Amy is the Director here at CFI. She can be seen helping with all kinds of things including coaching many cool and unique start-ups working on innovative technologies, mentoring her amazing staff, and if she’s not doing that she’s probably in a meeting. We are honored to have Amy as our leader at CFI! Read more below to get to know her a little more!
Tell me a little bit about yourself!
I grew up in Northern Vermont, I love hiking and being outside. I’m a mother of a graduating senior in 2025. I started playing golf two years ago, and I love creativity and innovation!
Amy working with student
What college did you attend and what was your major?
I attended Clark University (Government & MBA); Northeastern University (Doctorate in Education; Dissertation Focus: Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurial Education)
What is your favorite book or movie?
Favorite book – A more Beautiful Question by Warren Berger; Favorite movie – “American President”
If you could drop everything and go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
The Canadian Rockies
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Go for walks!
What is your favorite part of living in Grand Forks?
The Greenway, for the great walking trails and recreation, and hanging out with friends!
Looking to come up with wild, breakthrough ideas? Try assumption reversal. Here’s how it works:
List your assumptions about a particular concept—say, restaurants.
Reverse those assumptions.
Use these new, flipped ideas to brainstorm a unique restaurant concept.
For example, if you assume restaurants are sit-down places with waitstaff, reverse it: what if there were no waitstaff, and customers served themselves in a high-tech, interactive space? Suddenly, you’re exploring fresh concepts that could revolutionize the dining experience.
Assumptions about Restaurants:
Consistent quality
Reasonable wait times
Menu variety
Convenient location
Now, let’s flip these assumptions for fresh ideas:
Inconsistent quality – What if every visit was intentionally different? A dynamic, rotating menu or surprise dish options could add excitement.
Slow service – Imagine a restaurant that makes waiting a feature, with engaging activities or mini-courses served during the wait.
Limited menu – What if the restaurant focused on just one or two specialty items, perfecting them rather than offering variety?
Unconventional location – How could a restaurant thrive in an unexpected place, like a pop-up in an industrial warehouse or a remote area with an exclusive shuttle service?
This approach challenges norms and could inspire innovative ideas for new dining experiences! You can use this method with any challenge you are facing and create a truly unique idea to help find a solution!
Zahra is CFI’s Technical Grant Writer, and she is our only remote employee! She collaborates closely with her colleagues and clients from both academia and industry. Her primary responsibility is to facilitate the development of grant proposals submitted to federal agencies, state organizations, and private foundations.
What college did you attend and what was your major?
I earned my PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of North Dakota.
What is your favorite book or movie?
My favorite book is “Franny and Zooey” by J.D. Salinger and my favorite movie is “A Beautiful Mind”.
If you could drop everything and go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would go to Paris, France.
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
I enjoy watching TV shows that discuss and critique movies.
How do you keep yourself focused while working remotely?
To ensure consistent focus while working remotely, I’ve developed a daily routine that closely replicates an office setting. I use a designated, distraction-free workspace to enhance productivity and organization. To manage my tasks effectively, I utilize time-blocking techniques, allocating specific times for each task punctuated by brief breaks to maintain mental clarity. Additionally, I prioritize tasks and track programs on projects using the Monday platform, which helps me stay on top of deadlines and commitments. Regular interaction with my team via virtual meetings and our Teams platform is essential, as it keeps me connected and contributes to our shared objectives.
What is your favorite part about working at CFI?
My favorite aspect of working at CFI is the professional and supportive team environment. The collaboration among colleagues is not only seamless but also genuinely encouraging, fostering a workspace where everyone feels valued and motivated. This positive atmosphere enhances our collective ability to tackle challenges.
UND Center for Innovation celebrates 40 years of fostering North Dakota’s commercialization activity and startup success
Special guests, keynote speakers and UND student/alumni entrepreneurs were present on Sept. 24, as the UND Center for Innovation celebrated its 40th anniversary as North Dakota’s pioneering business incubator. Photo courtesy of UND Center for Innovation.
