Bioproducts Center Wrapping Up 1st Phase
of Construction
Posted July 25, 2023
By Kailena Anderson
Brookings, S.D. – The Bioproducts Center is in its final stages of construction, testing every light and hood vent as it prepares to open its doors. This 45,000 square foot building is equipped with 11 labs and will be used to repurpose low-value biological material into cutting edge bioproducts such as specialty animal feed and bio-degradable plastics.
Students and Faculty from South Dakota State University and School of Mines are positioned to utilize this space alongside industry partners. One of the first to be utilizing the building is Nutisse. The Research Park is excited to bring researchers into this new lab space to further support development of bioprocessing and bioproducts research.
The Bioproducts Center will be an integral component in furthering the Parks mission; facilitating public- private partnerships between universities and industry partners. This collaborative environment will lead to better educational opportunities for South Dakota students including new classes in bioprocessing and more diverse career paths for recent graduates.
These benefits extend to business and the community as well. Research done at this facility is expected to begin bringing bioproducts into the marketplace at competitive prices, further unlocking the potential of ag-based solutions to climate issues and more. Almost 30% of South Dakota’s economic output comes from the agriculture industry. Innovation like this will position South Dakota and the Northern Plains region as industry leaders in a field especially relevant to the economy.
High-end research and lab space at the Bioproducts Center will also attract scientists and engineers to the Brookings area, positively impacting the local economy. It is anticipated that grant funding for the work done at this facility will bring in $6 million annually.
We are excited to witness the innovations the Bioproducts Center will produce and invite you to join us. If you or your company is interested in learning more about the space and how you can benefit from it, contact us at [email protected].
By Kailena Anderson
Brookings, S.D. – The Bioproducts Center is in its final stages of construction, testing every light and hood vent as it prepares to open its doors. This 45,000 square foot building is equipped with 11 labs and will be used to repurpose low-value biological material into cutting edge bioproducts such as specialty animal feed and bio-degradable plastics.
Students and Faculty from South Dakota State University and School of Mines are positioned to utilize this space alongside industry partners. One of the first to be utilizing the building is Nutisse. The Research Park is excited to bring researchers into this new lab space to further support development of bioprocessing and bioproducts research.
The Bioproducts Center will be an integral component in furthering the Parks mission; facilitating public- private partnerships between universities and industry partners. This collaborative environment will lead to better educational opportunities for South Dakota students including new classes in bioprocessing and more diverse career paths for recent graduates.
These benefits extend to business and the community as well. Research done at this facility is expected to begin bringing bioproducts into the marketplace at competitive prices, further unlocking the potential of ag-based solutions to climate issues and more. Almost 30% of South Dakota’s economic output comes from the agriculture industry. Innovation like this will position South Dakota and the Northern Plains region as industry leaders in a field especially relevant to the economy.
High-end research and lab space at the Bioproducts Center will also attract scientists and engineers to the Brookings area, positively impacting the local economy. It is anticipated that grant funding for the work done at this facility will bring in $6 million annually.
We are excited to witness the innovations the Bioproducts Center will produce and invite you to join us. If you or your company is interested in learning more about the space and how you can benefit from it, contact us at [email protected].
Gevo Breaks Ground on Largest Economic
Investment in South Dakota History
Posted September 15, 2022
By Tony Mangan (South Dakota State News)
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that Gevo has broken ground on the largest economic investment in South Dakota history – a world-class sustainable fuel production facility in Lake Preston.
"Businesses are choosing South Dakota because we are ‘Open for Business,’ and we give them the opportunity to succeed," said Governor Noem. "This facility proves that government mandates are not necessary for our energy industry to be environmentally responsible. Companies like Gevo are taking the lead build an all-of-the-above American energy supply, and they’re working with our farmers to do it.”
Gevo’s facility will create 1,000 jobs during construction and 90 long-term high-paying jobs. The new facility is the first billion-dollar plus project in the history of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony: “Today, we get to celebrate South Dakota’s continued growth. I’m excited about the long-term partnership that this facility will have with our farmers.”
You can find photos of the Lieutenant Governor at the groundbreaking ceremony here.
