It’s the evening of August 18. About 5:30 PM. Where are you?

Strolling into the Prairie Den for Startup Drinks. That’s right, our party-of-the-month is back, and sponsored by CoSchedule! [Thanks, guys.] Before we introduce our first Captain, let’s clarify a few things that may be confusing for some:

• Startup Drinks is not 21+. Yes, drinks are available for purchase, but that doesn’t mean our 21 and under friends aren’t welcome! Heck, bring the whole fam. The more the merrier.

• What is Startup Drinks? It’s an event with free food and a cash/credit bar with wine and beer, all catered by local vendors. We have live music sometimes, artists presenting their work, and we always invite a selection of cool community members for you to meet. They’re known as…the Captains.

• Why do we host this every month? To get people connected! Even if you are reading this right now knowing you don’t have anyone to go with, that’s okay. It’s perfect, really. We want you to come and meet new people. And we’ll be there to welcome you in. But we also like to get a head count, so please sign up, here!

Now that that’s settled, let’s give it up for our first captain: Dave Binkard, founder of PODS Game Design. Binkard has been teaching video game design for many years, most recently with a highly successful College 4 Kids course at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Currently he’s launching PODS Game Design as a program to offer game design classes for Fargo’s future game designers!

Check out his Kickstarter here, and learn a bit more about him with our Captain Q’s.

1. Do you have a nickname? If so, what is it?

My full name is David. My nickname is Dave. It’s a pretty “out there” nickname!

2. If you could describe your startup as an animal what animal would it be?

A sloth. It may sound like a strange answer, but really, we at PODS Game Design are about careful planning and detail with what we teach. What animal moves with more careful deliberation than a sloth? And in all honesty, who doesn’t love sloths?

3. What is one of the most influential books you’ve ever read?

It’s a tie between two. On one hand, I have The Art of War by Sun Tzu, which is remarkable in that much of it can be subtextually applied outside of a war context, like in your daily life and ambitions and whatnot. On the other hand, there’s John Dies at the End by David Wong. This book is absolutely crazy, absolutely amazing, and absolutely stupid, all at the same time. Both of these books have been influential for me.

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

Seattle. It’s where my wife and I had our honeymoon and we’ve always talked about going back there again.

5. What is one the coolest places you’ve traveled?

Seattle! We took the train out there from Fargo for our honeymoon and spent a week there. Downtown is fun, the pier is amazing, and overall, it’s just a wonderful place to visit!

Thanks, David! That link to sign up for Startup Drinks is right here. Hope to see you on August 18th!