FargoINC! June 2016

HOW BODYBUILDING INSPIRED A WEST FARGO FOOD STARTUP WHAT IS A CREDIT UNION, ANYWAY?

june 2016

the

MIXED-USE PARKING COMING TO DOWNTOWN FARGO

advisers Introducing the Fargo INC! Editorial Board

EDITOR

BOARD BOON I

t feels like we've accomplished a lot with the first six issues of Fargo INC!

We've done an underwater photo shoot, gotten a bunch of people to call themselves failures, and got a roomful of Baby Boomers and Millennials through an hour-and-a-half-long conversation without a single bit of name calling.

A pretty good start, if you ask us.

In all seriousness, though, we're proud of what we think

nate@spotlightmediafargo.com 8

JUNE 2016

We think an editorial board is so important, in fact, that we devoted our June cover story to introducing ours to you.

Fargo INC! is becoming and we hope you are, too. We want it to be your FM area business magazine, after all.

A publication that reflects and celebrates the countless professional spaces you live and work in every day.

One step toward that goal—an important one, in our eyes—is the creation of an editorial advisory board. An editorial board, in case you're unfamiliar, is a collection of individuals who help dictate the tone and direction that a publication's editorial policy will take.

NateMickelberg

You probably recognize a bunch of the faces on the cover, but that's kind of the point. These are the movers and shakers of the FM business community, and we hope that you, like us, view their high visibility as an asset to the magazine.

The conversations we had with the members weren't about them. They were about the topics and issues about which they're most passionate. From the FM Diversion to refugee entrepreneurship to wealth transfer, the discussions ran the gamut and gave us just a taste of all the great Fargo business stories waiting to be told.

Enjoy!

Nate Mickelberg Editor, Fargo INC!

linkedin.com/in/natemickelberg

JUNE 2016

Volume 1 Issue 6

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

Publisher Mike Dragosavich

drago@spotlightmediafargo.com

General Manager Brent Tehven

brent@spotlightmediafargo.com

CREATIVE

Editorial Director Andrew Jason

andrew@spotlightmediafargo.com

Editor Nate Mickelberg

nate@spotlightmediafargo.com

Graphic Designers Sarah Geiger, Ryan Koehler, Soda Tran

Head Photographer J. Alan Paul Photography jesse@jalanpaul.com

Photographer Paul Flessland Contributors Hailey Colbrunn, Marisa

Jackels, Nate Mickelberg, Craig Whitney, Mike Allmendinger

Copy Editors Erica Rapp, Hailey Colbrunn, Lauren Wilson

ADVERTISING

Senior Account Tracy Nicholson Manager tracy@spotlightmediafargo.com

Marketing/Sales Paul Hoefer

paul@spotlightmediafargo.com

Paul Bougie

paulbougie@spotlightmediafargo.com

Tank McNamara

tank@spotlightmediafargo.com

Jenny Johnson

jenny@spotlightmediafargo.com

Business Heather Hemingway Operations Manager Administrative Nicole Houseal

CIRCULATION

Delivery Mitch Rapp

Fargo INC! is published by Spotlight Media LLC. Copyright 2016 Fargo INC! & fargoinc.com. All rights reserved. No parts of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission of Fargo INC! Fargo INC! & spotlightmediafargo.com will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions found in the magazine or on fargoinc.com. Spotlight Media LLC., accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.

Meet The Team MIKE

BRENT

BOUGIE

MICHAEL

SODA

NICOLE

TRACY

ERICA

JESSE

ANDREW

JOE

SARAH

PAUL

HEATHER

NATE

PAUL

RYAN

TANK

HAILEY

JENNY

To learn more about Spotlight Media, go to spotlightmediafargo.com

CONTENTS COVER STORY

JUNE 2016

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

38

A benevolent boutique

Dress for Success Red River Valley impacts area women's lives every day.

We hear the stories of two of them.

takes us on a tour of their Downtown Fargo location and explains why you should view your space as "alive."

64

Fargo SaaS Meetup 44

Creating brighter futures

YMCA Financial Development Coordinator Christie Gleason gives us the lowdown on a new program aimed at young professionals who want to give back.

48

Reimagining Roberts

Onsharp President Joe Sandin and Codelation CEO Josh Christy talk about their new Software as a Service (SaaS) meetup and why they want you to join them.

68

Your voice, your vote 70

ChamberChoice Awards photo recap

50

Creditor-in-Chief

18

16

JUNE 2016

35-year-old CEOs are the stuff of Silicon Valley.

Unless you're United Savings Credit Union's Nick Woodard that is.

Woodard talks about the experience of running a company at his age and some of the differences between credit unions and banks.

74

Nutritious, delicious, ambitious When Power Plate Meals's kitchen burned down in February, they could've cut their losses.

Instead, they did what all great entrepreneurs do.

They dusted themselves off and started over from scratch.

54

Intern Experience Program

THE ADVISERS:

Introducing the Fargo INC! Editorial Board

We introduce you to the eight FM business and nonprofit leaders who will comprise the Fargo INC! advisory board.

We hear directly from them about what they see their role as and what they think are the most important issues in the area business community.

Emerging Prairie Lead Writer Marisa Jackels writes about a unique opportunity that brings together interns from across the Fargo metro.

58

Office Vibes: InterOffice Workspace

Designing an office is almost unfair when it's what you do for a living.

InterOffice Workspace Manager Aubree Leiser

80

June Events Calendar 86

Nailing your interview: how preparation breeds confidence

Some specific interview tips and questions you're likely to see, straight from a local business owner

90

Job listings

Jared Stober

Del Rae Williams

Introducing the Fargo INC! Editorial Board Craig Whitney

18

JUNE 2016

John Machacek

Pat Traynor

T

here's a well-known saying in journalism that "a reporter is only as good as his sources." It's an allusion to the idea that a desire to tell good stories is only a small part of the equation and that it's cultivating a network of informed and trustworthy individuals and organizations that often separates a good publication from a great one. Well, we at Fargo INC! want to be great.

That's why we've assembled eight of the most visible, plugged-in business leaders in the area to form the official Fargo INC! Editorial Advisory Board. Board members will join us quarterly to discuss the latest trends and topics in the FM business

Brittany Sickler

Anna Hanson

community, ensure that our editorial decisions are being made independent of the sales department, and ensure diversity of thought and opinion throughout the magazine.

From area business organizations to local city government to a statewide entrepreneurial program, board members represent institutions whose influence touches virtually every area of business in the region.

We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce our readers to the board but perhaps more importantly, all the topics and issue the members are passionate about.

By Nate Mickelberg Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography and Paul Flessland

Greg Tehven

19

THE ADVISERS

Craig Whitney PRESIDENT & CEO/FARGO MOORHEAD WEST FARGO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

BIO One of the most recognizable faces in the FM business community, Whitney heads the FMWF Chamber of Commerce.

When he's not attending one of the Chamber's many events, he's advocating on behalf of the Chamber's 2,100-plus member firms representing nearly 100,000 people, particularly in the area of public policy.

Whitney’s Top Issues "Of course you know what I’m going to say here—and I’m sorry I sound like a broken record—but the two major issues facing our region that I hope Fargo INC! continues to focus on are permanent flood protection, as well as our workforce issues.

1

"And as I frequently say, those are definitely the two that we see as the biggest challenges—definitely the Chamber’s biggest issues— but it’s impossible for me to put a ‘1’ or a ‘2’ in front of

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

20

JUNE 2016

either one of them because I think they’re not only so important but they really feed off each other.

"Part of one of our challenges of creating a strong workforce and retaining people here is that looming danger of a catastrophic flood, having to fill millions of sandbags and people’s homes being threatened. A couple other areas of growing concern are FEMA’s redrawn floodplains and the looming thought of greatly increased flood insurance prices."

Public Policy Priority "I come back to the (FM Area) Diversion (Project) because even as we sit here in midMay, there are going to be some continued roadblocks in terms of the financial side.

And so I think it’s safe to say there will probably be a ballot question or two that will be dealing with how we continue to fund the Diversion, and to me, that’s a top priority.

Exactly what or how those are going to be worded, we don’t know yet. But that’s going to be a big issue on the ballot in November."

Q&A Why did you decide to serve on Fargo INC!'s editorial board?

I was personally very honored to be asked to serve on the INC! board because I think it’s a publication that’s going to be great for the area business community. I think it fits into Spotlight’s whole host of publications, and I’m excited about a magazine that is specifically targeted to talk about businesses, business issues, and business people and highlight opportunities within the region.

What do you see as the role of an editorial advisory board?

I think one interesting thing about an editorial board is that it’s made up of a diverse group of people. I think we will all come together to provide opportunities, leads on stories and a different perspective than maybe you would see sitting inside the walls of Spotlight (Media).

What do you see as the role of a publication like Fargo INC! in the larger business community?

What I think is interesting is that most major cities have a single publication that is seen, typically, as the premier business publication in the community, and I think, along with some other competition in the market, that is what Fargo INC! is striving to do.

Whitney worked in the White House for the George H.W. Bush administration.

John Machacek SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE & ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT/GREATER FARGO MOORHEAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

BIO A former Yelp community ambassador for Fargo and the distributor of the weekly events e-newsletter The Fargo Beat, Machacek's day job is running the entrepreneurial arm of the Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC. He prides himself on the genuine interest he takes in the founders and small business owners he deals with on a daily basis.

THE ADVISERS

Q&A In theory, what do you see as the role of the Fargo INC! Editorial Board?

The people on the advisory, we’re all the people who have boots on the ground. And we interact with a lot of people. Your staff can only hear and know so much. I might go visit with some and think, ‘Man, this would make a nice story.’ Or ‘This deserves to be highlighted.’ That’s how I’m looking at it.

Do you see the editorial board as a kind of check and balance on the magazine?

I could see that in the fact that you all work together and have conversations every day and could probably start looking down the same road all the time. Getting different opinions. For example, at the first board meeting, you had a couple people say, ‘I wouldn’t do a women’s issue.’ Like I wouldn’t think of that, but some women will say, ‘I don’t know. I don’t like that idea because it looks like you’re making something special for us women.’

What are you envisioning as your niche on the board?

I think a lot of it is the startups and small businesses we interact with. We work with a lot of primary sector companies at the EDC, regardless of their size, and a lot of them are doing pretty cool things. And it’s from a variety of industries. Whether it’s technology, which is probably the one I interact with most, or manufacturing, value-added ag, or life sciences. Also a some service-center companies.

It’s my role to be out there, to be meeting with people, to know things and to ask questions. I genuinely like to help people, too. So that helps because I want them to succeed. It’s easy for me to engage with them, learn about them and remember what I’m hearing.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

Public Policy Priority "The FM Diversion needs to be a top priority. A diversion is important for long-term economic growth both locally and at a state level. To keep and attract companies, we need flood security. We have a lot of companies that can be located anywhere and losing even one or two would be devastating to our economy.

"A lot of very smart people have put a lot of work into this the past 10 years, and we have the best solution. The longer we wait to start the project, the higher the price tag. I think it's important for us to come together and get this approved."

Machacek’s Top Issues 1 "I want to highlight some of the smaller and lesser-known companies.

Because the general public probably knows of all the big ones, but it’s the ones that might be working away at the Prairie Den or their basement.

"A company like Heat Transfer Warehouse is doing awesome business, but their customer base is really around the world. It’s often those companies that do business all over that we don’t notice as much locally because I don’t need to buy stuff from Heat Transfer. But I know Hornbacher’s and I know US Bank and I know Essentia Health."

2 "There’s an international marketplace getting ready to open on Main Avenue.

It’s run by the Immigrant Development Center (IDC). It sounds like once they get going, they’re going to be full

except for maybe one spot. I think people in Fargo-Moorhead need to know about that. Especially the ones who say, ‘You need to go to the Twin Cities for that kind of stuff.’ You go down here and you’re going to have a bunch of these shops in one building.

