roaster too that's

FARGOINC.COM

Use Promo Code SPOTLIGHT at checkout for 20 percent off your order! going to speed up our production probably 10 times. That'll be the next step. After that, towards the spring, we want to build a facility and we want our first facility to be in Milnor, our hometown, to start roasting. We've got some plans in the works for a facility. WM: Then we actually have new packaging that we're working on getting here in the next month or two. We want to focus on the Midwest and we want our packaging to have those characteristics of the Midwest. Is it a goal to find yourself in more local stores to push more distribution in the future? WM: We do want to keep the e-commerce top of mind. We did get into SCHEELS over the holidays and we hope to continue going in there. We would like to be in at least one store in every small town. We've been working with all the mom and pop shops around. Are there any specific roasts or flavor profiles that you want to see yourself roast in the future? LM: I think we all saw the company as we should be plain Jane and just try to stick to black coffee. I still feel like that'll be the majority of the company. Over the course of rolling out some of these roast profiles, we've messed around with different flavoring. That's become actually pretty popular.

BG: We're honestly open to every aspect of coffee roasting. We're not dead set on doing one thing. We want to expand and we've rolled out a few seasonal blends, and we want to keep doing that. WM: We're not going to go away from single origins. We're going to sell them. We're going to start introducing our signature blends and there's going to be a wider spectrum. Is there anything else our readers should know? BG: I mean, all in all, we just want to represent hard-working North Dakotans to be honest. We want to do it with a product that we all love. LM: I would say two things we strive for in roasting coffee. How you roast is obviously important. I think the quality of the bean we're getting is equally as important. Also, our freshness, we're grinding it right after we roasted it and we're shipping that the same day. We take pride in having some of the freshest coffee around.

MORE INFO dakotadirtcoffee.com (Use Promo Code SPOTLIGHT at checkout for 20 percent off your order!)

facebook.com/DakotaDirtCoffee

@dakotadirtcoffee

Search "Dakota Dirt Coffee

FARGOINC.COM

APRIL 2021

Meet The Entrepreneurs! By Brady Drake Photos by Josiah Kopp

Introducing a Number of Entrepreneurs From Some of Emerging Prairie's Most Recent Cohorts Every year, Emerging Prairie works to support and grow our entrepreneurial ecosystem. One way they do this is through their cohorts, which are 16-week programs designed to help companies ensure that they are being built upon a firm foundation. Just like emerging Prairie, we at Fargo INC! want to celebrate and support the entrepreneurial ecosystem. That's why we teamed up with them to introduce you to a number of entrepreneurs involved in their cohorts!

Even though all of the entrepreneurs in this article were part of the Women's Cohort and the Social Entrepreneur Cohort, Emerging Prairie also hosts a New American Cohort and will be kicking off a Native American Cohort and Black Founder Cohort soon. Stay tuned to our magazine for future updates on participants in these programs.

FARGOINC.COM

Women Entrepreneur Cohort

Mary Cait McManamon MCMktg, LLC, Founder

Mary Cait McManamon has always been interested in entrepreneurship. Although she figured she would go into economic development, events/programming or something else along those lines because she knew she loved working with entrepreneurs, she eventually found her own entrepreneurial niche through social media marketing which she uses to help entrepreneurs grow.

What does your organization do? We offer social media management services for entrepreneurs. We take social media off the entrepreneur's plate - letting you focus on what's most important: growing your business. We manage all of your profiles from beginning to end, content creation through comment response. How did you get into what you are doing/how and why did you form your organization? I learned firsthand the challenges of starting a business while also trying to market myself when launching my first business. I noticed I was not the only entrepreneur having the same challenge of juggling all of the tasks that go into running a business. I decided to put my first business on hold to support other entrepreneurs by taking social media off their plate, freeing them up to focus on growing their businesses. What drives you? I love seeing behind the scenes of businesses and finding creative ways to show who they are and what they do on social media. Increasing their number of followers is great, but what I care about is growing their business. When I look at analytics, I don't just look at Facebook and Instagram. I look at clients' business as a whole to make sure we are growing their business, not just their follower count. Seeing that overall growth is what drives me. What did you learn from the cohort? It is always good to go back to the basics. Being in business for almost a year now, there are processes and plans I established in the beginning that I have now been able to rethink and rework through the cohort to better serve where my business is at today. What else should we know about you/your organization? I haven't posted a single thing about my business on social media.

APRIL 2021

At first, I thought that was a bad thing. Would you trust a social media marketer who doesn't post on social media? But what I have realized instead is it shows that it's not social media I care about, it's business development and making real connections with a client's target customer that I care about. I have successfully grown a business without using social media. So when clients work with me, I can give them a great social media strategy and posts to engage their audience. But I can also suggest networking events, speaking engagements, and make other connections to help grow their business because that is how I grow my business. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs out there? Don't get overwhelmed by what people are doing, or what it looks they are achieving, based on what they post on social media. Focus on what works for you and your business. As entrepreneurs, we are very attached to our businesses. If a marketing tactic doesn't feel like a good fit for you, the chances of it working for your business are slim.

Women Entrepreneur Cohort

Debbi Osowski

Do Good Adventures, Creator/Owner Debbie Osowski is a former counselor and school counselor and current Owner of Do Good Adventures, a local soy candle company. She is also a wife and mother to three girls (ages 19-25). Debbie was able to resign from her day-time job and work full-time on do good adventures starting in September 2020. "I am proud of the fact that, despite the pandemic, I have been able to continue to grow my business and audience," said Debbie. "However, I am most proud that I have been able to make donations to organizations such as the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Center, American Heart Association, Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign, Ladyboss Midwest, BioGirls, Conscious Kid, GoFundMe, and Feeding America."

