SDSU establishes business-focused ‘outpost’ in downtown Sioux Falls

This paid piece is sponsored by South Dakota State University.

South Dakota State University has established a first-of-its-kind relationship in downtown Sioux Falls designed to bring business-focused programming to the area.

SDSU’s Ness School of Management and Economics has established Ness School Downtown, an outpost located at Startup Sioux Falls, 100 E. Sixth St.

“I knew from the first time I toured Startup Sioux Falls that SDSU needed to be there,” SDSU President Barry Dunn said. “Startup’s collaborative, learning and welcoming environment mirrors our university’s culture.”

The Ness School will lease an office at Startup Sioux Falls and support it with a program coordinator.

The concept calls for offering outreach programming around themes applicable to business leaders and startup founders, said Joe Santos, Ness School director.

“We see it as a space for knowledge transfer, bringing what we do in research and scholarship to a wide audience through outreach programming,” he said. “Through Ness School Downtown, my colleagues and I will engage the Sioux Falls metro area business community and business audiences more broadly to think about challenges and opportunities in the innovation ecosystem and what we could learn from fundamental principles of accounting, business law, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, management, marketing and real estate, for example.”

Additionally, the school will use the space to connect SDSU students and the Sioux Falls business community, Santos said.

“Through Ness School Downtown, we will connect students to career opportunities, startup resources and employers in the Sioux Falls area,” he said. “We see our alumni and corporate relationships in Sioux Falls reinforcing and becoming part of that larger effort.”

For SDSU, which serves as the state’s land-grant university, it’s also part of an obligation to share academic resources in a way that supports economic growth, Dunn said.

Business-related majors are among the fastest growing on campus, with over 1,000 students.

“It’s growing because our teaching is relevant, needed and important to South Dakota’s economy,” Dunn said.

“Dr. Santos and his faculty team listen to the market needs and create these vital programs – everything from new real estate and appraiser programs that are responsive to the marketplace to programs that support banking, entrepreneurship, marketing and management. I’m excited to see what creative programming they’ll deliver in the core of downtown Sioux Falls as an extension of our campus.”

For Startup Sioux Falls, “SDSU and the Ness School bring a level of credibility and academia infused into entrepreneurship,” executive director Brienne Maner said.

“There’s a degree of intentionality to this relationship that’s very exciting, and I’m looking forward to how our programming and offerings might shift bringing this level of brainpower into the space.”

SDSU will use the MarketBeat Theater inside Startup Sioux Falls for its programs and events, Maner said.

“It’s important to engage with higher education, and we think this is going to lead to smarter partnerships going forward,” she said.

“This brings a Sioux Falls presence for SDSU, but it also connects their students and alumni with the broader resources of Startup Sioux Falls and illustrates the opportunities that exist to grow a business here. The students can be exposed to CEOs here, and our business community will be able to engage with this emerging workforce.”

SDSU’s first event inside Startup Sioux Falls will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 29. The interactive workshop “Westside Story: A Tale of Determination, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” will feature entrepreneur Dillon Kjerstad from Philip in west-central South Dakota. Dillon became an entrepreneur when he acquired a single pharmacy; now, he operates in eight locations.

Along with Ness School faculty members Brittany McKnight and Craig Silvernagel, attendees will analyze key elements of a successful entrepreneurial venture, including innovation, marketing identification and sustainable growth.

“The workshop is a strong example of the type of programming we envision for this space,” Santos said.

“Our partnership with Startup is about supporting the innovation ecosystem with programming that targets fundamentals of building and sustaining a successful business.”

Before the event, at 12:30 p.m. that day, the Ness School will mark the opening of its downtown outpost with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, including light refreshments.

While it’s natural to think of a land-grant university as focused on agriculture and engineering, there’s a broader mission that’s reflected in this new relationship, Dunn added.

“Our mission extends deeply into building better businesses, economies and cities,” he said.

“It’s about creating better access to education where most people live. It’s why we have a strong commitment to serving Sioux Falls, supported by this exciting next step.”

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