Nov. 15, 2022

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Amos Buelow, the community coordinator at Startup Sioux Falls.

Name: Amos Buelow (pronounced aye-muss bee-low)

Age: 27

Hometown: Lansing, Michigan, for grade school but more of a nomad since I was 13 years old

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

My wife has been here her whole life, so I moved here after college, and we got married!

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

My wife’s family, the kind people, the entrepreneurial and community-centric spirit and opportunities.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I get to meet so many amazing people in our community from all walks and stages of life, from the top leaders to the new up-and-comer — from a totally different background than me — that needs support. My connections, mind and experiences are expanding at a rapid pace.

How did you get connected to your industry?

First, I met tons of people through working at gyms here in town.

Secondly, I started and run my own personal development and leadership organization called Man of Character with both in-person programs and events as well as online. Through this work, I networked with a lot of business owners and attended Zeal events and the like.

Thirdly, I’ve been working in the online space with business coaching companies that focus heavily on creating community and culture paired with strategic processes to create a following and gain clients. I worked on a sales team and then transitioned to a company as their client success director to teach this model while supporting the business owners.

Fourth, my wife runs her own business — Wonderfully Made Gifting Co. — and has been networking in Sioux Falls as well.

Describe your workplace in three words.

Expansive, collaborative, lively.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I’ve played violin since I was 6 years old!

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

Influencing the culture of the young men of and women in my church to be community-focused and driven to be leaders in their respective areas of life.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

Never heard of this as a local business but a growth book club that focuses on helping individuals expand their general knowledge, perspective, skills, communication, history knowledge, etc. and providing guided discussion with everyone involved for even more insights and an open mind.

They wouldn’t have to read the book; the facilitator creates a presentation that consolidates the information and stories into a report, which saves time and allows for more “books” and knowledge in short amounts of time.

If you had $1 million to start a business, what kind of business would it be?

I’m not sure what it would look like, but I would start a business that could get us back to a pre-consumerism/accumulation culture. That might look like partnering with a residential construction company to create tiny-home communities that also have community centers and programming for shared services, resources, knowledge-sharing, storytelling and potlucks!