APRIL 2021

What does your organization do? We are a soy candle company that sells thoughtfully curated soy candles to elevate the everyday. We have several different containers. Our "classic collection" is always available and comes in 10 oz mason jars or 3 oz jelly jars. Our "modern collection" is also available year-round and is growing. These scents are more sophisticated and rich and are sold in sleek black straight-sided tumblers. Throughout the year we launch seasonal collections in different vessels and price points. Do Good Adventures also offers a subscription box program that ships quarterly. Each box has three candles with additional gifts and discounts included. Do Good Adventures has both an online store dogood-adventures.com and in person presence at events like Unglued Craftfest. Being able to talk to customers directly is what truly fills my cup. I am proud of the fact that a portion of our profits go to charity to help others. How did you get into what you are doing/how and why did you form your organization? I started making candles as wedding favors for my daughter's wedding in August 2018. I loved the process but loved even more seeing the excitement and reaction of the guests at the reception. I have memories of people sharing their scents with each other and checking to see if there were other scents on other tables. People will still comment on those candles and it makes me, and my daughter, so happy to know that there is such a fun memory attached to that special day. After the wedding, I kept making candles as I wanted to try more scents heading into fall and the holidays. I shared and sold them to co-workers and started an online store. I heard about the Unglued Holiday Market at Drekker and applied to be a vendor. That was my first in-person event and it was so incredibly fun! Things have just continued to grow from

there. I resigned from my career as a school counselor last year to focus on this business full-time. What drives you? There are so many pieces of this that drive me. I like beautiful things, so creating the products, photographing them, and marketing them is so fun for me. I also love that the business is able to help others. I also love that I can incorporate my background as a counselor into my brand to help others think good and feel good. What did you learn from the cohort?

What else should we know about you/your organization? Do Good Adventures is more than a candle company. I believe that scents are strongly associated with memories of people and events as well as emotions. I want to create a brand and product that transforms people into happy memories and inspires them to elevate their every day and live their best life. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs out there? Keep moving forward. Every day is a new day to do something that helps build your business. Even on those tough days, don't give up. Just keep moving. Momentum is everything and once you get momentum in your business, it's really fun to see what can happen!

I am continuously amazed by the awesomeness of women building businesses! This group is so supportive of each other and truly embodies the concept of, "Collaboration over Competition." I learned a lot about how to really talk about my brand and what message I want to convey in a precise way.

FARGOINC.COM

Women Entrepreneur Cohort

Kendra Dujmovic Thaea LLC, Founder/CMO Kendra Dujmovic and her company Thaea LLC. are currently working towards Phase 3 of the InnovateND program with their product, RemoteWinBox. Kendra is an NDSU graduate who has lived in Fargo her whole life. She graduated with a degree in psychology which she admits, doesn't relate to technology. However, "it it does allow me to efficiently communicate to others, especially those outside of the software development field."

What does your organization do?

What drives you?

We are a software development company that created RemoteWinBox. It is a SaaS that helps network engineers, consultants, and internet service providers access and automate their network in order to reduce the time and financial burden of managing a fleet of routers. In less than a year of operation, we have expanded our feature set from only offering remote access to an all-in-one network automation solution and have thousands of active routers and users.

Representation. I think it’s important to represent not only women as entrepreneurs but also women in the technology field. I want other women and young girls to see that if I can do it, so can they.

How did you get into what you are doing/how and why did you form your organization? I knew I wanted to be involved in building something from the ground up, but I wasn’t sure where to start. Luckily, I knew someone who had done just that and they were willing to help mentor and guide as my co-founders. We came together and put our knowledge and experience into a product that would help ease the burden of managing a large network of routers.

What did you learn from the cohort? The best support you can get is not just from people who have been in your shoes, but also people who are currently in your shoes. You don’t have to look up at success to reach it, you can find success where you are at. You just have to know where to look. What else should we know about you/your organization? We currently are heavily focusing on network management but have a lot of other ideas and plans in store to expand our audiences. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs out there? Find a passion, find a friend, use your resources, and just get started.

FARGOINC.COM

SOCIAL Entrepreneur Cohort (Executive Director)

Jennifer Schillinger & Noah Ullman (Feature Facilitor)

Red River Scripture Circles Red River Scripture Circles is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the Fargo-Moorhead are bringing together community members for conversations about Faith. Jennifer Schillinger and Noah Ullman participated in Emerging Prairie's cohort.

Dakota, Texas, Washington, Ireland, England, Portugal, Belgium, Israel and Nigeria. Before teaching Scripture, Noah worked as an Executive Legislative Assistant in the Washington State Senate.

Jennifer is passionate about community, experiencebased learning and mentorship. Following an undergraduate degree in Education, Communication Studies and Psychology, she received her Master’s in Counseling and Student Affairs from Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). With 10+ years of teaching and facilitation experience, Jennifer has worked as an Academic and Career Counselor, Programs Director for The Barry Foundation, owner of Strengths Advantage, a training and strategic facilitation consulting company, and Co-Founder of She Overcomes, a local female entrepreneurship accelerator. Ever the learner, she is currently pursuing a Masters in Global Theology and studying Hebrew.

Red River Scripture Circles creates an honoring space where each person connects and grows through facilitated exploration of life's questions and scripture. We are unique in that our discussions draw from the original Biblical Hebrew in Old Testament writings, which displays the foundational meaning and also the layers of complexity just waiting to be uncovered in the text! Facilitators fill in the historical and contextual picture while inviting participants to explore the practical principles that address life’s questions.

Noah Ullman is a traveling Scripture teacher. He is a disciple of his father, Rabbi Alan Ullman. Since formally beginning this journey with his father in January of 2016, he has traveled the United States, Europe, Israel, and Africa immersing in different communities with a heart for God and where the Spirit is leading. Noah has and is currently teaching Scripture in California, Colorado, Minnesota, North

APRIL 2021

What does your organization do?

Every circle starts with each person sharing something they are thinking about, from what people share, a few passages are selected that fit the themes, participants vote on what they want to study, and the conversation begins. We have partnered with businesses, churches, and nonprofit organizations to facilitate studies as a meditative team-building exercise. We also hold open sessions which provide exciting crossdenominational and interfaith spaces of conversation which are unique in our community. These shared spaces of conversation help build connections and a deeper faith conversation among people who would not otherwise engage outside of the walls of their traditional faith community. We are not a replacement for church, rather a communitybased way to explore and build a deeper understanding of yourself and God. Our next open sessions will be held May 12th – 18th. Check out our podcast and register for sessions at scripturecircles.com

How did you get into what you are doing/how and why did you form your organization?

transformation through meaningful conversations about faith and life's big questions is what drives me.

Red River Scripture Circles started with a few people traveling to the Twin Cities to attend some circles facilitated by Alan and Noah Ullman. Heartland Community Church started inviting them to facilitate some studies in their community. When the conversations expanded to others in Fargo-Moorhead, we realized so many people were curious and interested in exploring life’s questions and faith in this exciting new way! Based on this growing interest, we decided to create a nonprofit that would be accessible to all regardless of faith background and have since started training up local facilitators to create more access to these great studies!

What did you learn from the cohort?

