FACES OF FARGO BUSINESS 2017
LET’S TELL YOUR STORY . Get inspired at hashinteractive.com/videos
Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography
editor's note
A CELEBRATION of You
O
ne of the very first things you're taught in journalism school is that, whether you're writing a 500-word recap of a city council meeting or a 10,000-word profile of a sitting president, you always need a throughline. "Throughline" is really just a fancy word for "thesis statement," which is itself just a dressed-up way of asking yourself, "What's my point?" As we were thinking about and planning "Faces of Fargo Business," we challenged ourselves to really think about the answer to that question and come up with a kind of throughline for this second annual year-end issue. Here's what we came up with. 1 In the spirit of the holiday season, this issue is our chance to slow down, reflect and remember why we do what we do. We all spend much of our year running around to appointments, sitting in meetings and making deadlines. This issue is an opportunity to pause all that, be grateful for the year that was, and start
Nate@SpotlightMediaFargo.com 8
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thinking about what we're excited for in the coming year. Taking the time to actually sit down and go through all the content we produce in a year is such a meaningful experience and has a way of reminding us that all of this is ultimately about people and the connections we hope we have some small part in facilitating. 2 We want to put you front and center. When we gauge success — specifically economic success — it's only natural that we default to things like numbers, growth rates and metrics. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but what can sometimes get lost is the actual people who are making it all happen. We hope we came up with a design that celebrates and humanizes this amazing business community.
about participating in stories. I can count on one hand the number of "no"s we've gotten. If ever there were a testament to this community's desire and willingness to help, this is it. We don't take that for granted and we want "Faces of Fargo Business" to reflect that by showing that it really does take a village (whether you're raising a child or growing a magazine). Don't ever think we don't appreciate that you're taking time out of your own busy lives to tell your stories and help your fellow community members become better professionals and better people. As always, thanks for reading!
3 This issue is really just one long thank you. Since Fargo INC! launched two years ago, we've reached out to hundreds of people
NateMickelberg
Nate Mickelberg Editor Fargo INC!
LinkedIn.com/In/NateMickelberg
December 2017 Volume 2 Issue 12
Fargo INC! is published 12 times a year and is available at area businesses and online at FargoInc.com
Publisher Mike Dragosavich
CREATIVE
Editorial Director Andrew Jason Editor Nate Mickelberg Graphic Designers Sarah Geiger, Matt Anderson Photography J. Alan Paul, Hillary Ehlen, Paul Flessland Content Strategist Sam Herder Social Media Nate Mickelberg Web Editor Samantha Stark Web/Digital Coordinator Huong Tran
ADVERTISING
Sales Manager Layne Hanson
Senior Sales Executive Ryan Courneya Marketing & Sales Paul Hoefer, Jenny Johnson, Scott Rorvig, Dan Helm, Chris Cates
Client Relations Manager Jenny Johnson Client Relations Intern Ruth Olson Sales Administrative Pam Mjoness Assistant Business Operations Larissa Kunde Assistant Office Assistant Emily Peterson
CIRCULATION
Distribution & Circulation Nick Hackl Manager Delivery Tom Wegner
Fargo INC! is published by Spotlight Media LLC, Copyright 2017 Fargo INC! & FargoInc. com. All rights reserved. No parts of this periodical may be reproduced or distributed without written permission of Fargo INC!, and Spotlight Media 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 Media LLC, accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.
Spotlightmedia
Spotlight Media, LLC 15 Broadway N, Suite 500 Fargo, ND 58102 Info@SpotlightMediaFargo.com ADVERTISING: 701-478-SPOT (7768)
Meet the Team MIKE
LAYNE
ANDREW
NATE
JOE
BECCA
ETHAN
KARA
SARAH
MATT
LARISSA
CHRIS
SCOTT
JENNY
PAUL
RYAN
JESSE
PAM
NICK
HUONG
SAMANTHA
HILLARY
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DAN
EMILY
Learn more about us at
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FACES OF FARGO BUSINESS 2017
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In 2017, we photographed nearly 200 members of the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo business community. Among them were entrepreneurs, artists, pilots, CEOs, software developers, comedians, executive directors, veterans, graduate students and community builders. Join us as we celebrate each and every one of them in Fargo INC!'s first-ever coffee table book, "Faces of Fargo Business."
