10th Annual Strom Conference This Thursday

The 10th Annual Strom Conference with be held this Thursday, April 22, 2010, at the Days Hotel in Dickinson, North Dakota. The day will begin with a continental breakfast and registration at 8:00 am. An opening note will be presented by President Dr. Richard McCallum of Dickinson State University, Steve Glasser, Strom Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Executive Director, and Jerome Strom, our Honored Guest. Jerome is the inspiration for the annual conference and is a major component to the Strom Center. We are very excited to have him present at the 10th Annual Strom Conferencce!

After a short break, inspirational speaker Bob Upgren, will be the first keynote speaker presenting “Most Artists Can’t Draw- Unmasking the New World of Work.” After Bob, there will be another short break, followed by the first breakout session. Each of the three breakout sessions will consist of three different topics. Attendees will be able to choose which presentation to attend (Please refer to the registration form for breakout session topics).

Lunch will be provided during the conference’s second keynote. Stacy Sturm and Nicole Morrison-Mathern of URL Radio will be presenting “From Floods to FedEx- We did it!” These two entrepreneurs possess a great success story in today’s society. Breakout sessions two and three will follow lunch. After the breakout sessions, Bob Upgren will close our day with the final keynote speech.

Schedule

8:00-9:00 a.m.
Registration & Booths Open

9:00-9:50
Welcome Note

9:50-10:00
Break

10:00-10:50
Keynote 1- Bob Upgren

10:50-11:00
Break

11:00-11:45
Breakout Session 1

12:00-1:00p.m.
Lunch & Keynote 2- Stacy Sturm & Nicole Morrison-Mathern

1:15-2:00
Breakout Session 2

2:15-3:00
Breakout Session 3

3:15-4:00
Keynote and Closing- Bob Upgren

4:15-5:30
Social at the Days Hotel

For more information or to register, please call the Strom Center at (701) 483-2756.

Community Field Day: Showcasing Community Development Successes

As rural communities are challenged to sustain and grow, we’ve created a forum to share how some communities are capacity building!

The Strom Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, with support from Dickinson State University, is hosting a Community Field Day held at the Dickinson State University Student Center on October 20, 2009 from 9:30-4:30 (MST).

This will be a great time to find out what is working in other rural communities and provide the opportunity to network with those interested in community growth.

The key areas that will be highlighted by panel discussions are youth, leadership, entrepreneurship, and charitable giving (or Resources for Development). Each area will have a panel of at least 3 speakers to talk about their project, program, or community.

The day will feature community development success stories from the region including—Dickinson, Medora, Bowman, Williston, Standing Rock Reservation, Killdeer, Bismarck, Stanton, AND others.

If you are interested in being a part of this day, you can set up a booth/display to share information about your community or organization, Please contact Amanda Lynn Moser at amanda.moser@dickinsonstate.edu to request space. 

 Watch for additional info, including early bird registration and a list of panel projects!

North Dakota’s Entrepreneurial Efforts Are Not Frozen!

Just to name a few:
A collaborative effort hosted by Senator Kent Conrad and Agricultural Commissioner Roger Johnson, Marketplace for Entrepreneurs was held at the Bismarck Civic Center. The need for Marketplace erupted in 1989 because the economy was rough and the state needed a venue to offer support. Now the event showcases the entrepreneurial spirit with workshops, booths, talent, and student involvements. Booths from all over the state exhibited their services, including Katie Mehrer, our Business Challenge Coordinator. Others included the community of Williston, MadCat—modern modular custom cat furniture, Hometown Aditude –a marketing firm working to market products and communities, and CinCity Designs—a car customization company whose entire work staff is under the age of 30.

Dickinson Bull Days, held at Stockmen’s Livestock exchange, celebrated their 10th year anniversary. The Dickinson Chamber hosted the event which identified agricultural entrepreneurs’ product. Consignors from three states—Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota, displayed their pen of yearling bulls despite the weather and inclement roads. Bulls are displayed in pens and then paraded through the ring highlighting consignors livestock and ranch details. Bull bucks and door prizes were given out to those attending. Bull bucks are dollars that can be used to buy a bull from the consignors that were present at the event. Bismarck will be holding their Bull Showcase this Saturday, January 24, at Farmers’ Livestock Exchange.

Strom Center employees, Sandy Bertelsen, Katie Mehrer, and I traveled to Williston on Monday to speak at Williston’s teachers’ in-service. Along with Maeve MacSteves, WSC Entrepreneurial Program Coordinator, the group talked about entrepreneurial education. Free resources, websites, and opportunities were presented in two presentations, K-8 and 9-12. The presentations were hosted by Williston’s HomeTown Competitiveness.

For any additional information on these events, please contact Amanda Lynn Moser by phone (701-483-2830) or email Amanda.Moser@dickinsonstate.edu .

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

Come spend a day networking with entrepreneurs at the Gateway to Opportunity (GTO) Conference. Attend the conference on Thursday, January 29, 2009 at the Days Hotel in Dickinson, North Dakota from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. You can preview the schedule and register for the event at www.dickinsonstate.edu/gto. If you have questions about the conference please call Stark Development Corporation at 701-225-5997 or toll free at 1-888-880-7963.

Sandy Bertelsen
Web Manager & Event Planner
Strom Center for Enterpreneurship & Innovation