What drives you? I am passionate about community and creating honoring spaces where people feel heard and seen. Our busy lives are filled with the pursuit of more success, and the pressure of efficiency. We all need spaces where we slow down, ask big challenging questions, explore purpose and connect with people in a rich, authentic way. There is no other faith conversation like those facilitated in Red River Scripture Circles! Conversations are deep, meaningful, and challenging and facilitators are encouraging and uplifting. Everyone needs honoring community, and I’m excited Red River Scripture Circles provides a space where all are welcome to join the conversation. Seeing personal and community

The cohort helped clarify our purpose and facilitated connections with a diverse community of talented and passionate people dedicated to community growth. What else should we know about you/your organization? Our circles are hosted in public spaces like coffee shops and also in homes. We are always looking for people and businesses to host a conversation! Please contact me at jennifer@scripturecircles.com to learn more! What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs out there? Do it messy first! Perfect, especially for female entrepreneurs, is the enemy of good. Sometimes you need to take massive imperfect action to generate momentum. Then look at every unexpected setback as an opportunity to iterate and improve. Done beats perfect, especially when perfect is impossible, and can stop you from launching.

FARGOINC.COM

Social Entrepreneur Cohort

Faith Dixon Faith4Hope Scholarship Fund, Founder/President Faith Dixon is a Chicago-native who relocated to North Dakota in 2003. Faith is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Faith4Hope, a local 501c3 nonprofit organization established by her and C. Hope Shields in 2016 committed to helping low-income families achieve lasting independence. In addition to her non-profit, Faith is also the proud owner of Children Of Hope ChildCare and Urban Beauty Supply. As an activist, Faith has also been a prominent voice in Fargo’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations. She is also the Vice President of the ND NAACP.

What does your organization do? Faith4Hope Scholarship Fund offers several programs. We are one of the fastest-growing and busiest Food Pantries on the northside of Fargo serving the F-M community. We are proud to have helped over 4000 families and have given over 200,000 pounds of food since March 2019. We also offer several programs such as child care scholarships which provide partial-tuition scholarships to low-income families across the Fargo-Moorhead area. We also offer money management classes, Christmas in the Dakotas, JoyFest, Backpack and school supplies giveaways. We look forward to launching several additional programs in 2021. How did you get into what you are doing/how and why did you form your organization? We saw the need to help the many families that cannot afford the necessities to provide for their families. What drives you? Faith4Hope is in the business of changing and shaping lives. The work we do at our Non-Profit Organization is aimed at providing a holistic approach to solving some of our society’s biggest challenges. We make sure our partners are empowered by creating opportunities for individuals and communities. What did you learn from participating in Emerging Prairie's cohort? The importance of networking and building positive relationships.

APRIL 2021

What else should we know about you/your organization? Faith4Hope believes the problem of poverty is complex. It won’t yield to a simple solution or a quick fix. It requires an integrated approach that begins with meeting immediate needs but reaches much further to help people achieve independence and to alleviate the root causes of poverty. Through advocacy and outreach activities, our team works tirelessly each day to contribute their part to the greater good. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs out there? Start with your strengths, not your limitations. Starting a nonprofit comes with its challenges, particularly as a woman, or a founder of color (or both). Bring your impact audience into the development process of your organization. And be patient with the practice of growing a company, instead of obsessed with the outcomes.

Faces of

Fargo Business

DR. NICHOLAS ADAMS CEO and Founder of Center for Plastic Surgery Dr. Nicholas Adams was born and raised in Grand Forks, ND where he grew-up working on the family farm and developed a strong work-ethic working alongside his father. He also found inspiration from his mother who worked as a nurse anesthetist, ultimately driving Adams to discover his passion for medicine and surgery at a young age. Adams completed undergraduate and medical school degrees at The University of North Dakota and went on to complete a six-year residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Michigan State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan followed by a oneyear hand and microsurgery fellowship at the University of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2020, Adams moved back to Fargo with his wife and their daughters to launch the Center for Plastic Surgery.

APRIL 2021

"After seven years away, it feels good to be back home in the Midwest," said Adams. "I am committed to providing the highest level of care, quality and innovation in Plastic Surgery, and I am honored to serve the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo community and surrounding region. Take us through a typical day in your life. One of the things that attracted me to becoming a Plastic Surgeon is that there really is no typical day. Each patient is unique and deserving of their own approach, and my practice incorporates a wide variety of surgical and non-surgical procedures. The bookends of my days are the most routine, but also the most special part of each day. Most mornings, outside of surgery days, I drop my daughters off at school, and evenings include school-pick-up, family dinners and often games. After family dinner and evening routines, I spend a few hours prepping for the following day, keeping up to date on the latest in plastic surgery, following up with patients, or working on the general business side of CFPS. The time during my days is split between patient consults, inoffice procedures, and operating. For days in the operating room, I get to the surgery center or hospital around 6:30 a.m. and can run up to 12 hours where I may operate on two to ten patients, depending on the procedures. For days not spent in the operating room, I am in the office seeing patients for consults or post-op follow-ups. I also schedule time each week to see patients for non-surgical procedures such as botox and fillers.

What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received? “Fake it until you make it” – while this can occasionally be of value when relating to a profession or happiness, there is no room for “faking it”. What keeps you up at night? Paperwork and email. I tend to be a night owl. Some of the most productive hours of my day are after the household is asleep. What would you give a TED Talk on? Intentionality with work and life outside of work. The perfect work-life balance may not exist. However, there are ways to make both coexist happily. I knowingly took on a profession where I am on-call most days and am honored to do so for my patients. That said, there is nothing more important than creating space and time for your family and even for your own hobbies and personal goals. It goes back to intentionality with your time, energy and focus. How does the reality of your job differ from people’s perception of it? People’s perceptions of a plastic surgeon can at times be formed based on what they have seen on television or through social media. There have been reality television shows made about plastic surgeons and plastic surgery in general that are largely dramatized or focus on a madefor-TV personality and do not accurately depict the profession as a whole. One misperception about Plastic Surgery is that it solely focuses on cosmetic surgery, such as breast augmentation. In reality, that is only one part of plastic surgery. Plastic Surgeons not only perform cosmetic surgery

of the face and body, but they also operate on the hand as it is one of the most intricate and injured parts of the body. Plastic Surgeons also cover trauma call and regularly take care of patients with injuries to their face from an accident, burn, dog bite, and broken bones to the face or hands. In addition, Plastic Surgeons provide reconstructive surgery for patients after the removal of cancer throughout the body. We are not restricted to a region of the body. We truly operate on the entire body.

experience, and I am incredibly proud and humbled to work with them to achieve their results.