EDITED BY Nate Mickelberg PHOTOGRAPHY BY J. Alan Paul, Hillary Ehlen & Paul Flessland
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ERIK DIEDERICH Director of Business Development Industrial Builders, Inc. "I find so much joy in watching people use the structures that Industrial Builders builds. Every day, tens of thousands of people use the infrastructure that was constructed by IBI, which is not something everyone can say."
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RYAN EVELYTH President & CEO Nordic Needle "There's sometimes a fine line between unnecessary stubbornness and productive perseverance. It takes a lot of wisdom to know when strategies, procedures and ideas aren't working and then to have the knowledge and courage to act when it’s time to move on or change."
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MARK J. LINDQUIST CEO Mark J. Lindquist Motivational Speaking "I once had a local businessman tell me, 'I heard your rate and I said, 'He can't charge that much. He's from Fargo.'' It was one of the most insulting moments of my career. Just because we're from Fargo doesn't mean we can't provide world-class services. I wanted to reply, 'Huh, you run an organization based in Fargo, too. By that logic, does that mean it stinks?' As a business community, we must remember that 'buying local' doesn't always mean you have to sacrifice quality. I speak in front of some of the largest companies in the country and perform for some of the largest crowds in America and I'm proud to say I base my company out of Fargo."
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TIM BEATON Executive Director FM Area Foundation Q: If you could thank one person who's contributed to your success, who would it be? A: There are so many over the years, but most of all, my wife, Joan. She's always been quietly optimistic and, like my mother, tremendously persistent. She's always exemplified the saying, “Don’t look back. You aren’t going that way.
ROBIN NELSON Executive Director Boys & Girls Club of the Red River Valley
ALEC SELNES Student UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
DAN HICKS Commercial Real Estate Broker Property Resources Group
SARA BAKKEN Marketing Director Flom Property Group - Keller Williams Inspire Realty
JANI SKALA Founder Fargo Fashion Week
KAILEE GRAY
JESSI ZENKER
Web Developer FBS
Communications Specialist RDO Equipment Co.
RAEGAN KILLORAN Killoran Family
GWEN HOBERG Office Manager Ringstrom Law
ETHAN & BREEZEE HENNINGS Cofounders Wild Terra Cider & Brewing
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JUSTIN GEHRKE Specialty Shop Manager, Sport & Game SCHEELS
RENEE CHARON Staff Attorney Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota
CARRIE LEOPOLD Founder & Executive Director Inspire Innovation Lab
GEOFFREY ZIBELL COO BNG Technologies
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ABBY ANDERSON Owner Abby Anderson Photography "Photography has given me the gift of being able to understand the complexity of life and find the beauty in it. It's helped me notice the little things, value relationships and appreciate every day we have on this earth. It has made me a more grateful person." 26
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BRADY NASH CEO BNG Team My 2017 low point "Losing a team member to cancer"
My 2017 high point "Adding some key executive talent to our team"
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CINDY GRAFFEO Executive Director Moorhead Economic Development Authority "I want the business community to forget what they think they know about Moorhead and come take a look with a fresh set of eyes. We have amazing things going on and we aren't what we were 50, 20, 10, even just a couple years ago."
MICHELLE KILLORAN CFO & VP of Finance SCHEELS "I'm looking forward to creating a healthier version of myself in 2018. It's my last year before turning 40, and I really want to ensure that I kick off my 40s feeling fit and fabulous — from both a mental and physical perspective. I'm going to work hard to ensure I carve out time each day for myself, which is not always easy to do as a working mother of three busy girls."