The facility will use sustainable, regionally grown corn as its feedstock and will pay farmers a premium for sustainably grown corn.
Gevo will also be supporting two Build Dakota Scholarships for students at Lake Area Technical College.
Gevo is commercializing the next generation of gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel with the potential to achieve zero carbon emissions, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with sustainable alternatives.
Source
By Tony Mangan (South Dakota State News)
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced that Gevo has broken ground on the largest economic investment in South Dakota history – a world-class sustainable fuel production facility in Lake Preston.
"Businesses are choosing South Dakota because we are ‘Open for Business,’ and we give them the opportunity to succeed," said Governor Noem. "This facility proves that government mandates are not necessary for our energy industry to be environmentally responsible. Companies like Gevo are taking the lead build an all-of-the-above American energy supply, and they’re working with our farmers to do it.”
Gevo’s facility will create 1,000 jobs during construction and 90 long-term high-paying jobs. The new facility is the first billion-dollar plus project in the history of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony: “Today, we get to celebrate South Dakota’s continued growth. I’m excited about the long-term partnership that this facility will have with our farmers.”
You can find photos of the Lieutenant Governor at the groundbreaking ceremony here.
The facility will use sustainable, regionally grown corn as its feedstock and will pay farmers a premium for sustainably grown corn.
Gevo will also be supporting two Build Dakota Scholarships for students at Lake Area Technical College.
Gevo is commercializing the next generation of gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel with the potential to achieve zero carbon emissions, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with sustainable alternatives.
Source
POET Bioproducts Institute to transition
research to marketplace
Posted November 18, 2021
By SDSU Marketing & Communications (The Brookings Register)
BROOKINGS – A new laboratory will bring researchers from South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines together with industry partners to transition bench-scale bioprocessing and bioproducts research to the marketplace.
The POET Bioproducts Institute “will provide structure and simplicity for private enterprise to collaborate with university scientists to develop products,” according to SDSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Daniel Scholl.
Mines Vice President for Research Ralph Davis said, “The vision is to move existing research at the two universities to a higher level with our industry partners and to do final proof-of-concept work that will show commercial viability.”
To facilitate those public-private partnerships, the specialized lab in the Research Park at SDSU will be managed by a newly established not-for-profit organization, Dakota Bioproducts Innovation Institute.
“Private enterprise experts will help university researchers ask the right questions,” Davis explained. “It is important to have that partner who says ‘that’s an interesting process in a 100- or 250-milliliter flask, but what are you going to do when you take it off the Bunsen burner?’”
The 45,000-square-foot facility is made possible through $20 million in legislative funding, $5 million from POET and $2 million from South Dakota Corn. Furthermore, the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council will provide $500,000 annually for five years – a total of $2.5 million – and the state committed a yearly $500,000 for operational costs.
“We want to acknowledge the South Dakota Legislature and the Governor’s Office and our industry partners and stakeholders who have invested in this facility and share our vision of the potential economic benefits for our state,” Davis said. A request has been submitted to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for $3 million to help with the purchase of specialized equipment.
Using agricultural feedstock
Based on recommendations from an international bioscience consulting team, Scholl and Davis chose two specialization areas: specialty animal feeds, specifically prebiotics and probiotics that have the potential to reduce the need for antibiotics, and biomaterials, including bioplastics that are degradable.
“These are the areas we judged to have the highest likelihood of success,” Scholl said, pointing to the state’s abundant supply of agricultural feedstock.
SDSU’s strengths are on the feedstock and preprocessing side as well as the downstream animal feed testing trials. Associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences Joy Scaria develops probiotics to improve animal and human gut health. He is in the latter stages of optimizing a mixture of bacterial strains that may reduce piglets’ susceptibility to disease and infection during weaning.
“A facility like this would be beneficial in terms of scale-up capacity,” Scaria said. Mines’ expertise in fermentation will also be helpful for his research.
“Our research relationships with the nutrition industry also create a lot of potential,” Scholl said. Associate animal science professor Crystal Levesque said, “We have a strong connection to producers through SDSU Extension and an established relationship with the feed industry through research we’ve already conducted.”
