SOUTH DAKOTA

Leaders are building awareness of the company’s intent in a triangle-shaped market area that will be anchored by offices in the Sioux Falls-Brookings area, the Fargo-Grand Forks, N.D., area and Rochester, Minn.

Once again, it is time to renovate the landscape and invest in individuals’ dreams for change. Dakota Rising http://sdrei.org/dakotarising/index.php , an exciting new rural entrepreneur fellowship program, sets the foundation for making those visions possible.

When considering Sioux Falls to be the major hub of its region (the most proximate major cities are Omaha and Minneapolis, both over 150 miles away) it’s no wonder that many people are flocking there to be a part of its thriving economy that can’t be found for miles.

"I don’t know if it’s business entrepreneurship or survival."

"I believe the mayor’s job is to help lead the charge. That’s what I’m going to do."

"bringing commuters closer to their jobs can help Californians drive 3.7 trillion fewer miles and save 140 billion gallons of gasoline by 2050."

By 1989, Diggs was looking for a quiet place to do some research and write. He stumbled onto Roslyn, initially thinking it would be his getaway. But he quickly made the town his home base and has never looked back.

"I came here and the people were so nice to me here, that I thought, ‘You know, it’s quiet here. Why do I have to go back to San Francisco?"’ he recalled.

The state is 49th in receiving federal research dollars and has one of the nation’s lowest percentages of people with advanced degrees.