What’s one thing the local business community could do to help you/your organization?

What’s one way you foster creativity within your organization?

Think of us! Whether you, a friend or a family member might be in need of our services consider a consultation and we’d love the opportunity to get to work with you. If you could thank one person who’s contributed to your success, who would it be and why? There have been so many. I don’t think I could list just one. The love and unwavering support from my parents undoubtedly allowed me to get where I am today. I also would not have successfully made it through seven years of training (after medical school) without my wife, Alissa. She has and continues to support me whole-heartedly allowing me to not only succeed but to excel. I absolutely couldn’t do this without her. What’s your “why”? My family and my patients. I strive each day to be a person and do work that makes my family proud. On the same front – I work diligently to ensure each of my patients receives my fullest attention and achieves the exceptional results that they desire. For many, their surgeries can be a life-changing

What’s one characteristic you believe every great leader should possess? Humility. This can encompass so many traits, but mainly I believe this to mean having a sense of gratitude each day for where you are, actively seeking to add value to other’s lives, and always being open to growth, learning and listening.

As I build my practice from the ground up, I have been very intentional in creating an experience that provides more than what one might expect in a Plastic Surgery practice. I encourage my team to think outside the box in order to provide a curated, exceptional experience for our patients. I have enjoyed being able to join them in brainstorming both the patient experience as well as creating the culture at CFPS. Who’s a leader you’re studying or paying attention to right now? Ray Dalio. He has a unique approach to leadership, team dynamics, and life principles. What’s a local/state resource your organization has utilized recently? The North Dakota Small Business Development Center was extremely helpful in the development of Center for Plastic Surgery. Their team offered numerous valuable resources and provided several services that were instrumental in setting up and executing our business plan. I am very grateful to Paul Smith and his team at the NDSBC.

FARGOINC.COM

WITH JOHN MACHACEK

Questions

ohn Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our community over the past seven years. He knows their ups, their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them. Here are John Machacek’s 10 questions for Anthony Molzahn of Project Phoenix.

1 Tell us your Project Phoenix elevator pitch? We do three things: custom software development, technical business analysis, and managed hosting of software applications. If you need a software application created or rebuilt, then sit down with us at Project Phoenix and we’ll get started!

2 What does “business analysis” entail? Right! We approach IT projects from the perspective that software is simply a tool to enable a business process.

BY John Machacek PHOTOS BY Hillary Ehlen and Nolan Schmidt

APRIL 2021

We work closely with our clients to clearly define the business process that will be enabled before a single line of code is written. Instead of unnecessary features being created for our clients, we utilize process-driven development to deliver a solution that is tailored specifically to our clients’ needs.

3 I know you created a technology that is a bit technical and nerdy to describe, but why should businesses consider using this technology? Oh, yes! Our middleware - the PxDB Core. So, there are sets of paths (APIs) that run data between the applications you use and the home where that data is stored, typically via a cloud provider like Microsoft or Amazon. Well, as the complexity of an application grows, so too does the sheer number of paths transporting your important information. In fact, software application development can come to a total standstill when the management of these paths becomes unwieldy, which is quite common. Enter the PxDB Core, which presents a single path, and the cap on your software application development is removed - managing data flow is easy again.

About John: John Machacek has been helping local startups with the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation since prior to his position with the GFMEDC. Before joining the team, Machacek was the VP of Finance & Operations at United Way of Cass-Clay and a business banker at U.S. Bank.

What kind of businesses/projects are your typical clients? When we start a project, we enter into a partnership, we meet regularly, and we go all out on behalf of our clients’ success. We’ve already delved into Learning Management software, Spatial Image Analytics platforms, IoT and Telemetry systems, Inventory Management and Point-of-Sale environments, and Multimedia Content marketplaces. It’s like our team was made to do the really cool, complex things that some only think about but never actually do! We are having so much fun enabling our clients’ ideas! Our clients are all doing their thing and gave us the chance to come along for the ride.

5 What success have you had so far in finding your customers and/or them finding you? It is no secret that I love people! I tend to meet people by attending events or I get connected via an acquaintance. I love listening to and learning about their stories; and wouldn’t you know it… everyone has a story worth telling. It is in that story we find the creative idea hanging about and that is when we ask, “how can I help?” Sometimes, it’s building a beautiful software application and sometimes it’s connecting them with someone else that will help them move their idea forward… even if that someone else is another developer. Let the app live, I say!

FARGOINC.COM

7 So, things changed then. How did that plan go and what has changed? From then through now, we’ve had nonstop requests to enable the ideas of our clients using our middleware. I look forward to putting our team back on to AegisFlow at full speed, but it seems our customer base has asked us to move forward on our own core vision instead. To that end, our goal was use build and use AegisFlow as the flagship example of what PxDB Core could do – objective complete. While we have not yet released version 1.0 of AegisFlow, the silver lining is we did succeed in proving that our technology works. Allons-y!

6 I’ve basically known your startup from the beginning and know some backstory. Will you please discuss your rationale for creating the more visible product Aegisflow as part of your Project Phoenix long game?

You’ve hired a couple of new employees from Emerging Digital Academy (EDA). Will you please share your experience with this, as it may be helpful to other companies looking to hire software development talent?

Well, we had built this really cool middleware and wanted to show the world what we could do, so we picked AegisFlow as the first use case. AegisFlow is an online marketplace for commercial drone pilots to upload, share, stream and sell their photos and videos online. It was conceived in 2017, at the very beginning of the commercial drone industry, with the prime directive to serve as a business bridge between remote pilots and their customers.

When EDA was first announced a couple of years ago in a side room at 1MillionCups Fargo, I was thrilled! I didn’t know how we were going to fit in at the time, but lo and behold, we are averaging one hire per cohort and, if I have it my way, we will hire at least one per cohort from here on out… so keep ‘em coming, EDA!

After AegisFlow Beta was released, we started to receive queries about building custom software for others utilizing our core technology. We were just wrapping up some custom work in 2019 and ready to move forward with AegisFlow 1.0 when the whole world stopped in its tracks.

APRIL 2021

It appears that the accelerated learning format is working well for its students. EDA also enables their students and businesses to connect via public project presentations, 1-on-1 interview sessions, and a graduation ceremony for all to enjoy — our region really needed the EDA. While the engineers we hired from EDA did not necessarily know the technology we were using, they still became contributing players within days of their initial onboarding. They are quite skilled.