Click on the link to watch a 3 minute, 30 second video about the 40th anniversary of the UND Center for Innovation.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, the UND Center for Innovation marked a major milestone: 40 years as North Dakota’s pioneering business incubator.
Since its establishment in 1984, the Center has been at the forefront of driving economic growth in the region. At the celebration, attendees had the chance to journey through the Center’s history and catch a glimpse of its vision for the next 40 years of innovation and impact across the Northern Plains.
Amy Whitney, the Center’s director, kicked off the event by welcoming everyone and recognizing distinguished guests before asking UND President Andy Armacost for opening remarks and to read a letter from North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
The welcome from Armacost was followed by video messages from North Dakota’s congressional delegation (U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, Sen. Kevin Cramer and Sen. John Hoeven), highlighting the broad support for the Center’s continued impact.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., sent his congratulations via video message to the UND Center for Innovation on the occasion of the Center’s 40th anniversary. Photo courtesy of UND Center for Innovation.
Whitney then offered some thoughts on the impact and importance of the Center’s work.
“We know that 78% of the startups who began their journey with us are still operating,” she said. “This is a remarkable achievement, given that 90% of startups typically fail within their first five years. That enduring success fuels our vision for the future. …
“We aim to be a leading force of innovation in the Northern Plains,” Whitney continued. “Our commitment remains strong to ignite creativity, commercialize groundbreaking ideas, invest in entrepreneurs and foster applied learning as the University’s front door to the region’s innovation economy.”
Amy Whitney, director of the UND Center for Innovation, addresses the crowd on the occasion of the Center’s 40th Anniversary celebration, Sept. 24. Photo courtesy of UND Center for Innovation.
Dave Tack, the evening’s emcee, took the stage to announce the premiere of a new video that describes the Center’s mission and offers testimonials from CFI clients & partners.
Tack then introduced Phil Gisi, chairman and CEO of Edgewood Healthcare and chair of the Center for Innovation Foundation Board. Gisi shared his experience as an entrepreneur and explained how resources such as the Center can be instrumental in launching a successful start-up.
Shawn Riley, co-founder of BisBlox, delivered the evening’s keynote presentation. Riley’s remarks challenged attendees to embrace rather than fear innovation, as the dynamic force is not only inevitable, but also needed to keep up with today’s rapidly evolving technological developments.
Thanks to technologies such as artificial intelligence, our society is doubling our knowledge every 12 hours, Riley suggested.
Following Riley’s presentation, attendees heard from students who have worked closely with the Center. For example, Mercedes Terry, CEO of MindMend BioTech, shared her journey as a researcher turned entrepreneur.
“What stands out most to me is not just the expertise or the resources they’ve shared. It’s the genuine investment the CFI team has made in our success,” she said.
“They don’t just do this because it’s part of their job. They do it because they are truly passionate about helping entrepreneurs succeed. And that is something incredibly special.”
UND President Andy Armacost was among the guest speakers at the UND Center for Innovation’s 40th Anniversary Celebration on Sept. 24. Photo courtesy of UND Center for Innovation.
Liam Meyer, an autonomous systems security Intern at Kirkwall, and Bella Peterson, a business development intern at RJ Energy Solutions, highlighted the experiences they gained through their time working with startups. Their stories brought to life the opportunities and impact of working for growing tech startups in North Dakota.
As the event concluded, DeAnna Carlson Zink, CEO of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation, called on participants to actively support the Center and its legacy. She asked participants to give of their time and talent through mentorship, or with their treasure through financial contributions to amplify the Center’s work to drive innovation and nurture the next generation of visionary leaders.
Adorning the tables at the Center for Innovation’s 40th Anniversary Celebration were doll-house-sized artistic creations, designed by Sarah Heitkamp, Hannah Bahlmann, Grant McMillan, Adrian Harrison, and Karin Reiterer from the UND Art Collections and the Chester Fritz Library. Photo courtesy of UND Center for Innovation.