"The IDC also has a small microlending program. They’re trying to raise more money for it actually. They loan out money to some of these groups to help get them going. Maybe they’re not bankable yet or have some cultural reasons they can’t use traditional financing.

3 "I’m passionate about people who move here without ties. Just the concept of why they’re here and then when they get here, how to make them happy. At the EDC, we’ve started doing these welcome parties for that particular reason, trying to find those people who are new to the area and get them connected."

Machacek once managed a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

23

THE ADVISERS

Q&A You live and work in Bismarck. Why did you agree to serve on the editorial board of a Fargo-based business magazine?

North Dakota is a small enough state where what goes on in Fargo goes on across the rest of the state and vice versa. So we really need to figure out how we can get entrepreneurship anywhere, and Fargo is really becoming that hub, especially in the tech sector. And utilize resources and utilize the network here to help grow other companies.

So you could have a chance, let’s say, starting a tech company in Dickinson by working with people in Fargo. The big thing is just supporting entrepreneurship and growing that ecosystem that didn’t exist 10 years ago.

Jared Stober PROGRAM MANAGER/INNOVATE ND

BIO An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Stober helped grow his family's flaxseed business into a true national company—at its peak, they were in more than 16,000 retail stores across the country—before it was eventually sold to a private investor. Now based in Bismarck running the state-funded entrepreneurial program Innovate ND, he'll provide a unique, outstate perspective and a voice for companies not based in the Fargo metro.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

24

JUNE 2016

What do you see as the collective role of the Editorial Board?

It’s all about fostering the business community and trying to create a culture where failure is acceptable. Where risk-taking is known. I think, in the Midwest, in general, if you fail, you hang your head and don’t tell anybody. And we obviously don’t want to say, ‘Everybody fail,’ but we want to be able to recognize that they’ve taken the risk and now you can move on to the next thing.

Really creating that supportive culture that helps grow business versus, ‘Well, you failed once, so I’m not going to approve that loan.’

With regards to the board, who do you see as your constituency?

My niche is to give the state a voice. Not from the government side, but if you’re an entrepreneur in a small town—my family started Flax USA in Goodrich, N.D., which is a town of 100 people—if you have a passion or idea, it doesn’t matter where you’re at. In today’s day and age, you can work remotely as long as you have an internet connection.

So it’s not just focusing on the immediate region. It’s highlighting some of those stories in different parts of the state.

Stober spent a semester in college studying at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia.

Public Policy Priority "Talk to your local legislators about supporting entrepreneurship. Everyone is up in arms because oil is down and farming is always up and down. Entrepreneurship is really the only targeted area where we’re helping diversify. It could be tech. It could be manufacturing. It could be using ag and energy in a new and innovative way.It’s diversifying the economy.

"But invite local legislators and get them involved. Invite them to 1 Million Cups and Startup Weekend. Let them know about the startup that’s down the street. Drop them a line and say, ‘Hey, have you checked out Myriad Mobile? Have you checked out dogIDs?’ Visit with them. Funding to support entrepreneurs comes from legislators. And if legislators don’t know what’s going on, the chances of getting funded to the level that we need go down."

Stober's Top Issues "One of the biggest hurdles is that there are a lot of programs out there, whether it be investment opportunities, lending programs, or grants, where if you don’t know they exist, how can you ever use them?

1

"One great example is the tech-based entrepreneurship grant. That’s focused on tech-based entrepeneurs to provide up to $10,000 for Phase I, $14,000 for Phase II. We’ve rolled that into Innovate ND now. And we started promoting it and saying, ‘There’s this grant that exists for tech-based entrepreneurs and it’s not being used. Even though there’s a ton of companies we hear about that aren’t applying. So we got the word out and ran out of funds with nine months to go before we could receive funding again.”

"Another one is connecting people with mentors. That would be huge for this magazine, where, if you have a business, being able to ask for a mentor. Because no one’s going to just walk up to you and say, ‘Hey, want a mentor?’ You have to want it, as well as engage the successful 2

people to be open to helping. The thing about entrepreneurship is that for the people who have grown companies from the ground up, they’re going to know the trials and tribulations, and when you ask, more than likely they’re going to say, ‘Absolutely, we’ll help you as much as we can.’ Entrepreneurship is a lonely world, but everybody’s in the same boat."

3 "I want to highlight other industries that are in the state. Fargo’s really tech-heavy, but it’s funny because you go out west and start seeing a lot more of the inventor types. They have widgets. They have products. Because everyone’s trying to find a solution or fix a problem.

"We have this plumber who’s been doing a job over and over again, and there’s this flange tool that he hates installing and taking off. So he invented something that takes it off much easier. And now he’s in prototype mode and ready to start manufacturing and distributing it.

You have a lot of people who have been working a job for so long and say, ‘There has to be a better way."

THE ADVISERS

Del Rae Williams MAYOR/CITY OF MOORHEAD

BIO A true 21st century mayor, Williams uses her various social media channels to constantly inform and respond to her Moorhead constituents. She's also a strong advocate for community businesses, often shopping and dining at city establishments and tweeting about it to her nearly 1,000 followers.

Williams’s Top Issues "We have a new executive director with our economic development authority.

I’m very excited about the organization being led by this individual. She’s very dynamic, and I think we’ll see some huge changes with her. Her name is Cindy Graffeo and she was with an economic development association in Eau Claire, Wis. 1

"For me, the exciting thing is her marketing background.

We don’t have a marketing department. When somebody asks me, ‘Who’s your marketing person?’ I think,

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

‘Well, probably me.’ And I try my best, but there’s only so much time. But to have somebody who has that kind of understanding and can get the word out. We have some things I’ve really been excited about and it doesn’t make the paper or the news."

2 "At our last city council meeting, we voted on a façade loan program and I like it. I think it’s a first start for some more of those kinds of things that we would do that would not just be property tax exemptions for somebody building but for that common business owner who just needs a little more help."

Public Policy Priority "One thing I’m really intrigued with is the growth discussions we’re having right now. And I like bringing in the community and making sure the city council is pretty aware of where the community is on a variety of things. And we’ll be doing some city visioning of what we’d like to see and where our priorities are. We do know we’ll have to do a little bit more annexing."

Williams is a big KISS fan. She even plans to don the iconic black and white face paint the next time the band comes to town.

Q&A Is there a specific reason you decided to serve on the Fargo INC! Board?

Business isues and the downtown (Moorhead) in particular are the key things I want to accomplish before I’m done. Being able to get the word out was important for me, and I thought this was a good venue to do that.

What do you see as the role of an editorial advisory board?

I think to give you some sense of what would be interesting from a different perspective, a broader perspective. Secondly, to give you information that you might not be aware of. It’s a way of connecting with parts of the community that you might not be having coffee with every day.

You don’t know what you don’t know. My life is a little bit more focused on Moorhead. I’ll see what’s happening in Fargo, but I don’t pay that much attention to it. Everybody is in their own little bubble to a certain degree.

Where does a monthly business publication fit into the FM area?

I used to be a business owner, and if I were reading it, I would be looking to read about other ideas and what trends are happening in my community. Quite often, you will have the same issues.

I used to be part of a women business owners group, and we almost always had the same two topics: employees and marketing.

And occasionally there would be some other piece, but that was our common discussion every time. And it was about hearing what other people were doing and getting feedback. You do learn from each other.

27

THE ADVISERS

Brittany Sickler ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST/ US SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

BIO

Q&A

While the bulk of Sickler's time and energy is focused on the Fargo area, her work with other SBAs across the country coupled with her extensive travel experience gives her a 30,000-foot perspective that will be invaluable to the board. Being a government employee who also works a lot with private companies allows her to serve as a kind of bridge between the two sectors.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

28

JUNE 2016

What do you see as the advantage of having an advisory board made up of people who are active in the FM business community?

A couple things. Some people look at Fargo as being very small and maybe not so diverse, but I think it’s large enough that there are a lot of networks and things going on that people don’t realize. We still have that smaller-town feel, and I think a huge part of having an advisory board is that you have those connections that can serve to expand our vision and also bring to light the fact that there’s a lot of different stuff going on. That there’s not as much of the sameness as we might have in our minds.

What do you envision as your niche on the board?

That’s hard because I don’t see myself representing just one group. I come from the government side of things and so I’m involved in not only projects on the North Dakota level but throughout the country. So I have a vision of what’s going on in other areas.

I’ve done work with our offices in San Francisco and D.C., and so it really does span the whole country. But I’m obviously focused on Fargo and love to take the things I learn and see and adapt that. I’m almost too much of a generalist, though.

What’s the role of a monthly business publication in a metropolitan area?

I see Fargo INC! better positioned than some of the traditional media to have that on-the-ground, this-is-what’s-happening, this-is-what-could-happen ability to share stories of a wide variety of interests. Rather than a more traditional approach, you can definitely be more innovative in the content and layout.

People often think business is very separate, especially if someone is in the nonprofit sphere or the education sphere.

But we’re all impacted. We all know people who own businesses, we all go to businesses, and they’re a huge part of our community and jobs.

Sickler has lived in 10 different cities and visited 25, despite not leaving the U.S. until the age of 17.

Public Policy Priority "It’s not necessarily a bill, but with the City of Fargo, there’s an initiative called ‘Startup in a Day.’ The city is changing the way that people can access information on licenses and the different things needed to start a business in Fargo. People should be able to access that easily, online, in a day. All the applications and everything.

"How can we encourage people to start businesses? Why are we using laws that are outdated? We say that North Dakota is such a good business environment, but we really need to make sure that what we’re saying is true and try to modernize some of the systems we have. I think there’s a lot more restricting of business growth than we think.

We like to think we’re not very bureaucratic, but when you look at some of the tax and licensing laws, they’re not very conducive."

Sickler's Top Issues "I am very passionate about—from my travels and international focus—people who are coming into the area who are either choosing to live here as immigrants or they’re being relocated here as refugees. Or they’re from other parts of the U.S. People are very entrepreneurial and make things happen and provide such a beautiful interexchange. When you bring new ideas into a place, it’s really beneficial, especially with innovation. So I love stories that focus on the aspect of: who are the people comprising Fargo today?"

1

2 "I’m also very passionate about and interested in alternative financing—and that goes into microfinance—and then with technology, how people are using crowdfunding, other marketplace lending and peer-to-peer lending. I would love to see more discussion on the wide variety of options."

3 "Social entrepreneurship is the last one. I’m really interested in the way that people, either in for-profit or nonprofit, are finding ways to solve problems in society, whether it’s health-related, education or underserved communities."

THE ADVISERS

Greg Tehven

COFOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ EMERGING PRAIRIE

BIO Arguably the single most vocal champion of Fargo and its "entrepreneurial ecosystem," Emerging Prairie Cofounder Tehven believes strongly in the tangible impact that can be had when businesses tell and exchange their stories.

Greg from Fargo, as he's known on Twitter, has been instrumental in coordinating and promoting popular business events in town such as 1 Million Cups, TEDx and Startup Drinks.

Public Policy Priority "I hope the readership is going to be able to learn more about angel funds and the role that investment capital plays in helping businesses grow."

Tehven’s Top Issues "I think the UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) industry is exciting and thinking about the way our business community is using drone technology to improve efficiency, transfer data and information, and really help with workforce development issues. I love emerging technologies.

Thinking about new solutions to big problems."

1

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

30

JUNE 2016

2 "I’m also really intrigued with what 3D printing is going to do and how it’s going to improve healthcare, help our architects and give us the tools to visualize new solutions."

"One more would be e-commerce. I believe we need to understand the potential of e-commerce in the region."

3

Q&A Why did you decide to serve on the Fargo INC! Editorial Board?