9 If you could go back in time to Anthony from several years ago, what hindsight advice would you give yourself? Put down the golf clubs and start pursuing something that you can meaningfully contribute your mind to. Since I was about seven, I dreamed of becoming a professional golfer and I didn’t let that dream go until I was in my late 20s. Even after I had started a career in software development and even after it was clear my mind and energy would be better spent creating and enabling great ideas, I persisted. I look back at what I learned though, on having to give up something that I put so much time into, and it actually makes me smile; I understand now I bloom where I am planted and that expecting change is a super power for creating sustainability, both for myself and for the lives of those around me.

10 What can we do as a community to help Project Phoenix succeed? I want to hire more team members and we need to get our core technology into the hands of millions of software engineers around the world. We need you, or someone you know, to reach out to us and share your idea. What is your problem worth solving and how can we help? Tell us your story so we can get your vision out of your head and on to paper. Send me an email (anthony@pxdbproject.com) or connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s build great software together!

ESTATE PLANNING

UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IN 2021 By Kyle Barlow Photo provided by Fredrikson & Byron

uring last year’s election cycle there was some discussion of tax policy changes that now President Biden wanted to make. At the time, many thought those changes were unlikely to occur because they would be blocked by a Republican-controlled Senate. However, in January Democrats won the two open seats in Georgia, giving Democrats a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate for the next two years. With the Democrats being in control of Congress and the White House, we would normally expect to see changes to tax policy. In addition to the power shift, the federal government has spent a great deal of the last year on stimulus packages to respond to the pandemic. This makes it even more likely that we will see tax reform in the next two years, especially to the income, estate, and capital gains taxes paid by individuals.

LIKELY TAX CHANGES Kyle Barlow is an attorney with Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., in Fargo, North Dakota, who specializes in estate planning for business owners. If you would like to speak with Kyle regarding your estate and a plan to transition it to the next generation, contact him at kbarlow@fredlaw.com.

100

APRIL 2021

There are likely to be changes to the ordinary income tax regime, estate tax regime, and capital gains tax regime sometime while Democrats are in control of Congress and the White House. First, we are likely to see an increase in the top marginal income tax rate. Currently, the top marginal income tax bracket is 37 percent. This rate was lowered as part of the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts. With the Democrats in control, we will likely

see an increase in the top marginal tax rate to 39.6 percent. Second, as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the federal estate/gift tax exemption was doubled from the previous amount. In 2021, this means a person can gift during their lifetime, or leave to their family at death, $11.7 million without paying any federal estate tax. Each year the exemption is increased for inflation (as an example, in 2020 the exemption was $11.58 million). This doubling of the exemption, along with its inflationary increases, was to last until December of 2025. Beginning in January 2026, the exemption was set to be cut in half, so that it would be closer to $6.0 million. It is likely that a Democratic Congress and the Biden administration will cause the expiration of the doubling of the estate/gift tax exemption to occur sometime in the next two years. That means that the estate tax exemption would be closer to $6.0 million. If the estate/gift tax exemption is reduced, it will not likely be a retroactive change. This means that if you gift the larger amount before the exemption is reduced, you will not be taxed on the value of the gift over the new exemption. In addition to the decreased exemption, it is likely that we will see an increase in the estate tax rate. Currently, estates are taxed on every dollar over the exemption at a rate of 40 percent. It is likely that a Democratic Congress and White House will increase this rate to 45 percent.

Not only will there be changes to the estate tax regime, but we are also likely to see changes to the capital gains tax rate. Currently, the top capital gains tax rate is 20 percent; it is likely that we could see an increase of the top capital gains tax rate to 24.2 percent. In addition, we still have the Affordable Care Act surtax of 3.8 percent, so that the top combined federal capital gains tax rate will be 28 percent.

WHAT PROPOSED TAX CHANGES ARE UNLIKELY? You may have heard that Democrats want to close the “death tax loophole.” The loophole they are referring to is an adjustment in basis that occurs at death with respect to the capital gains tax. Capital gains taxes are imposed on the difference between what you sold an asset for and what you originally paid for the asset. What you paid for an asset when you initially purchased it is known as your basis. Under current law, when you die holding on to an asset, your family will receive an adjustment to their basis to the fair market value on the date of your death, this is also known as a step up in basis. Democrats would like to eliminate this step up as they view it as a way for wealthy persons to avoid ever paying income taxes. With the smallest possible margin, Democrats are unlikely to get this change made in the next two years.

WHAT ESTATE PLANNING OPPORTUNITIES ARE EXPECTED IN 2021? While we are likely to see these changes sometime in the next two years, many believe that it will not occur during the calendar year 2021. Congress has other items that it has prioritized. Therefore, 2021 may provide a unique opportunity to plan to avoid these increased taxes. There is little that can be done to avoid paying higher income taxes or capital gains taxes right now. However, there is a huge opportunity to avoid paying more in estate taxes. As I previously mentioned, any change

to the estate/gift tax exemption is unlikely to be retroactive. This means it will only apply to gifts made after it is passed. We also know from IRS guidance that you will not have to pay estate or gift tax if you use the increased exemption, and Congress later lowers the exemption. Therefore, for many of my clients now is time they are looking to gift land, business interests, and other discretionary assets. Making a gift now can save you a lot in potential future estate taxes! For example, right now you could gift $11.7 million in assets, no gift tax will need to be paid and the recipient will have all that money. However, if you don’t make the gift and the estate tax exemption is lowered to half ($6.35 million), when you die with the same $11.7 million your estate will have to pay estate taxes of more than $2.5 million with a 40 percent estate tax rate (more than $2.8 million, if the estate tax rate also increases to 45 percent). After paying the tax, the recipients of your estate would only receive $9.0 - $9.2 million. In other words, you have an opportunity to give away $6.35 million tax free in 2021, which will be lost if the exemption is decreased – therefore, it is a use it or lose it proposition.

children for their lives, and when your children pass, it will provide benefit to your grandchildren for their lives. If structured properly, the transfer from your children to grandchildren will occur without paying any estate taxes. In addition to the estate tax savings, a Generation Skipping Trust can provide protection from creditors for the beneficiaries, including potential ex-spouses of the beneficiaries. While we are sure to see tax law changes because of the Democrats taking control in Washington, many believe it will not occur in 2021. Therefore, you may have an opportunity for tax savings now that may not come around again.