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JEFF KNIGHT Founder Cereal The 2017 accomplishment I'm most proud of "Working with Carson Wentz's AO1 Foundation"
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KAARIN REMICH Lead Corporate Social Responsibility E.W. Wylie
ASHTON HANSEN Senior Recruiter Allegro Group
RACHEL PHILLIPS Specialty Shop Manager, Men's Sportswear SCHEELS
DAVID MORSE Founder American Heroes Outdoors
JON THORP Creative & PR Director The Promersberger Company
ABBY BRAATEN Commodity Trading Teaching Assistant NDSU
JAMES HAND Project Manager Richards Excavating
BETH ALTHOFF DealerNET Communications Specialist Doosan Bobcat
TYLER BUECHLER Vice President BNG Holdings
BETH REICH Area Manager - Fargo Regus
TROY DELEON Co-Owner Moorhead Dairy Queen 30
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NICK KILLORAN Founder Great North Insurance Services
CAROLINE KLINKMUELLER Photographer Concordia College
DR. DAVID WAALE Owner Waale Chiropractic Clinic
TAJAE VIAENE Lead Flight Instructor Fargo Jet Center
DON SHILLING Chairman General Equipment & Supplies
HEATHER OSTROWSKI Client Relations Manager Preferencec Employment Solutions
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RYAN LABARGE Assistant Store Leader SCHEELS Q: What's one thing the local business community could do to help you? A: Continue to support our business versus online shopping
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ANNIE WOOD Community Builder "People often think it's magic that makes so many things happen in our community. Really, it's the result of multitudes of dedicated people who use creative intention to bring events and opportunities to life (and lots of spreadsheets, too). Also, the enthusiasm we show is genuine. I get really excited when you show up because I don't want to create events for empty rooms!"
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DAVE ANDERSON Public Affairs Director Sanford Health Q: What would you give a TED Talk on? A: Communicating more in the old-fashioned way with our voices, our eyes and our personal strengths and much, much less with devices and digits. We're losing something that makes us human: the ability to personally interact and enjoy each other's company and wisdom.
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JON SHILLING President & CEO General Equipment & Supplies Q: What 2017 accomplishment are you most proud of? A: I'm most proud of our implementation of the Traction Process and how far it has come. It's extremely exciting to see everyone throughout the company embrace it and see our culture continue to grow with it.
LINDSAY PAULSON PR Specialist RDO Equipment Co. What I'd give a TED Talk on "I'm a believer in the opportunity we all have to make good choices. I don't believe some of us have 'more motivation' to do things that benefit our overall wellness. I believe it's all about a proactive effort to make good choices. I would love to give a TED Talk that dispels the myth of motivation and puts the responsibility back on us as individuals."
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TIFFANEY HOLM
KELLY CHARBONNEAU
Talent Development Manager Sundog
Leadership & Succession Specialist Sanford Health
ANGELA DALY Shelter Director YWCA Cass Clay
SUSAN LENSCH Communications Specialist John Deere Electronic Solutions
SERENA & ANDY HAGEL
CYNTHIA MOCHOGE
Senior Technicians Netrix IT
Sophomore Fargo Davies High School
BRIAN WAGNER Assistant Store Leader SCHEELS
BILL ERICKSON
CHRISTINE HAMRE
Owner Total Imaging
Ambassador - Red River Valley Ainsley's Angels
BRIAN OPP Manager of Aerospace Business Development North Dakota Department of Commerce
TAMAR ELIAS Fraud Process Excellence Analyst U.S. Bank
PAT TRAYNOR Executive Director Dakota Medical Foundation
KAREN CARLSON Housing Director YWCA Cass Clay
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TOBY KOMMER Owner Aspire Financial Q: What keeps you up at night? A: Wondering whether I'm doing right by our employees. The privilege of helping guide someone's career is not something that should be taken lightly. As business owners, we have a tremendous amount of responsibility to our employees. Our job is to help them grow and put them in positions to be successful not just in their careers but in their lives. We have the potential to have an enormous impact on their lives for better or worse and we must remember that each night as we fall asleep. If we fail them, we don't just fail them. We fail their spouses, their kids and their parents. FARGOINC.COM
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STEVE M. SCHEEL CEO SCHEELS Q: What are you most looking forward to in 2018? A: Getting back to "normal" in the retail world. Even though things have been good at SCHEELS (and other retailers), the news continues to paint such a bleak picture around those stores that are closing. It will be nice to see that negative press come to an end for many of our retailers.
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JULIE PETERSON KLEIN EVP & Chief Culture Officer Bell Bank Q: What are you most looking forward to in 2018? A: I'm looking forward to celebrating Bell Bank’s 10-year milestone of our Pay It Forward program, which gives employees money to donate to organizations and people in need — we’ve given more than $10 million in Pay It Forward gifts so far! I've been blessed to coordinate this program from the beginning and it has changed my entire life. My main goal every day is to let my heart decide where I need to be and to help as many people in the world as possible.