I think it’s important for any organization to bring diverse perspectives, content and opportunities for you guys to cover. I like to think of myself as an advocate for risk-takers and entrepreneurs and I want to help encourage the magazine to share their stories, to share their struggles and to ultimately encourage more folks to launch ventures.

What’s the larger role of the Fargo INC! Editorial Board, as you see it?

I think it’s to be an advocate for the community and to

Tehven considers himself an introvert.

separate you guys from the sales team. To uphold the integrity of our community and the voice of businesspeople and to uphold the integrity of the magazine, to be advocates for the region, and to help inform readers to improve their businesses and careers On the board, who do you see yourself representing?

I’m really excited about pushing for diverse perspectives and different angles on business. Thinking about the new economy, the creative economy and celebrating the possibility of business to improve the human condition.

THE ADVISERS

Anna Hanson PRESIDENT/MOORHEAD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

BIO The recently elected president of the Moorhead Business Association, Hanson brings a view of things from the other side of the river. A mother of four and a small business sales director herself, Hanson believes strongly in the ability to affect change when businesses and communities work collectively.

Q&A Why did you want to serve on the Editorial Advisory Board?

Honestly, I was interested in learning more. I wanted to learn more about where Fargo INC! was going. I love the idea of moving Fargo-Moorhead forward. I love the idea of bringing us to where we could be as a community. I was also obviously very interested in representing the Moorhead Business Association. I think we’re moving, growing, and changing, and I like to see that mission carried forward.

What do you see as the role of the advisory board?

I see the board as a group of people to bounces ideas off who can offer creative perspectives.

Fargo INC! being just one small cog in the wheel, making us a bigger and better whole.

Public Policy Priority "One of the things I am passionate about is border city legislation. Everything that’s good for Fargo is good for Moorhead and everything that’s good for Moorhead is good for Fargo. We’re all one local and regional economy."

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

Who do you see yourself giving a voice to?

The Moorhead Business Association, Bytespeed, a 35-year-old mother of four in the FM community.

Hanson’s Top Issues "The FM community is the land of opportunity. We need to cultivate our workforce and partner with our local universities to retain potential employees.

1

"I like the camaraderie of businesses banding together and being stronger as a group.

"Moorhead businesses face unique challenges on this side of the river. Together, I am confident that we can

deal with those head-on and continue to make positive changes."

2 "While I don't disagree with women having their own unique challenges in the workforce, I don't feel like being a woman is a disadvantage at all. I set in plenty of rooms where I am one of the few women at the table, but I don't feel that I'm sitting in those rooms because I'm female. I believe that I'm there because I worked hard and belong there."

Hanson used to teach self-defense and mixed martial arts (MMA) classes when she was younger.

33

Pat Traynor PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/DAKOTA MEDICAL FOUNDATION & IMPACT FOUNDATION

BIO Being the head of Dakota Medical Foundation, which trains and provides resources to hundreds of area nonprofits, Pat Traynor understands the economic impact of charities on the local economy. Sometimes overlooked as the vital part of the business community they are, nonprofits will have their seat at the table thanks to Traynor.

THE ADVISERS

Q&A Why was serving on the Fargo INC! Editorial Board important to you?

We want nonprofits to join together to solve some of our community’s issues so that it isn’t just one isolated nonprofit. We’re nothing as a foundation without all the groups and people we work with, such as donors, nonprofits and the media–groups like yours that can get information to the masses of our community.

Public Policy Priority "I think we should have greater incentives for charitable giving. We have some really good charitable giving incentives in North Dakota. Right now, it’s: if you give a $5,000 gift or more to an endowment at a charity or foundation, you get a 40 percent tax credit. I’d like to see that go down to $1,000. $5,000 takes everyone out. It’s just the ultra-wealthy who get that. But there are a lot more people who would stretch it to give $1,000."

I see the board as an opportunity for us to be involved with how we can inspire people to get engaged in the great work of nonprofits because there are so many great ones in our region. People might not even know the issues they’re working on. And the more people I can engage in that, the more successful we’ll become as a community at addressing those issues.

What’s the role of an advisory board, in your opinion?

I think our role is to keep things fresh. Giving you ideas, things to consider, issues no one’s covering that might take a little more time.

Each one of us brings special circumstances and experience to the table that we can use to enhance (the magazine). Your team might have a certain set of experiences that are quite broad and diverse, but we’ll have some that aren’t the same.

I think it’s also to help you think strategically about where you’re going with content and how it will be most useful for people. If you’re going to be good in any kind of business, you really need to have an ongoing way of being exposed to new information. So creating systems and processes that are continual for all of your team are really important avenues for continuing to keep yourselves educated and at the forefront, not trailing. In your industry, you want to be a leader. So I see us as a funnel of new information and a sounding board.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW…

Traynor’s Top Issues 1 "One would be the tremendous opportunity that exists with wealth transfer. There is a significant amount of wealth in the region that, if harnessed, could do so much good. And not just give it away but invest it with a purpose.

"So let’s say that we wanted to solve child sexual abuse–huge issue, giant issue–and need to shine a spotlight on it and need to assemble resources that aren’t just money. It’s the time, the talent, the people. And then generate significant awareness for it. And I’m just giving one example. It might be homelessness, housing, workforce. "$95 billion will be given to charity statewide from 2007-2061, and that’s a gigantic opportunity for North Dakota charities. We need to be making our cases known and building relationships

with families that have generated significant wealth through hard work and achievement and thriftiness."

2 "In my mind, health and wellness is a top issue. If we all just exercised a certain amount each day, we could prevent billions and billions of dollars being spent unnecessarily. And think what it would do for productivity and quality of life. That’s something I’d like to carry the banner for is physical activity, nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. And I think prevention is the key."

3 "The third one is volunteerism. What a great community we live in, but there are still a lot of people who aren’t engaged. And I think volunteerism is a fun, great way to engage on many levels. And it doesn’t need to be official.

It can just be going next door and helping your neighbor rake their lawn."

Traynor is an avid hunter but also a conservationist. He engages in projects in western North Dakota that restore wetlands and native grasses, which he says produces more ducks and wildlife.

35

NONPROFIT

A benevolent

BOUTIQUE

S

ometimes, giving a woman the confidence she needs to get back in the workplace is as simple as making sure she has a wardrobe to match. One area nonprofit is providing that and more to aspiring female professionals throughout the region.

"I started to cry," recalls Kathy Jorgenson, who still chokes up telling the story. "I remember that day well. When I got to try on those outfits and wear professional clothes again, it gave me so much power. I felt it was the change for me."

Jorgenson's reminiscing about the day last winter that she first visited Dress for Success Red River Valley's Downtown Fargo boutique.

She'd just landed a radio sales job at an area country station but realized something as she was preparing to re-enter the workplace for the first time in more than a year.

38

JUNE 2016

"When I got this new job, I looked at my wardrobe," Jorgenson says. "I had moved around quite a bit the last few years, and I didn't have any clothes. I just didn't. So I emailed (Dress for Success) and I thought, 'Well, I don't know if this is appropriate or not, but if it's not, they'll tell me.'"

The email made its way to Program Director Amanda Even, who says she gets these kinds of messages a lot.

"I think a lot of people have this idea of the type of people we serve," says Even,

whose organization is part of a worldwide network that provides professional attire and a variety of development services to women entering or re-entering the workforce. "And they think it's the homeless and only people in situations like that, but it's a lot of very educated, very capable, very polished women who just need a little boost."

And if there's anyone who fits that description to a T, it's Jorgenson.

Educated? She has an ag degree from Dickinson State University. Capable?

AMANDA EVEN Program Director, Dress for Success Red River Valley

through my door," Even says. "And they're walking in with their head down because they feel like they're worth nothing. And a lot of times, it's an abusive relationship or it's that person in their life or a boss they had who just keeps pushing them down and saying, 'You're a woman. You can't do this.

You're not good enough.'

"It's amazing the amount of powerful, professional, wonderful women who walk

"And you can look at someone like Kathy's rĂŠsumĂŠ and say, 'Wow, this is impressive.'

Dress for Success

BY THE NUMBERS

After college, she was one of only three women hired by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as a technician. Polished? She later spent a number of years as a public affairs specialist at that same organization, traveling around the state and promoting the agency on TV and radio.

144 20 Worldwide affiliates

Countries that Dress for Success is currently in

NONPROFIT

KATHY JORGENSON

BEFORE

she says. "But I've spent the last few years going from job to job and I just couldn't find my niche again. When I contacted Amanda, my self-esteem was pretty low. I just didn't think I could be professional again. I mean, I remembered being professional.

"Men, I think, always keep that ego, or whatever you want to call it. Where women, we can get dragged down. And if you get into a bad relationship with a man who puts you in a little pocket, our self-esteem can be really manipulated and fragile."

AFTER But if you're not carrying yourself in that way, it's hard to portray that to everyone else."

Jorgenson says that after some bad luck and a string of bad relationships left her with next to nothing and hundreds of miles away from her kids, she moved to Fargo in June 2015 to be closer to them and in hope of a fresh start.

"I don't know know how exactly to put this,"

28

Boxes of bras Dress for Success Red River Valley received as part of a corporate partnership with Vanity Fair magazine 40

JUNE 2016

One of the ways Dress for Success gets connected with its clients is through one of its 41 referral agencies scattered throughout the Red River Valley region.

"Anything from the YWCA to social services to job service, the referral agencies kind of act as a filter to send over to us the women who are looking for work or have just been hired and are in need of our services," Even explains.

41

Dress for Success Red River Valley referral agencies

That's exactly how Sharniece Wright found the agency.

After the National Guardswoman and Twin Cities native lost physical custody of her oldest child while caring for her sick mother in Georgia, she was forced to move back up north to try and get her daughter back.

"I drove up with my other kids, some clothes, toys and that's it," Wright says.

Wright ended up in Barnesville, Minn., with no job, few connections and nothing more to her name than what she brought in her car.

She was initially just looking for a local pantry, so she got in touch with someone at Hawley, Minn.-based REACH (Rural Enrichment Counseling Services)—the parent organization of Dress for Success Red River Valley—and was introduced to Even.

"I just looked up food places that were close by because Barnesville only had one that was open on Mondays," Wright says. "And I couldn't make it because we got there on a Tuesday and were in need of food. So I told the lady (at REACH) about my whole experience and how I was looking for work and daycare for the kids, and she told me about Dress for Success.

"You only have a certain time period where

you can find work and clothes, and all I had was pretty much jeans and t-shirts.

So she got Amanda involved, and we set up an appointment."

As Even explains, most background information about a client is gotten over the phone beforehand—including the extent of the services a client will require—and the initial in-person appointment is reserved for what's called a "suiting." A suiting consists of picking out a couple of outfits that a client can wear to interviews during the job search and is a chance for Even to prepare them for the interview itself in a more casual setting.

"One of the things people don't always realize when we're doing the suitings is that we ask interview questions and sneak some of that stuff in there," Even says. "And we try to do it in a friendly way so that they don't necessarily notice. Then, at the end of it, we can say, 'Oh, you know, those are some things they'll talk to you about in an interview.'"

Wright says she was initially skeptical— being offered a week's worth of clothes at no charge will do that to a person—but ultimately very grateful to Even and the organization. She even plans to volunteer once she gets on her feet.

00-28 Range of sizes offered at Dress for Success's Downtown Fargo location

NONPROFIT

SHARNIECE WRIGHT

NEXT LEADERSHIP

BEFORE

AFTER "(Dress for Success) really meant a lot to me because everywhere I've been, everything has been tight," Wright says. "I wish I would've been able to find it a lot sooner.

Because if you're wearing regular, everyday clothes to a job interview, that person will walk you right back out the door and you'll never hear from them again.

