Fargo INC! May 2017

OPEN FOR

maY 2017

BUSINESS How North Dakota Is Leading the Way in Two Emerging Industries

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (N.D.) Brian Opp N.D. Dept. of Commerce

Tajae Viaene Fargo Jet Center

Marlo Anderson NDAVC

Eric Taipale Sentera

Tom Swoyer, Jr. Grand Sky Development

Drone Focus Conference '17 • Autonomous Vehicles • Northern Plains UAS Test Site • Precision Agriculture • Grand Sky Business Park

CONTENTS

MAY 2017

COVER STORY

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

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Editor's Note 11

Fargo INC! Editorial Advisory Board

Meet the members of the Fargo INC! Editorial Advisory Board and the organizations they represent.

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Spotlight Media May 2017

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See what Spotlight Media's other publications have in store for May.

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HOW NORTH DAKOTA IS LEADING THE WAY IN TWO EMERGING INDUSTRIES

Are drones and automated systems the next two big industries in North Dakota? A number of business and political leaders seem to think so.

In this wide-ranging cover story, we touch on a bit of everything—from drone racing to precision agriculture to self-driving cars. We also preview the upcoming Drone Focus Conference 2017, and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven even makes an appearance.

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N.D. Dept. of Commerce's Brian Opp U.S. Sen. John Hoeven 52

Sentera's Eric Taipale

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MAY 2017

Fargo Jet Center's Tajae Viaene N.D. Automated Vehicle Collaborative's Marlo Anderson

Easy Parking

Kilbourne Group's Mike Allmendinger talks downtown parking and its many, wide-reaching effects.

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The Startup Journey

Codelation CEO Josh Christy came up with three expensive things that are worth investing in for your business.

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May Business Events Calendar

The first installment of a monthly look at the TEDx Fargo 2017 presenters

YWCA's Women of the Year, the ChamberChoice Awards luncheon and many more great business events in May that you can't miss!

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FM Career Finder

United Capital of Fargo Managing Director Paul Jarvis has a number of useful tips for discussing finances with your significant other.

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TEDx Speaker Preview

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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Your Money Mind

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Faces of Fargo Business Cereal's Jeff Knight, Intelligent InSite's Madison Christensen and Livewire's Kent Kolstad

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Young Sharks

FMWF Chamber President Craig Whitney writes about the more than 15 aspiring founders who took part in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy's (YEA!) secondannual Investor Panel Shark Tank.

North Dakota Is 2017's Best State for Millennials

We summarize the results of a recent WalletHub survey that says North Dakota is the No. 1 place to be if you're a Millennial.

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Top Jobs

Check out two full pages of positions at some of the best local companies to work at!

EDITOR'S NOTE

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

From drone racing, which, until a few weeks ago, I didn't even know existed to all the exciting things going on at the Grand Sky UAS Business Park in Grand Forks to the expansion of beyondvisual-line-of-sight capabilities in the state, I was exposed to a whole new world that was going on right under my nose that I barely even knew about.

These are the five things I'm most excited about when it comes to drones and automated systems:

Nate@SpotlightMediaFargo.com 10

MAY 2017

Drone Focus Conference 2017 Some new additions to this year's event: • Drone Focus Film Festival • Autonomous vehicles • Drone racing • Topic-specific focused lunches • A party at Microsoft's Fargo campus Diversity in Drones With women making up about five percent of commercial airline pilots, the gender gap in aviation is about as extreme as it gets. That's why this year, the folks at Drone Focus Conference are bringing in a number of women working in the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and aviation industries to speak and present. It's also why they're devoting one of their four focused lunches to "Women and Drones."

HUBNet In partnership with Florida-based Harris Corporation, North Dakota is working to develop a network called HUBNet, which is essentially an air-traffic-control system for small, unmanned aircraft.

The idea is that it will be scalable and eventually expand nationwide.

NateMickelberg

Super-precision Agriculture In the not-too-distant future, a grower will have the ability to analyze and fertilize literally every plant in a field— individually!

Self-delivery One of the eventual perks of self-driving cars could be the ability to drop yourself off at work or downtown for a night out with friends and have your car drive itself back. And when you're ready to head home? Pick yourself up again.

As always, thanks for reading

Nate Mickelberg Editor, Fargo INC!

LinkedIn.com/In/NateMickelberg

Photo by Paul Flessland

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esearching and reporting this month's cover story was one of the most condensed crash courses I've ever received on a topic— well, many topics actually.

Fargo INC!'s

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD We at Fargo INC! want to make sure our content is unbiased, accurate, and reflects the views and opinions of the FM business community.

That's why we meet regularly with our six-member editorial board to discuss area business issues and trends and ensure that we are living up to our stated values.

ANNA HANSON

President Moorhead Business Association (MBA)

CRAIG WHITNEY

President & CEO FMWF Chamber of Commerce

GREG TEHVEN

Executive Director & Cofounder Emerging Prairie

PAT TRAYNOR

President & CEO Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF)

CINDY GRAFFEO

Executive Director Moorhead Economic Development Authority (EDA)

JOHN MACHACEK

SVP, Finance & Entrepreneurial Development Greater Fargo/Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC)

Special Adviser

GWEN HOBERG

Chair, Communications Committee Moorhead Business Assocation (MBA)

may 2017

Volume 2 Issue 5

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

CREATIVE

Editorial Director Andrew Jason

Andrew@SpotlightMediaFargo.com

Editor Nate Mickelberg

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Graphic Designers Sarah Geiger, Ryan Koehler, Matt Anderson

Photography J. Alan Paul Photography, Paul Flessland

Contributors Mike Allmendinger, Josh Christy, Paul Jarvis

Copy Editors Erica Rapp, Andrew Jason

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Fargo INC! is published by Spotlight Media LLC, Copyright 2017 Fargo INC! & FargoInc.com. All rights reserved. No parts of this periodical may be reproduced or distributed without written permission of Fargo INC!, and Spotlight Media LLC, is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to or reliance on such information. Spotlight Media LLC, accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.

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Learn more about us at SpotlightMediaFargo.com KELSEY

Meet Spotlight Media's Other Magazines

Spring into Summer Shopping Guide Grow your style with our 2017 "Spring into Summer" Shopping Guide. Blooming with fresh finds, this locally sourced guide is sure to elevate your interior space and prime the exterior of your home for outdoor entertaining.

The NFL Life with Kyle Emanuel NDSU's footprint in the National Football League is continuing to grow. From talented football stars like Kyle Emanuel to distinguished coaches peppered around the league, the Bison connections are getting stronger. We dip into the NFL this month to examine a few of the NFL connections.

Flavor Awards 2017 Winners We had the people of Fargo-Moorhead nominate and vote for their favorite local dishes and drinks over the course of the last few months to find the best of the best in the local dining scene. And now, after an overwhelming number of responses and support, we're showcasing what came out on top in our second-annual Flavor Awards.

MONTHLY SPEAKER PREVIEW

Starting this month, in partnership with Emerging Prairie, Fargo INC! will be bringing you a preview of speakers who will be presenting at TEDxFargo in July. From an Academy Awards publicist to a museum director to the founder of a flower recycling project, this year's event is sure to have something for everyone.

TEDxFargo Thursday, July 27, 2017 Fargo Civic Center 207 4th St. N, Fargo For more information, visit TEDXFargo.com

Melody Warnick After 13 years of chronic moving, Melody Warnick managed to fall madly in love with her adopted hometown of Blacksburg, Va., and then wrote a book about how other people could do the same. "This Is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are" helps movers and stayers alike rethink the value of their community and was described as “an important book for so many people who are choosing their place to live."

A freelance journalist for more than a decade, Warnick has written for The Guardian, Atlantic

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MAY 2017

Kelly Krenzel As a marketing and communications specialist for Hospice of the Red River Valley, Krenzel focuses on telling the hospice mission through those who have experienced it firsthand. She says she's truly moved by the small but beautiful moments she has witnessed among hospice patients and their families and staff.

Inspired by this work, the love for her Grandma Freda, a bit of a green thumb and an incredible amount of compassion for others, Krenzel started Hope Blooms—a flower recycling project—to spread joy, happiness and emotional healing to those facing difficult times.

Adelynn Mrosko

CityLab, Quartz, Reader’s Digest, O: The Oprah Magazine, Redbook, and Better Homes and Gardens, among other publications.

Mrosko is an undergraduate at the University of North Dakota majoring in commercial aviation. In her time at UND, Mrosko has done extensive work promoting LGBT visibility and equality.

Steve Rohr Steve Rohr is a widely recognized communication expert, educator, bestselling author and the show publicist for the Academy Awards.

Bridget McManamon A 17-year-old junior at Moorhead Senior High School, McManamon started the charitable organization Herstory to increase access to menstrual-hygiene products, empower young women to have a better understanding of their physical well-being, and increase their confidence and ability to access leadership opportunities within their schools and communities.

Kevin Peterson

Andrew Maus Maus is the director and CEO of the Plains Art Museum, an organization that first sparked his love for art museums and the role they play in building stronger, more innovative and healthier communities.

Located in Downtown Fargo, the Plains is the largest and only AAM (American Alliance of Museums)-accredited art museum in North Dakota and has several strong focus areas, including modern and contemporary exhibitions, regional artists, Native American programming, cultural diversity, creative placemaking, learning and artistic creation.

BUSINESS

WISDOM

The Museum is an exemplary mid-sized, regional museum serving a vast and largely rural population. Maus is in his third stint at the Plains, where he has worked in a variety of capacities throughout the years. Prior to returning to Plains Art Museum, Maus served as executive director of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) in Winona, Minn., where he provided leadership in every major facet of the museum’s operation and oversaw a dramatic transformation and expansion of the organization.

From the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Upper Valley office in Hanover, N.H., Peterson co-leads design and implementation of the foundation's Impact Investing Program. He also manages four grant programs: a statewide environment portfolio, which deals with grants, initiatives, and relationships with conservation-focused nonprofits; the Wellborn

McManamon is also heavily involved with her school's speech team and theatre department and hopes to study political science and women's studies in college.

Ecology Fund, which supports place-based ecology education; the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund, which supports watershed protection and restoration; and regional grants, nonprofit and donor relations in the Upper Valley. He joined the Foundation staff in 2001.

Prior to his time at the Foundation, Peterson spent 15 years with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy coordinating land protection, resource management and volunteer stewardship along 700 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in New England.

Peterson has a geography degree from Dartmouth College and chairs the advisory committee for the Class of ’82 Upper Valley Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship at Dartmouth’s Center for Community Service. He also serves on the Dartmouth Outing Club Advisory Board.

“We can’t have an entire K-12 system that’s built solely around memorization and regurgitation of answers. Those aren’t the skills needed when everyone has a smartphone in their pocket.”

DOUG BURGUM Governor, State of North Dakota FARGOINC.COM

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YO U R MO NEY M I ND

How to

Manage Your Relationship

Your Money

&

Tips for Talking to Your Significant Other About Your Finances

BY Paul Jarvis PHOTO BY Paul Flessland

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MAY 2017

Paul Jarvis

Managing Director United Capital of Fargo

About Me A proud hometown boy, I was born and raised in Fargo before attending the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., where I earned a bachelor’s degree in business law and English.

After graduation, I went to work for a large bank in the Twin Cities, where I was actively involved in providing financial planning services for individuals working at major corporations such as 3M and Andersen Windows.

After making the decision to return home, I went to work for a Fargo trust company, where I had the opportunity to manage investments

for higher net-worth individuals and companies, as well as learn more about the value of trusts in estate planning.

Eventually, I decided I wanted to start my own practice, and I consider myself fortunate to have discovered United Capital. I wanted to align myself with a company that utilized cutting-edge technology, interactive scoring processes, and priority action lists as a means to provide clients with comprehensive financial planning and guidance services.

Last year, United Capital Fargo was the fastest growing office in all of United Capital, and, based on local demand for guidance, I expect that growth to continue.

I

t’s always important to keep open lines of communication with your significant other. Talking about money is no exception, but it can be a sticky subject and one that can bring up issues related to your anxiety surrounding your finances.

Discover Your Money Mind To discover your Money Mind, please visit our website— FindYourMoneyMind.com—or scan the QR Code with your smartphone.

dialogue.

•

Most of us haven’t taken the time to figure out what matters most to us in terms of money, let alone communicate those goals with our significant other.

Last month, I provided readers a tool called Money Mind to better understand what lens each of us looks through when facing financial decisions. When you and your significant other take the time to discover your Money Mind, the results provide tips for both of you to communicate better. You can find the tool by visiting FindYourMoneyMind. com It’s time to break the cycle of noncommunication and have “the money talk.”

Here are some tips for how to start a conversation with your partner about your finances: •

SET UP TIME TO TALK. Trying to have a meaningful conversation about money in the middle of a heated argument is fruitless. Instead, set aside a specific time and place to talk about the dreaded topic. You can reduce emotions by setting specific objectives and basic ground rules—no judgments, just open

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WISDOM

•

SHARE INFORMATION. During your conversation, you should share information, including any outstanding debt, investments, bank and retirement accounts and any bonds that you may have. If you’ve never created a balance sheet or estate plan, now is the perfect time to do so. Create a master list of assets and note who owns each or whether it’s jointly owned. Also include any account usernames and passwords, broker names and contact information, and other account info to share with your partner.

GET ON THE SAME PAGE. Make sure you and your partner are on the same page when it comes to financial priorities—retirement, college planning and cash-flow management. Do you want to keep separate bank accounts and both contribute to a joint account? There is no “right” answer, but agreeing on a path forward will help avoid confusion in the future.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER. After you have the conversation, divide financial responsibilities that work for each partner’s strength. If one likes to use apps to track spending, they should monitor the day-to-day bills. If the other

MAY 2017

If you are having problems talking to your partner about your finances, you might benefit from working with a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) professional who is committed to objectivity and to what is best for you as a couple. An impartial third party can clarify issues, set common goals that you can pursue together and find solutions that can work for you both.

