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SPN Top 10: Things that move a startup ecosystem forward
Matt Helt is the Program Director of Techstars Startup Week. Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Through Techstars Startup Week, cities all around the world are able to catalyze their entrepreneurial community by bringing together all the stakeholders involved in the growth of startup ecosystem to organize this five-day event. Helt currently…
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South Dakota’s USD Discovery District announces anchor tenants
Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s USD Discovery District and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development recently announced new anchor tenants to the city’s innovation community. SAB Biotherapeutics and Alumend will join the Discovery District and bring attention to South Dakota’s rapidly emerging biotech industry. “Both SAB Biotherapeutics and Alumend are bio-leaders in South Dakota,” said USD…
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How one e-commerce entrepreneur found success in North Dakota
“Even if you have a successful enterprise, you’re going to have failures within it at times. That’s just a part of it,” says Scott Bintz, a serial entrepreneur from North Dakota. Bintz founded his first e-commerce platform in 1998 with RealTruck.com and saw it grow into the largest online retailer of pickup truck accessories. But…
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The Iowan Project recruits tech talent back to their home state
A lot of young professionals dream of leaving their hometowns after graduating high school or college in search of broader career opportunities or new lifestyles. It seems like an inevitable thing, but it’s also a problem for states like Iowa that are losing valuable tech talent to other ecosystems. But what if Iowa could identify…
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SPN Kernels: News from across the Prairie
opendorse signs first women’s sports property with LPGA agreement (Lincoln, Nebr.) opendorse announced on Tuesday an alliance with the Ladies Professional Golf Association, which will provide more than 200 LPGA Tour players with access to share LPGA content and create new social revenue stream opportunities. opendorse is a leading athlete marketing platform that helps sports…
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DAKOTA Life Science adopts blockchain for new global drug protection software
Blockchain began trending hard towards the latter half of 2017, but by the time social media and news outlets got on board with the new technology, corporations and startups across the region were already ahead of the curve. Sioux Falls-based DAKOTA Life Sciences is one example of a company that has implemented blockchain technology for…
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Sioux Falls startup community thrives among South Dakota’s traditional businesses
Sioux Falls Startup Weekend (SFSW) brought over forty participants out to the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship to take part in a 54-hour business building competition. But SFSW is more than just a fun weekend for aspiring business owners to test the entrepreneurial waters. It’s also a chance for Sioux Falls’ startup community to show the…
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Appsky Labs builds apps, supports other small businesses
When Appsky Labs founder Taylor Korensky graduated from UNOmaha’s IT Innovation Program in 2016, he was already freelancing in iOS development. “A lot of that program focuses on business development, product development, and the technical side of things,” said Korensky. “Through that program, I really found a passion for mobile development and spun my career…
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Alpha BTC opens a second Bitcoin ATM in Lincoln
Omaha-based Alpha BTC recently opened a second Bitcoin ATM at The Mill Coffee and Tea in Lincoln’s Haymarket. Their first machine is located in Omaha at Jones Bros Cupcakes in Aksarben Village. “We’re currently at about $50,000 per month on the Omaha machine. We’re hoping to grow Lincoln to a comparable amount,” said Edward Weniger,…
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By Grace Designs takes home $20K from UMKC Challenge
Kansas City-based By Grace Designs won the $20,000 top prize on May 5 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s 2017 Regnier Venture Creation Challenge. The win came as a welcome surprise for founders Emily Moon and Kelsey Carlstedt who will use the seed funding to further the reach of By Grace Designs, a not-for-profit organization…
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