By Jennifer Johnson, Daily News
Friday, November 2, 2007

Officials from the Wahpeton Community Development Corporation and elsewhere met yesterday to hear Bruce Gjovig, director of the UND Center for Innovation in Grand Forks, give a presentation on fostering entrepreneurship within the state. Under Gjovig's leadership, the Center for Innovation boasts of winning five National Awards for Excellence, forming three angel networks in Grand Forks, Fargo and Bismarck, and launching over 440 products and companies statewide.

"My goal is to create entrepreneurship as a cultural activity in North Dakota, and I'm willing to work with anyone who is serious about this," he said.

One of the keys contributing to Gjovig's success are the two business incubators the Center manages, which help entrepreneurial companies to survive and grow during the vulnerable start-up period. In the 1980s, only about 12 business incubators were operating in the States, but the industry grew swiftly after others realized economic development strategies could not only rely on industry attraction and large corporate expansions. The Center's two tech incubators include a server room, an engineering-based Wet Lab for scientists, an extensive IT structure and has over 140 workers collectively. Each includes a community room that Gjovig stresses is an important part of the entrepreneurial process.

"It's about getting people together, constantly creating community through seminars, meetings, workshops, investor meetings," he said. "It's your creating a need for the community."

The Center also credits success to its entrepreneurial internship and student-managed venture fund, the Dakota Venture Group, which is the only fund in the nation where students make actual investment decisions. The program as a whole ranked #9 on the Princeton Review this year out of 900 programs nationwide.

"The number one reason why companies want to be close to universities is talent," Gjovig said. "Education is key and faculty and technology can all be part of the mix, but nothing beats the talent issue."

The student program was an experiment that started a year ago and continues to be successful. Part of the reason attendee Dan Hodgson arranged the meeting with Gjovig is that he'd heard of the program through local entrepreneurs who attended it. Hodgson, who is a member of the Community Development Corporation, also felt it was a good timing for the community to be an active participant in entrepreneurism.

"We were just really encouraged," he said of the meeting. "We look forward to working on the project and to others joining."

NDSCS also wants to be a key player and supporter. Ken Kompelien, dean of the arts, science and business division, said the college has underutilized facilities that could enable a partnership with the community.

"I think it was a great opportunity for us," he said. "We're at a point where something like this could be easily developed and we could step forward, and the college wants to be part of it because we need to be."

Of the variety of points made during the presentation, Gjovig stressed the necessity of a champion to innovate the change, someone who understands entrepreneurship and can bring something new to the market.

"It's really about growing something from nothing, and the leadership to do that," he said.

For the Wahpeton area, Gjovig urged officials to figure out their strategy for the long haul.

"Wahpeton is very different than other communities," he said. "You're one of the most intensive manufacturing communities in the state. Your agriculture is slightly different, and so all of that has to figure into where your innovation comes from. You need to customize and use your opportunities here."

One of the concerns that arose during the meeting was leveraging funds and finding the right leadership. The Center raised money from several federal sources to fund both buildings, but one is owned by the university and one by the foundation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also contributed quite a bit for the incubators, as well as the Economic Development Administration. But Gjovig encouraged tapping into key leaders in the area, high powered donors and networking with a wide variety of individuals. It was an apt statement that fit those who attended the first-ever meeting, ranging from Tim Moore, the new Director of Economic Development in North Dakota, to retired men and women who played a large role in Wahpeton's business past.

"Here's the bottom line, the first generation of successful entrepreneurs care a great deal about the next generation," he said. "Do not just do it locally. There's lots of folks that care about Wahpeton that don't live in Wahpeton."

Jane Priebe, Economic Development Corp. Director, feels it's the right time to participate.

"I think we're heading on some very creative and interesting times," she said. "We're going to be working closely to figure out the next steps and how to attract more investors and entrepreneurs and really figure out what our niche is."

This story can found at http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2007/11/02/news/news03.prt.