You can find additional resources by visiting LetsMakeAPlan.org

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United Capital of Fargo UnitedCp.com/ND1 109 Roberts St. N, Fargo 701-293-2076

“Shine the light on everyone else, but do it selflessly. Do it because you want to support and celebrate your network of people. Guaranteed, if you do that, it will come back to you.”

HEATHER OSTROWSKI Client Relations Manager, Preference Employment Solutions

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is more inclined to manage the long-term investments, they should manage those accounts. Make sure you understand the gameplan together and allocate tasks accordingly.

Faces of

FARGO BUSINESS We like to think of the Fargo business community as a giant puzzle and the people who comprise it as the different but equally essential pieces. Take one person, one company, or one industry away, and the picture becomes incomplete. Faces of Fargo Business is our chance to piece that puzzle together each month and celebrate the countless people who make this such a great place to work.

FARGOINC.COM

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Faces of

Fargo Business

JEFF I KNIGHT

f you're a creative in FargoMoorhead, Jeff Knight is probably no stranger to you. The industry veteran has been an active member of the commercial-design and fine-art scenes in the area for the better part of the last decade and an instructor at Concordia College for about half as long.

Founder

Cereal

While Knight says he's enjoyed his time at the front of the classroom, his gut told him it was time to flip the page and start a new chapter.

"As much as I loved to teach and be among students and the campus community, I missed doing creative design work full-time," says Knight, who serves as the first vice president of the American Advertising Federation of North Dakota (AAF-ND) and on the Rourke Art Museum's board of directors. "And I had an opportunity to partner with Ryan Fritz of Office Sign Company to start Cereal, an entrepreneurial idea I had been thinking of for a while."

Cereal will launch in June as a full-service creative studio and will occupy a middle ground for companies in

need of creative services.

"I want to serve clients who expect world-class design and marketing options but fall somewhere in between using a single freelancer and a full-scale agency," says Knight, who has won numerous awards over his 15-year design career. "I also want Cereal to be an outlet where I am allowed to really embrace the creative side of design. I will miss teaching, but I know that my passion still lies heavily in the creation of work."

In addition to his newfound role of entrepreneur and founder, Knight says he's looking forward to a couple other initiatives he's recently gotten involved with.

He'll serve as manager of The Arts Partnership's recently opened creative incuabator, APT—a space from which he will help coordinate programming and promote resident-artist studios—and is helping with the design of the Bluestem Center for the Arts' Terra Madre festival, an annual celebration on Earth Day where people come together to celebrate food and how it relates to the place we live.

Creative Credentials Co-creator - Little Free Gardens Co-creator - Ugly Food of the North Co-creator - Cropped Co-creator - Wandering Ghost Co-creator - Good for Nothing Creator - Albino Buffalo

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Cereal • HeyCereal.com

Faces of

Fargo Business

KENT KOLSTAD President & Technical Director

Livewire Entertainment Media Services

K

ent Kolstad is the president and technical director of Livewire Entertainment Media Services in Fargo.

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Livewire Entertainment Media Services LivewireNow.com 320-815-1288 FARGOINC.COM

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Faces of

Fargo Business

MADISON CHRISTENSEN Design & Marketing Web Developer

Intelligent InSites

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MAY 2017

"

W

orking at a startup has been one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Where some people flounder in the chaotic, constantly changing world of entrepreneurship, Madison Christensen thrives in it.

"We generally have to wear a number of different hats, which means we’re constantly adapting, mastering new job skills, maybe failing at them for a while and finally doing the new job well," says Christensen, a design and marketing web developer at Intelligent InSites, a healthcare software company based in Downtown Fargo. "The lack of a hierarchical, corporate structure has allowed me to create one based on the things I'm willing to try and the challenges I'm willing to accept—whether I had prior technical knowledge or not.

"From day to day, I get to use and expand my skills of graphic design, UX/UI design, web design and marketing."

Christensen, who's a Fargo native and 2014 graduate of NDSU, spends most of her days developing and managing Intelligent InSite's website, which she rebuilt a little more than a year ago.

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When she's not thinking about custom plug-ins and potential ROI, though, she's volunteering and participating in one of a number of extracurriculars she's passionate about.

Over the past year and a half, she's been heavily involved with uCodeGirl, a Fargobased nonprofit that works to increase the number of young girls who participate in technology careers.

"The organization really hits home for me," says Christensen, who's also currently working on side projects for Miss Teen North Dakota International and Concordia College's athletic department. "I was one of those young girls who was scared to get involved in a male-dominated career field.

Most girls are taught to avoid risk and failure, where boys are taught to be risk-takers. I want to help motivate girls to strive for bravery, not perfection.

"Whenever I speak with these girls, I think to myself, 'Be who you needed when you were younger.'"

A two-time participant in NDSU's Innovation Challenge, Christensen has also been a part of three separate Startup Weekend Fargo teams.

IntelligentInSites.com MadisonChristensen.com

How North Dakota Is Leading the Way in Two Emerging Industries I t's an exciting phase in the development of any new industry when talk begins to turn into action.

To hear in recent years of North Dakota's plan to become a nationwide hub of UAS (unmanned aerial systems) and autonomous-systems activity was one thing, but to see it coming to fruition before our eyes is another thing entirely.

You could probably count on two hands the number of people who really in their heart of hearts believed that a state with a six-figure population and a commoditydriven economy could be at the forefront of two of the highest-tech industries emerging today. Yet here we are.

Meet some of the public and private leaders who've made it possible.

BY Nate Mickelberg, Kara Jeffers, Brian Opp and Tajae Viaene PHOTOS BY J. Alan Paul Photography, Paul Flessland, and Cilento Photography and courtesy of Kris Bevill, Sentera, Emerging Prairie, Tempe Police Department, Jakee Stoltz and Matt Henry 38

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

Emerging Prairie's Lindsay Breuler

Director Drone Focus Conference

Curious about the world of autonomous vehicles and UAS (unmanned aerial systems)? Looking to connect with other professionals in the industry? Join Emerging Prairie and industry leaders from around the world in Fargo on May 31 and June 1 for the third annual Drone Focus Conference.

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BRIAN OPP

Brian Opp Manager, Aerospace Business Development North Dakota Department of Commerce

A North Dakota UAS Primer 10 Things to Know

By Brian Opp

Conference Highlights

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1.

North Dakota has been leading the way nationally in developing the UAS (unmanned aerial systems) industry as far back as 2005.

Back in 2005, then-Gov. John Hoeven worked with others in the state and identified UAS as an industry sector that had a ton of potential. There was a mission change forthcoming at the Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB), and so what he did in cooperation with our senators and representatives at the time—as well as community leaders—was focus on securing a new mission for the base.

We already had the University of North Dakota (UND), which had an aviation department that had been doing mannedaviation education and training for nearly 50 years, and so it was just logical.

There was an aviation pedigree already existent in that part of the state.

From there, we began to develop UAS not only at the base but also at the university. At that point, the state began to strategically invest in the UAS industry, UND secured a couple grants to open a Center of Excellence for unmanned aircraft systems, which also brought in some matching

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

Industry Professionals We are bringing together experts from all areas of the unmanned-systems spectrum. From drone use in construction to an autonomous vehicle-friendly corridor to autonomous tractors, we will have something for every attendee.

Microsoft Party What’s the point of a drone conference without getting some live drone action? Think drone races, autonomous vehicle and tractor shows, and new consumer product launches—all from the comforts of Microsoft's Fargo campus.

BRIAN OPP

federal dollars, and before long, we were doing some really cool, leading-edge research and development with some industry heavyweights.

2.

To date, the State of North Dakota has invested

nearly $40 million to grow and advance the UAS industry in the state.

Example #1 North Dakota is partnering with Harris Corporation, a Florida-based technology company and defense contractor, to build out a network called HUBNet, which will essentially be an air-traffic-control system for drones and small, unmanned aircraft.

This is important because they believe it’s going to be scalable. They want to expand it statewide and then eventually nationwide.

The idea here is that this type of infrastructure can allow beyond-visual-lineof-sight (BVLOS) UAS operations.

It’s basically tailor-made for the commercial drone industry. It will enable operators within the industry to really capitalize on the technology; put it to work; and make it more effective, cost-efficient and really build out the business base.

Industries Represented

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WHY A BASE GETS A MISSION CHANGE

Our key players with that project are UND and the Northern Plain UAS Test Site, and the vehicle to make the investment Is Research ND, a North Dakota Department of Commerce grant program that encourages publicprivate participation on collaborative research projects that have commercial potential.

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process used by the federal government to increase efficiency in the Department of Defense (DoD).

There have been five rounds of BRAC, with the most recent occurring in 2005.

It's more or less a way for the military to assess the country's military assets and make determinations with regard to what's being used, what needs to be used and how to best consolidate efforts.

With the previous mission at the Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) about to expire around that time and with no assignment to replace it, GFAFB would've been a prime candidate for closure—a base without a mission doesn't stay open long.

That's why the state—led by then-Gov. John Hoeven—made it a priority to secure a new mission for the base.

Example #2 Another project we're working on and investing in is the Grand Sky UAS Business Park in Grand Forks. While a business park itself is not unique, this is the first UAS-focused park.

What that means is it’s really geared toward unmanned aircraft—developing it and implementing it in some way, shape or form. That’s not to say it’s exclusive to UAS companies, though. Drones and all the technology it takes to support them really are far-reaching, whether it’s sensors, data or the highperformance computing pieces that come into the fold.

There's an open door for complementary technologies and companies to also be in the park. In fact, that’s the vision.

3.

UND offered the nation's first UAS

the airspace and what’s happening around them.

undergraduate degree in 2009.

4.

North Dakota’s Northern Plains UAS Test Site is one of

When folks started identifying UAS as a next big industry of technology that—on the government and military level—was really going to demand new expertise and a qualified workforce, UND was one of the first ones to get out there. That was really important to set the stage for where we wanted to go and where we are today.

seven FAA-approved UAS test sites in the country and is widely regarded as the leader of the group.

I can't say for sure whether or not anybody else was approaching the FAA with a similar idea at this point in time, but in the early 2010s, North Dakota was going to the FAA saying, ‘Hey, this technology is coming. We need to be working on the R&D and the testing that will generate the information that’s going to inform the FAA on decisions regarding regulations and policies for unmanned aircraft operating in the National Airspace' (NAS).

And what we're getting now is the University cranking out some really high-quality graduates who have a really great aeronautical background, training operating unmanned aircraft, and a good understanding of

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

• • • •

Autonomous vehicles Government sector Defense Startups

• • • •

Agriculture Construction Meetup groups University students

• • • •

Transportation Venture capital Utilities Infrastructure

Before long, it turned into a competition where the FAA actually put out a call for applications to anywhere that wanted to be considered a test site. They were clear that they were only selecting six, and they were also clear that it had to be a public entity to keep things in the public domain and operate as a space shared by the FAA. By early 2013, when the call for applications came out— because of North Dakota’s interest and effort to get this rolling—we already had almost an entire application filled out that just had to be tailored and modified to meet exactly what the FAA was asking for in its call for proposals.

We had that Airspace Integration Team (AIT), which was a regular standing group that oversaw the effort to submit the application, but underneath that, each organization that was participating was bringing subject-matter experts to the table and contributing to different levels of the application process—the safety case, operations, flight management and data capabilities.

While I don’t know the exact number, at any given time, I

Emerging Prairie's Lindsay Breuler Director Drone Focus Conference

know there were at least 40 different people contributing different things along the way. Sometimes it felt like it might have been as many as 70 or 80 who had some type of role in the process.

5.

Grand Sky, the nation’s first UAS-focused business park, is located at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Anchor Tenant: Northrop Grumman Global-aerospace and defense-technology company Northrop Grumman just completed a brand-new, 36,000-squarefoot facility at Grand Sky, and it’s going to be a great space for those guys.

They had a ribbon cutting in late April, which was attended by not only local and state leaders but also a number of high-ranking Northrop Grumman officials.

Anchor Tenant: General Atomics The second company that signed up is defense contractor General Atomics.

They're the manufacturer of the Predator aircraft, which is flown not only by the North Dakota Air National Guard but also by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is based out of the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Why North Dakota

IS THE PERFECT CHOICE The Northern Plains UAS Test Site is an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) UAS (unmanned aerial systems) test site and one of six in the U.S. The site is based in Grand Forks and works closely with Grand Sky, an aviation and business park, to provide tenants with expertise and support for UAS development and operations.

In December, the FAA authorized Northern Plains to practice and evolve beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights. The site will support development and testing of this UAS technology, with Grand Sky serving as the launch and landing site.

North Dakota is an ideal location for UAS testing and development. The collaboration between Northern Plains, Grand Sky and the Grand Forks Air Force Base offers many unique amenities, which include: • Low volume of air traffic • Low-cost operation • Diverse weather conditions • Access to a 12,000-plus-foot runway • Commitment and support from local and state leadership These amenities make BVLOS testing accessible and affordable for many in the UAS industry, allow for immediate access to airspace, and give participants a wide variety of temperatures and weather types to test in.

"This has the ability to change so many industries. Where some technologies might help one or two sectors, drones have the ability to help almost everyone. And the fact that they're affecting some of the largest economic industries in North Dakota—agriculture, construction—is why they matter."

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BRIAN OPP

They fly approximately 900 miles of the northern border using the Predator for surveillance purposes.

It's pretty exciting that they have space out there.

There's currently a global pilot shortage, and so one of the pieces that General Atomics is addressing from Grand Forks is pilot training. They’re trying to build that workforce pipeline, especially as it relates to customers of its products—not only the U.S. Government but also its allies.

As it's selling its product, it obviously needs training, and on the international level, it's really the company's responsibility to provide that training.

So they’ve established a training academy in Grand Forks with hangar facilities at the business park, where they have international students coming in for pilot training directly from the company.

We’ll be continuing to work on landing more and more tenants to fill that space out. While I can't share any names right now, there are a number of companies in the pipeline.

By the Numbers

6.