MARLO ANDERSON Founder National Day Calendar
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TRINITY SCHAFF Owner & President TrinSPIN My 2017 low point "Admitting I was an alcoholic"
My 2017 high point "Reaching out to the VA Hospital to begin my journey to recovery"
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KARA JORVIG Founder & CEO Allegro Group Q: What are you most looking forward to in 2018? A: Continued growth! I'm passionate about people and driven to help businesses grow through the leaders we place. It's incredibly rewarding to have a truly unique perspective on the local talent market and then pass that knowledge along to companies.
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TREVOR KLEIN
TIFFANIE HONEYMAN
Store Leader & Partner SCHEELS
CEO OpGo Marketing
DANAE MORAN Social Media Manager Twenty Below Coffee Co.
KRISTI HUBER President United Way of Cass-Clay
GARRETT MOON Cofounder & CEO CoSchedule
COURTNEY LARSON
ANDY LUIKENS Recruiting Specialist Border States
Communications & Marketing Officer FM Area Foundation
ALEX RYDELL Licensed Funeral Director Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home
DENISE HELLEKSON Employee Assistance Programs Clinical Supervisor Village Business Institute
HOPE GOLDAMMER Cofounder MINT + BASIL, Lot 2029, & ONYX + PEARL
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HEIDI KING Food Service Coordinator - Moorhead M State
ERIK HATCH Owner Hatch Realty
DANNA RADEMACHER Sales & Marketing Coordinator Courts Plus
JAMES VAN RADEN Founder engageBUILD
TAYLOR KILLORAN Killoran Family
MEGAN OTTO
SANDI PIATZ
Senior Visual Designer CoSchedule
Site Leader & Director - Fargo Campus Microsoft
WILLIAM GALVIN RUSSELL PETERSON Professor of Music Concordia College
Owner & Lead Consultant Giga-Green Technologies
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JOHN HOEVEN U.S. Senator State of North Dakota "I've always believed North Dakota companies can compete with anyone, anytime, anywhere. That's why we are advancing a pro-growth legal, tax and regulatory agenda to help empower entrepreneurs and businesses to create more jobs and grow their companies. As governor, we took the same approach to help our entrepreneurs succeed in an increasingly global marketplace."
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KELLY KRENZEL Marketing & Communications Specialist Hospice of the Red River Valley Q: What keeps you up at night? A: People feeling unloved, alone or forgotten about. I want people to know they matter and that this bright and beautiful community is here for them.
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TOM ENRIGHT President GoodBulb "In 2018, for the first time, GoodBulb will travel to remote villages in Africa and provide families without electricity with solar-powered LED lanterns. We'll also launch our first generation of LED light bulbs and fixtures. This is the year we begin to disrupt the electrical distribution industry and change the way people have purchased lighting for the past 100 years. We look forward to the challenge."
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SCOTT BEAULIER Dean NDSU College of Business Q: What's one thing the local business community could do to help you? A: Offer suggestions about how we can do better. We sincerely need criticism and harsh feedback. We want to keep getting better, so simply hearing from people on what they'd like us to do, where we're dropping the ball, and what we're doing well would be great. 52
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NUKHET HENDRICKS Executive Director Homeward Animal Shelter The worst advice I've ever gotten "You're too strong for a woman. Bring it down a notch." "You can't let your staff see you as soft and vulernable."
JACK DALRYMPLE Former Governor State of North Dakota
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LINDSAY BREULER Conference Director & Development Associate Emerging Prairie
JARED FINKELSON BETH NOKKEN
Business Development & Customer Relationship Management Consultant Giga-Green Technologies
Owner Nokken Chiropractic & Massage
IRINA SAGERT Financial Analyst Sanford Health
JUSTIN WALSH Cofounder & CTO CoSchedule
JANICE TWEET Regional Coordinator Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota
KALIE OLSON VP of Operations Integreon
WADE FOSTER
KATHY POTTER
Cofounder & CEO Zapier
Executive Director Access of the Red River Valley
MANDIE BEGIN Manager - Total Rewards Doosan Bobcat
MATT HELANDER
DEAN GORDER Former Executive Director North Dakota Trade Office
SRG Managing Director & Professional Recruiter Express Employment Professionals Specialized Recruiting Group
KARRI MITCHELL Software Engineer II Microsoft
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KENT KOLSTAD President & Technical Director Livewire "After a recent hire this month, we're ending the year with 13 full-time staff. In 2014, we had just two. In September, the start of what we call 'conference season,' we booked more events than EVER before, with every week having at least three overlapping, large-scale events."
