Sept. 29, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Startup Sioux Falls.

On the first Wednesday of every month, Startup Sioux Falls hosts an exciting event geared toward connecting and inspiring local entrepreneurs: Startup Sunrise.

“When we retired 1 Million Cups in 2022, we decided to take some time to assess the evolving interests and needs of the startup community before launching a new event,” said Sara Lum, vice president of Startup Sioux Falls.

“With Startup Sunrise, we hope to create a gathering for entrepreneurs to connect over coffee, learn from other founders’ experiences and gain inspiration to continue the hard work of starting a business.”

The event opens at 8 a.m. with a dedicated half-hour for coffee and socializing. Attendees can start their day with the complimentary Rise & Shine coffee blend, provided by The Source and roasted exclusively for Startup Sunrise.

Each month, Startup Sunrise features a local entrepreneur as a greeter, there to welcome guests and facilitate connections. The inaugural gathering Sept. 6 featured brand photographer and creative educator Maddie Peschong as its greeter.

Every event also includes a local arts element, thanks to a partnership with the Washington Pavilion’s Live & Local series. Attendees in September enjoyed a preview performance by hip-hop artist Gabriel Night Shield

Once everyone has had a chance to fuel up on coffee, the agenda shifts to Founder Stories. Two founders or business leaders share five-minute presentations, followed by a facilitated conversation about the theme of the month. September’s event was geared toward the theme of Igniting Innovation, and speakers were Melissa Goodwin, executive vice president of Innovation Labs, and Peter Burghardt, executive director of The Batchery.

Andy Ott, founder of IT company Verity Networks, appreciated the value provided by those intentional elements.

“Startup Sioux Falls gathers an immense and diverse group of entrepreneurs at its events, and I’m excited to meet them so that I can keep the conversation going between founders,” Ott said. “The community that Startup Sioux Falls has created will likely be one of the largest factors when I look back in 10 years and consider how Verity Networks got to where it is.”

Startup Sunrise will focus on a specific topic or theme each month — the October event is all about evolving family businesses, featuring speakers Anthony “AJ” Saigh, chief financial officer of Burwell Enterprises Inc., and restaurateur Riccardo Tarabelsi, whose businesses include R Wine Bar and Maribella Ristorante.

Other upcoming themes include builders, health and fitness, coding, and New to Sioux Falls.

After the conversation concludes, attendees are welcome to stay for free co-working until noon — an excellent opportunity to check out the space and see what being a member of Startup Sioux Falls is all about.

“Startup Sunrise was created to fuel innovation, forge new partnerships and connections, and ignite problem-solving utilizing the latest advances in technology,” said Brienne Maner, president of Startup Sioux Falls. “We can talk abstractly about innovation and technology until we’re blue in the face, or we can choose to engage like-minded change agents with a shared passion for implementing solutions.”

Don’t miss the next Startup Sunrise on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Register for free here.

Startup Sunrise is sponsored by Startup Sioux Falls’ Builder Level sponsors: Boyce Law Firm, USF Entrepreneurial Studies Program, Eide Bailly, First Bank & Trust, The First National Bank in Sioux Falls, First PREMIER Bank, Homegrown Capital, MarketBeat, Midwest Employee Benefits, Pendar Properties, Sanford Health Plan, Tiger29 and Voyage Federal Credit Union.

• See a news story Dakota News Now did about Startup Sunrise.
• Subscribe to Startup Sioux Falls’ calendar and never miss an event!