Developing biomaterials
Mines is strong on the bioprocessing side, developing biomaterials through two centers begun with state funding. The Composites and Polymer Engineering Lab, or CAPE Lab, was founded in 2004 and develops advanced polymers and composite processing.
The Composite and Nanocomposite Advanced Manufacturing – Biomaterials Center, or CNAM-Bio, was launched in September 2018 and is housed within CAPE. Through collaboration among disciplines ranging from microbiology to mechanical engineering, the center seeks to meet the need for sustainable polymers and strong, multifunctional biocomposites and bionanocomposite structures.
“We have processes and products ready to move to the next level, which we cannot do within our facilities. The bioproducts laboratory will be equipped to accommodate the right volume industry needs to show that a technology can be commercialized,” Davis said.
Mines professor David Salem, who directs the two composite materials research centers, said, “The new laboratory is a crucial component in bringing innovative biomaterials, such as biodegradable plastics, to the marketplace through cost-competitive, sustainable bioprocesses.”
Another product of the laboratory will be highly trained scientists and engineers who can help industry partners expand operations. That workforce will also encompass administrative and accounting as well as technical people responsible for plant and facility operation. “We can build that whole spectrum of beyond-$15-an-hour jobs,” Davis said.
Scholl concluded, “We are creating a growth industry for our graduates, diversifying the South Dakota economy and adding value to agricultural products.”
Source
By SDSU Marketing & Communications (The Brookings Register)
BROOKINGS – A new laboratory will bring researchers from South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines together with industry partners to transition bench-scale bioprocessing and bioproducts research to the marketplace.
The POET Bioproducts Institute “will provide structure and simplicity for private enterprise to collaborate with university scientists to develop products,” according to SDSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Daniel Scholl.
Mines Vice President for Research Ralph Davis said, “The vision is to move existing research at the two universities to a higher level with our industry partners and to do final proof-of-concept work that will show commercial viability.”
To facilitate those public-private partnerships, the specialized lab in the Research Park at SDSU will be managed by a newly established not-for-profit organization, Dakota Bioproducts Innovation Institute.
“Private enterprise experts will help university researchers ask the right questions,” Davis explained. “It is important to have that partner who says ‘that’s an interesting process in a 100- or 250-milliliter flask, but what are you going to do when you take it off the Bunsen burner?’”
The 45,000-square-foot facility is made possible through $20 million in legislative funding, $5 million from POET and $2 million from South Dakota Corn. Furthermore, the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council will provide $500,000 annually for five years – a total of $2.5 million – and the state committed a yearly $500,000 for operational costs.
“We want to acknowledge the South Dakota Legislature and the Governor’s Office and our industry partners and stakeholders who have invested in this facility and share our vision of the potential economic benefits for our state,” Davis said. A request has been submitted to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for $3 million to help with the purchase of specialized equipment.
Using agricultural feedstock
Based on recommendations from an international bioscience consulting team, Scholl and Davis chose two specialization areas: specialty animal feeds, specifically prebiotics and probiotics that have the potential to reduce the need for antibiotics, and biomaterials, including bioplastics that are degradable.
“These are the areas we judged to have the highest likelihood of success,” Scholl said, pointing to the state’s abundant supply of agricultural feedstock.
SDSU’s strengths are on the feedstock and preprocessing side as well as the downstream animal feed testing trials. Associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences Joy Scaria develops probiotics to improve animal and human gut health. He is in the latter stages of optimizing a mixture of bacterial strains that may reduce piglets’ susceptibility to disease and infection during weaning.
“A facility like this would be beneficial in terms of scale-up capacity,” Scaria said. Mines’ expertise in fermentation will also be helpful for his research.
“Our research relationships with the nutrition industry also create a lot of potential,” Scholl said. Associate animal science professor Crystal Levesque said, “We have a strong connection to producers through SDSU Extension and an established relationship with the feed industry through research we’ve already conducted.”
Developing biomaterials
Mines is strong on the bioprocessing side, developing biomaterials through two centers begun with state funding. The Composites and Polymer Engineering Lab, or CAPE Lab, was founded in 2004 and develops advanced polymers and composite processing.