NDSU and UND are partnering with the industry

on leading-edge research, development, training and education (RDT&E) projects relating to various aspects of UAS technology, including product development and commercial applications.

I alluded to the HUBNet project with Harris earlier, but another great example of this is NDSU's Department of Agriculture. They’ve been doing some interesting stuff and partnering with some really neat companies—both domestic and international—taking agricultural interests and working unmanned aircraft into the equation.

Last summer, they partnered with Elbit Systems of America— whose parent company is Elbit, a major Israeli government contractor— and did a variety of precision-agriculture research projects. The flights emanated out of the Hillsboro Airport and used Elbit’s Hermes 450 aircraft, which is about a 1,000-pound aircraft.

It was one of the first examples of using a large, unmanned aircraft to explore precision-agriculture applications. In addition to

45 Number of speakers at this year's conference—almost double from 2016

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exploring the effectiveness of the technology—whether it’s the aircraft or sensors used to gather information on the crops below—it was also a break from what’s typically being done today, which is using small, unmanned aircraft and flying into small sections and going at it piece by piece.

With the Hermes, they were able to fly large sections of land at one given time.

7.

Northern Plains Test Site, Grand Sky and other partners are establishing beyondvisual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) UAS operations capabilities that are a first in the U.S.

Right now, regulations are such that you can fly an unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes in the airspace, but you can only fly it within your visual line of sight. They say it’s about a mile. And there are some nuances, and you can get some exceptions approved, but the rule is within visual line of sight.

Imagine this real-world scenario: A pipeline company has 100 miles of pipeline to inspect for leaks, damage and integrity. If you’re a drone company approaching them and proposing to

2017 Featured Speakers

use drones for inspection purposes, it becomes a very labor-intensive and timely endeavor to be able to fly a mile, move your camp or base of operation a mile downfield, and launch that drone again.

What we’re talking about here with beyond-visualline-of-sight is establishing the technology, building the safety case and then feeding all of that into the process that the FAA has for making regulations for unmanned aircraft.

And then putting the environment in place where beyond-visual-line-of-sight is possible—not only from an operational standpoint but from a regulatory and legal standpoint as well.

Brandi Jewett Director of Marketing & Media Relations SkySkopes

data company that started up in Grand Forks and recently announced they'll be expanding to Minot—is exciting because, from a geographical standpoint, being in the western part of the state enables them proximity and hopefully access to different types of projects, contracts and customers.

8.

Engaging and developing relationships with

bring their experiences, knowledge and all of that to the table.

There are already a lot of aircraft—whether commercial or private— flying around in our airspace right now.

I think it's been a really good strategy for North Dakota along the way and has helped us avoid some resistance to drone operations from the aviation community, which there's been in some other states.

Pulling them in has been a smart strategy on the part of our leadership.

the aviation industry has been an essential part of growing the UAS industry in the state.

Especially with some of these smaller unmanned aircraft, they’re really sharing the space. So when we talk about integrating the airspace, we're talking about bringing drones into a space that’s already occupied by manned airplanes and doing it in a safe and efficient manner.

That’s still a very important consideration that is included today in the testsite oversight board—for the representatives from general aviation to be able to voice their concerns and

Dr. Edgar Waggoner Director of Integrated Systems Research Program NASA

9.

A cluster of private UAS companies is growing in the

state. This is an example of the types of outcomes we are seeking as the state continues to promote the industry.

Communities across the state are beginning to see opportunities in the UAS industry. For example, SkySkopes—an aerial

For other communities across North Dakota, it's a great example of the fact that this industry is posing great opportunities for the entire state. It’s really easy to see the concentration of expertise and capabilities— things happening in Grand Forks and Fargo—but the whole idea is that this is an opportunity for the entire state, whether it's startups, expansions or relocations.

10.

State and local leaders have placed an

Atomics, the first two tenants of the Grand Sky Business Park. You might have a number of state developers, local developers, the EDCs, the universities, all kind of working together to bid and attract those companies to the area, but what really is a differentiating factor is when you have the governor, the lieutenant governor, and senators and congresspeople who are ready and willing to get involved and give an extra push and an extra level of access in the state.

It can be so meaningful and so important for these companies. Our leaders play a key role in not only helping to recruit and attract companies but also in relationship-building, which can be so meaningful— especially when it happens at such a high level within the organization.

emphasis on growing this industry in North Dakota.

We have enjoyed tremendous support and assistance from the governor—both past and present—and his staff, our congressional delegation and local leadership.

A great example is when we have companies who come and visit us.

Think about Northrop Grumman and General

Dr. Cynthia Cauthern President Transcendence UAS

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Jim Piavis UAS Operations Manager Microsoft Research

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JOHN HOEVEN

Leader of a New Frontier A Timeline Of U.S. Sen. John Hoeven’s Efforts to Establish North Dakota as a Hub of UAS Research & Development

P Going back more than a decade, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (N.D.) has been an integral part of setting up North Dakota and the region as a leader in the rapidly growing field of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Conference Highlights

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ublic-sector support for a growing industry is an essential, if often overlooked, part of the economic-development equation. To put it another way: Before business can flourish, it must be allowed to.

When then-North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven—along with a number of other state and local leaders—identified unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the mid-2000s as a field with significant potential, he sprang into action. Here's a recap of his accomplishments and his impact on both the public and private sides of all things UAS in the state.

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

What's New? Some exciting additions attendees can look forward to include: drone races, autonomous vehicles, focused lunches, drone films and a party at Microsoft’s Fargo campus.

Student Pitches Students are invited to pitch their latest drone or unmanned-systems idea on the main stage for a chance to win a $5,000 grant from the State of North Dakota.

2005 A lot of people

•

don’t realize that Grand Forks has responsibility for 900 miles of border security— all the way from the Great Lakes out through Montana. With

With the Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) and the North Dakota Air National Guard (NDANG) both slated to lose their flying missions, then-Gov. Hoeven begins working with the Air Force, National Guard Bureau and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission to secure unmanned aerial systems (UAS) missions for GFAFB and NDANG.

2006 •

900 miles, you have to cover a lot of ground so it was a natural fit for UAS

To help kickstart the UAS industry in the state, Gov. Hoeven initiates a Centers of Excellence program, which awards the University of North Dakota (UND) $2.5 million to establish the Center of Excellence for UAS Research, Education and Training.

The award is used to leverage more than $15 million in federal and private-sector funding for the center. It's the first collegiate degree program of its kind in the nation.

(unmanned aerial systems)."

2009 •

Works with the North Dakota state legislature to provide funding for Centers of Excellence Enhancement Grants specifically targeted toward economic development and employment opportunities tied to the new missions in the region.

•

Arranges a meeting in Grand Forks with the Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin developing a path forward for the safe integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS).

Did You Know?

This is the first year the conference will be held over two days.

JOHN HOEVEN

“North Dakota is the only place right now that has beyondvisual-line-

2012 •

of-sight authority. So we’ll be the first place that can actually fly these drones without a chase aircraft.

The team is tasked with working with all sectors of the aviation community in the state to develop a collaborative, "one voice" approach in preparing the state's test-site proposal.

All this stuff has to be developed before it can be applied nationally, and we want to develop it here because of the technology, the jobs, and the opportunity and economic growth that goes with it."

Introduces language to the 2012 FAA Reauthorization bill directing the FAA to establish six national test sites designed to focus on UAS integration. With support from then-North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple and other members of the North Dakota congressional delegation, Sen. Hoeven then leads the effort to establish the North Dakota Airspace Integration Team (AIT).

•

Understanding that securing an anchor tenant is key to obtaining a lease from the Air Force to establish Grand Sky UAS Business Park, Sen. Hoeven brings senior officials from global-aerospace and defense-technology company Northrop Grumman to Grand Forks to begin discussions about becoming an anchor tenant int he park.

They later commit to becoming the park's first tenant, breaking ground on a new, 36,000-square foot facility (which opened in April 2017).

Grand Sky's RoleIN BVLOS Thomas Swoyer, Jr., president of Grand Sky Development Co., breaks down Grand Sky UAS Business Park's role in BVLOS testing.

Collaboration with Grand Sky "Our goal with large UAS (unmanned aerial systems) at Grand Sky is to get the aircraft up to altitude safely so they can start to conduct those commercial operations.

Large unmanned aircraft must launch and land from a runway. We developed Grand Sky as a place where they can do that.

"Grand Sky went through a process to prepare for testing.

1. Build the airport.

2. Get permission to use the Grand Forks Air Force Base’s runway.

3. Get FAA support and approval to start flying these large aircraft beyond visual line of sight.

In December, that approval was granted to the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, with Grand Sky as the launch and land location.

"Our belief has been built

By the Numbers

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Grand Sky Development Co., located on Grand Forks Air Force Base, is a commercial UAS business and aviation park. The company provides tenants with unique testing amenities, making it one of the top locations in the nation for UAS development.

around the fact that there is always going to be a place in the market for small UAS, like quadcopters, to do precision work, but that there needs to be a place where the industry can launch and recover large unmanned aircraft. That's what we've built."

How it works "We are installing a system where we can utilize the digital airport surveillance radar at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. We will be DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

$5 billion

330

600

One estimate of the total economic impact of UAVs on the construction industry by 2020

Number of attendees at Drone Focus Conference 2016

Attendance goal for Drone Focus Conference 2017

able to look at the feed from that radar and see the aircraft.

"This technology gives an 'independent, third-party' view of the airspace being tested in. A signal is sent out, bounces off of the plane and lets the pilots and observers know where the planes are.

"We are really not changing what the FAA intended of having a visual observer, we’re just using the radar as our visual observer. So instead of having someone on the ground looking at the plane flying above or having someone flying in a chase plane, the radar can see these large aircraft perfectly well and will give us the same kind of situational awareness of the airspace around us.

"Once the system is proven to work as advertised, other companies can begin to bring in technologies to develop and demonstrate in a safe atmosphere.

"We have the airspace testing area and range to test all the different kinds of tools, technologies and aircraft that would fly to support commercial operations in the unmanned systems industry anywhere in the world.

"The BVLOS testing has many benefits for North Dakota, both short and long term.

Short-term "BVLOS testing will: • Create new employment possibilities for the UAS industry in North Dakota • Bring in companies who want to call Grand Sky home • Benefit the North Dakota National Guard flying out of Fargo, giving the ability to launch and recover unmanned aircraft for the military • Allow us to start tests and do development work in other parts of the state, including the oil patch • Set up a procedure to demonstrate that the system works Long-term • "BVLOS flights have happened before, and other demonstrations in controlled environments, but Grand Sky will offer unique benefits, including: • A process that is replicable and repeatable for other kinds of aircraft • The ability to get large UAS into commercial airspace.

• The range to easily reach to other areas, including the southern plains and the Appalachian and the Rocky Mountains • The ability to provide disaster response, recovery support, emergency response; provide agriculture investigation, infrastructure inspection on multi-state pipelines and transmission line systems; and work with Departments of Transportation, emergency services, and the police and fire departments "Potentially everywhere in the entire upper Midwest can be covered by flights from Grand Sky. In the long run, it makes Grand Forks and other locations in North Dakota's home base for fleets of large UAS. This is just part of our vision."

"The opportunity was because of our uncongested

2015 •

The FAA selects a consortium of universities, co-led by UND, to serve as its UAS Center of Excellence. The center will focus on research projects related to detect-and-avoid technologies, UAS command-and-control issues, system engineering, and pilot training and certification. The Senate Appropriations Committee, on which Sen. Hoeven serves, approves $5 million for the center in both fiscal years 2015 and 2016.

•

Joins with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) to introduce the Commercial UAS Modernization Act, legislation that accelerates implementation of UAS-endorsed guidelines for the safe operation of small, commercial UAS and promotes further innovation in the field.

airspace and the fact that— even though we have some cold days—most days, you can fly. A lot of places, that’s not true."

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JOHN HOEVEN

So often,

2016

2017

•

Facilitates a Joint Use Agreement between Grand Sky and GFAFB for runway use to launch and recover unmanned aircraft.

•

•

The test-site program is extended through fiscal year 2019 due to legislation included by Sen. Hoeven in the FAA reauthorization bill.

•

Works to secure expanded operations for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, including a first-in-the-nation certificate of authorization (COA) from the FAA to conduct beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, which is later approved.

In an effort to continue the integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS), Sen. Hoeven successfully secures $10 million for the UAS Center of Excellence in the Senate's fiscal year 2017 THUD (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development) funding bill, which also directs the FAA to work with NASA on unmanned-traffic management projects via the center and test sites.

•

Works to enable Air Force to use private contractors such as General Atomics to train Air Force pilots to fly UAS. The Air Force currently faces a severe shortage of qualified UAS pilots due in part to significant increases in demand for UAS operations overseas.

•

Continues to build upon the success of Grand Sky by supporting expanded activities at the park and recruiting additional businesses.

technology— good ideas, entrepreneurship, innovation— comes out of the private sector and actually drives government to respond.

Here’s a case where the FAA, because of

•

technology and development, has to figure out how in the National Airspace (NAS) we’re going to fly manned aircraft together with RPA (remotely piloted aircraft) safely and while protecting people’s privacy."

•

Provides particular support to sustain the Global Hawk program while the system is under development. Holds several meetings with top Air Force leaders to ensure the program is not cancelled. The fiscal year 2016 Air Force budget proposal positions the Global Hawk as a key part of the Air Force’s future fleet of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

Secures language in the National Defense Authorization Act calling for an Air Force study on integrating National Guard pilots and maintenance personnel into the RQ-4 Global Hawk mission and supports nearly $8 million in fiscal year 2016 funding for UAS research at the Department of Defense (DoD).

The DoD then makes a $3 million investment in UAS in North Dakota, including DASR-11 radar upgrades at GFAFB and Fargo and the initiation of unmannedtraffic management activities at GFAFB.

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Office of U.S. Sen. John Hoeven Hoeven.Senate.gov 701-239-5389 (Fargo Office) 202-224-2551 (Washington, D.C. Office) DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

Keepin' It Short With only 4-12 minutes on stage, conference speakers will be challenged to present quickly and concisely. With rapid content, the hope is that the audience will get the most relevant information with the least amount of “seat time.”