A creative highlight of the event were centerpieces throughout the rooms. The interactive, artistic creations were designed by Sarah Heitkamp, Hannah Bahlmann, Grant McMillan, Adrian Harrison, and Karin Reiterer from the UND Art Collections and the Chester Fritz Library.
The evening closed with celebration and connection, as attendees reflected on 40 years of innovation and looked forward to 40-plus more. As Whitney noted in her remarks, “Together, we will ignite creativity, advance bold ideas, build businesses, foster applied learning and drive innovation across the Northern Plains.
“The future is bright — and we’re just getting started.”
About the Author
Haylee Bjork is marketing outreach coordinator for the Center for Innovation at UND.
Federal grant will help UND, North Dakota put uncrewed aerial systems to best use
Tau Drones fly missions to study heat loss on UND campus steam pipes and to monitor pipelines for the oil and gas industry.
In August, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $1 million grant to UND to conduct an economic impact study and commercialization strategy for the state’s uncrewed aerial systems network.
To accomplish this work, the project will leverage several University of North Dakota departments: The UND Center for Innovation (CFI), the UND School of Aerospace Sciences, the UND Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS), and the UND Institute for Policy and Business Analytics.
In addition to the University of North Dakota, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, Thales Group and the state of North Dakota will help implement demonstration projects, strengthen connections between state agencies and collaborate on developing the statewide commercialization and economic studies.
The UND Center for Innovation will lead the effort and coordinate grant partners. The award is funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment. North Dakota is prepared to grow this emerging industry sector so its coal-impacted communities, tribal nations and rural communities can increase economic resilience, identify entrepreneurial opportunities, increase efficiencies, enhance safety and bring new capabilities to businesses and people.
“This is an exciting opportunity to think strategically about North Dakota’s fast-growing autonomous industry sector with our partners across the state,” said Amy Whitney, director of the UND Center for Innovation (CFI), “The intended strategy will help us to further position North Dakota as a national leader while enabling us to know how to revolutionize rural living through the use of uncrewed aerial systems.”
The project will examine economic development opportunities and applications of uncrewed aerial systems across North Dakota. This two-year project capitalizes on ND’s reputation as the Silicon Valley for drones with goals focused on showcasing the state as a destination for UAS operations. Featured outcomes of this project include:
(1) A statewide economic impact study and commercialization strategy with a specific focus on rural community connectivity, tribal nations and coal-impacted communities.
(2) Three demonstration projects with industry partners to validate technology, identify opportunities and recognize barriers to commercialization and implementation such as policy, regulation, infrastructure, etc. to inform current and future investments.
“The Institute of Policy and Business Analytics is pleased to contribute economic and policy analysis to the interdisciplinary and diverse project team. The project will serve as an important foundation for the UAS ecosystem in North Dakota, which will continue to evolve as an important economic engine in the state,” said Jason Jensen, executive director of the UND Institute for Policy and Business Analytics.
Over the past decade, North Dakota has helped a fast-growing autonomous regional industry position itself as a national testing site for uncrewed aerial system innovations (both on land and in air and space). This project allows North Dakota to create a shared vision to cluster resources around this fast-growing autonomous-technology corridor.
“We’ve built a cluster of innovative organizations that are all aligned to push the future of what is possible in the UAS industry,” said Trevor Woods, executive director of the Northern Plains UAS Testing Site.
Existing capabilities of the region’s autonomous technology industry include: the Northern Plains UAS Test Site and their Vantis program, the nation’s only statewide network to operate aerial vehicles beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS); statewide technology deployment for autonomous vehicles; an autonomous farming innovation park; an EDA-funded University Center focused on autonomous system business development; a drone technology business park; a university degree program specifically developed for designing and piloting autonomous vehicles and space-related technologies; and an educational system supporting computer and cyber science from kindergarten to PhD.
“The project is designed to support transformational growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by developing world-class startups and increasing venture capital investment,” said Anthony Maher, UND CFI Entrepreneur Lead for Startup Growth & Fundraising.
