If we could place a character title on this month of March, it would be the Herald of Events. For the first part of the year, things were relatively quiet in the event department – but now, with Startup Weekend, TEDxFargo, Women’s Startup Weekend and Cultivate.you, around the corner, 2015 is officially on a roll.

TEDxFargo held a successful first-ever Open Mic event, in which 2nd grade teacher Kayla Delzer won with her pitch on implementing tech in the classroom. That night, the TEDxFargo launch party gave an exciting taste of the planning that is well underway for the biggest event of the year, which will be held on July 23. (Tickets available now, here!)

The month concluded with one of Fargo’s grandest events, Startup Weekend 2015. This event, held now for the third time, is credited as one of the key sparks that lit the startup fever here in Fargo. This year featured an array of ideas more diverse than ever, ranging from pre-made beer brewing kits to an app that lets one report potholes.

This month we also looked, as a city and as a nation, at the need for more employees trained in the tech field. Here in Fargo we wrote about bridging the tech gap, about a need for better communication between employers and developers in the area. President Obama also addressed the issue, with the announcement of the TechHire Initiative.

The inventors of the area are whirring their gears as well, as is clear to see with some of the March stories: an autonomous snowplow, UAV cameras, a biodegradable soil censor, and a hammer mill that hopes to eliminate weed-pulling at farms, are just a few of the inventions coming out of North Dakota.

CoCo Fargo, in partnership with Emerging Prairie and the Fargo-Moorhead EDC, also launched their Startup Roundup survey for the F-M area as a way to get tangible data on how our startup community is doing. If you run or are a part of a startup, please take a moment to take this survey!

March also illustrated how North Dakota continues to inspire and attract people with its culture and potential as a startup hub.

Smart C2, a startup in the UAV industry run by a native Bostonian, is moving into the NDSU Incubator because their CEO saw Fargo as the ideal place to build his business.

Just a few days ago, Coschedule, a Bismarck-based startup, presented at Google Demo Day and spent a few days in Silicon Valley networking with prominent venture capitalists. (North Dakota represent!!!)

In our most recent story, we looked at how local startup Thiken is not only building their own startup here in Fargo, but also using what they learn about the culture here to inspire a startup mentality in their home country of Sri Lanka.

Oh, and on April 1, John Machacek announced he will be running for Mayor in the year 2030. Sweater vests are obviously part of the agenda. (Happy April Fool’s!)

Phew, what a month. And things are just gettin’ started. Cheers, to April!