The Composite and Nanocomposite Advanced Manufacturing – Biomaterials Center, or CNAM-Bio, was launched in September 2018 and is housed within CAPE. Through collaboration among disciplines ranging from microbiology to mechanical engineering, the center seeks to meet the need for sustainable polymers and strong, multifunctional biocomposites and bionanocomposite structures.
“We have processes and products ready to move to the next level, which we cannot do within our facilities. The bioproducts laboratory will be equipped to accommodate the right volume industry needs to show that a technology can be commercialized,” Davis said.
Mines professor David Salem, who directs the two composite materials research centers, said, “The new laboratory is a crucial component in bringing innovative biomaterials, such as biodegradable plastics, to the marketplace through cost-competitive, sustainable bioprocesses.”
Another product of the laboratory will be highly trained scientists and engineers who can help industry partners expand operations. That workforce will also encompass administrative and accounting as well as technical people responsible for plant and facility operation. “We can build that whole spectrum of beyond-$15-an-hour jobs,” Davis said.
Scholl concluded, “We are creating a growth industry for our graduates, diversifying the South Dakota economy and adding value to agricultural products.”
Source
New building aimed to expand bioproducts
in South Dakota
Posted November 17, 2021
By Ariana Schumacher (KELOLAND Media Group)
BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO)– A new building aimed at researching and developing bioproducts is coming to the South Dakota State University Research Park.
Work is underway on the new POET Bioproducts Institute, a place to research how low-value agricultural and forestry materials can be transformed into high value bioproducts.
The 45,000 square foot facility is a partnership between POET, SDSU and South Dakota Mines.
Work is underway at the site of the future Poet Bioproducts institute. It’s part of a project that promises to help the South Dakota economy.
“Rather than shipping our raw soybeans and corn out of the state, processing some of them and then shipping the rest out of the state, we’ll be able to transform more of our commodities into high value products here in South Dakota and drive the economic benefit in South Dakota,” said Daniel Scholl, Vice president for research and economic development at SDSU.
“The innovation that’s going to happen over the next decades here in South Dakota and across the Midwest where our bioprocessing facilities are, is going to be unmatched to what’s going to happen anywhere else,” said Jeff Lautt, President and COO of POET.
The project will benefit students looking to go into the industry.
“Students will have a front row seat so to speak in the development of new bioproducts to create or strengthen an economic sector and reach a global marketplace with South Dakota feed stocks,” said Scholl. “Students who have that experience will be able to go into their jobs, into high value employment opportunities with first hand experience with the production type setup.”
“We are blessed to be here in South Dakota where we have access to just a bunch of brilliant minds, people with good work ethic. So we get to work with that next generation of potential team members as well as just tap into some of their creativity to unlock some of the future potential of plant based bioproducts just like we’re doing today here at POET,” said Lautt.
The POET Bioproducts institute is scheduled to open in June of 2023.
Source
By Ariana Schumacher (KELOLAND Media Group)
BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO)– A new building aimed at researching and developing bioproducts is coming to the South Dakota State University Research Park.
Work is underway on the new POET Bioproducts Institute, a place to research how low-value agricultural and forestry materials can be transformed into high value bioproducts.
The 45,000 square foot facility is a partnership between POET, SDSU and South Dakota Mines.
Work is underway at the site of the future Poet Bioproducts institute. It’s part of a project that promises to help the South Dakota economy.
“Rather than shipping our raw soybeans and corn out of the state, processing some of them and then shipping the rest out of the state, we’ll be able to transform more of our commodities into high value products here in South Dakota and drive the economic benefit in South Dakota,” said Daniel Scholl, Vice president for research and economic development at SDSU.
“The innovation that’s going to happen over the next decades here in South Dakota and across the Midwest where our bioprocessing facilities are, is going to be unmatched to what’s going to happen anywhere else,” said Jeff Lautt, President and COO of POET.
The project will benefit students looking to go into the industry.
“Students will have a front row seat so to speak in the development of new bioproducts to create or strengthen an economic sector and reach a global marketplace with South Dakota feed stocks,” said Scholl. “Students who have that experience will be able to go into their jobs, into high value employment opportunities with first hand experience with the production type setup.”