If you would like to make a gift to use your exemption, I suggest using one of two trusts to be the recipient of your gift. If you are married and want to take advantage of the increased estate tax exemption, but still need access to the income generated from the gifted assets, then you can gift to a trust created for the benefit of your spouse. By providing a benefit to your spouse, you can still indirectly benefit from the assets placed inside of the trust. If you are not married, or want to provide your children benefits now, then I would suggest a trust for the benefit of your children. Not only will you be able to save estate taxes by gifting to a trust for the benefit of your children, with the proper planning you can avoid estate/gift tax being paid by the next generation as well. To do this you must give assets to a Generation Skipping Trust. A Generation Skipping Trust will provide benefit to your

FARGOINC.COM

101

Bethlehem Gronneberg Founder and CEO, uCodeGirl | Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow | PhD Candidate | Lecturer of Computer Science | YWCA Woman of the Year in Science and Technology

CLUBHOUSE IS IT A NETWORKING SPACE? OR A PLACE TO HONE YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS? OR A FORUM FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH? OR ... By Bethlehem Gronneberg

When we see a new phenomena, we tend to describe it akin to something we already know, have grown to like or adopt. With an estimated user base of 10 million as of February 2021 and growing, Clubhouse is the hottest craze in the sphere of social media. Some people have likened it to TedX or Zoom sessions without the power of video or the exclusive invites that comes with these forums. Yet others have said it is like podcasts or medium or discord plus or minus some features. But it is unlike any of those. It is not even like your grandparents party line of the 1930s and 40s.

About uCodeGirl

The vision of uCodeGirl is to inspire and equip young women to become the future face of innovation in technology. uCodeGirl is uniquely designed to inspire, engage and equip young women with computational design thinking skills, leadership traits, and an entrepreneurial mindset. uCodeGirl strives to remove roadblocks and bridge the gender gap in technology so that young women can confidently pursue opportunities suitable for the 21st century. By building confidence, enhancing skill sets and tapping into their intellect and curiosity, uCodeGirl helps young women chart a pathway to the T of STEM careers. More information here: www.ucodegirl.org | @ucodegirl |

102

APRIL 2021

/ucodegirl

WHAT IS IT? Clubhouse was officially launched in April 2020 at the height of the global pandemic. It started out with a small group of users of less than two thousand. Its popularity was skyrocketed to the score of two million users in January 2021 when Elon Musk joined the invite-only clubhouse for a drop-by conversation. The scale of this user growth is said to have accounted for 30 percent of all the Clubhouse app store downloads. This fastest growing startup is currently valued at $1 billion, according to CNBC. Downloaded by 125 countries, it is also becoming a global phenomenon. Clubhouse is a free, audio-based and town hall-like, social networking platform. According to an article by Rafqa Touma on The Guardian, it is labeled as a mix between “conference calls, talkback radio and houseparty.” You can download the iPhone-only Clubhouse app from the App Store but can only join by invitation from existing members. Once admitted as a clubhouse member, you get to choose a category of your interest such as health, business, technology, wellness, sports, faith, etc. You have an option to join various clubs of your choosing. You also receive random invitations to join clubs from strangers (I am guessing based on your profile description). The more the app learns about your activity on the platform such as the people you follow and the topics you attend, the more recommendations you get for a specialized list of topics to join on the home screen. You can then choose to enter a “live room” where discussion on the topics is happening. You get to listen in as an automatically muted member and can leave anytime. You can also raise your hand to ask questions. It is upto the host to let you speak.

PROS Any clubhouse member can gather a group of subject matter experts and schedule to start a live “room” of discussion at any time. Most of the rooms are very well attended, in the upwards of 800 people with amazingly knowledgeable speakers. You can host upto 5000 attendants for your event on topics such as tech talks on emerging technologies, startup pitches, the future of healthcare, data science and analytics, interviewing tips, Social Enterprise Founders Group, work in 20230, book discussions, travel etc. Nonprofits can start a fundraising campaign. From informational to aspirational content, the possibilities are endless. The “room” set up can be a formal conference style with speakers or panelists, or a casual discussion with a circle of “friends” or a one-onone interview. You can have first degree access to the world's top talent and can be used for personal networking, promoting your business, and professional growth opportunities. The app itself is minimalist and clean. No filters, sound effects or transitions; just people using their phone to voiceover. The only text you enter is your profile description. The only graphics you see are the profile photo of the speakers and attendants along with their first name.

directly engaged through the Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Clubhouse has not yet made a public API available for developers integrating augmenting services that would be useful to users such as analytics. There is also the issue of privacy of profiles and contents as is the case with other social platforms. Paul Davison and Rohan Seth of Alpha Exploration Co. are the people behind the creation of Clubhouse. Considering clubhouse’s popularity, many existing social platforms are starting add-on features such as instagram’s live video rooms, linked in live talk, twitter beta testing twitterspaces hosting live audio conversations, the future is always interesting...

CONS Clubhouse is currently not formally developed for the Android platform so it leaves out a large percentage of the population. There is also the restriction of being “invite only” at the moment. Another drawback could be that there is no “save for later” option. You can’t record the live sessions although some have been sharing the live stream on Youtube for example. It is not clear how users can monetize the app as there are no third party apps FARGOINC.COM

103

Indira Kovaci Q. Tell us a bit about yourself. A. My name is Indira. I’m a mom, wife, entrepreneur, go getter, and kindness trendsetter! I love my little Ladyboss daughter more than life itself. My husband is pretty great too! Together we own PrimRose Boutique and Allora Salon & Suites. I never stop moving, innovating and promoting. I start each day with kindness and a cup of coffee. Q. How did you get involved in your work? A. It's kind of a funny story, but in a nutshell my husband told me to look for a "shop" for mechanic work and I ended up finding a boutique shop for sale. I always had a passion for small businesses and retail. I didn't like working for minimum wage at department stores, so when the craigslist search resulted in "boutique for sale" I didn’t even think twice! Q. What has it been like to run a small business during a pandemic? A. Unpredictable, nerve wracking, emotional, uncertain, and exhilarating. No one had any idea what to expect, but I can say that I am thankful for each and every connection I made, all of the tears shared, and every hurdle passed.

Indira Kovaci's journey as a small business owner began with a Craigslist ad. Now she owns PrimRose Boutique and Allora Salon & Suites. The last year has been tough on small business owners, but Indira has learned to embrace the ups and downs.