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SHANNON WIEDMAN Product Design Director CoSchedule "In 2018, Girl Develop It hopes to expand its reach within the FargoMoorhead community. We want to make sure our programs are accessible and affordable to anyone who feels they've been left out of the tech industry."
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THOMAS JEFFERSON Owner - Thomas Jefferson Agency State Farm Insurance Q: What keeps you up at night? A: The state of our country. We seem to be going in the opposite direction of being a country of love and understanding. The so-called 'make our country great again' seems to me to (refer) to a time (when) people of my race had very few rights and the future of a good life was an impossible dream.
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ANDREW YOUNG Creative Director Abovo "The ability to be creative every day is hard work. Creativity is something that comes and goes and takes a lot of time. In this industry, we can't come to work and say, 'Today we're going to come up with the best idea.' It takes time, experience, spark, initiative, motivation ... It takes a beer or two."
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JAKE JORAANSTAD Cofounder & CEO Myriad Mobile Q: What's one thing the local business community could do to help you? A: Help companies like ours that have software "assets" get proper bank financing. It's near impossible. FARGOINC.COM
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DR. MICHAEL NOFFZE KEVIN WOLF President & Co-Owner Laney's
Owner The Facial & Oral Surgery Center
FRED BEVILL Stand-Up Comic
KATIE GOEHRING KARN Director of Massage Therapy & Assistant Director of Therapy Services Apex Physical Therapy & Wellness Center
SHANIAH KAISER Marketing Manager Rocking Horse Farm
DON KERN VP of Aggregate Equipment Sales for U.S. & Canada General Equipment & Supplies
SAMANTHA GUST Development Officer Hospice of the Red River Valley
RACHEL JOHNSON
LOUISE DARDIS Former Assistant Superintendent West Fargo Public Schools
Office Manager Hatch Realty
OLIVIA ERICKSON Owner Liv Photography
LIZ JOHNSON Forensic Accounting Senior Manager Eide Bailly
KIMBERLY PIGEON Director of Design & Marketing BNG Team
DAYNA DEL VAL President & CEO The Arts Partnership
BILL NELSON President SCHEELS
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BETTY GRONNEBERG Founder & CEO uCodeGirl What I'd give a TED Talk on "Why fit in when you were born to stand out? Unlock your potential and engineer your world."
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ERIC MILLER Mortgage Loan Officer & Business Development Specialist Capital Credit Union Q: What would you give a TED Talk on? A: I would talk about the importance of financial wellness. Most people don't know or have been given some bad advice on their finances, and in 15 minutes of talking, we can change their lives.
KARI BUCHOLZ Dyslexia Specialist Haley's Hope Q: What do you want the local business community to know about you? A: That dyslexia is real and Haley's Hope is here to help ALL individuals through the challenges it creates. There is no reason to not look into whether dyslexia could be the reason for children's or adults' struggles with reading and writing. We are here to help.
RACHEL THURS Market Placement Representative Great North Insurance Services
DONNY GOLDAMMER CoFounder MINT + BASIL, Lot 2029, & ONYX + PEARL
JESIKA JORGENSON Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist Discovery Benefits
JENNA KIRSCHMANN Housing Director Eventide Senior Living Communities
SCOTT HEINLE VP of Corporate Sales ConnectBooster
CAMILLA MORRIS Morris Family
NICOLE COLLINS Optometrist Bergstrom Eye & Laser Clinic
LIZ CAMBRON Graduate Research Fellow National Science Foundation
SANDY THOMPSON Director of Development Plains Art Museum
KATIE AUKLAND Director of Clinic Operations Sanford Children's
LISA SVALESON HERMAN Office Manager Turf Tamers
JULIE HAUGEN Associate Executive Director YWCA Cass Clay
LINDSAY KAYE ARBACH Owner Lindsay Kaye Photography
BLAKE JOHNSON Cofounder & CEO ax-water
ELISHA KNAEBLE Risk Management Adviser Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota
NATALIE MURCH HR Manager First State Bank of North Dakota FARGOINC.COM
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THAN BAARDSON Executive Director Unseen "We've talked to others who had a similar idea (to Unseen) but never went with it. I think it's like travel. A lot of people can talk about travel, but the only ones who travel are those who do."