Drone Focus Film Festival With submissions from all over the world and packed full of incredible shots all filmed from drones, prepare to be transported to a variety of destinations. If you're a Drone Focus attendee, you’ll get two votes toward your favorite film.

ERIC TAIPALE

More Precisely:

5 Questions with Sentera CEO Eric Taipale

I

n addition to some of the negative reactions drones tend to evoke, they can also sometimes seem a little pie in the sky—like something out of a science fiction movie.

When you learn what companies like Minneapolis-based Sentera are up to, though, you understand that drones are no longer the technology of tomorrow, they're the technology of now.

CEO and Drone Conference 2017 speaker Eric Taipale, he explains how he and his team are using unmanned aircraft to tackle a variety of challenges in a number of industries as they attempt to fulfill the company's three-pronged mission: • Help scale world food production to meet future needs • Make dangerous, dull and dirty jobs less so • Protect the environment

In this Q&A with Sentera

Did You Know?

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DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

BVLOS stands for beyond visual line of sight. Currently, you are not allowed to fly your drone beyond your line of sight. If you want to fly your drone a longer distance, you must either have a chase plane or set up remote observers who are in constant contact with the drone pilot.

WHO Sentera • • •

Founded in 2014 in Minneapolis $8.5 million in Series A funding 25 employees w/ more than 220 years of combined UAS and remotesensing experience

• • • •

More than 20,000 hours of flight time Clients are worldwide Partners include five of six largest crop advisers in North America More than 25 million acres of land imaged and catalogued

WHAT Drones

Many CEOs have a business and/or legal background. You, however, are an engineer by trade. In what ways does that inform you as a leader and a head of company?

Eric Taipale: "We've created a technology-driven company, and I think I’m able to make decisions about technology myself without having to pass through a set of filters or having to rely on someone else to assess what the right thing is to do next.

“I do have quite a bit of business-development and management experience that I’ve accumulated over the years, but my

Sensors

• Sentera Phoenix 2

• Sentera Q

• Sentera Omni

• Sentera Quad

WHY

Software

3 Industries of Focus

Infrastructure

Agriculture

Public Safety

In terms of workplace safety, climbing towers is the most dangerous job in America. Whether it's a tower, the underside of a bridge, or a pipeline, aerial inspection becomes routine and automated while human safety risks are mitigated.

There's a huge cost to gathering real-time data that's accurate and sufficiently complete to drive good agronomic decisions. Crop-health data can be reviewed daily, enabling growers to identify and address distressed plants while applying fertilizer and pesticides based on realtime data.

Whether it's a police officer or a first responder, drones allow officials to essentially be on scene immediately and be provided with critical intelligence—day or night and without the high cost of additional assets.

53

ERIC TAIPALE

natural bias is still to be a very technology-focused person. And I have to discipline myself to maintain an appropriate level of emphasis on the marketing, finance and reporting side of the business due to that bias."

software that’s going to process the data they're collecting, and the two have to be linked. The hardware, sensor and software have to accommodate the reality of the environment in which they’re going to operate.

“We learned a long time ago that the hardware has to know what the software’s going to be looking for, the software has to understand what the hardware’s going to be doing, and the hardware and software have to know a lot about each other and have to interoperate.”

While Sentera sensors and software are compatible with third-party UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), you design and manufacture your own drones as well. Why did you opt for this end-to-end solution, as you refer to it?

Taipale: “We really learned this the hard way over the past 15 years. The premise in a software-only business—especially a lot of the drone-focused businesses that are software-only—is that there’s some magical, everywhere, infinitebandwidth network that stretches all over the place.

Drones are one of a number of technologies that have caused some anxiety about the seemingly inevitable robot takeover of our economy. Do you see them replacing jobs held by humans any time soon?

"And our experience on the military side was very similar to the environment that exists out in rural America, which is that connectivity is typically pretty poor and sometimes not even there at all.

“A drone and a sensor have to interact with the

Taipale: “These drones are not doing analysis or the creative, human part of any of these jobs. Agriculture is a good example.

"An agronomist currently uses probably 30 different sources of data to drive a decision that they’re going to make about a field: weather patterns, soilmoisture characteristics, soil types, hybrid characteristics.

“But drones are not a replacement for agronomy.

What they're a replacement for is going out and gathering the raw inputs that drive decisions. It helps agronomists avoid sending out college or graduate students to walk fields and count weeds with sticks, which really is what's done today. It’s a messy, inaccurate way of trying to assess fields, and it forces agronomists to have to take poor data and try to make good decisions with it.

"With a drone, they're more able to look at the instantaneous health of a crop. Do they see disease?

Do they see something that concerns them from a cropscouting perspective? With a drone, what you get is a picture of every square inch of that field. And instead of making a guess, we have software that counts the weeds and tells you where the crop is under stress,

including in areas of the field where they’d be very difficult to reach at certain times in the growing season.

"I can’t stress it enough to our customers—to the agronomists and the advisers who are the decision-makers—we are not in the next 10 years, not in the next 20 years, going to take away that decisionmaking part of the job. But we are going to give them really pristine data so that they’re not having to guess about, ‘I only looked at one percent of the field. Do I think that’s what’s going in the other 99 percent?'

“People think of these drones as sentient beings.

They’re not. They’re robot airplanes with sensors, hanging in the air providing better data.”

ERIC TAIPALE

10-second bio • An electrical engineer, by education • Has worked in the aerospace industry for more than 20 years—stints at Lockheed Martin, Goodrich and FourthWing Sensors • Has worked on sensors for both manned aircraft, as well as unmanned aircraft such as General Atomics' Predator A and Predator B drones • Was part of the product team for Lockheed Martin's Desert Hawk III

Focused Lunches

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DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

One of the primary reasons to attend any conference is to directly connect with other professionals in your industry.

Drone Focus prioritizes these connections through networking breaks and social gatherings, and this year we will be offering four focused lunches:

1) Construction 2) Agriculture 3) Autonomous Vehicles 4) Women and Drones

BVLOS Explained

"UNLEASH THE CAPABILITIES" Thomas Swoyer Jr. President, Grand Sky Development Co.

Thomas Swoyer, Jr., president of Grand Sky Development Co., explains beyond visual line of sight is, why it's important and the advantages it will bring to the UAS (unmanned aerial systems) industry.

What is BVLOS? TSJ: "Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) is about being able to remotely fly an aircraft without having an onboard pilot, ground-based observer or chase plane. There is still a line of sight electronically—either by cell tower, radio frequency or satellite links—that is used to keep the aircraft under control while it can fly beyond the visual range of the pilot."

Why is BVLOS important?

TSJ: "Large UAS have a lot of capabilities, but these aircraft are limited by the requirement that a pilot or an observer must constantly be able to see the aircraft.

"If that one requirement could be taken off the table, it allows aircraft to: • Go farther in distance • Gather more information • Fly more cost-effectively "We don’t need any visual observers. We don’t have to keep moving the pilot around to fly to another spot. Currently, during a pipeline inspection, a pilot or observer needs to keep relocating so the aircraft is always in sight. That’s just not an efficient use of that technology.

"The goal with BVLOS is to cost-effectively utilize the camera and other sensor capabilities on a UAS to take on the dull, dirty, and dangerous situations and jobs.

"A pipeline inspection is dull but needs to be done, and it would be more efficient if somebody could sit in one place to fly an aircraft. Sensor operators can do their job, and they can cover more ground.

Along with being more cost effective, the pipeline operator would be able to handle problems on a pipeline faster because they would know about them sooner instead of waiting for a physical inspection crew to get out there."

Why large UAS? TSJ: "A lot of quadcopters fly at or below an altitude of 400 feet. Large UAS fly at 10,000 feet and up. The only way you can cost-effectively map or inspect 8,000 miles of transmission line, or collect 500 square miles of agricultural data in a day is to fly at high altitudes of 10,000 feet and up. This is why there is a need to bring large, unmanned aircraft into service on a commercial basis.

"Large UAS have many advantages, including the abilities to: • Get higher in altitude so they stay out of commonly-used airspace • Carry bigger and more powerful cameras to take more and different kinds of pictures • Travel longer distances from the launch point • Stay aloft all day long without having to land • "They need to be able to do that to effectively and efficiently capture imagery for infrastructure or agricultural inspections. Our goal is to utilize large UAS to capture 500 or even 1,000 or more square miles of imagery in a single mission.

"The collaboration between Northern Plains UAS Test Site and Grand Sky will allow BVLOS testing to unleash the capabilities of these aircraft and the sensors they carry, creating a replicable system and a repeatable process."

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ERIC TAIPALE At first glance, the everincreasing amount of rules and regulations surrounding drones might seem like a burden to a company like yours. You said you actually welcome them, though. Why is that?

HOW SENTERA'S SENSORS WORK When the human eye views an image, it's more or less seeing the colors red, green, and blue, which all correspond to slightly different wavelengths and frequencies of light.

What scientists discovered decades ago, though, is that beyond the visual band of light that our eyes can detect, there are some frequencies—in the near infrared band—that are very good indicators of chlorophyll, the chemical compound found in plants and where vegetative health comes from.

Sentera CEO Eric Taipale explains how his company uses that information in their sensor technology.

"They found that by looking at the ratio of a certain band of nearinfrared light to what our eyes see as red light, they could get a really good estimate of vegetative health," he explains. "And in a nutshell, that's what we're doing today. We're looking at: How does the plant reflect one frequency of light versus another?"

Taipale: "When the Part 107 rules were released, it was really the first time the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) provided a recipe for being able to legally operate a commercial-drone business.

"To me—and I think most people in our industry—it seemed very reasonable: A person who wants to operate an unmanned aircraft in our National Airspace System (NAS) has to know something about the airspace and how to operate with other aircraft that might be sharing that airspace.

“For the industry, I think it would be a huge mistake to go forward with some kind of Wild West-type approach where drones are out flying around potentially in conflict with crop dusters or commercial aircraft. That would be irresponsible.

A sample of the different types of images captured by Sentera sensors

"Most of us have spent our lives around the aerospace industry and have a pretty healthy respect for the way the FAA manages airspace.

And I think they've done a really good job of defining those goals and doing so quickly."

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

Emerging Prairie's “Our goal is that Drone Focus will become the next Big Iron for Fargo. In terms of scale Lindsay Breuler and size, that's where we’re going with this. We're quickly on that trajectory with how Director fast we’re growing. There are huge UAS conferences in Texas and Las Vegas and China, Drone Focus Conference but what's different here is we don't have casinos or the coolest water parks. We’re bringing people here for the reason of showing up to the conference and connecting with one another."

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Especially with a newer technology like this, some people might be skeptical about the actual return they're getting from investing in a drone. How exactly do you calculate ROI? Taipale: "For us, showing ROI is really about going to an agronomist and saying, ‘We know you need this data. Here it is more accurate, more complete and at a lower price point than what your current technology is giving you.' And there are a few components to it: Crop Emergence "The first thing we have is a crop-emergence tool. Right as the crop is coming out of the ground, we have a piece of software that shows the grower if their plants are not emerging. And there’s very good data to show that if we can drive that grower to understand what’s happening in their field even five days sooner, there’s enough economic benefit in a 3,000-acre field to pay for the drone—just with that.

“Because they can make a decision to either replant or they can make a decision to switch crops. In either case, they’re going to make the decision that many days earlier so they’ll get that much better yield, and they’ll be able to replace some of the economic loss.

For a long time, people have studied: What’s the benefit of knowing sooner?

And now we have a way of knowing almost in real-time.

Nitrogen "Nitrogen is far and away the largest economic driver we are a part of. In the U.S., we know that about half of the nitrogen that gets applied in the fall to fields is going to wash off into rivers and lakes before it ever gets used by a crop for growth.

"Drones can be a big part of developing what are called split-application strategies where we look at the crop, assess its immediate need for nitrogen and then give it just enough so it grows optimally over the next month.

“And then the following month, we can look and say, 'What was the weather like? What do we think the soil is going to be like?' And do another application so that we’re just metering out the amount of fertilizer that’s needed and minimizing the amount that runs off.

"Within five years, we think it's achievable to cut nitrogen use by 40 percent while increasing yield. There’s good data that shows that what we’re already doing now with these split-nitrogen treatments is returning about a $70-per-acre benefit—that’s both in terms of a yield benefit and a costreduction benefit. $70 is a massive amount of money to growers, especially now."

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To learn more and find out how Sentera can help your business:

Sentera Sentera.com 844-736-8372

TAJAE VIAENE

THE 411 ON

PART 107

Tajae Viaene Lead Flight Instructor, Fargo Jet Center

I

n the world of drones, one of the things you discover quickly is the amount of overlap between the UAS (unmanned aerial systems) and aviation industries— commercial operators who used to fly fighter jets, flight-school teachers turned sensor-company founders and university students with a foot in each world.

Tajae Viaene fits that mold to a T.

She's been the lead flight instructor at the Fargo Jet Center for the past year and has been flying manned aircraft for six years, but after attending Drone Focus Conference in 2016, she soon found herself taking a keen interest in UAS. Realizing early on that there weren't a lot of options in Fargo-Moorhead for people interested in learning to operate a drone for commercial purposes, she took it

upon herself to set up at the Jet Center the area's first training curriculum for Part 107, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) new rules for non-hobbyist, small UAS operations.

Viaene talks about what piqued her interest in drones, what people can expect from the Part 107 course and why visibility is still the most important factor in closing the gender gap in male-dominated industries.

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

Emerging Prairie's “We think drones and autonomous systems are the next industries to help support North Lindsay Breuler Director Dakota. With oil going down and everything else kind of tapering off, autonomous Drone Focus systems have the ability to really change our state. With regard to topography, weather, Conference and a number of other factors, we're a perfect state to test things in."

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By Tajae Viaene

Part 107 My interest in drones really started at last year's Drone Focus Conference...

