Press Room > 2004 :

Innovation Expo to Be Held at the Swiftel Center in Brookings

RELEASE DATE: Wednesday, October 13, 2004

For More Information Contact: Mary Lehecka Nelson, 773-3301

Pierre, SD – The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Enterprise Institute will connect innovation and industry under one roof November 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the Innovation Expo at the Swiftel Center in Brookings.

The Innovation Expo offers a public forum for an interchange of ideas with industrialists and scholars, builders of prototypes and technology experts, and venture capitalists and risk managers along with start-up help from representatives of legal firms and government offices. More than a dozen speakers and numerous exhibitors form the nucleus of what will become an annual event for state entrepreneurs.

“Because the Enterprise Institute is often seen as one of the state’s spark plugs for business success, we’ve scheduled a number of sessions to help individuals and young companies in any stage of development,” Enterprise Institute Assistant Director Tim Weelborg said.

Mike Jersted with Prairie Gold Venture Partners, Steve Kirby with Bluestem Capital Company, Gene McGowan with The McGowan Group, Gordon Ommen with Capitaline Advisors, and Steve Pedersen with Sherpa Partners will talk about the availability of venture capital for companies. “Start-up money is the lynch pin to take an idea from conception to production,” said Weelborg, “and this experienced group of capitalists looks at how to capture funding.”

Tina Van Camp, director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, will talk about how it all fits Governor Rounds’ 2010 Initiative. In addition to presenting a break-out session, Van Camp will visit throughout the day with entrepreneurs about the state’s desire to grow opportunities through economic development.

Other sessions will include designing and building product prototypes by Jerry Visser of the Great Plains Rapid Prototyping Consortium and Paul Stein of Extreme Innovations.

Bruce Gjovig, entrepreneur coach and director of the University of North Dakota Center for Innovation, will talk about transferring technology from idea to product.

Protecting ideas and products through patents and trademarks has been central to the work of Rich Billion, a Sioux Falls patent attorney, who will examine safeguarding ideas.

John Archer, a partner with another Sioux Falls law firm, will help entrepreneurs consider legal issues for their start-up companies.

Gene Loos and Tracy Dahl-Webb with Howalt-McDowell Insurance will talk about risk management for businesses.

Going from idea to product to business requires an organized marketing effort which will be addressed by Mark Smithers of Paulsen Marketing.

“Opening doors to resources is what we’re all about,” said Marcia Hendrickson, Enterprise Institute Director. “We hope this Innovation Expo will be the first of many in collecting and building South Dakota’s bright ideas.”