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JOSH TEIGEN President & CFO Protosthetics Q: What 2017 accomplishment are you most proud of? A: Winning Entrepreneur of the Year at the ChamberChoice Awards.
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LAURA MORRIS Co-Owner Dakota Clinic Pharmacy Founder Others "My rather opposite careers prove the value of being a true neighbor in times of need and in times of joy. "At the pharmacy, we get that life happens. We can all find ourselves in need of an early medication refill due to vacation travel, overwhelmed by the number of over-the-counter options or in need of a familiar face with the knowledge and care to help. The mailorder pharmacy giant isn't much good here, but your local pharmacist certainly will be. Build that relationship. "On a different-yet-similar note, Others is a favorite place for many people to bring their visitors, providing a rich experience unique to our city. However, a favorite spot visited once a year is no comparison to becoming a regular. When the store owner knows your name or has the perfect item that made them think of you, the experience is far more fulfilling. "Small business is no easy feat. As many retailers are closing their doors, I want to be part of a community that is opening doors, encouraging those with unconventional business models and showing up to keep the spirit of Fargo alive and a little weird."
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CHARLEY JOHNSON President & CEO Fargo-Moorhead Convention & Visitors Bureau "We all like to glibly say that 'life is short,' but when you reach a certain age, you begin to understand just how short it really is. I intend to make the most of it for as long as I'm able."
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BRIANNE HOFFMAN Communication Specialist Doosan Bobcat "In 2018, I'm looking forward to continuing my community involvement and introducing to my children the organizations I'm passionate about. I think it's so important to start giving back at an early age."
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ANNA HANSON Sales Director ByteSpeed
LYNN PAULSON SVP & Director of Agribusiness Development Bell Bank
MICHELLE DRAXTEN
ASHLEY BOSH Business Development Manager Network Center
Public Health Nutritionist Fargo Cass Public Health
CAMILLE GRADE VP of Sales & Marketing Myriad Mobile
GREG DIEHL Development Officer FM Area Foundation
MADISON CHRISTENSEN KELSEY SMITH Director of HR Western State Bank 74
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Designer Agosto
LEXI OESTERICH Program Officer FM Area Foundation
DEANNA PINNOW Founder & Speech Language Pathologist About You Rehabilitation Services
JOSH HOPER Director Consultant - Minnesota & Northern Wisconsin Business Network International
SYLVIA LUNSKI Owner Design Direction
ERIN PROCHNOW Executive Director YWCA Cass Clay
ALEXA KILLORAN Killoran Family
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BERNIE DARDIS Partner Indigo Signworks "I would highly encourage today's younger generation to engage in and lend a voice to the future of our communities. The full spectrum of generational input is important in developing the footprint of what our communities will look like in the future."
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MAX KRINGEN Founder & CEO Tellwell
MELANIE LEE Realtor & Hatch Alumni Coordinator Hatch Realty Q: What are you most looking forward to in 2018? A: Mastery. I've succeeded and failed, thrived and struggled through each learning curve of 2017. This coming year, I'm so excited to take all the things I've learned and become a master at what I do.
KATIE MORISCH HR Business Partner Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota "In HR, the perception seems like it's always that we hire and fire people. My job is so much more than that. I'm in the people business — helping leaders and employees grow and being an advocate for not only the company but also the employees."
RYAN FRITZ CEO Office Sign Company
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CASEY STEELE Co-Owner Square One Kitchens Q: What’s something you want the local business community to know about you? A: I LOVE SMALL BUSINESS! I used all caps and an exclamation point. That's how serious I am about small business. It's exciting to see our community grow and diversify and see folks take the risk of living out their passion through their own startup.
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BRIDGET MCMANAMON Founder Herstory My proudest accomplishment in 2017 "This past July I had the opportunity to give a TED Talk on increasing the convenience and accessibility of menstrual hygiene products in schools. At the event, I felt like a major underdog and I wasn’t so sure my talk would go over well, but the audience was extremely warm and welcoming and really seemed to enjoy what I had to say. "
STEVE DUSEK President & CEO Dakota Certified Development Corporation Q: What can the local business community do to help you? A: Ask more about who we are and what we do.
