The Center for Innovation at the University of North Dakota was among the first entrepreneur outreach centers in the nation when formed in 1984.  The Center provides assistance to innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers to launch new ventures, commercialize new technologies, and secure access to capital from private and public sources.

The Center manages two tech incubators in the UND Tech Park, provides SBIR outreach to the state's tech community, and has formed three angel networks in Grand Forks, Fargo and Bismarck.  It is also home to the only student managed venture fund in the nation where students make the actual investment decisions, Dakota Venture Group. The Center has fostered over 400 startups, which employs more than 4000 people and have attracted over $110 M in investment.  The Center was named a Center for Excellence in Economic Development in 2003 while securing funds for the $4.2 M Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center.

The Center for Innovation's vision and mission is to maintain national leadership in entrepreneur outreach and education, and become the leader in tech entrepreneurship in rural America. Our goals are to:

• Grow entrepreneur ventures
• Foster Innovation
• Secure access to entrepreneur capital
• Provide superb entrepreneur infrastructure
• Provide world-class entrepreneur education with the UND Entrepreneur Program
  

Center Signature Successes

The Center has received five (5) National Awards for Excellence in innovation & entrepreneurship.

It is nationally ranked #9 on the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine's "Best Schools for Entrepreneurs" listing out of 900 entrepreneur programs nationwide. UND's ranking of #9 is ahead of universities including Syrause University, University of Notre Dame, and the University of Washington.

The Center has been designated a "Soft Landing International Incubator", one of only eight in the world by National Business Incubator Association. The Center received this recognition because it has proven itself as a business incubator that helps companies expand internationally.

The $4.2 M Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center was the first North Dakota Center for Excellence in Economic Development, providing increased opportunities for the state’s entrepreneurs. Diving board entrepreneur Ray Rude provided a $1.75 M gift to construct the incubator, and aerospace entrepreneur James Ray provided $500,000 to construct and furnish the Idea Lab and to develop the entrepreneur community.

UND was the first in the Great Plains to host a tech incubator with the building of the $4 M Skalicky Tech Incubator in 1996 in the UND Tech Park. We are one of just 200 universities nationwide with a tech incubator.  UND is of one of less than 20 campus to host two tech incubators.

The Center has achieved 22 years of self-sufficiency securing $25.3 M in entrepreneur infrastructure, services, outreach and endowments (very rare in economic development).  In the spirit of entrepreneurship, the Center pays its own way through fees for services, contracts, incubator rents and grants from foundations, entrepreneurs and government sources.

Over 160 UND students are enrolled in entrepreneur classes including 47 entrepreneur majors, making Entrepreneurship the fastest growing major on campus.

UND Center for Innovation Foundation

The Center for Innovation Foundation serves as a link between successful entrepreneurs and the Center for Innovation and its two tech incubators (Skalicky Tech Incubator and the Ina Mae Rude Entrepreneur Center) in the UND Tech Park to encourage and foster entrepreneur initiatives and new ventures in the region.

Foundation trustees are:

Chairman of the Board:

Bart Holaday, retired, Brinson Partners Venture Capital, Chicago and President of the Dakota Foundation, Placitas New Mexico. He has been an advisor to the Center for Innovation Foundation for 20 years. Holaday is also a trustee of the UND Foundation and Jamestown College.

Vice Chair:

Howard Dahl, President and founder of Amity Technology and Concord Manufacturing, Fargo. Dahl is a 1997 recipient of the North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year Award - chair of Foundation investment committee. Also President of the UND Foundation.

Treasurer:

James Ray, President of the Aerospace Capital Group, Sun Valley, Idaho and President of the Ray Foundation, Minden, Nevada.

Trustee:

Randy Newman, Chair, CEO of Alerus Financial of Grand Forks and Fargo. Randy is chair of the Center for Innovation Advisory Board.

Trustee:

Jerry Van Eeckhout, Founder, Chairman and CEO of ACT Teleconferencing, Inc from 1990 until 2003 when he became Chairman Emeritus. Jerry was inducted into the North Dakota Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 1998. Lives in Evergreen, Colorado.

Trustee:

Bill Ness, Retired CEO and Chairman of Arctic Cat of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Lives in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Trustee:

Dale F. Morrison is President and CEO of McCain Foods Ltd. the world's largest producer of frozen french fries and the manufacturer of other food products sold in more than 110 countries. The company has more than 55 production facilities on six continents supported by more than 20,000 employees.  Besides frozen potatoes, McCain's also processes green vegetables, desserts, pizzas, juices and beverages, oven meals, entrees, appetizers, etc.

Before leading McCain Foods in 2004, Morrison served 10 years with General Foods, 14 years as president of Frito-Lay North Division and Hostess Frito Lay Canada (both PepsiCo), and five years with Campbell Soup Company. He served as CEO and president of Campbell Soup from 1997-2000. Before joining McCain Foods, he was a principal with Fenway Partners, a New York private equity firm.

Originally from Milton, North Dakota, Morrison earned a business degree from the UND in 1971. He served on the UND Foundation board from 1995 to 2004 serving as the Foundation President.  He is currently a member of the National Campaign Steering Committee to raise $300 M for UND. He has been an active alumnus with his fraternity, Kappa Sigma. 

Trustee Emeritis:

Russell Brown, Retired President and CEO of AGSCO of Grand Forks now living in Mesa, Arizona. Brown is a 1995 recipient of the North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year, and is the past chairman of the Center for Innovation Advisory Board. Russ served as Chairman of the Foundation from 2001 to 2004.

Trustee Emeritus:

Fran Jabara, President of Jabara Ventures Group, Wichita, Kansas and Founding Director of the Center for Entrepreneur Ventures at Wichita State University.

Four other directors from UND are ex-officio, non-voting members. They are: the President, the Vice President for Finance & Operations, Dean of the College of Business & Public Administration, and the Director of the Center for Innovation who also serves as the CEO of the Center for Innovation Foundation.

The Foundation supports the Center for Innovation to fulfill their mission of helping entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and students launch new technologies, products and ventures, develop business and marketing plans, and access talent and sources of venture financing. The Center has initiatives in developing seed, venture and angel capital infrastructure across the Great Plains. The Center manages two Tech Incubators that host more than 20 entrepreneur ventures employing more than 110 people. The Center was among the first technology entrepreneur outreach centers in the nation and has helped launch more than 440 new products and ventures since it was formed in 1984. The Center has won five national awards for excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship plus two national rankings among the nation's 700 entrepreneur programs. In 2003 the Center received the SBA Research Advocate of the Year award for ND and six western states.