By Ladyboss Midwest 104

APRIL 2021

Q. Who inspires you? A. Other small business owners inspire me. My daughter inspires me. My husband inspires me. My family inspires me. I am surrounded by people who inspire me every day, from my wonderful booth renters to the courageous customers that walk through my door every day. Q. How have you been celebrating yourself lately? A. Taking time for myself from little things like exercising, joining networking groups and a lot of self care! Q. What is the best piece of advice you’ve heard recently? A. If it isn't going to matter 6 months from now, don't fret it too much!

Q. What do you think women need right now? A. Women need courage. We need the courage to live life in a way that is true to ourselves, not the life others expect us to have and live.

Academic Insight

hroughout my career, I often participate in panels and discussions where I share my personal experiences of being an African-American male in today’s society. At the end of each talk, I invite attendees to ask me questions. During the Q&A period, I am fully aware that there is an underlying fear in the room that the attendees experience. It is a fear of coming across as insensitive when asking me a question or when making a comment in response

BY Shontarius D. Aikens, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Management at Offutt School of Business at Concordia College 106

APRIL 2021

to my presentation. To mitigate this, I publicly acknowledge to the attendees that I am fully aware that this fear could exist among them, and I publicly acknowledge that I am extending empathy and grace to everyone in the room. What typically transpires is a few softball questions at first then ultimately leading to more in depth questions and deep conversations toward the end. Ultimately, it turns out to be a very positive experience for both myself and the attendees. As I’ve done these presentations over the years, what I realized is that being proactive in extending empathy and grace requires an intentional and conscious effort. While as fearful as it may be for me to share deeply personal things in

GARY USSERY

The Importance of Empathy and Grace in the Workplace my life with strangers, I also recognized that it might be as equally fearful for someone to genuinely ask me a question or to make a comment at the risk of public embarrassment. Since all of us are human and will make mistakes, whether consciously or unconsciously, I truly believe that everyone needs and should be extended grace from time to time. Let’s shift to the modern workplace. The more time that individuals spend working together, the more likelihood there is for conflicts and misunderstandings. In the field of Organizational Behavior, these misunderstandings can be in the form of perceptual distortions (“inaccuracies that cloud our perceptions of different people, situations, and events”) and fundamental attribution error

To submit questions you would like answered in future editions of “Academic Insight”. Email Dr. Aikens at: saikens@cord.edu

(“attributing the bad behaviors of others more to their internal personal characteristics rather than to external situational factors”). And as managers, these misunderstandings can hinder our ability to make the best possible decisions or judgments concerning employees and their performance. And this is why I think that empathy and grace are needed more so now in the workplace than ever before. Extending empathy and grace in potentially difficult situations can result in long-term positive benefits, and I’d like to share two specific examples. Example #1: Improving Manager-Employee Relationships and Employee Work Performance Earlier in my career, I worked with a colleague who had a track record of high-quality work and productivity. But then, there came a time when we noticed that this person’s work productivity and quality began to decline. Despite murmurings for this person to be reprimanded, the manager practiced empathy and grace toward my colleague in the form of a statement and questions: “Your work is normally at this high level, but it has dropped off significantly. Is everything ok? Is there something you are missing or that you need?” Unbeknown to us at the time was that my colleague was going through a very difficult time at home that was having an adverse effect on the person’s ability to focus at work. Eventually,

my colleague’s work performance returned to form and eventually improved to the point of exceeding their previous high standard of work. It also resulted in a much stronger relationship between my colleague and the supervisor, so much so that when my colleague was presented with an offer to leave for a better job opportunity, my colleague chose to remain at the organization. And the reason for staying put? My colleague valued the manager and the organization more than the new job opportunity and was greatly appreciative of the treatment (empathy and grace) that was extended during that difficult time period. Extending empathy and grace can be difficult in the workplace in certain situations. But when given the opportunity, doing so can result in better manageremployee relationships and employee performance according to a study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership. Example #2: Turning Contentious Situations into Educational Moments There was a time when I was interacting in a social setting with some friends and acquaintances. During this setting, I noticed that a person was casually using a term that some might consider to be insensitive or offensive. Given my previous experience with the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” I decided to practice Habit #5 (Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood). I found an opportunity

to talk with this person in a private 1 on 1 conversation, and what I learned was that the person truly didn’t realize that the term they were using could be considered insensitive or offensive. They were genuinely remorseful. This person thanked me for having a private conversation with them, and then later on, this person publicly apologized to the entire group. If I would have made the choice to publicly berate this person, the situation could have easily turned into a contentious moment. Rather, it turned into an educational moment for that person. In this situation, the person was demonstrating unconscious incompetence (“when one doesn’t know that they don’t know”). By extending empathy and grace, this person was now at a point of conscious incompetence (“when one knows that they don’t’ know”), which provided an opportunity for them to learn and grow from that experience. In situations like this, empathy and grace provides an opportunity for a practice that is termed as Calling Someone Out, While Also Calling Them In, which can have a long-term positive effect for the individual and for the company. I hope these examples will inspire you to think of ways and situations where you can extend empathy and grace to your colleagues in your organizations.

FARGOINC.COM

107

BUSINESS EVENTS

A P R I L / M AY

2021 CALENDAR

Fargo Events

APRIL 21 Leading with an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Wednesday, April 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The world has changed in ways that now requires everyone to think and act like an entrepreneur. An entrepreneurial mindset shifts our perspective in a way that exposes opportunities, ignites ambition, and fosters innovation. And, in today's rapidly changing world, an entrepreneurial mindset is essential for both individuals and organizations to adapt and thrive. DoubleTree by Hilton and livestream 825 East Beaton Drive West Fargo, ND 58078 fmwfchamber.com

APRIL 6 Eggs & Issues: Our Refugee Workforce Tuesday, April 6 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in general a refugee is any person who is outside of their country and is unable to return due to fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion. In a 2018 study prepared by North Dakota Legislative Council, the economic impact of new Americans in the FMWF area during 2014 paid $13.8 million in state and local taxes and contributed $542.8 million to the metro’s GDP, demonstrating the benefits far outweigh the costs of welcoming refugees to our region. North Dakota and Minnesota were among the top 10 states of refugees resettled per capita in 2016. Refugees are critical to our area’s workforce, economy and community. Both state departments in North Dakota and Minnesota are integral to our state’s success in resettlement, as well as our local workforce in their hiring practices, and local non-profits in their support. Join us for a robust conversation centering around current resettlement practices for refugees in our area, and what 108