2

Area Dress for Success boutiques—one in Downtown Fargo and one in Hawley, Minn.

"I'm fighting for my daughter and I have two younger kids. You can't find this help a lot of places and being able to get it means a lot. And eventually, I want to get to a point where I can give back."

30

Percentage of donated clothes that still have the tags on them

MORE INFO

If you or someone you know is interested in Dress for Success Red River Valley's services, you can contact Program Director Amanda Even using the information below. You can also contact Even about any corporate or business partnerships.

Dress for Success Red River Valley redrivervalley.dressforsuccess. org 219 NP Ave. N, Fargo 701-478-8076 43

44

JUNE 2016

LEADERSHIP

Members age 40 and under connect with each other and the community through professional development, networking opportunities, special events and more for the purpose of expanding the YMCA’s Partner of Youth Annual Campaign, which is a scholarship program that raises more than $325,000 on average each year. All dollars raised by Partner of Youth go to scholarships for youth and provide children the opportunity to learn life skills through various activities.

Gleason was inspired to create Brighter Futures after she discovered that the majority of endowment fund donors for both the Y and for Partner of Youth were over the age of 40.

“Paul (Finstad, YMCA President) and I looked at our endowment, looked at Partner of Youth, and discovered that we have the opportunity to engage young donors in our mission.

We aren’t currently doing something to do that,” Gleason says. “I knew something had to be done and Paul said, 'Why don’t you start brainstorming?'”

The YMCA looked to the creative support of Impact Foundation and Director of Operations and Innovation Scott Holdman. Together with its sister foundation Dakota Medical Foundation works to help build the capacity of nonprofit organizations and generate solutions by teaching fundraising techniques and strategies, offering coaching sessions and

creating space for organizations to bring ideas to the table. Through these sessions, staff were able to devise a plan that focused on rethinking the YMCA's approach to gathering donors for the Y and Partner of Youth.

“One of the things that we wanted to come up with for the Y was working on how we get younger donors involved and younger people excited about the YMCA,” Holdman says. “It’s an incredible community benefit, but we have to translate that for a new generation of supporters.”

Brighter Futures launched in March with its first event Tap into Youth hosted at the Fargo Brewing Company. The local craft brewers donated $1 back to Brighter Futures

45

LEADERSHIP

want to stress the importance that this all ties back to our mission of youth development.”

NEXT

DOWNTOWN

The impact of Brighter Future’s mission to develop Partner of Youth’s scholarships was recognized by one very special boy, a seven-yearold named Mathias. Mathias is a scholarship recipient who loves swimming, playing video games and drinking coffee.

“I had a chance to visit with his mom.

I invited them to come to our kickoff meeting for Partner of Youth because she said that he was so inspired that somebody gave him money to go to camp that he wanted to return the favor," Gleason says.

Mathias had been saving his money all year and announced at the kickoff meeting that he was going to donate his full piggy bank to the Y. The piggy bank totaled the same $100 amount that is being encouraged of Brighter Future member donations for DMF matching.

“That is something that’s really stuck with me,” Gleason says. “This little kid saw the value in this camp experience and the dollars that community supporters had raised that he himself raised $100.”

for every pint sold. A family-friendly picnic in the park soon followed, with an event called Connecting with a Cause hosted at Lindenwood Park in Fargo.

“A goal of mine is to create events at different times so that we can hit various schedules, hobbies and interests," Gleason says. "All of our events are open to the community, so you don't have to fit into a specific age range. You just have to be someone who believes in the mission and wants to be involved.”

46

JUNE 2016

Entry into Brighter Futures is a yearly $100 donation to the campaign.

All of the membership dollars go directly toward supporting youth in the community. DMF will also be matching all Brighter Futures membership donations of $100 or more up to $5,000.

For young professionals interested in becoming Brighter Future members, contact Christie Gleason via phone or email. Or to learn more about the initiative or to fill out the short membership application, visit ymcacassclay.org/brighterfutures

“Our goal is to reach 50 members by the fall of 2016,” Gleason says.

“Your $100 donation could provide meals for one of our kids for a whole week or could possibly send a kid to camp for a whole week. That’s a life that you are changing. I just really

Christie Gleason

YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties Financial Development Coordinator christie.gleason@ymcacassclay.org 701-364-4120

DOWNTOWN

The old Carnegie Library June 7, 1893, Fargo Columbia Hotel at Roberts Street and Second Avenue looking southeast from Roberts Street entrance.

REIMAGININGRoberts Roberts development injects new parking, residential, and retail and dining experiences into Downtown Fargo

By Mike Allmendinger, General Manager, Kilbourne Group Renderings courtesy of Kilbourne Group Historic photos courtesy of NDSU Archives

48

JUNE 2016

K

Kilbourne Group believes vibrant downtowns create smart, healthy cities. Perhaps "vibrant" isn’t a typical descriptor of a parking garage.

Kicking off in June 2016, the Roberts Garage infill project will replace the surface lot of Second Avenue North and Roberts Street with a 458-stall garage. Yet you won’t even notice the parking.

Not only will the Roberts Garage project add to the downtown parking supply, it will create entirely new living, shopping and dining experiences in the downtown urban neighborhoods that are unique to Fargo.

DOWNTOWN

which has undergone a slow and steady transformation into a walkable pedestrian passage, with businesses opening alley entrances and artists beautifying the space. With events such as Alley Fair Christkindlmarkt, alley murals, and permission walls, Fargo has begun to value the spaces in between the buildings downtown and see their unique potential.

Kilbourne Group imagines Roberts Alley as a shopping, dining and tourist destination as photogenic as the fabulous Fargo Theatre marquis.

NEXT CREDIT UNION

The project expands the options of retail opportunities downtown by narrowing the depth of retail spaces.

Contrary to the typical, 120-footdeep retail spaces typically found in Downtown Fargo, the Roberts wrap will reduce a barrier to entry in the downtown retail market by offering smaller, more affordable space options along a pedestrian-focused retail corridor. These spaces will be attractive to unique, locally owned boutiques and food and beverage concepts that desire outdoor seating.

Roberts will essentially be a retail incubator for small enterprises that benefit from a brick-and-mortar presence in an exciting and growing retail hub.

The site of the project was once home to Fargo’s Carnegie Library, which was demolished in 1970 to create surface parking. The Roberts Garage infill project replaces this surface lot of 197 stalls with a 458-stall garage. The six-story, city-owned parking garage will be the first built in Downtown Fargo in more than a decade. It is designed to be bright, secure, convenient and highly utilized around the clock.

And here’s the twist: the garage will be wrapped on three sides by a privately owned, mixed-use project that increases walkability, enhances the street lifestyle, and adds to the

upbeat, artistic environment created by existing alley businesses. By injecting new residential, retail, and food and beverage experiences into downtown—a block off Broadway— the Roberts project will draw pedestrians and bicyclists into a funky new Fargo experience.

The redevelopment of Second Avenue North and Roberts Alley creates opportunities for a highly activated public realm, boutique shopping, café seating and an urban courtyard. This mix of uses creates a vibrant, highlyutilized 18-hour city.

The lot lies adjacent to Roberts Alley,

The mixed-use structure will include more than 70 residential units of varying sizes and price points.

The infusion of housing stock into downtown will help to meet growing demand and have a positive effect on the neighborhood’s housing affordability. Options will include studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. The units will attract renters who prioritize location and proximity to amenities in their housing decision. The units will be ideal for those who value walkability and bikeability.

Kilbourne Group is partnering with Collaborative Design Group, ESG Architects, Land Elements and MBN Engineering to make this project a reality. Construction on Roberts Garage is planned for June 2016-February 2017, construction on the Roberts mixed-use liner building from October 2016-September 2017.

These projects will be followed by the Kesler and Dillard mixed-use private developments to the south and north of Roberts Garage.

49

NICK WOODARD

Creditor-in FACES OF BUSINESS:

NICK WOODARD

By Nate Mickelberg Photography by Paul Flessland and courtesy of mycreditunion.gov 50

JUNE 2016

PRESIDENT & CEO/UNITED SAVINGS CREDIT UNION

NICK WOODARD

It seems like there's an outdated understanding of what a credit union is. How have they changed over the years?

n-chief

Nick Woodard: To use us as an example, we started out as a railroad credit union for Burlington Northern. So a group of employees got together, started a credit union and basically it was a way for people who worked for Burlington Northern to get loans.

It started out as that, but now over the past, I would say 25 years, credit unions have evolved from that employeebased model to what’s now called a community credit union. Where if you live within a 75-mile radius of Fargo, for example, you can be a member of the credit union. So you don’t have to work at Burlington Northern Railroad or Case IH or any of these other specific businesses. If you just live within a designated area or an immediate family member is a member of the credit union, you can become a member.

What exactly is the reason for having a geographic cutoff like that? Is it arbitrary?

Nick Woodard seated in the main conference room of United Savings’s Downtown Fargo branch. The building opened in mid-2015 at the corner of 10th Street and First Avenue and allows the credit union to better serve and create a better overall experience for its 4,500-plus members, he says.

N

ick Woodard climbed the ladder quickly. After just seven years working as a loan officer and manager at different financials in the area, the now-35-year-old agreed to become United Savings Credit Union’s president and CEO in early 2013. A head of company in his mid-30s is a rarity, to be sure, but Woodard says it’s allowed him to bring a younger, fresher perspective to a traditional industry and position the company to remain competitive for years to come. We sat down with Woodard to learn a little more about how credit unions have evolved, how they differ from banks and some current trends he’s seeing right now in commercial lending.

NW: It’s just an NCUA (National Credit Union Administration) guideline. NCUA is our governing body. Like the banks have FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). We have to get what’s called a charter and that charter states that this can be your membership base.

Each credit union has a different way of how people can be members. There’s still employeebased ones and then there’s the ones that, depending on the community you’re in, it kind of moves around. Those rules are all kind of fluidly changing right now, but for us, we can do a 75mile radius of Fargo.

READ MORE 51

NICK WOODARD PROGRAMS

Frequently cited pros

NEXT

Credit Unions: Pros and Cons

- Lower interest rates

- Nonprofit status fosters a member-first mentality - Fewer and cheaper fees - Lower minimum balances

Frequently cited cons - Eligibility difficulties - Less competitive in rewards market for people who pay off balances each month - Not able to make same kind of investments that bigger banks can

Are credit unions able to make the same kind of investments as banks?

Nick Woodard President & CEO United Savings Credit Union

what are some of the main differences between credit unions and better-known financials such as banks?

NW: One of the advantages of a credit union is that you’re a member, which means that you have the same voting rights as any other member.

In order to become a member of the credit union, you have to pay what’s basically a membership fee. For us, it’s a one-time $25 fee and that makes you an official member. Then, when we have our annual meeting or anything else, you have the exact same voting rights that I do, whether you have $5 or $5,000 with us.

Then, at the end of the year, we invest our profits in technology and new services. We’re not paying a big dividend to a select few people.

For instance, in the last couple years, we’ve made investments in technology. We’ve added different products and services. With a credit 52

JUNE 2016

union our size, you don’t really see them offering things such as Apple Pay or remote deposit capture, to name a couple. We also have a mobile app now. We invested in a new building. Those things cost quite a bit of money, but we’re able to, with our profits, invest in different things like that.

I’d say another advantage is that no matter what your financial picture is and whether you have a lot or a little, your voting right is the same as anyone else’s. We have local decisionmaking. We know our members.

When they come in, we have people who will sit down with us for 45 minutes, they tell us about their kids.

We know their financial picture and we make a decision based on the person and not necessarily the credit score.

That’s not to say we don’t use the credit score, but I think we have more of that more small-town feel.

NW: It really depends on the size of the credit union. As far as consumer loans and what we do with our investments, we’re very conservative.

