A South Dakota-based non-profit has transformed around 400 lives using a $1 million grant over two years. Supporting primarily local entrepreneurs, the organization helps build businesses even in isolated regions by providing essential resources and mentoring.
The program has proven to be a boon in South Dakota, a state that previously struggled to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The intention is to cultivate entrepreneurial talent despite the challenges, thus stimulating economic growth and improving the overall quality of life.
Progress has been substantial, with the grant money directly impacting the region’s business landscape. The end-goal remains creating resilient, diverse, and dynamic local economies that can fight future challenges effectively.
South Dakota’s entrepreneurship scene is experiencing a wave of change due to the significant grant. Brienne Maner, the organization’s president, comments that the Community Navigator Pilot Program led to beneficial partnerships promoting resource-sharing and empowering small businesses across the state.
She emphasizes the grant’s role in encouraging collaboration and aiding local businesses, noting that their success largely depends on resource allocation.
Enhancing South Dakota’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with grant
Maner’s presentation at the Leveraging Regionalism To Empower Small Businesses summit in Washington, D.C highlighted the organization’s journey, growth, and the impact of the grant on their mission.
For more than twenty years, the organization has been focusing on entrepreneurship development and adapting to the evolving needs of startups. They collaborate with partners like Dakota Resources, EmBe, LSS Center for New Americans, among others, aiming to enrich the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In their two-decade journey, the organization’s philosophy rests on the belief in every entrepreneur’s potential to incite significant societal change. Emphasizing inclusivity and diversity, they foster an environment respecting varied ideas and perspectives.
The grant and partnerships have allowed the organization to effectively involve and impact the local community. Offering free statewide programs has earned them reputation and credibility, especially among rural and indigenous populations.
Maner advocates for building an entrepreneurial ecosystem that truly reflects the locality rather than reproducing the Silicon Valley model. Leveraging their wide network for nationwide resources, the organization continues to grow its reach and influence.