I went to that and was just amazed at all the possibilities and uses they had—agricultural applications, solar-powered UAVs, all the places you can take them. I thought it was so neat.

PowerPoint slides taught by a flight instructor during a day-long course work handin-hand with the provided materials binder in order to prepare those interested in taking the remote-pilot written exam (Unmanned Aircraft General).

Then, over the past year, I started having students upon students coming in and asking, "So what about this drone stuff? How do I learn to fly one? What are the rules?"

If you take and pass that, then you get a temporary certificate and you can fly a UAS for hire—whether it's for photography purposes or you're a farmer interested in checking your crops.

What I soon realized is that I was in the same boat...

We’ve had people from so many different types of businesses take our course...

I said, "You know, I need to learn more about this."

I called around to different places in town, and I didn’t find the structured training program I was looking for.

So I discussed it with our flight-school manager, and he said, "Well why don’t you go get trained and work on developing a program for our area?"

Did You Know?

So I did. I went down to Texas, attended training, and came back and put together a materials binder. Now, we've developed a whole course and have been doing this for months now.

The first person who showed interest was a guy involved with a tower company in town, and that's to be expected. Why not check your lighting and wires on your tower with a drone instead of sending a person up?

I had a number of different

Downtown Fargo is in what's called Class D (Delta) airspace. What does this mean? In order to fly your drone or UAS in Class D airspace, you must request a waiver and/or airspace authorization through the FAA at least 90 days prior to the flight.

TAJAE VIAENE seed companies in town reach out, too, and I had no idea that so many of them were getting into this. I had no idea the data they could get from flying a drone over a crop.

We’ve had a bunch of local groups from NDSU looking at using drones for research, usually in the biological sciences— monitoring wildlife, as well as data collection. Then there's fire departments and local police. For fire departments to be able to fly a drone over a fire or into a building instead of using a person or to be able to get an aerial view, that’s a pretty neat deal.

I've even heard from insurance companies

about utilizing UAVs for crop insurance and roofing.

People are looking to use drones to inspect roofs instead of having to go up there themselves.

Everyone learns at their own pace...

It really is about learning patience and learning to teach to everyone’s learning preferences. Some people are visual, and I need to show them first. Other people need me to show them from a textbook or write something on a board. It's about figuring out how to teach each person and treat them differently instead of as one group.

When we do our course, we do it in a small setting so that we can accommodate and make sure everyone learns what they need to about airspace. Then, we deal with specific questions as they come up. Say someone with a tower company has towers in different cities. We take a look as a group and figure out, "Okay, so in this city, this is what airspace you’re looking at, here’s where you’d need an authorization, and here’s where you’re okay."

BRIEF BIO Age

Location

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Fargo

How You Say Her Name Tah-jha Vee-Annie

Job Much of the course is devoted to learning about airspace...

Lead Flight Instructor Fargo Jet Center, FAA Part 107 Instructor

Airspace gets very

Time in the Sky 6 years

Airspace gets very complicated and is very tough to teach yourself. complicated and is very tough to teach yourself.

So we spend quality time teaching it because it’s not just, "I work for a company, and I’m going to take my remote-pilot exam and I’ll get a 70 percent so now I passed and I’m good."

Because really, you're expected to know 100 percent of that information when it comes to liability.

We teach the different levels from the bottom up. It’s not just a straightforward "I can fly my drone to 400 feet" because it depends on where you’re at. If you’re right in the middle of

Minneapolis, you probably can't do that. But what you can do is you can take a look at different levels of Bravo airspace and figure out whether you could come out a ways and be under Bravo airspace.

That’s what we do is take you from being able to pass a written and multiplechoice exam versus really knowing the stuff so that you know you’re safe where you’re flying. Because you're sharing this airspace with airplanes.

We’re all sharing the airspace

together, and drones are only going to get bigger...

The drone industry is growing like crazy, and so we all have to learn how to share nicely. It actually keeps me safer flying in the air knowing that I’ve trained other people who are going to fly drones safely.

Even though my expertise is in airplanes, I can help bridge the gap. I can show people: This is why you need to be listening on the radio because there could be a crop sprayer in the area. Where would he be flying if he says he’s on a

left downwind for runway one-three? That sounds foreign to a normal person, but I teach them what it means along with the traffic patterns so that they know where to look for that airplane.

I try really hard to be not just a pilot but also a teacher...

It's great being able to have both young people and older professionals in the same room, walk them through this course, and then have them come back to me later and say, "Hey, I really appreciated this," or say, "It really meant a lot to me to have someone sit down and be willing to slowly walk me through A, B, C, D and E airspace."

TAJAE VIAENE

3 Questions on

Diversity with Tajae Viaene Fargo Inc!: With all the initiatives and attention nowadays paid to closing the gender gap in high-tech industries and not enough to show for it, what do you think we're missing?

Tajae Viaene: "I'd say it's cultural. With aviation, in particular, one of the issues is that the time that's best for us to be really intensive with our training is also the time, in general, that we’re having families and children.

It turns out that flying while you’re pregnant isn’t actually so much fun.

"There’s also the expense.

You have to have a really

good spouse to be able to say, ‘I’d like to spend a lot of money to do this training.’

It takes a family effort to be able to pay for flying lessons, juggle kids and everything else."

FI: There seems to a consensus that reaching girls at an early age is of the utmost importance. How can we do that better?

TV: "In my opinion, the biggest impact is made when women who are in a field talk to younger women.

Just going to high schools and doing that outreach is so impactful.

AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY With a global pilot shortage and a number of airline pilots retiring in the next four or five years, Fargo Jet Center Lead Flight Instructor Tajae Viaene says there's never been a better time to be a woman interested in aviation.

"Opportunities are crazy good," she says. "Right now, as a pilot, you can pretty much go anywhere. It's really neat when young people come to me and ask, 'What are my job prospects here or here?' And I can honestly tell them, 'If you finish this, this, and this, you can for sure have a job waiting for you that's well-paying and secure."

"I'll give you an example.

I've done discovery flights where I’ll take up a husband, and the wife just wants to ride with. Then, after the flight, the wife says, ‘So I never thought about this, but what if I took lessons?’ And I say, ‘Yeah!’

"It’s almost like it’s something that doesn’t cross their mind until they see that another woman can do it and is doing it.

That's when they say, ‘Oh, actually, I could do this.’

"That's why I think it's really important that women who are already in an industry reach out to other women as they continue to look into career opportunities."

FI: Are you yourself involved with any diversity or outreach programs?

TV: "My boss has been really great about this. What I primarily do is outreach with different high school events when they have career days. Reaching out to the high schools is a big deal because those kids are in the process of deciding what they’re going to do for a career.

"We work with a professor at Concordia College and

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do discovery flights for his students every year. We also do outreach with different events going on in Fargo, as well as corresponding functions with the Fargo Air Museum.

"I'm also a member of the local EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), and while it's primarily men, all of those guys have wives, sisters and granddaughters who are much more comfortable getting to fly with a woman. The daughter of one guy came up to me recently and said, 'I'm really nervous, but I think I could fly with you.'

"She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to fly with a guy, but she told me, 'If you can do it, I think I can do it.' I taught her how to fly, and now, I just started with her mother."

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

10 & 3

41

2015

Number of states and countries represented at the conference, respectively

Submissions for Drone Focus Film Festival

First year conference was held

What's the Difference?

DISCOUNTED PART 107 TRAINING On the day before and after Drone Focus Conference— May 30 and June 2—the Fargo Jet Center will be offering a discounted rate ($100 off) on FAA Part 107 training.

For more information and to sign up, visit EmergingPrairie. com/DroneFocusConference

COMPARING LARGE AND SMALL UAS Large UAS

Small UAS

The size of a small plane

SIZE

Range in size but include the quadcopters most people envision

Often referred to as a “UAV” (unmanned aerial vehicle) or “RPA” (remotely piloted aircraft)

TERMINOLOGY

Often referred to as a “drone”

PURPOSE

Uses include: collecting data, delivering small packages, photography/ videography, drone racing, and surveillance for utilities and energy infrastructure

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To learn more about Part 107 training, visit FAA.gov/UAS Fargo Jet Center FargoJet.com 701-235-3600

Uses include: collecting data for agriculture, first responders, and insurance companies, and delivering emergency supplies and packages

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MARLO ANDERSON

An Autonomous Conversation w/ "Guru of Geek"

MARLO ANDERSON M

arlo Anderson is more than happy to be the de facto spokesperson for autonomous technology in North Dakota, even if the role was a bit unexpected.

"I was at a summit a few years ago for CNATCA (Central North American Trade Corridor Association), and I was heading up the tech panel," says Anderson, who's the founder of the heavily trafficked National Day Calendar website and the host of The Tech Ranch, a technology-focused radio show based out of Bismarck. "And I kind of shot out this idea of making Highway 83 an autonomous-friendly corridor.

Did You Know?

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"And there was a local reporter there who wrote a story about it, it got picked up by the AP, and the next thing I know, it’s on pretty much every front page of every paper across the country that we’re doing this autonomous corridor."

Despite having—at the time—little more than a hobbyist-level interest in autonomous vehicles, Anderson suddenly became North Dakota's poster boy for self-driving technology.

“All these people started to call about this idea and how it can work, and it was just one of those things

where I was involved with it a little bit, but because of that press coverage, it kind of elevated me to this position," he says. "And all of a sudden I’m getting invited by BMW and Delphi to ride in their cars.

“So through my radio show, I've become kind of an advocate for autonomous vehicles and the good that will come from them.”

We sat down with Anderson to learn about autonomous technology, the endless possibilities it provides and where he sees it headed in the future.

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

There are 6 different levels of autonomous vehicles,

according to SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers)— Level 0 being "No Automation" all the way up to Level 5, which is "Full Automation." For reference, common features such as active park-assist and lane-keeping systems would classify a vehicle as somewhere between Levels 1 and 2.

FI: And your interest in autonomous systems kind of evolved from there?

MA: "It got me thinking about making our roads not just safer but more efficient.

I started realizing the economic side of it.

"I’m not saying I want Ford or GM or Chrysler to lose market share, but when you look at it as being for the good of humanity—maybe one car can serve four or five families. Because the fact is that a vehicle is an asset that we all buy, and then we park it in the garage, leave it there and use it for a half-hour a day to get around.

“But what if we changed that around a little bit and let the car do more work for us?"

Fargo Inc!: You have an interesting anecdote about one of the reasons for your interest in autonomous vehicles. Would you share that with us?

Marlo Anderson: “I think we’ve all had friends and family who have been killed on the road, but a few years ago, the daughter of a friend of mine was killed by a drunk driver. It was such a needless accident. This person crossed into the wrong lane on the interstate.

"You start thinking about if the person who was driving drunk were in an autonomous vehicle, absolutely none of it would've happened. Even if the technology failed and the car disabled itself so it couldn’t drive anymore, it just wouldn’t have happened."

FI: It was generally accepted that autonomous-vehicle technology would make its way into the mainstream sometime around the mid2030s. Now, the early to mid-2020s is looking more likely. What are some of the factors that expedited this early arrival?

MA: "The technology is just advancing much more quickly than most people thought it would. I think competition is what’s really pushing it more than anything else.

"I think large auto manufacturers are probably concerned about a company like Google— though they’ve said they’re not going to—or Apple, and then all of a sudden they're competing against something they’re not used

MARLO ANDERSON

to competing against. Ford has been really secretive about what they’re doing, but they claim they’re actually further along than anybody else. I think you'll start seeing a revolution of cars coming out with more and more advanced features.

"I also think that because there’s been so much talk about it, the general public has become more accepting of the fact that it's going to happen. Right away, there was this huge pushback like, ‘You’re kidding me. I’m going to see a semi driving down the road and there’s going to be no one in it?!'"

FI: To be fair, that just sound like the general public's reaction to any disruptive technology.

MA: “Yes, absolutely. This is just a little more scary I suppose because it’s not like a TV is going to come into your home and you might die from it. And I think that’s the challenge is that people look at their computer every day, and there’s some new issue—a blue screen, a virus, whatever. And then

you take that thinking to an autonomous car, and you’re like, ‘Is this how my new car is going to be? Am I going to have the blue screen of death every time I try to turn this thing on?’"

FI: You said you're actually looking forward to the day when a car crash makes the news the way a plane crash does. With the volume of traffic on the road versus the sky, is that realistic?

FI: That's likely to have pretty far-reaching effects, isn't it?

MA: "I think about the structure I'm looking at right now: a parking lot.

They may not even be that important in the future. Or maybe you use your own car to get to work, and then you send it back home.

“Look at San Francisco. It actually costs more to park your car than a hotel stay.

Your hotel is $250, and if you valet a car overnight, it’s $300 for the car. If

MA: "I think it is. Most white papers I’ve read about autonomous vehicles say they’re going to reduce accidents anywhere from 90-94 percent.

"Take North Dakota, for example. We lose about 100 people a year on the roads. You'd be reducing that number to about 10 people. Apply that to the country, and we reduce traffic deaths to about 4,000—instead of 40,000.

"So you have the deaths, but then there's also the injuries—people who are disabled because of vehicle accidents. Then, there are the animals that are hit, the vehicles they disable. Most of that stuff will go away."

FI: Beyond safety, what are some of the ways this is going to impact the average person's everyday life?

Happy National At this year's Drone Focus Conference, Autonomous the team at National Day Calendar Vehicle Day! will be making a big announcement.

Accompanied by a number of major players from the autonomous industry, Founder Marlo Anderson will

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MA: "One thing is the question of: Will you even need a car in the future? Will you be able to just call up a rideshare service, take a car and then use other transport when you go long distances?

I think there will be more and more people who won’t even invest in a car."

UBER CRASH For autonomous-vehicle advocates like Marlo Anderson, a late March crash this year in Tempe, Ariz., involving a self-driving Uber car doesn't lessen their faith in the technology, it bolsters it.

He sees the accident, which by all accounts was the result of a human driver's failure to yield, as further proof that, if we're able to choose between roadways populated by distracted, error-prone human operators or machines, we should opt for the latter.