Banks can buy things like mortgagebacked securities. And we can do that, too, but we choose not to just because we’re very conservative. But pretty much the same.

What about on the commercial side? Can you compete in that arena?

NW: We do have commercial lending, and some other larger credit unions do, too. We can do most of the same loans that big banks can, but due to economies of scale, we obviously couldn’t do something like a hospital.

What are some trends you’re seeing on the commercial side right now?

NW: Multi-family housing is huge for the commercial side. We’ve done a lot of investments in it. There’s ag, but that’s kind of struggling right now since farmers have had a tough couple of years. We don’t deal too

much with that ourselves, but i know some of the larger credit unions in the region do. But that industry is tough right now.

Anything out west is slowing down, and I think it’s an opportunity for everyone to catch their breath a little bit. So maybe the slowdown isn’t terrible in the short term so that we can kind of reevaluate where everything is at.

The housing market in FargoMoorhead has been strong for some time. Do you see that continuing?

NW: The housing market is still fantastic. You see construction going on everywhere, and building permits are still staying strong. And this is all pre-(new Sanford) hospital opening up, and so I think this trend is going to continue for the next couple years here, where you’re going to see more development, more multifamily, more single-family popping around town, especially in South and West Fargo. I live on the Minnesota side, and where I live, we’re seeing new schools being built and subdivisions popping up.

Do you see that bubble popping at any point?

still, ‘I have to belong to a specific employer’ or I don’t understand the credit union philosophy’ or ‘I don’t know how to become a member.’ And it’s a stigma that we’ve been working really hard, both regionally and nationally, to fight.

Do you think being a younger CEO has afforded you any particular advantages?

NW: We’re always trying to attract a younger membership base, so I guess me being 35, I kind of have an idea of what the younger generation is looking for. I feel like I can explain the benefits of a credit union to a 20-something and say, ‘We’re not for profit. We’re a cooperative,’ and they get it. I think I’m also forward-thinking.

I want our credit union to be around for the next 25 or 30 years, and so I’m trying to position us to do whatever we can to be relevant.

One disadvantage would be that a CEO who’s been around 25-30 years has seen a lot more economic upturns and downturns than I’ve seen, like in the early 80s when a house loan interest rate was 12.5 percent, but you could also get a CD at 12 or 13 (percent). I haven’t had the chance to experience those types of things.

NW: I don’t think so. We have so much diversity of industry in town and three major colleges. We have technology, manufacturing, large employers such as TMI Hospitality and Microsoft. And then the Microsoft hub has brought in all these other little technology companies.

For the region, it’s either Fargo or MInneapolis. I grew up in the lakes area, and I don’t necessarily want to be in Frazee because there’s just not as much opportunity.

From a marketing perspective, is the biggest challenge just getting people to realize that credit unions are an option?

NW: Yes. And we’re not a new concept. Credit unions have been around since the early 1900s. But I think we’ve evolved into a place for people of modest means to get financial assistance, a financial alternative in an area where there’s so much competition.

I think the perception out there is

To learn even more about credit unions and if they’re right for you, visit mycreditunion.gov

MORE INFO

United Savings Credit Union unitedsavingscu.org 1001 1st Ave. N, Fargo 701-235-2832

PROGRAMS

INTERNS,

UNITE!

BY MARISA JACKELS Lead Writer & Social Media Manager, Emerging Prairie PHOTOS BY Paul Flessland and J. Alan Paul Photography

54

JUNE 2016

I

t started with a simple mission: connecting interns. First at local coffee shops and in impromptu hangouts and conversations. Those meetings led to the formation of an intern network with students who are now in entrepreneurial programs at Stanford, studying at Harvard and working in politics in Washington, D.C. The original organizers, Emerging Prairie Cofounder Greg Tehven and Annie Wood, saw the magic happening.

connect interns with each other and the community. The model she uses is one developed in the mid-90s called the Social Change Model of Leadership.

“There’s potential here,” Tehven told Wood in early 2015. “We just need to give it a little more structure.”

With that model as a guide, the program is now split into sections of either two or three weeks dedicated to self, team and community development.

The first three weeks focus on self discovery, featuring interactive activities and challenges (AKA homework) such as taking the MeyersBriggs test.

Wood, Emerging Prairie’s program director, then constructed and launched what is now the Internship Experience Program, an eight week program designed to

“It’s based on the concept that leadership is a process and not a position,” Wood says. “It’s getting rid of the idea that you have to have a title to be a leader. Instead, it says leadership is much more about how you understand yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, and then how you fit into a team.”

PROGRAMS OFFICE NEXT Often going through this process with other interns helps them get over feelings of Imposter Syndrome, Wood says.

“In those first couple weeks, they often feel like they have no idea what they’re doing or are totally unqualified,” she says. “Being around other people in the same situation helps them get over that.”

The team aspect focuses on how those personal characteristics play into a team dynamic. This is often helpful with getting interns over the awkwardness of joining a group of new people, Wood says. They ask questions such as how to ask a supervisor for days off, how to communicate with teammates, and how to bring out the best in themselves and others.

They then take that and apply it to the broader picture: the community.

“For an intern, you’re part of a company,” Wood says.

“But you’re also a part of this entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Each section is punctuated with a keynote speaker who is an expert in the field. Last

56

JUNE 2016

year, included former Microsoft executive Doug Burgum, who is an open advocate for the need for an intern network in the community.

“Right now, there are over 20,000 jobs open in North Dakota,” Burgum says. “We’re in a position for the first time where … we’re not producing enough people to fill all the jobs that we have. Having an engaging and communitybuilding experience for interns is one of the most important things we can do.”

Attracting interns to Fargo is certainly an objective of the program, especially as many interns are Fargo natives returning home from out-ofstate schools or newcomers who have never lived or worked in the city.

“It's helping them see Fargo

as a viable place to build their career once they've graduated,” Wood says.

A big part of that attraction, however, is measured by what happens outside of the weekly coffee meetups. Last summer, a group of interns discovered a shared love of tacos and designed a Taco Tour, wherein they hit up downtown taco joints in an epic taco-hopping dinner. Another group went to TEDxFargo together, and others would sit together at events like 1 Million Cups or Startup Drinks.

After all, as anyone who’s ever been someplace new can attest, sometimes it’s just about having someone to sit with.

Wood remembers this from her own internship in Minneapolis.

“I didn’t actually have that many connections in my internship because I would work all day and then come home. If I had somewhere I could have met a group of people who were all doing the same things, it would have made a big difference,” she says. “To have people to do things with is actually a huge part of people feeling at home in a community.”

Last year, the program had about 40 interns with more who joined along the way as they heard about it. This summer, there are already well over 50 people committed, Wood says, and she expects to have around 60-75 students by the time the program starts in June. Learn more and sign up at emergingprairie.com/ intern-experience-fargo

OFFICE

OFFICE VIBES

InterOffice Workspace Furniture & Design

The Living Office

L

et’s do some quick word association. If I say ‘landscape,’ what do you think of? A prairie sunset? A snow-capped mountain range? Aubree Leiser would like to add ‘office’ to your mental photo bank.

Leiser is the manager and an interior designer at InterOffice Workspace Furniture & Design, a commercial furniture and design firm in Downtown Fargo that prides itself on creating highly personal, customized workspaces for a variety of industries, and she wants her clients to take a step back and view their spaces more holistically using an approach called Living Office.

“Living Office is where you look at the office as a landscape,” she explains.

“And look at it as all the employees being different and working differently.

There are different settings where you might have meetings in what’s known as a Plaza or a Hive. You might have it in a Haven. So you look at your office as a whole and you put all these little pieces together. That’s what Living Office is.”

Leiser showed us around InterOffice’s own workspace, which doubles as a working showroom, to give us a look at a Living Office in action.

InterOffice Workspace Furniture & Design

By Nate Mickelberg • Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography 58

JUNE 2016

505 Broadway N, Fargo

701-232-3013

interofficefargo.com

Aubree Leiser Manager & Interior Designer, InterOffice Workspace Furniture & Design

OFFICE

InterOffice is the commercial-focused sister company of Northern Home Furniture, sharing a downtown space with them since 2001 and the North Broadway building since 2006.

Leiser explains one of the main ways InterOffice’s approach differs from more traditional furniture store models: “What we do is we will go out and meet with the end-user ourselves and then will come back and draw and price everything up ourselves. We kind of take out that middle man, and the communication is a little better because we don’t lose the details of the project.”

While InterOffice offers more than 100 brands to its customers, Herman Miller is the main furniture line they deal with. The 100-plus-year-old, Michigan-based manufacturer accounts for roughly 80 percent of InterOffice’s sales and is the company that developed the Living Office concept. Leiser says Herman Miller has been at the forefront of human-centric design for decades.

Leiser: “This here is a nice collaboration area. You like to have these types of things throughout your space, so that you can have group meetings. We have a lot of reps who come in and show us new furniture, so it’s nice to have the flexibility to have lots of people meeting here at the same time.

“And then there are different heights. We have lounge pieces, we have taller spots where you can perch and still be in the same meeting. Variety is the key.”

59

Leiser: “When we have clients who come in here, they can see actual systems being put to use by us. And so it’s a really good example for them because then they can touch and feel before they actually purchase anything. Like with seating, for example, people often don’t understand the benefits of actually coming in and sitting in a chair for even 10 seconds. Though it is tough, at times, because we have to keep it so neat and tidy.”

Leiser says that while standing and height-adjustable workstations have been in vogue for a few years now, they’ve only recently become affordable for the majority of people and companies thanks to an influx of options into the market.

“It’s just like electronics. The price is coming down, and we’re getting more and more people coming in and asking for them.”

If standing isn’t for you—and Leiser adds that isn’t for some people— InterOffice offers another, if slightly different, departure from traditional seating.

“This is a new concept. Most of the time when you’re sitting at your desk, you lean into your computer and are hunched over. This, on the other hand, is mind, body, spirit. This chair and desk came out together, and it’s so that you lean back, open up your lung capacity, and are more productive because you get more oxygen and your computer comes to you.

“Then, you also have a footrest underneath to put your feet on and you can just relax. And then when you’re done, you just push the desk back in.”

OFFICE Leiser: “We use AutoCAD for a lot of our planning and then we also have what’s called Z-AXIS, which allows us to draw in 3D. And that also does all the specifying for our furniture and basically counts all the parts and pieces. And then, you can go into 2D and if you just wanted to see one section, you can do that.”

Leiser: “There are a lot of offices out there that have technology and processes that are made for previous eras. And the culture is changing. There are a lot of workers out there who don’t necessarily work in an office all the time.

“They’re on their phones, they’re on iPads, they’re on different mobile units. And they can work from home or a coffee shop. We’re seeing a lot of companies that maybe don’t have assigned seating for their staff. They just have a touchstone space. And they can come in, do what they need to do for an hour, and then go back out and do all their other work.

“This one here is more like a Haven. If someone needs to go and make a personal phone call and kind of get out of the commotion, having an area like this in an office is good.”

The standing phenomenon, if you want to call it that, has moved beyond just individual workstations.

Beyond the physical benefits that standing meetings provide, there’s a psychological aspect to them, too, Leiser says.

“If you were doing a presentation over here on the marker board and you had everybody at standing height, you’re all eye-level and you’re not talking down to people,” she explains. “We're seeing a lot more standing-height conference rooms and meeting spaces.”

61

OFFICE SOFTWARE NEXT Showing off one of the more clever designs in the space, Leiser explains how multifunctionality has become a big part of their offerings. This desk setup not only serves as a workspace, it quadruples as a divider, storage cabinet and loveseat.

Perhaps the crown jewel of the InterOffice space is the south-and west-facing conference room. With tabletop seating for eight, it’s not the biggest one in town, but then again, it doesn’t have to be to serve their staff of five designers and salespeople. And the view’s not too bad either.