“We are blessed to be here in South Dakota where we have access to just a bunch of brilliant minds, people with good work ethic. So we get to work with that next generation of potential team members as well as just tap into some of their creativity to unlock some of the future potential of plant based bioproducts just like we’re doing today here at POET,” said Lautt.
The POET Bioproducts institute is scheduled to open in June of 2023.
Source
Ground broken on POET Bioproducts
Institute
Posted November 12, 2021
By SDSU Marketing & Communications (The Brookings Register)
BROOKINGS – POET, a global leader in the production of bioproducts, South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the POET Bioproducts Institute at the Research Park at SDSU. The institute will serve as an innovation center for the development of low-value agricultural and forestry materials into high-value bioproducts such as specialty animal feeds and bioplastics that are degradable.
“We are convinced that this specialized laboratory will provide our region with enormous capacities to drive economic growth through applied biotechnology,” said SDSU President Barry Dunn. “The idea of this institute started with a challenge from the private sector and grew into a collaborative partnership between many organizations.”
The 45,000-square-foot facility is made possible through $20 million in legislative funding, $5 million from POET and $2 million from South Dakota Corn. Furthermore, the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council will provide $500,000 annually for five years – a total of $2.5 million – and the state committed a yearly $500,000 for operational costs.
“POET has longstanding partnerships with South Dakota’s leading engineering universities in supporting our state and driving one of its most essential industries: agriculture,” said Jeff Broin, POET founder and CEO. “Now more than ever, we must continue to develop cutting-edge innovations in low-carbon biofuels and bioproducts in order to protect our planet. The POET Bioproducts Institute will be a catalyst in driving processes and technology that will lead our nation’s conversion from a fossil-based economy to an ag-based economy.”
The facility will allow collaboration on the next generation of bioproducts. SDSU strengths are in feedstock and preprocessing, as well as the downstream animal feed testing trials. Mines provides expertise on the bioprocessing side, developing biomaterials through the Composites and Polymer Engineering Lab and the Composite and Nanocomposite Advanced Manufacturing–Biomaterials Center. POET will provide innovation around commercial scale development.
“This project is a very visible example of two South Dakota universities working together, with industry, to make life better in South Dakota,” said Jim Rankin, president of South Dakota Mines. “These new product lines will create jobs, which will keep our college graduates and graduates from the technical colleges in South Dakota. We at Mines are excited to see the new innovation that will be created.”
The facility is expected to produce more than $6 million annually from research expenditures that include employee salaries from grant-funded research. Estimates also include more than $4 million annually toward South Dakota industries accessing pre-pilot scale-up lab and bioprocessing services.
Source
By SDSU Marketing & Communications (The Brookings Register)
BROOKINGS – POET, a global leader in the production of bioproducts, South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the POET Bioproducts Institute at the Research Park at SDSU. The institute will serve as an innovation center for the development of low-value agricultural and forestry materials into high-value bioproducts such as specialty animal feeds and bioplastics that are degradable.
“We are convinced that this specialized laboratory will provide our region with enormous capacities to drive economic growth through applied biotechnology,” said SDSU President Barry Dunn. “The idea of this institute started with a challenge from the private sector and grew into a collaborative partnership between many organizations.”
The 45,000-square-foot facility is made possible through $20 million in legislative funding, $5 million from POET and $2 million from South Dakota Corn. Furthermore, the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council will provide $500,000 annually for five years – a total of $2.5 million – and the state committed a yearly $500,000 for operational costs.
“POET has longstanding partnerships with South Dakota’s leading engineering universities in supporting our state and driving one of its most essential industries: agriculture,” said Jeff Broin, POET founder and CEO. “Now more than ever, we must continue to develop cutting-edge innovations in low-carbon biofuels and bioproducts in order to protect our planet. The POET Bioproducts Institute will be a catalyst in driving processes and technology that will lead our nation’s conversion from a fossil-based economy to an ag-based economy.”