"Even though the (crash) in Arizona wasn't actually the autonomous vehicle's fault at all,

DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

be announcing May 31 as National Autonomous Vehicles Day. “North Dakota has done a lot to move the UAS industry forward, and I think we’re well-positioned now to

leverage what we’ve done with UAS right into autonomous vehicles," says Anderson, who will be making the announcement the morning of May 31, the first day of the conference.

"To allow these vehicles in our state

you’re working in that type of situation, if you can send your car home or send it to pick up your spouse or send your kids to school or whatever, it really changes things.

"I’m a three-stall garage kind of person, but do we really need three stalls anymore? We probably only need one—or none.

Everything changes because of this."

Uber still pulled their vehicles off the road to investigate," Anderson says. "Because I'm sure what they're thinking is, 'Is there a way that the autonomous vehicle could've swerved to avoid the accident?'"

After all, that spontaneous ability to react is part of driving, right?

Right, Anderson agrees, though he's still confident that autonomous cars can become better at it than people.

"I was in a Delphi vehicle about a year and a half ago where we almost had an accident," Anderson recalls. "We were in Las Vegas in eight lanes of traffic. We were in one of the middle lanes, and this car in front of us stopped on a dime.

"I don't know if a squirrel ran out in front of them or what, but becuase of the distance we were following the vehicle, if you or I would've been driving, we would've slammed right into it.

“Our process is this: We look over our shoulder to see if there’s anyone in the other lane, but by that time, we've hit the vehicle. The autonomous vehicle we were in, though, just went to the right and went right around it. It’s interesting to see that it looks at alternate ways other than how you and I are trained to get around a vehicle.”

to test and try to move this technology forward, having National Autonomous Vehicle Day proclaimed right here in Fargo lets the world know that North Dakota is open for business."

MARLO ANDERSON

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT

Drone Racing Drone racing is a growing sport—with videos and televised events happening around the world. As Jakee Stoltz and Matt Henry started seeing Drone Racing League videos circulating early last year, they wanted to get involved. Based out of Grand Forks, the pair created Red River Rotocross in April 2016.

As the sport continues to grow in visibility and popularity, here are some things Stoltz and Henry think you should know about it:

1 Drone racing involves manually flying a highperformance quadcopter through a course from a first-person view.

3

The pilot sees what the drone sees through goggles that livestream video from a low-resolution camera mounted on a drone.

Races typically see five to six pilots flying at the same time through a course made of gates, flags and trees.

4

5

Drones can reach speeds of 80 mph during races.

The drones' battery life is two to three minutes.

6

7

8

Power and maneuverability— not endurance— are key.

Altogether, the equipment that racing requires can range from $600-$1,200.

Most pilots choose to build their own drones from a selection of parts.

Sponsorship Opportunities

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2

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10

Simulators can be used to learn to fly before flying the real aircraft.

You can get involved by checking out Red River Rotocross on Facebook and joining your local MultiGP Drone Racing Chapter.

Stoltz and Henry are both mission managers at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in Grand Forks. They support all flying activities, from interacting with clients to getting operational approvals to flying small UAS (unmanned aerial systems) to supervising flight crews.

Since their work deals with drones and they had both built RC aircraft in the past, they thought they would buy some drone-racing parts and dive in.

FI: If you're able to guess, how do you think liability with these vehicles is going to work?

MA: "There's a movement afoot where when you buy your autonomous vehicle, you'd buy your insurance with it. You spend $50,000 on the car, and then you don’t have to worry about your monthly or annual insurance payments. The car manufacturer and you are kind of simultaneously taking the risk on, and you buy the insurance as part of the car.

"As far as the liability part of it, if it’s your car, you'll still be liable unless there’s some real major defect that would cause the manufacturer to do a recall or something along those lines. But generally speaking, it will be that way.

“It's no different than now, really. If you get a car, don’t change the oil in it for 100,000 miles; you’re driving down the interstate, your engine seizes, and there’s some person behind you who runs into you; you’re the one who’s at fault. That’s just how it is, right? Because you didn’t do the proper maintenance on the vehicle.

"Well, it’s the same thing here. You’re going to be required to do maintenance on these vehicles. Now, the car might tell you it’s time to get the oil changed or DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE 2017

Feeling energized by Drone Focus and looking to become a sponsor? Reach out to Conference Director Lindsay Breuler today at DroneFocus@EmergingPriairie.com to discuss your partnership options.

whatever it is, but what's interesting is that the car is going to record everything.

So if you get into an accident and it’s because something failed, the car’s going to be able to report to the law officer, 'He hasn’t changed his oil in 100,000 miles, and that's the reason the accident occurred.’”

FI: A lot has been made about the effect autonomous technology is going to have on certain industries. Trucking— with 3.5 million Americans employed as drivers and 9 million employed in the industry—has gotten a lot of attention, in particular.

You seem to think those concerns have been greatly exaggerated, though.

MA: "There are a couple different thoughts on that. First of all, I don't think people who are in the trucking industry right now really have to be concerned—outside of maybe somebody who's in their mid-teens or early 20s.

By the time they retire, we might get to full autonomy by that time.

“I think the government is going to require somebody to always be in the vehicle

For More Information

Marlo Anderson Founder, National Day Calendar when you’re driving a shipment of something.

The only difference is that you’re probably not going to be behind the wheel as much. You’re just going to be in there safekeeping, and dealing with more things on the business side.

"That person who has just one truck, all of a sudden, instead of only working eight, 10, or 12 hours a day or whatever the regulations are, that truck can be traveling 24/7. And that person, when it’s in autonomous mode, can be doing video conferencing and be working toward getting that next gig—all this stuff that’s a little more tricky when you’re driving down the road."

Drone Focus Conference 2017

FI: Which is why you think other industries will actually bear more of the brunt of this, correct?

MA: "Right. As it becomes cheaper for freight to be moved via truck, more and more trucks will be needed. I actually see the rail industry—and maybe shipping to a lesser extent—being affected more.

"You could look at it the other way, though, too.

Take the Hudson Bay route—very underutilized right now. That’s why Canada loves this so much. If trucking all of a sudden becomes much more efficient, that Hudson Bay route might open up, and all of a sudden we’re using that to ship things to Europe. So it may actually value-add to our region.

“And I know this gets way off what we’re talking about here, but we grow durum to make noodles.

We have a macaroni plant in Carrington (N.D.). Why is it that Chef Boyardee isn’t sitting right next to them?

Well, it’s because it’s so expensive for them to bring all the other ingredients here. It’s actually cheaper to send this heavy, raw material out of here than to bring all the other lighter things into North Dakota.

"So maybe as we move this forward and trucking becomes more efficient, that changes and all of a sudden we attract companies like Chef Boyardee. All of a sudden, we start value-adding to the products we have, and that grows our economy as well.”

May 31 & June 1 EmergingPrairie.com/DroneFocusConference Fargo Civic Center | 207 4th St. N, Fargo 69

Logan Heger YEA! member

YOUTHFUL

IDEAS

WITH YEA

Y

ear after year, I am impressed by the talent that the Red River Valley produces, and right now, I am more excited than ever. Last month, the Chamber hosted the second annual Investor Panel Shark Tank event, which is a showcase of business ideas from our Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) program students. Here, 17 middle- and highschool students presented their ideas to a panel of local investors and competed for funding.

In the end, Bridget McManamon, a junior at Moorhead Senior High School, took first place in the competition for

her business, Herstory, and will advance to the national semifinals in New York.

Bridget also received $1,000 to help her launch her business this summer.

Bridget is a fine example of a talented, passionate and inspired young entrepreneur. She saw a need and used her expertise and resources to fill it. In fact, that’s what all of our 17 students have done. The range of their ideas touch many industries, from biodiesel to ecofriendly, local garden supplies to cakes and protein shakes—creating products that are giving back around the world.

BY Craig Whitney | PHOTOS COURTESY OF FMWF Chamber of Commerce

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

FARGOINC.COM

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It’s an honor to witness the incredible innovation these young people possess and to watch their ideas come to fruition.

But none of it would happen without the support of our local community. We’ve been lucky to secure a group of area professionals who volunteered their time and talents to share with our students.

The YEA! program would be not successful without these guest speakers, tour hosts, mentors, and, of course, sponsors.

Cornerstone Bank has been especially invaluable as the program’s presenting sponsor. We’ve also seen incredible support from our local schools and business community, which is another example of what makes Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo shine as a thriving community.

To me, The YEA! program is especially important to the process of cultivating an informed and inspired future workforce.

The students in the program will soon begin their college careers, and, subsequently, enter the workforce. It is our hope that many of our area students remain in the region. We have a vibrant and supportive business community, and YEA! helps expose those resources to the students.

It's also my hope that, in time, many of the business ideas cultivated through the YEA! program come to fruition. We’ve already seen two successes from our very first year. Mukai Selekwa has taken on two

Other Students in This Year’s YEA! Program & Their Businesses Taranvir Johal (Oak Grove High School) - Protein+ Chase Monson (Fargo South High School) Greasel Habiba Heshmat (Davies High School) - Heshmarks Josh Gronneberg (Davies High School) - EvoManage Evan Ohren (Cheney Middle School) - E’s Clothing Connor Dahlvang (Davies High School) - Quick Shopper Anushka Sikdar (Cheney Middle School) - Light the Way Corp.

Chase Ohren (Cheney Middle School) - Chillingtons Fardosa Hassan (West Fargo High School) -Reves Doux Patisserie Derek Phelps (Davies High School) - The Greenhouse Max Lavitschke (West Fargo High School) - TekLite Software Assraa Al-abase (Cheney Middle School) - Viz Joanna Lin (Davies High School) - Ecopotz Logan Heger (Cheney Middle School) - Dry Kicks Cooper Chwialkowski & Tanner Paler (West Fargo High School) - MN Pro

business partners and is busy launching his social media-management platform, Webblen, and Sydney Ulrich has sold numerous headbands to help fund breast cancer research.

I have no doubt that Bridget and several of this year’s class will have the same success. In fact, Bridget is already off to a promising start. Last fall, she received a $3,000 grant for her business, and we know that she will continue to wow people as she continues.

Herstory

Herstory is a membership-based organization that serves to raise awareness and distribute menstrual-hygiene products to local students who otherwise do not have access to them. Funds from her grant have helped make a donation of hygiene packages to women in need in Africa.

Likely as you’re reading this, Bridget is in New York once again pitching Herstory to a new audience. She is among more than 100 students nationally competing in the Saunders Scholars semifinal competition for the opportunity to advance to the national final to win college scholarships— ranging from $25,000 to $50,000—an all-expenses-paid trip to America’s Small Business Summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington,

D.C., and business-startup prizes.

YEA! is an incredible opportunity for talented and motivated young entrepreneurs to learn more about business. Our local program is actually the first and only in North Dakota and one of only a few in the upper Midwest.

If you know a middle or high school student who exudes the entrepreneurial spirit, please encourage them to apply for the 2017-18 class on our website at FMWFChamber.com/YEA We’re also looking for more volunteers to help throughout the year. If you’re interested or want to learn more, please contact our YEA! program coordinator Katie at 218-359-0511 or KRalston@ FMWFChamber.com TAKE

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FMWF Chamber of Commerce FMWFChamber.com 218-233-1100 FARGOINC.COM

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EASY PARKING:

NAVIGATE TO ROBERTS GARAGE, DOWNTOWN FARGO

BY Mike Allmendinger PHOTOS BY Paul Flessland and courtesy of Kilbourne Group

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t Kilbourne Group, we get excited about seeing an abundance of people strolling the sidewalks; shopping at unique retailers; and enjoying the culture, art and dining experiences in Downtown Fargo. The vibrancy of the Downtown neighborhood has seen its ebbs and flows over the course of Fargo’s history, and we are grateful to be part of this time of exciting growth.

Mike Allmendinger is the general manager of Kilbourne Group.

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What was already perceived to be a tight parking situation got even tighter last year when the City of Fargo began construction on the first new Downtown garage in more than a decade.

By the end of May, Roberts Garage, which is located at the corner of Second Avenue North and Roberts Street, will be open for business, adding 455 new parking spots to this rapidly developing block Downtown. The garage includes parking for more than 200 bikes as well, making it a great addition to this walkable, bikeable community.

City of Fargo Parking Commissioner Margie Bailly cheered for the city’s progress in ensuring adequate downtown-parking resources at the

“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded,” Hall of Fame New York Yankees Catcher Yogi Berra once said.

April Parking Commission meeting.

“Public-private partnerships have successfully and creatively increased parking capacity in urban-core environments across the country,” she said. “The City of Fargo’s partnership with the Kilbourne Group is an example of this proven strategy. This partnership brings to fruition a vision that has been discussed by the Fargo Parking Commission, city leaders and private developers for many years. The Roberts Commons and Block 9 projects will be signature spaces and places the citizens of Fargo can be proud of.”

Roberts Garage is part of the Roberts Commons project, a garage surrounded by a mixed-use wrap building that

includes more than 70 apartments and ground-floor retail and restaurant space.

Mixed-use garages are very efficient, as different types of users—residents, Downtown workers and shoppers—use the spaces at different times of the day, increasing its usage.

available for those willing to walk a short distance (less than three blocks).

Though perception is reality.

Another garage is planned for the Block 9 development site, which will be open to the public after 5 p.m. and on weekends, making it even more convenient to enjoy your Downtown experience.

There is another perception we like to illustrate. In almost any town across the Midwest, you know when you’ve reached downtown. It feels different and looks different than the suburban areas of the city. A key element of urban development is the lack of parking lots between you and the front door. It’s what makes a downtown walkable and special.

Twice a year, the City of Fargo surveys the Downtown parking situation and creates parking counts to gauge the availability of short-term parking. Their efforts prove that parking is consistently

When you leave your car behind and walk through downtown, the doors of the businesses open right onto the sidewalk, inviting you in repeatedly and as you walk down the street. A FARGOINC.COM

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The Roberts Garage was made possible through a partnership between the City of Fargo and Kilbourne Group, whose project proposal was chosen through a competitive process.

downtown should be designed for you, not your car. It’s meant to be experienced on foot, not driven through.