While InterOffice deals primarily with more traditional office spaces, they also serve some more niche commercial furniture sectors such as healthcare and education. They even sell pieces and parts for laboratories.

62

JUNE 2016

You can count them yourself if you’d like, but suffice it to say there is no shortage of fabric options in the InterOffice catalogue.

Whether you’re coming or going, you can’t miss the black lounger near the entrance.

It’s called the Eames Lounge Chair and it’s a Herman Miller original. Often imitated but never duplicated, the Eames is an iconic piece in the commercial furniture world.

SOFTWARE

SOFTWARE (AS A SERVICE)

O

SUPPORT

nsharp President Joe Sandin and Codelation CEO Josh Christy have both built successful Fargo tech companies, so they know what it takes.

Whether it's securing capital, hiring, or marketing, they understand the endless frustrations and growing pains that are part and parcel of growing a business. Knowing the challenges is not the same as having all the answers, though, and that's why they've joined forces to bring together other SaaS business owners in the FM area.

If you think you've never heard of SaaS, you almost certainly have, if by a different name. SaaS, or software as a service, is one of the many branches of the tree known as cloud computing, and is the predominant delivery model for many business applications, including management and payroll software and content management systems, among countless others.

Sandin and Christy have both recently launched new SaaS ventures and are both active in the FM tech community, and after running into each other at various functions and scratching the surface of some shared challenges they were running into, they decided they wanted to dive a little deeper

Q & A

and thought others might, too.

They cofounded Fargo SaaS Meetup, a biweekly meetup for fellow SaaS entrepreneurs who are interested in troubleshooting both problems and solutions in a group setting. They've already added two other members to the group in Harvest Profit Owner Nick Horob and Sky Blue Technology CEO Kari Peterson and are actively looking for more owners to join them.

We caught up with the two of them before one of their recent sessions to ask them a few questions about the meetup and to whom it might appeal.

What was the reason you guys wanted to organize this meetup?

Joe Sandin: Josh and I, through seeing each other at different events, would always chitchat about what we're doing, and the last time, we were like, 'We should just have a time on the

64

JUNE 2016

books every couple weeks where we can sit down.' Because there are so many things that I'm trying, Josh is trying, Nick is trying, Kari is trying. So it's being able to share the knowledge of what's working for me, what's working for you, what's not working. So that we can avoid the same mistakes.

BY Nate Mickelberg PHOTOGRAPHY BY Paul Flessland

SOFTWARE

Fargo SaaS Meetup Cofounders Joe Sandin (left) and Josh Christy (right) 65

SOFTWARE

Sandin and Christy's new SaaS products Posterboard (Sandin)

NEXT

Booth (Christy)

Booth is a small business phone system that allows you to route calls to the correct employee. It even syncs with existing applications such as Google calendar. trybooth.com

Give us some idea of how the meetup's time is spent.

Do you guys spend a lot of time troubleshooting technical problems?

Sandin: The big thing is actually marketing. Like: what are you doing with generating leads or trials? Where are you finding customers? A lot of it is sales and marketing advice. Josh and I are both pretty techie, so we don't necessarily need to share a lot of technical stuff. It's more like, 'You've got an offering.

You're trying to create a stable source of revenue. What are you doing to get customers?'"

That's really every SaaS's problem is, once you get your product out there—and there are so many products being invented every day competing for people's attention—you could have the best product in the world, but if you can't figure out how to get eyeballs on it, it can really be a struggle to get going.

What are some other shared issues you're all running into?

Sandin: For me, I think of things like building a mailing list. In the SaaS world, a lot of your communication is email communication and marketing.

So how do you build a mailing list of people who are interested in what you have to say? In the SaaS world, you don't create a mailing list just to sell to people.

You create a mailing list around an area of expertise.

With Josh, for example, he builds a mailing list—topics, information, advice—around virtual phone systems. If he can be a resource for people and

CHAMBER

Posterboard is a real-time social media aggregator. People at an event or in an office can post tweets with a specific hashtag(s), and Posterboard will assemble them in one place. Unlike an individual’s Twitter feed, though, everyone’s seeing the same stream, and the shelf life for the posts is considerably longer. posterboard.com

help them do their work better and be more efficient, then hopefully they'll see how his product can be a part of saving time and money. Versus him just emailing people and saying, 'Hey, sign up for our product now! Buy, buy, buy!' Less sales-y and more of a giver's mentality.

It's also trying to figure out what verticals to go after. With my product, Posterboard, it could be applicable to anyone, anywhere. Because we're digital social display in an office setting is our niche. Well that could be all over the place. So we're trying to figure out whether to go after doctors or dentists. Do we go after people doing events?

There are so many places you can focus your time.

How are you structuring the meetup?

Josh Christy: We've only had a few so far, so we're still trying to figure that out. But I could see it being: bring in one thing you tried that worked well, I'll bring in one thing I tried that worked well and we'll both bring in something we tried that didn't work out. Really thinking about

MORE INFO If you're interested in attending the Fargo SaaS Meetup, you can contact Josh Christy or Joe Sandin directly. The group meets every other Tuesday from 10 a.m. - noon at Babb's Coffee House in Downtown Fargo.

it as a 12-step support group for people who are trying to find a way to take their sales process from manual selling to online.

And that's what we're fighting for right now is how you start to scale something that you're getting a little traction in.

Sandin: Trying to build an engine where you don't feel like you have to individually sell every customer. You can get people hearing about what you're doing, coming in and starting to try the product without you having to speak to them.

Could you kind of quantify what kind of business owner you guys are looking for to join the meetup?

Christy: I'd say anyone who launched some form of a SaaS product and who's in the acquisition phase, versus someone who just has an idea, doesn't know who they're going to have develop it yet or if they're going to be able to get it done. There are other avenues for people in that stage of the process. I'm always willing to chat for a half hour, though, with someone who is just kind of getting going.

Josh Christy josh@codelation.com 866-572-6337 ex. 500

Joe Sandin joe@onsharp.com 701-356-9010

67

CHAMBER NEXT

NETWORKING

YOUR VOICE YOUR VOTE

By Craig Whitney ⸋ Photo by J. Alan Paul Photography

E

lection years are always an exciting time for our communities, states and nation. It’s a time to exercise our democratic right to voice our opinion and be heard. As we begin this election season with a primary election on June 14, I urge all members of the community to do your research on candidates and voice your opinion through voting at the polls.

Public policy is a strong pillar in the foundation of our chamber. We aim to provide educational opportunities to our members to ensure that they are able to engage with candidates and create the most informed decision. With this mission in mind, we have a few great opportunities coming up to connect candidates with the people.

On Wednesday, June 1, The Chamber, in partnership with WDAY, hosted the North Dakota Republican Gubernatorial Primary Debate. The 2016 race for governor is extremely important as the state continues to grow, prosper and face new challenges. The debate was be broadcast live on WDAY’Z Xtra, live streamed on the WDAY and Forum websites, and broadcast live on WDAY radio. We encouraged all our members, and individuals in the community and state to tune in and join the conversation.

While tickets to the event were only available to a limited number of each of the candidates’ campaigns, we’re excited to offer the entire conversation on air

68

JUNE 2016

throughout the state of North Dakota for all to see.We now look forward to the primary election on June 14, as well as the general election in November.

Another great opportunity is the City Commission Candidate Cracker Barrel.

On Thursday, June 9, at 8 a.m., we will be hosting city commission candidates at the Hjemkomst Center to meet with Chamber members about their visions when it comes to their campaigns for city commissioner seats. Attendees will meet with candidates in a small group setting to encourage discussion on key city policy. Candidates running for Fargo City Commission will be in attendance, and West Fargo City Commission candidates have been invited to participate. If you are interested in attending, please register on our website at fmwfchamber.com.

The Fargo City Commission race is a critical one for our community. We must continue the progress that has been made for more than six years on the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion. This project has been studied by many experts, engineers and the Corps of Engineers, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recently released their final Environmental Impact Study.

They said that although they reviewed many suggested alternatives to the project, the FM Diversion is the only project that will save thousands from potential catastrophic flooding. The Chamber feels that the next two Fargo

city commissioners need to be strong supporters of the FM Diversion, and we encourage all Fargo citizens to take advantage of voter education opportunities to create an informed decision.

Craig Whitney is the president and CEO of the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce.

We are excited to be able to host these key public policy engagement events for our members and the community and look forward to continuing to provide an avenue for our members to be engaged in the election process with the candidates who are running. We are committed to providing the best opportunities for members to learn about candidates and about the election process. Please consider joining us for these great events.

FMWF Chamber of Commerce fmwfchamber.com 202 1st Ave. N, Moorhead 218-233-1100

NETWORKING

The best in

BUSINESS L

ast month, about 800 people gathered at the Ramada Plaza & Suites for the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce's ChamberChoice Awards. This annual event honors the best of the best in business and winners are selected from a list of nominees. To become nominated, businesses must fill out an extensive entry form. Winners were selected by a panel of unbiased judges. Fargo INC! would like to say congratulations to the winners of this year's ChamberChoice Awards. Photography by Paul Flessland

Chamber President & CEO Craig Whitney welcomes everybody to the event and congratulates the nominees and winners.

Not featured: Congrats to Eric Newell of Stoneridge Software for winning the Entrepreneur of the Year award and to Healing Arts Chiropractic for winning the People’s Choice Award.

70

JUNE 2016

Nationally renowned comedian James Cunningham was the emcee of this year's event. He is the host of the Canadian TV show Eat St. and speaks at numerous chamber events around the country.

Dorothy Day House of Hospitality won the Small Not-for-Profit of the Year award. This nonprofit offers a food pantry and an emergency shelter for homeless men. From 2010-2014, the number of visits increased an astounding 541 percent, which shows the need of the organization.

STARTUPS

For more information on the ChamberChoice Awards, go to fmchamber.com/chamberchoice/index.php

Gate City Bank accepted the award for Young Professionals Best Place to Work. With their young staff, fun culture, and focus on community involvement, Gate City Bank has earned a reputation as a great place to work for young professionals.

NEXT

The Rape & Abuse Crisis Center of FargoMoorhead won the Notfor-Profit of the Year award.

Providing crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling and prevention education services for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse, the Rape & Abuse Crisis Center served nearly 3,000 victims in 2014.

NETWORKING

In an impassioned speech, Nick Killoran, owner of Great North Insurance, accepted the award for Small Business of the Year.

Because of all the work that AE2S is doing with water in the FM area, including helping with the construction of the new Fargo water treatment plant and providing clean water to West Fargo, Eric Dodds accepted the award for Business of the Year on behalf of Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services Inc.

73

STARTUPS

10

startup spotlight

Nutritious, delicious, ambitious tidbits about Power Plate Meals

If you've driven down Ninth Street in West Fargo lately, you may have noticed a giant green fork nestled between the facades of Domino's and Maxwells. That's the new storefront of Power Plate Meals, a West Fargo food startup that wants to make healthy dining more accessible for everyone.

From the most serious of bodybuilders to the most average of Joes, Power Plate is aiming to make grabbing a great tasting, sub-400-calorie meal as easy and affordable as that greasy burger and fries. Here are 10 things we think you should know about the clean-eating restaurant that opened earlier this year.

74

JUNE 2016

By Nate Mickelberg Photos by J. Alan Photography and Paul Flessland & courtesy of Power Plate Meals

STARTUPS

0 1

Now engaged, Power Plate cofounders Seth Houkom, 26, and Haylee Swanson, 24, both went to West Fargo High School—a school of just under 1,500 students—at the same time but never actually met until after they graduated. Even more strange, Swanson's locker was two stalls down from Houkom's younger sister, whom she says she knew well.

0 2

Before launching Power Plate in January 2016, Houkom and Swanson were competitive bodybuilders. The two spent months training and traveling together around the Midwest and the country competing in the same bodybuilding shows.