The facility will allow collaboration on the next generation of bioproducts. SDSU strengths are in feedstock and preprocessing, as well as the downstream animal feed testing trials. Mines provides expertise on the bioprocessing side, developing biomaterials through the Composites and Polymer Engineering Lab and the Composite and Nanocomposite Advanced Manufacturing–Biomaterials Center. POET will provide innovation around commercial scale development.
“This project is a very visible example of two South Dakota universities working together, with industry, to make life better in South Dakota,” said Jim Rankin, president of South Dakota Mines. “These new product lines will create jobs, which will keep our college graduates and graduates from the technical colleges in South Dakota. We at Mines are excited to see the new innovation that will be created.”
The facility is expected to produce more than $6 million annually from research expenditures that include employee salaries from grant-funded research. Estimates also include more than $4 million annually toward South Dakota industries accessing pre-pilot scale-up lab and bioprocessing services.
Source
Someone you should know: Helping the
aging population
Posted September 29, 2021
By Erik Thorstenson, Dakota News Now
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A Sioux Falls man has invented a device that will one day help the elderly and people with Parkinson’s disease.
Sioux Falls native Mike Bankowski learned a lot about health care growing up.
“I grew up in a single-parent household. My mom was a nurse. She actually went to night school to finish her RN degree when I was like six or seven. She worked for 35 years at the VA. So I was always around the aging population, elderly people. I used to hang around the vets. Heard stories about World War II. Probably some stories my mom didn’t want me to listen to,” said Mike.
While he would start his professional career in financial planning, Mike decided to make a career change after two tragic events in his life.
“My mom passed away in 2009 after a drawn-out illness, and I was only 27 years old when she passed away. And it had a huge effect on me. And then August of 2011, my brother Jason, died in a car accident. And that’s when I was all in on making the change,” said Mike.
So he went into health care full-time. First as a nursing home administrator, then later starting his own home health care business.
“Helping those clients specifically, is what helped invent Rose,” said Mike.
Rose, named after his mom Rosalie, but was always called Rose. Mike drew it up on a piece of paper, a robotic walker with a video screen, that would help the elderly. Specifically those with Parkinson’s.
“You have a robot. A robot that doesn’t get sick. That can be there 24/7. That can learn your schedule and learn how you operate. I knew that I needed to create something that could physically assist them, but could also be a big part of fall prevention. Physically assisting Parkinson’s patients. Medication administration for Parkinson’s patients is really the two big functions on Rose that are going to have the biggest impact,” said Mike.
He got a patent, and SDSU’s robotics program is helping build it.
“Over the past ten weeks in the summer, we built a Rose XL prototype that is about two and a half times bigger than what Rose will be. But we built it to test capabilities, to test stability and balance, and so now we are moving to our next version of the prototype,” said Mike.
For Diane Lien, who has Parkinson’s, and worked with Mike’s brother, Jason, at Avera, Rose will be a big help in her life.
“I just can’t believe it, it’s just like a miracle, I’m getting my life back. I think Jason is looking down on me because he was so important in my life. And just knowing that somebody out there like Michael is truly caring and he’s trying to help make the version of myself that I can be. Keep going as long as I can go,” said Diane.
After FDA approval, Rose should be ready to go in three years.
“The fact of having a robotic walker that could help millions of people. It’s something that, makes it difficult to fall asleep at night,” said Mike.
Bankowski hopes Rose will really help in a time of a shortage of caregivers.
Source
Competition held for young entrepreneurs
Posted February 16, 2021
By Enterprise Institute, Brookings Register
BROOKINGS – South Dakota State University students Matthew Cole, Logan Wolf and Nolan Lee won the Second Annual Brookings Student Business Plan Competition, Jan. 27, at the Brookings Innovation Center at the Research Park at South Dakota State University.
The team of Cole, Wolf and Lee took home $3,000 for first place to help develop their business idea that aims to improve the shelf life of produce in grocery stores.
The Brookings Student Business Plan Competition started with 21 teams comprised of 35 SDSU students.
Seven teams from the group were selected as finalists and pitched to a panel of judges to close out the competition. This is the second year of the event, with $7,000 in prize money going to the finalists.
The Student Business Plan Competition takes place over four months with students participating in training on writing a business plan, developing financial projections, and are also offered a community mentor to share real world experiences.
