The second-to-last-month of 2015 finished off with a grand finale, including a visit from Senator Hoeven, a full house Drone Focus event, and a 1 Million Cups reunion to top it off.
Growth in startups + tech
The growth-for-the-month award goes to Bismarck-based startup CoSchedule this month. The WordPress calendar developer announced they’d tripled in size, moved to a new office in Fargo, and sold their parent company Todaymade to focus full-time on CoSchedule. (On Dec. 10 we’re celebrating with them at Startup Drinks!).
The tech scene is growing as well. Recently we’ve seen great strides taken to foster more interest in the tech industry throughout the state. The Hour of Code, for instance, is a nationwide event that aims to teach students some basic lessons in programming, and it’s coming to North Dakota.
Others, like newcomer Corey Cliett, are dedicated to building the video game design industry (and podcasting about it too!)
Hack Fargo also held another successful hackathon – the biggest one yet. The final projects will be used to benefit non-profit Great Rides Bikeshare as well, so it was a win-win for everyone.
Reflecting on community-building
We also released a few reflective pieces on the bigger picture to what we do here in Fargo. Startup Weekend creator Andrew Hyde shared thoughts on the science of community-building at a TechStars retreat. At the same retreat, former UP Global CEO Marc Nager shared powerful thoughts on how entrepreneurship is quite literally changing the world.
A more humorous piece took the formula for a startup community and put it into a recipe format: How to make a homemade startup ecosystem.
Oldie but a goodie
For old-timers and newcomers alike, check out our major resource piece from this month as well: A Beginner’s Guide to Fargo’s Startup Scene. It’s the perfect diving board (in my humble opinion) for getting plugged in to the startup activity in Fargo-Moorhead.
Critical questions on how North Dakota could better support entrepreneurs were raised as well. Some raised questions as to whether tax credit policies and lack of statewide leadership are hindering a healthier investment industry in North Dakota. Others expressed frustration at potential barriers within the e-commerce industry – particularly in the wake of PayPal naming Fargo as one of the fastest growing e-commerce hubs.
Big wins
The last Wednesday of the month was chock-full. 1 Million Cups 2015 concluded with a reunion that featured 23 past presenters. They shared stories of failure and success (1 Million Cups is now on a break until January 6.) Senator Hoeven was there, and also lead a full Drone Focus event afterwards where he called North Dakota’s drone industry “the Leader of the Pack.”
As is often the case when Thanksgiving rolls around, the importance of gratitude took center stage. Doug Burgum shared his thoughts with us on how gratitude increases both economic success and personal happiness.
And now… let it snow!