Swanson says that while she's always been health and fitnessconscious, she wasn't sure at first that it was something she wanted to do competitively.

Power Plate Meals Cofounders Seth Houkom (left) and Haylee Swanson (right)

"(Seth) asked me if I'd ever want to do it," Swanson says. "And I was a dancer and did know what it was like to be on stage, so that part didn't bother me. It was being out there in a bikini. But then the more we got to lifting and doing things together, I was like, 'Alright, let's do it.'"

Their tour culminated in Pittsburgh, where Houkom competed in nationals and then popped the question to his thengirlfriend and training partner.

75

STARTUPS

0 3

Power Plate Meals is actually the couple's second entrepreneurial venture. Previous to the cleaneating restaurant, the two owned and operated an online gym and loungewear apparel shop called Limitless Fitness. While the e-commerce store was really more of something they did on the side—they both held other jobs while running Limitless—they built a significant 15,000-plususer Instagram following with the brand and were shipping to people all over the world.

Houkom says that Limitless Fitness was in some ways a test run for their new full-time operation.

"We both had a passion for health and fitness and knew that we wanted to start a company together," he says, adding that clothing was a safe way to dip their toes into the health and fitness world waters. "It gave us experience dealing with customers, how to deal with upset people, website stuff, social media. We learned how to market online and do things ourselves."

0 4

While Power Plate officially opened for business the first week of 2016, it was a nearly nine-month process from the time they first had the idea to the day it become a reality. There was licensing, branding, sourcing, health inspections, finding a location, marketing, promotion, more health inspections, and they were doing 76

JUNE 2016

All Power Plate meals use only a handful of ingredients— their pizza crust, for example, is made using oatmeal, flax seed and egg—and contain around 350-400 calories.

Their current best-seller is their turkey meatballs.

all of this at night while working their full-time jobs during the day.

0 5

Houkom and Swanson say they see a lot of parallels between bodybuilding and entrepreneurship. Both require a certain kind of individual who is, almost invariably, passionate, disciplined and willing to make the kinds of sacrifices necessary to realize their goal(s).

"I've seen some of my friends

who are very serious about competing," Houkom says.

"And they seem like they are the ones who are dedicated to other things, too. Because they have that work ethic, and it can relate to other things."

Swanson adds that while they've always had a great deal of support from family and friends, whether it was bodybuilding or now with their new business, it's harder for some more than others to relate.

STARTUPS NEXT

CALENDAR

When Houkom (left) and Swanson (right) competed in bodybuilding competitions, their body fat composition hovered around five percent and 10 percent, respectively.

80 percent of our clientele is them. It's moms, it's families, it's businesspeople. If we just served bodybuilders, it would've been a hobby job doing 80-100 meals a week."

0 8

"When we started (Power Plate), my mom was like, 'Can't you guys just not do something?'"

Swanson says. "'Can't you guys just be engaged and be normal 20-somethings?'"

0 6

While neither Houkom nor Swanson has any kind of formal cooking training, their extensive experience preparing their own meals during their bodybuilding days has allowed them to do all their own cooking at Power Plate.

"We're very passionate about food," says Houkom, adding that the duo uses only the highestquality meats and local and organic ingredients wherever possible. "It's something we really, truly care about. We used to spend our Sundays just prepping for the week because that's what we like to do. It's fun to us.

"I've always been able to come up with recipes and just kind of find something I like and that comes easily to me. Really, what 78

JUNE 2016

we try to do is find something that people would want to eat every day, something we would want to eat, like macaroni or pizza. And then we make that but healthy, clean and in the right calorie range for the average person.

"People always try our stuff and are like, 'It tastes like it's homemade.' That's because it is."

0 7

The couple says that they knew from the beginning that a significant portion of their customer base was going to have to be regular, everyday people in order for Power Plate to be a viable business.

"We always kind of joked that if we could get the general public to eat it, we don't need to worry about the bodybuilder," Houkom says. "Because we'll eat plain chicken and rice for three months.

"And that's exactly what happened. The general public is coming through the door.

Houkom says that while he understands that a big part of the appeal of Power Plate Meals is the healthy, properly portioned menu options, he believes that the initial success they've had is due to the fact that they've figured out a way to make this type of food more convenient and actually taste good.

"There's a lady who buys meals from us every week," he says.

"She goes, 'You literally give me more time for my kids because now my husband and I don't have to meal prep.' They come in and buy 20-30 meals every week, and now she can cook for her kids and doesn't have to worry about herself or what she's going to have for dinner.

"We've had a lot of positive reviews on Facebook that say things like, 'I'm a busy college student. This helps me.' Or 'I'm a busy single mom.' Or 'I'm a busy ______ and this help me.'"

0 9

While Power Plate meals can be bought in bulk and picked up each week, if you're just looking for a quick lunch or dinner option, you might be excited to know that the most expensive menu item they offer is $8.50, with the majority of the 10 options they currently offer costing $7.50.

1 0

When Power Plate opened earlier this year, they were one of the roughly 30 companies that shared the Square One rental kitchen space in Downtown Fargo. And when Square One suffered a serious fire in early February, they were one of the more than two dozen businesses forced to try and pick up the pieces.

"It was a blessing in disguise because it pushed us to where we are now," says Swanson, who says that while their business was new enough that it didn't cripple them financially, they still lost thousands of dollars in equipment and inventory in the blaze. "Square One, in general, we wouldn't be where we are without it. We were with Casey

MORE INFO

(Steele, owner of Square One) every single day.

"She helped us and was like a mentor. She showed us the dos and don'ts, ways to go faster. She taught us a lot of stuff. Plus, her facility in general helped us build ours. With the layout, we would've had no clue how to do anything without her.

"Seeing her like that when Square One burned down, though—she became like a friend to us and we knew how much that place meant to her."

Power Plate Meals powerplatemeals.com 1380 9th St. E, Ste. 605, West Fargo 701-429-7076

CALENDAR Photos courtesy of FMWF Chamber of Commerce, Emerging Prairie, Nick Friesen, MSUM and United Way of Cass-Clay

BUSINESS EVENTS

CALENDAR

JUNE 2016

2016 3 DRONEFOCUS Wednesday, June 1, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

MILLION CUPS FARGO 1 1Every Wednesday, 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.

Join the vibrant entrepreneurial community of Fargo-Moorhead and Emerging Prairie by participating in an event filled with guest speakers, tons of coffee, ideas and excellent networking opportunities.

1millioncups.com/fargo The Stage at Island Park 333 4th St. S, Fargo

EXPERIENCE PROGRAM 2 INTERN June 1-August 5 (weekly sessions)

Interns are awesome and Emerging Prairie wants to give them the best experience of their life. That’s why they started the Intern Experience Program. It gets interns to know each other and the Fargo-Moorhead community. The eight-week program is open to interns working for any organization. Participating interns are put into small groups for weekly sessions that focus on developing soft skills, fostering friendships among the interns and engaging them in the community. In addition, there are also four large group sessions where interns hear from leaders in the community. The end result is a summer-long experience that has a lasting impact on all who participate. Cost is $150 per intern. Registration required. emergingprairie.com/intern-experience-fargo

80

JUNE 2016

As North Dakota continues to gain recognition as The Drone State, the world is taking notice. Last December, a front page feature in the New York Times labeled North Dakota as a “Silicon Valley for drones.” This year, speakers and attendees are flying in from around the globe to take part in the growth happening right here.

This is the ultimate event to meet and share insight with those who are building this industry together. Speakers will include North Dakota Senator John Hoeven and Shark Tank-funded xCraft. dronefocus2016.eventbrite.com The Stage at Island Park 333 4th St. S, Fargo

STARTUP DRINKS 4 Wednesday, June 1, 5:30 - 7 p.m.

A perfect way to kick off your DroneFocus experience: engaging conversations, connections and communitybuilding. That’s what Emerging Prairie’s monthly Startup Drinks is all about. This event is open to all people with an interest or involvement in the startup community in the Red River Valley region. There’s a cash/credit bar of wine and beer and just good times in general. emergingprairie.com/events The Stage at Island Park 333 4th St. S, Fargo

5

WORKPLACE CONFLICT: MANAGING AWKWARD MOMENTS

Wednesday, June 8, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Eric Piela, VP of marketing & customer engagement at Summit Group Software, will help attendees identify the awkward conversations that are holding you back from achieving the results you want. Understand your motivations and the impact of your actions within the workplace and learn communication skills to navigate difficult discussions.

Registration includes lunch and is $25 per person in advance and $35 at the door for Chamber members and $45 in advance and $55 at the door for non-members. fmwfchamber.com Ramada Plaza & Suites and Conference Center 1635 42nd St. S, Fargo

6 ONBOARDING EMPLOYEES: WHAT’S MY ROLE AS A MANAGER?

Wednesday, June 8, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Jane Pettinger, assistant professor of management at the Paseka School of Business at MSUM, will share what actions to take to make a new employee feel welcome, assist in their learning job tasks and organizational expectations, and gain insight into the processes that impact employee retention. Registration includes lunch and is $25 per person in advance and $35 at the door for Chamber members and $45 in advance and $55 at the door for non-members. fmwfchamber.com Ramada Plaza & Suites and Conference Center 1635 42nd St. S, Fargo

7

EGGS & ISSUES: COMMUNITY SAFETY UPDATE

Tuesday, June 7, 7:30 - 9 a.m.

Almost one year ago, nearly 130 Chamber members heard a detailed report on community safety in our area from our three area police chiefs: Chief David Ebinger, City of Moorhead; Chief Mike Reitan, City of West Fargo; and Chief David Todd, City of Fargo. Now, one year later, they will come together again to update us on what has been happening since. With reports of crime up 16 percent in the city of Fargo and arrests being made on almost a daily basis to combat drug trafficking in the area, it’s important now more than ever to stay engaged with what is happening around us.

Registration includes lunch and is $25 per person in advance and $30 at the door for Chamber members and $35 in advance and $40 at the door for non-members. fmwfchamber.com Courtyard by Marriott Fargo-Moorhead 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead

8

ROGER MARIS CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT

June 26-27 This tournament is an 18-hole, six-member team scramble with a shotgun start. Cost to participate is $250 per person. The first session is scheduled for Sunday morning, June 26, with two additional rounds to be played on Monday, June 27. A total of 26 teams will participate in each session. The tournament is filled on a first-come, first-served basis. rogermarisgolf.com Edgewood Golf Course 19 Golf Course Road, Fargo

CALENDAR JOBS NEXT

AFTER HOURS 9 BUSINESS Thursday, June 16, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Widely recognized as the region’s most effective networking opportunity, the FMWF Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours event creates and promotes business opportunities for everyone involved. The social atmosphere allows individuals to network with industry leaders, trade show vendors and representatives of other organizations. Business After Hours is a Chamber members-only event, and participants must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Receive the $22 admission price by registering your attendance prior to midnight the Wednesday before the event. All registrations received after that time and at the door will be billed at the $32 rate. Includes appetizers and two drink tickets. Sponsored by Midco. fmwfchamber.com Courtyard by Marriott Fargo-Moorhead 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead

11

CHAMBER MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT AT THE REDHAWKS

Thursday, June 30, 7:02 p.m.

Honor our region’s military through a fun, family-friendly night of baseball and patriotism. Special guest will be Lee Greenwood, iconic country musician and singersongwriter of patriotic hits “Proud to be an American” and “God Bless the USA.” Greenwood will wow the crowd by singing his hits live and starting the ball game with the “Star Spangled Banner.” Tickets are $10, which includes entry to the game and $3 in Hawks Bucks.

The Chamber will have a reserved section. Help thank another family for their service through a VIP experience at this year’s event. Five sponsorship levels are available.