The City of Fargo is always working to increase the convenience of leaving your car behind so that you can experience Downtown. Interstate Parking has installed new parking control equipment in the Civic Center ramp (Radisson) that has license-plate recognition and accepts credit cards. The same equipment will be used in the new Roberts Garage. Parking “way-finding” signs are also being installed Downtown to direct motorists to the parking facilities.

You can see the results of the City’s efforts and read its most recent parking study at CityOfFargo.com/CityInfo/ Parking During a visit to Downtown Fargo in October 2016, national consultant Bob Gibbs of Urban Retail Institute identified parking as a potential roadblock to a thriving downtown. He presented research illustrating how parking meters support higher retail sales in urban areas. With meters, each downtown parking space turns over at least 10 to 12 times per day, which, in a

BUSINESS

WISDOM

thriving retail environment, translates to $150,000 to $250,000 in retail sales per year per space. He said that that is enough to support one store per space.

Gibbs will return to Downtown Fargo on June 13 to provide a free workshop on how to drive foot traffic to small business in urban areas. For more information, visit Kilbourne Group. com/Retail Because parking availability is vital to the success of ground-floor retail, it should be treated as a valuable commodity.

During the retail business hours, meters would allow downtown districts to better manage availability and increase turnover, especially in high-demand areas.

A recent legislative push to repeal North Dakota’s ban on parking meters brought the subject into the spotlight. Though the repeal was not approved, we appreciate the community conversation and look forward to continuing to research the effects of meters in downtown retail districts.

Another key to the success of groundfloor retail is on-street parking directly in front of businesses. To experience the

MAY 2017

Dr. Donald Shoup, author of “The High Cost of Free Parking,” says, “The ideal price for parking is the lowest price the city can charge and still leave one or two vacant spaces on every block. So that everybody will have great parking karma.”

So here’s to great parking karma, and here’s to all the business owners, city leaders, and community-builders who have worked hard to create an experience worth parking and getting out of your car for. See you Downtown!

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Kilbourne Group KilbourneGroup.com 701-237-2279

“Founders think about problems much bigger than North Dakota.”

PAUL SINGH Chief Hustler, Results Junkies

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power of on-street parking firsthand, look at the one block of Main Avenue that has retained its economic activity with retail storefronts. It’s the only block with on-street parking.

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The Startup Journey

Expensive Things Worth Investing in for Your Business

By Josh Christy

A

fter more than a decade working in design and software and founding numerous businesses and products, Codelation Founder Josh Christy understands one thing above all else: The world of entrepreneurship is lonely, but it doesn't have to be.

help fellow CEOs and owners step around some of the holes he's fallen into but, perhaps more importantly, to help them discover (or rediscover) their "why."

The "why," he believes, is what will keep you grounded during those highest of highs and what will pull you out of those lowest of lows.

That's why he started a blog—to not only

We’re always looking to save money, but sometimes in the moment, we step over a dollar to pick up a nickel. This could ultimately hurt more than help. Here’s why.

I know the feeling.

We don’t have the money. Payroll is next week. How will we ever get ahead?

When you are just starting out, money is tight. It always feels like it is.

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Photo by Paul Flessland Graphics courtesy of Josh Christy

Every $50 software subscription you sign up for is one step closer to being out of cash. It’s scary. There are times that being frugal definitely makes sense and other times when you need to invest in growth.

These are things I still struggle with. But by shifting my thinking and putting money behind the right things, it has allowed us to grow in the right direction.

3 Things to Invest in Today Even if you have to scrimp in other areas, you should look to invest in these three areas:

The Best Talent You Can Find Good talent doesn’t come cheap. A great team member will not just get the job done but find ways to make the business more efficient. Going above and beyond, they're truly invested in the company.

In my experience, a mediocre team member will drag you down. When times get tough, they have a stronger likelihood of throwing up their hands and walking away. A great team member will double down and get in the trenches with you.

In a previous life, I used to manage a bar and restaurant. I was responsible for all of the front-of-house staff—servers, bussers, bartenders. There was one weekend that one of my busboys wanted off, and I wasn’t able to give it to him because we were short-staffed. He found out about it in the middle of a shift and handed me his name tag and just walked out.

I was floored that someone would do that.

What really amazed me is how the rest of the team stepped up and helped cover his duties. The rest of the team could have made much more working at a different bar or restaurant, but there was a sense of purpose. And they enjoyed working with everyone else so much more than the money.

Which is a good segue into the topic of pay. A great team member will command top salary, but that isn’t the only way to help attract and retain talent. Some other things you can look at doing: Equity or Profit-sharing When starting off, it might be more difficult to get equity-sharing set up properly—

plus it is something that you don’t want to jump into too quickly as you can’t unring that bell. However, building profit-sharing back into the bottom line is something that can help drive engagement and buy-in from everyone on the team.

Small Thank-yous Sometimes the little things make the biggest impact. Create a Typeform survey, and ask a couple of quick questions: What is your favorite candy bar? Where do you like to get coffee?

Those sorts of questions. When you’d like to give a thank-you, just go back to the results of that questionnaire and get a little gift card or candy bar. It won’t cost much, but it will mean a lot.

Good Benefits As a small team, we haven’t always been able to get all the benefits I wish we would be able to. However, this last year, we signed up with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), which unlocked a world of benefits and other things that we didn’t have access to. This transitions well into getting things off your plate that you aren’t good at.

Punting What You Aren’t Good At

Doing the Right Thing

Why are you still doing your own books and accounting? Don’t you have better use of your time?

When things go sideways, the most expensive thing you might have to do is the right thing. It is much easier to not care and give excuses, but that’s the easy way out. Disclaimer: I’m by no means perfect in this and have made a great number of mistakes around this in the past, but I work every day to make sure I don’t do it again.

You should get all of the things off of your plate that you aren’t good at and that aren’t billable. When we signed up with our PEO (professional employer organization), we not only got access to benefits that we couldn’t buy at a smaller level—dental, vision, flex, etc.—but the real value-add is that they are the ones responsible for the employees.

They are on the hook if an employee’s paperwork isn’t filed properly or if the health insurance isn’t paid.

What about if there is a garnishment or workers'-comp claim? They take care of that also. Plus, we pay only a small fraction of our payroll in fees—about one percent—so it is a no-brainer for us.

So what other things are you doing that should be in a process or, better yet, outsourced?

• Accounting • Bookkeeping • Office cleaning Sure, these things all cost money, but if you can invest $200 per month and free up five, 10, even 20 hours of your time each month, how big of an impact would that make on your sanity and the bottom line?

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WISDOM

If you ever get in a position of having to let someone go—and not because of their performance but because you haven’t been able to deliver—it's one of the most devastating feelings in the world. To own your mistakes hurts now but will pay dividends in the future.

When you have a project that goes over budget and you have to eat it, you’ll learn and make sure you don’t do that again.

It will be painful, but who knows how keeping the relationship intact will pay off down the road.

MAY 2017

3. Back those dollar amounts into your monthly budget.

Only by putting these restrictions on yourself and your business will you be able to go grow and not feel like you have to work 80-hour weeks.

So get out there and invest in things that will help you, and get rid of the rest.

How to Apply This to Your Business Start by picking what you should be spending your time on to grow your business. If it isn’t billable or marketable, should you be doing it? Invest in people and process, and get the rest off of your plate:

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To read the rest of The Startup Journey blog posts and to sign up for Josh Christy's e-newsletter, visit JoshChristy.com/Blog

1. Identify all of the things in your business that you shouldn’t be doing—accounting, bookkeeping, etc.

“You have to tell (Millennials) the reason why and not just because they were told so.”

MARY BETH BURNS Program Coordinator & Facilitator, TrainND SE - NDSCS

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2. Come up with a monthly budget for each of them. If you don’t have a baseline, ask three accountants what they charge per month.

CALENDAR

MAY 2017

BUSINESS EVENTS MAY 2

NORTH DAKOTA LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP Tuesday, 7:30 - 9 a.m.

The 80 days of the 65th North Dakota Legislative Session has been nothing short of interesting. Budgetary times were uncertain, leaving many North Dakota citizens concerned.

Our state has seen tremendous growth over the years as sales-and-use tax boomed with oil production and an influx of residents. But as markets change, so too have the revenue dollars. Please join us to hear from legislators about their thoughts on the session and what they hope to see moving forward.

MAY 1 YWCA'S WOMEN OF THE YEAR Monday, 5:30 - 9 p.m.

YWCA's 44th annual Women of the Year event shines a spotlight on area women and businesses. From 1973 to 2016, YWCA has paid tribute to nearly 500 outstanding Women of the Year honorees whose lives, talents and passions have made a meaningful difference.

All have demonstrated passion for their

community, service to women and children, and are an inspiration to the next generation of leaders. Help them highlight exceptional area women and businesses by joining.

For sponsorship information, call Tami Rust at 701-232-2547 or email TRust@ YWCACassClay.org

Registration (includes breakfast) • $30 Chamber members, in advance • $35 Chamber members, at the door • $40 Non-members, in advance • $45 Non-members, at the door FMWFChamber.com Courtyard by Marriott 1080 28th Ave. S, Moorhead

YWCACassClay.org/Events Delta by Marriott (formerly Ramada) 1635 42nd St. S, Fargo

MAY 5

#FMWFEggs

MAY 6-7

LEADERCASTFM

FARGO JUNK MARKET

We could all be learning more—living out our purpose and leading and being led by people who inspire and enlighten us, give us strength and allow us to grow. Leadercast was built on a belief that the world needs better leaders— leaders worth following.

A fun event that offers the best in repurposed furniture and vintage pieces—a wonderfully unique shopping opportunity that sparks creativity!

Friday, 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

They believe that leadership is not reserved for those people with a "C" in their title. We need better leaders in our communities, businesses, organizations and homes across the world.

Leadercast exists to serve individuals and

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Saturday, May 6 - Sunday, May 7, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

organizations across all sectors who want to become intentional about raising their standard of leadership.

Event.Leadercast.com/Location/ FargoMoorhead Prairie Heights Community Church 319 32nd Ave. E, West Fargo

Pricing • $5 ILoveEcoChic.com/JunkMarket SCHEELS Arena 5225 31st Ave. S, Fargo

MAY 11

MAY 9 THE TALENT ADVANTAGE: GET 'EM, LOVE 'EM, KEEP 'EM Tuesday, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Have you noticed that your recruiting, engagement and retention efforts are not working like they used to? Here in North Dakota—with a three percent unemployment rate—the talent pool can often feel more like a puddle.

Today’s efforts to attract and keep the right people on your team involve thinking differently and more creatively than your competition and collaborating with multiple departments.

Join two thought leaders on the subject, Katie Munion with Dale Carnegie (not pictured) and Heather Ostrowski with Preference Employment Solutions (right), for the third session of a threepart workshop series, "The Talent Advantage: Get 'Em, Love 'Em, Keep 'Em." They'll use current trends, research and processes that you can start using immediately to create your own talent advantage.

5:01 (SPRING SOCIAL) Thursday, 5:01pm - 7:00pm

Join the American Advertising Federation of North Dakota (AAF-ND) at 5:01pm for this fun networking event! Guests will have the opportunity to tour office spaces, network and enjoy refreshments with good company.

Students and professionals alike are welcome.

This is a free event.

AAF-ND.org/Events Venue TBD

Pricing • $49 NorthDakota.DaleCarnegie.com/Events Eide Bailly 4310 17th Ave. S, Fargo

MAY 19

CHAMBERCHOICE AWARDS LUNCHEON Friday, noon - 1:30 p.m.

Join the FMWF Chamber for another exciting ChamberChoice Awards luncheon! Attendees will get the blue-carpet treatment as they gather to honor this year’s outstanding candidates in each of the seven ChamberChoice categories and name the 2017 award winners.

MAY 10

Here, they celebrate the achievements of the area business community and the shining stars in our metro that exemplify excellence through proven stability and growth, innovation, creativity, community leadership and achievements.

WINNING WITH INTERNS Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Has your company considered hiring interns, but you don’t know where to start? Have you used interns, but the experience was less than ideal? Do you have a successful internship program and would like to hear what other companies are doing?

Current statistics indicate that nearly 75 percent of internships result in an offer of a full-time, permanent position. Increasing the number of successful internships in the region is likely to have a positive impact on the number of local college and university students staying in the area after graduation.

At this training, a panel of professionals whose companies have successful internship programs will discuss: • Why their internship programs have been successful • Best practices for working with interns and what not to do • Tips for effectively managing interns • Advice for businesses that have struggled with internship programs or those that have never had interns

Registration (includes lunch) • $27 Chamber members, in advance • $32 Chamber members, at the door • $40 Non-members, in advance • $45 Non-members, at the door FMWFChamber.com Hilton Garden Inn 4351 17th Ave. S, Fargo

#FMWFTraining

About the Speaker James Cunningham, an award-winning comedian, lecturer, and bestselling author, is back as the master of ceremonies for the fourth straight year. Cunningham is hysterically quick-witted and will have you on the edge of your seat.

Registration (includes lunch) • $35 Chamber Members, in advance • $40 Chamber members, at the door • $45 Non-members, in advance • $50 Non-members, at the door • $650 Corporate table sponsorship FMWFChamber.com Delta by Marriott (formerly Ramada) 1635 42nd St. S, Fargo

James Cunningham

FARGOINC.COM

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MAY 23

WOMEN CONNECT: THE ART OF BUILDING AND MAINTAINING AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS Tuesday, 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Ted Stoa

Building strong relationships takes an investment of time, mutual respect and genuine interest. Building positive workplace relationships is vital for career success and is very rewarding personally. Relationships can positively or negatively affect your satisfaction with your job and your ability to advance in your organization.

