DSU Entrepreneurs Day moves to Sioux Falls

March 18, 2024

Dakota State University’s fourth annual Entrepreneurs Day will be held in Sioux Falls for the first time, taking place at Startup Sioux Falls on Friday, March 22.

A scheduling conflict this year led DSU to look for a new venue for the annual event, yet “with so many of our supporters in Sioux Falls and with Startup Sioux Falls being a hub for all things entrepreneurial in the region, it seemed like a natural choice,” said Dr. Michael Roach, Assistant Professor of Management and Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) Club advisor.

Mike Vetter will return as emcee this year. He is co-founder of Wildfire Labs, a lifelong entrepreneur, and a DSU alumnus. Vetter has started and sold several businesses.

This year’s event will begin with a luncheon and feature several speakers providing industry expertise, business advice, and more. These guests will include Jodi Schwan, the owner of Align Content Studio and SiouxFalls.Business; Blake Thompson, co-founder, co-CEO, and head brewer at Fernson Brewing Company; and Alyssa Nolte, entrepreneur and the driving force behind Ology, a research consulting firm that helps some of the largest companies in the world understand their customer data and turn it into action.

In addition to the speakers and networking opportunities, three students will compete in the business plan pitch competition.

One student from DSU and two students from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSMT) were selected as finalists. Garret Leiseth, a DSU student, will pitch his business, Trojan AI Integration Consulting. Dean Stetson, from SDSM&T, will pitch his business, Generations 343 Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Hosein Mirazi, also from SDSM&T, will pitch his business, Swifthumanity Rescue.  

This event is sponsored by the Paulson Cyber Incubator & Entrepreneurial Center, DSU’s CEO Club, Augustana University, and the National Science Foundation Great Plains I-Corps Hub.

To register for this event, visit Eventbrite.