Contact Elly Peterson at 218-359-0512 or epeterson@ fmwfchamber.com fmwfchamber.com Newman Outdoor Field 1515 15th Ave. N, Fargo

SCORE GREATER INSIGHT INTO YOUR BOTTOM LINE WITH A WEEKLY SCORECARD

12

Join women from across the community for a morning or afternoon of golf at the beautiful Osgood Golf Course. All proceeds support United Way’s work in early education. Registration is $400 for a team of four and includes golf, cart, meal and gift bag.

Wednesday, June 8, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

In a short time, Eric Newell, president at Stoneridge Software, successfully led his company through rapid growth in revenue, employees, expanded services and product offerings. From the beginning, he has followed the business principle of creating a weekly scorecard to gain business insight. Over time, he has fine-tuned the scorecard and is passionate about showing others how to replicate the concept for their business. Registration includes lunch and is $25 per person in advance and $35 at the door for Chamber members and $45 in advance and $55 at the door for non-members.

unitedwaycassclay.org Osgood Golf Course 4400 Golf Course Drive, Fargo

fmwfchamber.com Ramada Plaza & Suites and Conference Center 1635 42nd St. S, Fargo

LEADERSHIP GOLF SCRAMBLE 10 WOMEN’S Friday, June 17, 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

82

JUNE 2016

DOWN THE ROAD TEDx Fargo

Thursday, July 21, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. tedxfargo.com Fargo Civic Center 207 4th St. N, Fargo

YPN New Member Social MONTHLY 13 CART Wednesday, June 22, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

E-commerce in Fargo is a happenin’ industry. Learn together over breakfast. June’s host is A&B Business Solutions. emergingprairie.com/events A&B Business Solutions 117 23rd St. N, Fargo

Wednesday, July 20, 4:30 - 5:15 p.m. fmwfchamber.com Lindenwood Park – Rotary Shelter 1905 Roger Maris Drive, S, Fargo

Founders Only Retreat 2016

November 9-11 emergingprairie.com/events Coteau des Prairies Lodge 9953 141st Ave. SE, Havana, N.D.

MONTHLY MEETUPS* KIDS 14 CORNUCOPIA Tuesday, June 28, 3:30 - 5 p.m., 5 - 6 p.m. (social)

Join Patty Corwin, president of Corwin Sales and Corwin Communications, as we revisit our childhoods and our paths to where we are today. Learn some of the skills and techniques needed by young people to ensure successful progress toward mature adulthood. Registration is $25 in advance and $35 at the door for Chamber members and $45 in advance and $55 at the door for non-members.

Please consider bringing children’s books to donate to the Jeremiah Program. fmwfchamber.com Avalon Events Center 2525 9th Ave. S, Fargo

Fargo-Moorhead Content Strategy The Fargo-Moorhead Real Estate Investing Meetup Master Networks – Fargo Business Referral Group Fargo Virtual Reality Meetup Mobile Meetup Fargo Fargo 3D Printing Meetup Fargo Cashflow Game Night Red River Valley Big Data – Midwest Big Data Hub Meetup Cass-Clay Subcontractor Sales & Marketing Meetup Fargo Entrepreneurship Meetup Moorhead Entrepreneurship Meetup Fargo SaaS Meetup Girl Develop It Fargo *All meetups can be found at meetup.com/cities/us/58102

Fargo INC!, Fargo Monthly and gofargojobs.com bring you a section dedicated to jobs in FargoMoorhead.

Here you’ll find...

JOBS

The fastest-growing Some great new places

HIRING

in North Dakota!

85

JOBS

Nailing your

interview

S

HOW PREPARATION BREEDS CONFIDENCE o you’ve finally found a position that excites you. The next important step is preparing for the dreaded interview. We have all felt it: that sweaty-palm, tight-chested feeling of anxious anticipation before a nerve-wracking meeting. There are a few key things, though, that can be done to ensure that your impression sets you above the rest of the crowd.

Many recruiters today have adopted an interview format where probing questions are asked to draw out previous experiences and predict future behavioral pattens.

This method of questioning is extremely effective as it engages the prospective employee and encourages in-depth answers. A behavioral interview essentially requires you to tell stories about yourself.

86

JUNE 2016

Before the interview Think about it from the employer's perspective Empathy, or the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, is an extremely versatile soft skill that can be applied to almost any field. If you approach an interview thinking about how you can make this decision as easy for your potential employer as possible, you will have a greater chance of getting the job. Think about it from their side. As a company, what assets would you look for in potential employees?

Research, research, research It’s crucial to discover as much as you can about the company you are hoping to work for. Find out their mission, company culture, and values, as well as any specific qualifications for the position you’re applying for. This will help you determine which stories and past experiences are relevant and can narrow your narrative so that it is clearly applicable to the position.

Have a chat with yourself Once you have researched the company, spend a few days constantly asking yourself what you bring to the job. By asking this of yourself everyday, you will be able to build up a repertoire of experiences and values that are fresh in your mind. They will also be easily remembered during a lengthy interview.

During the interview Be yourself One of the major attributes any employer will want in an employee is honesty. Being natural and relaxed will show that you not only handle pressure well but that you are truthful in your portrayals when answering questions.

Be goal-oriented and articulate in your future plans Clear communication is an essential skill to many positions. Informing your potential employer of future goals demonstrates that you have put thought into the application and, from an employer’s perspective, will be a sound investment of time and training.

“

the most important thing about failure is the ability to learn, grow and discover the positive in every ‘negative’ situation.

Teamwork & questions Every workplace will have employees who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and it is a crucial skill to be able to successfully communicate to any demographic. You will want to choose an example that is recent, relevant to the job description and has a happy ending. Make sure you highlight your strengths and adaptability.

How would you describe your people skills and ability to work within a team?

How would you deal with different personality types?

If an issue with a coworker comes up, what steps would you take to resolve it and why?

“

“Hardest challenges and biggest failure” questions These are definitely the most difficult questions to answer, as you have to describe a situation that is less than ideal and showcase it in a way that shows you are an asset to the company. The most important thing to remember when being asked these questions is that everybody fails.

In work, as well as your personal life, the most important thing about failure is the ability to learn, grow and discover the positive in every "negative" situation. It’s extremely important that you prepare yourself ahead of time for these questions.

You want to describe an experience that is insightful and demonstrates your talent for analytical thinking, as well as your ability to take responsibility for mistakes. This will show accountability to your potential employer.

If you have made a mistake on the job, what are the steps you take to resolve it?

What would you say are your biggest weaknesses?

This position often times requires a heavy task load. How do you plan to achieve work-life balance while excelling in your position?

What are some possible challenges you can for see yourself?

Technology JOBS

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Network Architect

Spotlight Fargo, NDMedia How do I apply?

This position will provide professional leadership in the management and design of the company’s networks.

Candidate will have thorough understanding of modern service provider TCP/IP data networks using standards and technologies.

info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Howmore to apply? spherion.com/fargo

Health Care vv

Digital RN/LPNStrategy Intern (Paid)

Spotlight Media Moorhead, MN How do I apply?

Full- and part-time positions available. Attend client appointments and meetings, training of staff, supervision of medical care and participation as part of an interdisciplinary team.

Howmore to apply? info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Email nhuber@mcrsi.com

Sales Sales Account Executive

Fargo, ND

How do Jobs I apply?

Go Fargo is looking for an entrepreneurial Sales Account Executive to lead our sales program. The ideal candidate has 2-3 years of successful outside sales experience. Huge earning and growth potential.

How to apply?

Email careers@gofargojobs.com

Digital Intern (Paid) Digital Strategy Media Sales - Senior Rep

Spotlight Fargo, NDMedia

Fargo, ND

How do I apply?

Prairie St. John’s, a 110-bed psychiatric care facility located in Fargo, N.D., has been providing services for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors to address mental health issues, chemical dependency, or addiction and cooccurring disorders since 1997.

How to apply?

Email PSJHR@uhsinc.com

Human Resources Assistant

Moorhead, MN

How do is I apply?

Cars.com seeking a Digital Media Senior Sales Representative who will be responsible for developing and consulting clients within his/her market. This is a career position for a person who wants to contribute to the longterm success of a high-growth and progressive company.

MCRSI is looking for a Human Resources Assistant to work in our Moorhead office. Duties include: scheduling, assisting with time sheets, training new staff and other general human resource duties. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Pay dependent on experience.

info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Howmore to apply? cars.com/careers/jobdetail/220737

How to apply?

Email nhuber@mcrsi.com

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Program Assistant

Spotlight Fargo, NDMedia

Spotlight Media Moorhead, MN

How do I apply?

How do I apply?

At Allergan, you will have the opportunity to thrive in a fast-paced, strategic environment where bold, innovative thinking isn’t just welcomed, it’s encouraged. Candidates should possess a minimum of one year of experience in outside B2B sales with a proven track record of success.

Howmore to apply? info atagn.taleo.net/careersection/agn_ext/jobdetail.flt?job=147313 SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM 90

Registered Nurse

JUNE 2016

Full- & part-time positions available. Assist clients with disabilities in a variety of areas based on need, including cooking, cleaning, supervision, transportation and redirection of behavior.

Howmore to apply? info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Email bhalvorson@mcrsi.com

JOBS

Management Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Store Manager

Petro Serve USA is looking for qualified individuals who have integrity, can provide outstanding customer service, strive for excellence, are eager to learn and can consistently and respectfully work as a team member. We offer competitive pay, benefits, vacation and sick leave.

How do I apply?

Job Responsibilities: general accounting experience - GL, month-end reconciliation, AP/AR and job cost tracking (tracking $15-20 million worth of projects per year). Assist with general office duties as needed.

HowMore to apply? info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM petroserveusa.com

Howmore to apply? info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM spherion.com/fargo

Spotlight Fargo, NDMedia

Customer Service

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Leasing Specialist

Spotlight Fargo, NDMedia

Goldmark to make a positive impact on the lives How do I strives apply?

Spotlight Fargo, ND Media How do I apply?

Marketing

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Digital Creative Intern

Spotlight Media Fargo, ND How do I apply?

of others. An opportunity is available to serve those looking for or living in apartment homes we manage.

We’re accepting applications for caring and dedicated candidates for full and part-time positions with opportunities for advancement.

We are currently seeking a Digital Creative Intern. The ideal candidate has design experience and is proficient with Adobe Creative Suite. This is a paid internship.

Howmore to apply?

Visit www.goldmark.com/careers info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM

info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM HowMore to apply? adsharkmarketing.com/careers

Transportation

Human Resources

Spotlight Fargo, NDMedia

Digital Employee Strategy Relations Intern (Paid) Coordinator

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Driver Partner

Spotlight Thief RiverMedia Falls, MN

Howgreat do Imoney. apply?The more you drive, the more you earn.

Earn Make your own schedule. You must be at least 21 years old, have a four-door vehicle, and have a driver’s license and insurance. You’re friendly and excited to earn money on your schedule!

Howposition do I apply?

This supports the employee relations department by consulting on employee relations, performance, and discipline issues; interpreting policies & procedures; conducting internal audits to ensure compliance with policies & laws. Responsible for specialized projects supporting employee satisfaction, advocacy and safety.

info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Howmore to apply? uber.com/cities/fargo

HowMore to apply? digikey.com/careers info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM

Legal

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Paralegal

Spotlight Fargo, NDMedia How do I apply?

92

Finance

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Accountant

General

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid) Work flow Coordinator

Spotlight Fargo, ND Media How do I apply?

This position is primarily responsible for researching law and preparing documents while ensuring compliance with applicable laws.

This position manages word processing projects by communicating with clients and assigning projects to other Integreon associates.

HowMore to apply? info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Email careers.us@integreon.com

Howmore to apply? info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM Email careers.us@integreon.com

JUNE 2016