MAY 22

BUSINESS STARTUP SEMINAR

Monday, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Ted Stoa, a former KFC franchisee and financial-services business owner, is leading a free, hour-long seminar on starting a business.

Stoa will help participants clarify their vision and mission, find the right business model, analyze the competition and develop a marketing plan.

Come to this session to hear from Tonya Stende, president of Dale Carnegie Business Group of of ND & NW MN, and Kristi Huber, president of United Way of Cass-Clay, and learn how to keep your interactions with others impactful, intentional and engaging.

To register, contact Naomi Mitzel at 701-4514920 or NMitzel@TheVillageFamily.org

Registration • $25 Chamber Members, in advance • $30 Chamber members, at the door • $35 Non-members, in advance • $40 Non-members, at the door

TheVillageFamily.org/Events Village Family Service Center 1201 25th St. S, Fargo

FMWFChamber.com Sanctuary Events Center 670 4th Ave. N, Fargo

MAY 25

CORPORATE CUP

Thursday, 3:15 - 8 p.m.

The Corporate Cup is a series of competitive events promoting physical fitness and friendly competition among the business community.

Teams will battle for points in activities such as basketball, an obstacle course, tug of war and more! The event is open to all employees and fitness levels.

All Chamber-member businesses are eligible to participate in the Corporate Cup. Teams will be composed of up to 15 male and female participants. The cost to participate is $300 per team.

BlackRidge Bank Competitive Division Winner 2016

Companies may only have one team. Please indicate which division you would like to participate in when you register your team online. Both divisions will be awarded prizes.

Trying to decide on which division to sign up for? Remember, recreational is for teams who are looking to have fun while competitive is for teams looking to win.

Cancellation Deadline: Friday, May 19 FMWFChamber.com Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) 1104 7th Ave. S, Moorhead

TMI Hospitality Recreational Division Winner 2016

DOWN THE ROAD TEDX FARGO

Thursday, July 27, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

TEDXFargo.com Fargo Civic Center 207 4th St. N, Fargo

CRACK THE CODE: TECH DAY CAMP FOR GIRLS June 19-29

UCodeGirl.com NDSU

MAY 31 - JUNE 1 DRONE FOCUS CONFERENCE

Wednesday, May 31 - Thursday, June 1 Curious about the world of autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial systems (UAS)?

Looking to connect with other professionals in the industry? Join Emerging Prairie for the third annual Drone Focus Conference. This conference is designed to serve as a platform for you to build your business, as well as your knowledge, and simply get you in a room to network with fellow enthusiasts and learn more about what’s going on in our region. Wondering how that’s possible? Take a look at the event highlights: Drone Focus Fest - What’s the point of a drone conference without getting some live drone action? Think drone races, autonomous vehicle and tractor shows, and new consumer product launches—all from the comforts of the Fargo Microsoft campus.

Part 107 Training - The Fargo Jet Center has partnered with Drone Focus to offer Part 107 training for conference attendees at a discounted rate the day before and after the conference (May 30 and June 2). Just think of all the money you’ll save by signing up for the class that you can put toward the purchase of your next drone!

National Autonomous Vehicle Day - In partnership with National Day Calendar, May 31 will be officially announced at the conference as

CHAMBER CHALLENGE GOLF OUTING National Autonomous Vehicle Day. Industry Professionals - Drone Focus is bringing together experts from all areas of the unmanned systems spectrum. From drone use in construction to an autonomous vehiclefriendly corridor and autonomous tractors, they will have something for every attendee.

Student Pitches - Students are invited to pitch their latest drone or unmanned-systems idea on the main stage—right in the middle of the conference.

Drone Film Festival - With submissions from all over the world, prepare to be transported to a variety of destinations—packed full of incredible shots all filmed from drones.

As you may have gathered, this isn’t your typical conference. You’ll not only get to hear from industry professionals, but you’ll have opportunities to interact with them and others in the room. Chances are you’ll spend more time networking than sitting in a chair. With intentional breaks woven into the schedule, this conference is all about connection.

Pricing • $15–$450 EmergingPrairie.com/ DroneFocusConference Fargo Civic Center 207 4th St. N, Fargo

Wednesday, July 12, noon - 7 p.m.

FMWFChamber.com Edgewood Golf Course 19th Golf Course Ave. N, Fargo

MOTHLY MEETUPS* ··Bitcoin Meetup ··Cass-Clay Subcontractor Sales & Marketing Meetup ··Geek Meet FM ··Girl Develop It ··Fargo 3D Printing Meetup ··Fargo Cashflow Game Night ··Fargo Entrepreneurship Meetup ··Fargo Virtual Reality Meetup ··Fargo-Moorhead Content Strategy ··The Fargo-Moorhead Real Estate Investing Meetup ··Master Networks – Fargo Business Referral Group ··Mobile Meetup Fargo

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

··Moorhead Entrepreneurship Meetup

CORPORATE CUP

Thursday, May 25, 3 - 8 p.m.

··Prairie Dawg Drupal

Not competing but still want in on the action at Corporate Cup on May 25? Get the best seats in the house by volunteering! Not only will you get prime spots for spectating, but all volunteers also receive a free t-shirt (and extra points are awarded to competing teams that send volunteers). To join the fun, contact Sam Gust at SGust@FMWFChamber.com or call 218-359-0529

*All meetups above (except Bitcoin Meetup) can be found at Meetup. com/Cities/US/58102. If interested in the Bitcoin Meetup, please contact ALarson@MyriadMobile.com

··Red River Valley Big Data – Midwest Big Data Hub Meetup

FMWFChamber.com Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) 1104 7th Ave. S, Moorhead

FARGOINC.COM

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Fargo INC!, Fargo Monthly and GoFargoJobs.com bring you a section dedicated to careers in Fargo-Moorhead

FM

Inside, you'll find NORTH DAKOTA IS THE NO. 1 STATE FOR MILLENNIALS

R E E R CA R E D N I F

TOP JOBS

FARGOINC.COM

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NORTH DAKOTA IS THE

NO. 1 STATE FOR MILLENNIALS

A

ccording to a recent WalletHub study on Millennials that looked at all 50 states and Washington, D.C., North Dakota ranked high in many categories—placing it in the No. 1 spot as the best state in the U.S. for Generation Y.

North Dakota also performed well in a number of other categories:

OVERALL RANK 1. North Dakota 2. Minnesota 3. South Dakota 4. Iowa 5. Washington, D.C. Categories Evaluated Affordability Education & Health Quality of Life Economic Health Civic Engagement

North Dakota ranked... #1 in quality of life. #1 in economic health. #3 in affordability. #9 in education and health. #16 in civic engagement.

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MILLENNIAL HOUSING COSTS LOWEST 1. Iowa 2. North Dakota 3. Oklahoma 4. Kentucky 5. West Virginia HIGHEST 47. Massachusetts 48. Washington, D.C. 49. New Jersey 50. California 51. Hawaii

THOUGHTS FROM A MILLENNIAL

MILLENNIAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE KAILEY BERRY Sophomore - Elementary Education Concordia College

As part of the study, WalletHub asked a panel of experts for their insight into a number of Millennial-related workforce topics. We asked a local Millennial the same questions, and these are her thoughts.

Q: Are Millennials more or less financially savvy than previous generations?

Kailey Berry: "I think that, in some ways, Millennials are both more and less financially savvy. As a millennial, I think the current financial knowledge that I possess is less than what other generations do, but I'm also younger and have not had as much practical financial experience.

"Hopefully, one day my generation—and myself—will get to a point where we are as savvy as the other generations.

That being said, I also think we're more savvy than other generations in some ways, too. We have the ability to seek out financial information very quickly by looking it up on the internet, and there are so many apps and features that track our spending so we have the ability to be aware of our spending habits and budgeting."

LOWEST 1. North Dakota 2. Nebraska 3. South Dakota 4. Wyoming 5. Iowa HIGHEST 47. California 48. Connecticut 49. Florida 50. Michigan 51. Mississippi

% OF MILLENNIALS HIGHEST 1. Washington D.C. 2. North Dakota 3. Utah 4. Alaska 5. California LOWEST 47. New Jersey 48. Florida 49. New Hampshire 50. West Virginia 51. Maine

MILLENNIALS LIVING WITH PARENTS LOWEST % 1. North Dakota 2. Washington D.C. 3. Wyoming 4. South Dakota 5. Nebraska HIGHEST % 47. Maryland 48. Florida 49. New York 50. Connecticut 51. New Jersey

OTHER STUDY HIGHLIGHTS MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR MILLENNIALS Highest - Washington, D.C. Lowest - Idaho MILLENNIAL HOME-OWNERSHIP RATE Highest % - Minnesota Lowest % - Washington, D.C. MILLENNIALS W/ HEALTH INSURANCE Highest % - Massachusetts Lowest % - Texas MILLENNIALS W/ DEPRESSION Lowest % - California Highest % - Oregon

THOUGHTS FROM A MILLENNIAL

2. How are the financial habits and behaviors of Millennials different from older cohorts?

Berry: "I think we value different things than other generations. I think we allot more of our spending toward experiences, and that isn’t necessarily something that generations before us have valued.

3. Are Millennials more or less likely to talk about money than other groups?

Berry: "I’m not really sure how other groups talk about money so I can’t really compare Millennials to other groups. I can, however, say that I am personally more likely to talk to somebody in my age group about money and finances than I am with other people who aren’t necessarily in my age group.

"I feel like my friends are in the same boat as me, and so we can talk about money and finances and have somebody who understands what we are feeling regarding our finances. I know that all other generations before me have also been in a similar situation (at one point) where they are young and entering into adulthood—the "real world." But now, (with them) being pretty far removed from that situation, I find it more beneficial to talk about those things with my peers."

4. What are the most common mistakes Millennials make when starting their careers?

Berry: "To me, the word 'mistake' means they did something wrong. In terms of careers, that is such an individual process, and if somebody makes a choice regarding their career, I don’t think it's a mistake. If it's a choice they made for their career, it's the right choice for them."

Management How do I apply?

TECHNICAL SUPPORT LEADER Fargo Pedigree is currently recruiting for an moreTechnologies info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM enthusiastic, high-energy, experienced technical support leader to provide guidance and oversight to its technical support team.

Partner with and provide support to engineering and environmental staff on current and future projects, perinfo at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM formmore administrative tasks of a technical nature related to specific projects, draft specific written report sections, and track project status and related contracts.

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid)

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid)

OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR Fargo

How do I apply?

WAREHOUSE SUPERVISOR Fargo

Ensure all terminal operations work is performed according to approved company procedures, standards and specifications; supervise all activities of terminal workers; and support personnel engaged in loading and unloading activities.

Seeking an experienced warehouse supervisor to oversee all aspects of warehouse function. Requires a minimum of five years of supervisory experience in a warehouse capacity. functions of receiving, shipping, moreOversee info at all SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM warehouse organization and cleanliness, and customer service.

Accounting & Finance Spotlight Media SENIOR How do I FINANCIAL apply?

REPORTING ANALYST West Fargo A team-based role, candidate must be able to perform accounting-policy review, participate in month-end close, and in the development and implementation of various more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM policies and procedures related to IFRS reporting compliance while meeting various reporting requirements.

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid)

Spotlight TREASURY Media MANAGER Fargo

How do I apply?

The treasury manager analyzes and monitors the daily cash management function, treasury operations and treasury internal controls, and supervises cashmanagement personnel.

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ENGINEERING ASSISTANT West Fargo

MAY 2017

Administrative Fargo, ND ADMINISTRATIVE How do I apply?

ASSISTANT Fargo

Roers Property Management is seeking an administrative assistant to support its commercial and residential property management teams, tenants and vendors. This is not your typical administrative assistant position.

Human Resources HEAD Fargo, OF ND HR & RECRUITING Fargodo I apply?

How Lead efforts to grow their team past the 50 full-time employee mark while maintaining excellence in their environment and people management. Help develop, facilitate, and implement recruiting strategies that identify, attract, and secure top talent who fit CoSchedule’s culture and values. gofargojobs.com

TOPJOBS General

Engineering Health Care

KITCHEN & BATH DESIGNER & DESIGNER ASSITANT Fargo

SENIOR TEST ENGINEER Fargo

Seeking both a designer and a design assistant. A qualified candidate for the kitchen & bath designer must have three years of experience in kitchen and bath design, with a working knowledge of the industry and products.

Both candidates must be proficient with 20/20 Design software.

Seeking a senior test engineer with a passion for test development. You must be a self-starter and ready to work independently and with the engineering team to ensure a quality product is provided to customers

How do I apply?

OPERATIONS LEAD Fargo Responsible for day-to-day operations of a multifunctional research site. This individual is critical to research implementation and will have the opportunity to info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM workmore with cutting-edge research equipment and superior genetic material and will help drive large-yield testing programs.

AVIATION ENGINEER & PROJECT MANAGER Fargo Responsible for leading and managing the design and construction management for airport projects, including extension and reconstruction of runways; taxiways and aprons; fuel systems; and vertical infrastructure, including hangars, AD buildings, NAVAIDS and more.

Marketing/Advertising Spotlight Media CREATIVE DIRECTOR How Fargodo I apply?

Manage an in-house creative team of writers, editors and designers; provide day-to-day leadership of the in-house team and oversee all creative aspects—art and copy—of integrated marketing projects from initial concept to production. more info at SPOTLIGHTMEDIAFARGO.COM

Restaurant & Food ASSISTANT RESTAURANT MANAGER Fargo The assistant manager is responsible for a variety of areas, including achieving company objectives in sales, service, quality, appearance of facility, and sanitation and cleanliness through training of employees and creating a positive, productive working environment.

SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Fargo This role should be passionate about sports and athletics and will be responsible for developing social media and digital content strategies for SCHEELS pertaining to current sporting events, seasonal sports, and product trends and launches, which will drive engagement with their audience.

Digital Strategy Intern (Paid)

MARKETING COORDINATOR Spotlight Media & WEB SPECIALIST Fargo The position of marketing coordinator will design, develop and implement digital and print communications for campaigns, advertising, website, social media and events.

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