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BETHANY BERKELEY Corporate Solutions Consultant Dale Carnegie of North Dakota & MInnesota "When insomnia hits, it's often when I feel I'm not performing to my highest standard — when I fear that I'm settling for average in one (or many) areas of my life. This anxiety can either act as a catalyst for me to push harder or become a selfinduced Achilles heel."
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STEPHANIE SCHROEDER VP of Marketing Discovery Benefits "I wouldn't be where I am today without college forensics (speech and debate). Sadly, these programs are the first to get cut when universities have to make funding decisions. But the art of public speaking — learning to form a persuasive argument, getting to know your audience and feeling confident while giving a presentation — is one of the most valuable skills I've ever learned."
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AUSTIN MORRIS Managing Partner Enclave Companies
RYAN GOODMAN President ConnectBooster
YULIA MURZAEVA Audit Manager Widmer Roel
RACHEL STONE Founder P's & Q's Etiquette
KIM MEYER EVP & Director of Retail Banking & HR Gate City Bank
LEAH TRONTVET
ANN POLLERT
Site Coordinator YMCA of Cass & Clay Counties
Technician & Career Developer General Equipment & Supplies
REBEKAH SCOTT Owner & Designer Rebekah Scott Designs
AMANDA PEOU Homeless Student Resource Coordinator YWCA Cass Clay
KATIE TULIBASKI Academic Adviser & Lecturer NDSU College of Business 84
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SARAH NIKLE Financial Adviser Edward Jones
PAUL JARVIS Managing Director United Capital of Fargo
JAMIE WEPKING Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions MSUM
WADE GRONWOLD Cofounder & COO ax-water
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FACES OF FARGO BUSINESS
SARA HANSTAD Business Relationship Manager Wells Fargo I want to thank ... "Darren Dunlop of the FMWF Chamber of Commerce and John Machacek of the Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC. These two have done an incredible amount to help me succeed in the Fargo business community. I think they're both just wired to help others succeed and this only adds to my immense respect for them. Through very few degrees of separation, I can trace these two to so many of my current clients, friends, committees and boards. I've found it hard up to this point to figure out how to say how grateful I am, so I think this might be the perfect way." 86
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ANDREW ABERNATHEY Founder & Managing Partner Ritaway Capital Management "I live by a saying of Warren Buffet's, 'It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a second to ruin it.'"
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BRIAN JORVIG Director of Operations Allegro Group "During 2017, we facilitated the relocation of numerous people and their families from across the country to Fargo and other communities in North Dakota and Minnesota. Those people are successfully leading and performing high-level services for local companies, and I'm proud that we are integral in making sure jobs and companies remain here because they have access to the best talent."
SHANNON BOCK Executive Director Creative Care for Reaching Independence
2017
FACES OF FARGO BUSINESS
JILL CHRISTOPHER Executive Director Ronald McDonald House of the Red River Valley Q: What are you most looking forward to in 2018? A: I'm most looking forward to the opening of our new Ronald McDonald House in May. This project has been a dream of our staff and board for many years. To see it come true is an amazing feeling. It's the culmination of so many hours of work by so many. I can't wait to see the first guest family walk through the front doors!
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2017
FACES OF FARGO BUSINESS
RANDY NEWMAN Chairman & CEO Alerus Q: What would you give a TED Talk on? A: Many people think of annual check-ups as something you do with your doctor to make sure you're healthy and on track, but most don't realize the same is true for your financial adviser or banker. I'd love to do a TED Talk on the importance of annual check-ups with your financial adviser, regardless of whether you're a young entrepreneur just getting started, a small business owner looking to expand, or even a successful business owner who's looking to transition and retire.
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DECEMBER 2017
2017
FACES OF FARGO BUSINESS
BRENNA GERHARDT Executive Director North Dakota Humanities Council Q: What keeps you up at night? A: The loss of imagination and empathy happening in our schools — K-12 through college. We no longer educate people for life. We educate them for jobs. We can and should do both.
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DECEMBER 2017
2017
FACES OF FARGO BUSINESS
RICK BERG CEO AdShark Marketing "Letting go and not being involved in every facet of our business is one of the things I've been struggling with. I think this is a common issue among business owners, but it's absolutely necessary if we're going to continue to grow as fast as we are. Recently I've started to learn this strange idea of giving up control and it feels good thus far. But I still have a long way to go."
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