APRIL 2021

we as a community can do to assist in creating community and filling jobs. Courtyard by Marriott and livestream 1080 28th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56560

APRIL 8 Business After Hours April Thursday, April 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday, April 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Get ready, Chamber members, Business After Hours is back...with a twist! Social distancing and limited capacity are at the top of the list to keep you safe. Three separate rooms will be open, with themes, vendors and amazing hors d' oeuvres in each. Come April 8 at the Delta in Fargo, and twist your way back into networking in person again! Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. S. Fargo, ND 58103 fmwfchamber.com

APRIL 20 Chamber 101: Connect. Engage. Maximize. Thursday, April 20 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

If you’re not familiar with The Chamber, are a

new member, new contact, new hire, or just want to re-engage with The Chamber, this session is for you! Chamber 101 is a laid-back discussion designed to share some of the great benefits of Chamber membership and what opportunities exist that you need to know. No need to dress in business attire. The Chamber Office 202 First Avenue North Moorhead, MN 56560 fmwfchamber.com

APRIL 21 Discuss, Connect & Reflect Wednesday, April 21 from noon to 1 p.m.

Join for another Discuss, Connect & Reflect as the focus is on another episode of The Diversity Gap Podcast. This episode will focus on how to create a legacy of impact with Doug Shipman, who is the founding CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Find Creating a Legacy of Impact with Doug Shipman wherever you listen to podcasts, and come ready to discuss. fmwfchamber.com

BUSINESS EVENTS

CALENDAR

Fargo Events

APRIL 27 Mindful Self-Compassion: The Science Behind Being Kind to Yourself

Tuesday, April 27 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mindful self-compassion is a tool and a skill that can be taught. Self-compassion is the relationship we have with ourselves, and is often the motivation behind failure or success. Learning how to be kind to yourself is a tool that you can take with you the rest of your life. Self-compassion decreases anxiety and depression and increases overall mental health and well-being. At this session of Women Connect, learn: • The science behind mindful self-compassion • How to practice on your own • Further resources to be trained and bring into your own work environments Avalon Events Center and livestream 2525 9th Ave. S. Fargo, ND 56103 fmwfchamber.com

APRIL 22 Virtual Chamber 101: Connect. Engage. Maximize. Thursday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

If you're not familiar with The Chamber, are a new member, new contact, new hire, or just want to re-engage with The Chamber, this session is for you! Chamber 101 is a laid-back discussion designed to share some of the great benefits of Chamber membership and what opportunities exist that you need to know. fmwfchamber.com

APRIL 29 Networking Before 9

Thursday, April 29 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Join for another entirely virtual Networking Before 9! Through breakout rooms, you’ll be able to have multiple great conversations in smaller groups to get to know everyone on the call. fmwfchamber.com

YPN Book Club: The Go Giver

Thursday, April 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

YPN is going to back to a book for April’s book club! The Go-Giver revolves around the story of a young professional (Joe) who is striving for success. Joe is ambitious, however lately it seems like his hard work and efforts are

not paying off in terms of results. Following a disappointing quarter for sales results, he inadvertently seeks the mentorship of The Chairman. Joe then embarks on a learning journey by meeting Go-Givers. Join for a deeper dive into the book and to learn the “Five Laws of Stratospheric Success.” YPN has a few copies of The Go-Giver to borrow. If you are interested in renting one of these books, contact Alyssa at alakoduk@fmwfchamber.com. fmwfchamber.com

MAY 4 Legislative Wrap Up: North Dakota & Minnesota

Tuesday, May 4 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

As both North Dakota and Minnesota legislative sessions begin wrapping up in the next couple months, The Chamber will sit down with local legislators and other key stakeholders to debrief some of the key priorities for our region.

on PPP loan forgiveness, COVID-19 business liability protection, infrastructure, workforce and child care funding. Courtyard by Marriott and livestream 1080 28th Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56560 fmwfchamber.com

MAY 12 The Pursuit of Success & Happiness... Through and Understanding of the Process

Wednesday, May 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.Laying

the foundation for your team and/or business, with a steadfast culture, is of the utmost importance. Holding true and being accountable to the standards within your culture, in good times and in bad, will help create the success and happiness we are all in pursuit of. Delta by Marriott Fargo and livestream 1635 42nd St. SW., Fargo, ND 58103 fmwfchamber.com

The North Dakota panel will discuss many of the big issues of session such as COVID-19 business liability protection, the bonding bill -- including diversion and career workforce academy funding, legacy fund legislation, and much more! The Minnesota panel will have no shortage of topics to include full federal tax conformity FARGOINC.COM

109

BUSINESS EVENTS

CALENDAR

Fargo Events

DR. FAITH W. NGUNJIRI Director, Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work; Associate Professor of Ethics Concordia College MAY 25 Too Assertive or Not Assertive Enough? Overcoming the Gendered Double-Bind

Tuesday, May 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Have you ever been told you need to speak more assertively? Have you ever had feedback in your performance appraisal indicating that you are aggressive or abrasive? The thing is, when women act or speak assertively, they are often accused of being aggressive. Men on the other hand? The same behavior would be seen as acting/speaking like a leader or manager. Yet if women do not speak up, their voices get drowned out by a chorus of more "assertive" men. Avalon Events Center and livestream 2525 9th Ave. S. Fargo, ND 56103 fmwfchamber.com

MAY 21 2021 ChamberChoice Awards Luncheon Friday, May 21 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

It's time to honor and celebrate the incredible organizations that are leading the way and contributing to the vitality of our community. Join the ChamberChoice awards luncheon, where The Chamber will honor this year's outstanding candidates in each of the categories and name the 2021 award winners. Attendees will be the first to hear the year's honorees at this upbeat luncheon, have the opportunity to connect with other area professionals, and kick back at this fun awards show. Delta by Marriott 1635 42nd St. S. Fargo, ND 58103 fmwfchamber.com

110

APRIL 2021

MAY 27 Corporate Cup 2021

Thursday, May 27 from 1:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

At this annual event put on by the YPN, physical fitness and friendly competition are cornerstones for Chamber member businesses to go head-to-head in everything from kickball to an obstacle course and tug-of-war in a battle for points and a fun combination of team-building and networking. The event is open to all employees and fitness levels. MSUM

1104 7th Avenue S., Moorhead, MN 56563 fmwfchamber.com