Students throughout the event also receive support from coalition partners including the South Dakota Small Business Development Center and Brookings Economic Development Corporation. Jennifer Quail, director of entrepreneur support at BEDC, is one of the resources available to students during the competition.
“The Brookings Business Plan competition is an excellent example of the collaboration between the community startup resource partners and SDSU as well as an effective tool to help identify entrepreneurs and emerging innovations in Brookings,” Quail said.
Nick Fickbohm, business counselor at Enterprise Institute, appreciates the long-term payoff for students and the community. “Connecting students with the resources and mentors in the Brookings startup community is an amazing part of this competition. As this moves forward, the continued support of innovation and entrepreneurship will continually showcase the ideas and potential businesses these talented students are working on in our community.”
Source
By Enterprise Institute, Brookings Register
BROOKINGS – South Dakota State University students Matthew Cole, Logan Wolf and Nolan Lee won the Second Annual Brookings Student Business Plan Competition, Jan. 27, at the Brookings Innovation Center at the Research Park at South Dakota State University.
The team of Cole, Wolf and Lee took home $3,000 for first place to help develop their business idea that aims to improve the shelf life of produce in grocery stores.
The Brookings Student Business Plan Competition started with 21 teams comprised of 35 SDSU students.
Seven teams from the group were selected as finalists and pitched to a panel of judges to close out the competition. This is the second year of the event, with $7,000 in prize money going to the finalists.
The Student Business Plan Competition takes place over four months with students participating in training on writing a business plan, developing financial projections, and are also offered a community mentor to share real world experiences.
Students throughout the event also receive support from coalition partners including the South Dakota Small Business Development Center and Brookings Economic Development Corporation. Jennifer Quail, director of entrepreneur support at BEDC, is one of the resources available to students during the competition.
“The Brookings Business Plan competition is an excellent example of the collaboration between the community startup resource partners and SDSU as well as an effective tool to help identify entrepreneurs and emerging innovations in Brookings,” Quail said.
Nick Fickbohm, business counselor at Enterprise Institute, appreciates the long-term payoff for students and the community. “Connecting students with the resources and mentors in the Brookings startup community is an amazing part of this competition. As this moves forward, the continued support of innovation and entrepreneurship will continually showcase the ideas and potential businesses these talented students are working on in our community.”
Source
Tru Shrimp coming to Research Park at
SDSU
Posted December 13, 2019
By SDSU Marketing & Communications and staff reporters, The Brookings Register
Minnesota-based firm aims to create products from shrimp shells
BROOKINGS – The trū Shrimp Co. President and CEO Michael Ziebell and the Research Park at South Dakota State University CEO and Executive Director Dwaine Chapel announced Thursday a partnership they say further builds upon trū Shrimp’s commitment to South Dakota and the region.
In January 2020, trū Shrimp will take up residency in the Brookings Innovation Center located at the Research Park at SDSU.
In addition to trū Shrimp, General Mills, Novita and Raven Industries are among the 42 firms which have offices at the Research Park at SDSU. The Brookings Innovation Center is a 43,000 square-foot startup business incubator for early stage tech and science research firms.
The primary purpose of trū Shrimp’s work in Brookings will be to further research, enhance and optimize the coproducts created as shrimp are grown. This work will begin with the shrimp shell itself, which can be processed to create a product called chitosan.
“Our shrimp production technology is proven, and we continue to learn each day at our headquarters location in Balaton, Minnesota,” Ziebell said.
“In addition, we’re eager to add this new research capability in Brookings. Our first priority at the Research Park is commercialization of the medical-grade chitosan coproduct derived from the shrimp’s shell. The Tidal Basin technology leveraged in our system not only provides the highest quality water and perfect habitat for the shrimp, but also leads to a purity in our shells that we believe is unmatched,” Ziebell said.
“The collaborative opportunities that exist will now happen at a rapid rate. The partnership between SDSU and trū Shrimp has evolved in a positive and productive direction since our first meeting in July 2016. The Research Park provides that ‘Power of Place’ where industry and university expertise collide to create innovation,” Chapel said.
“We’ve been amazed at the opportunities and synergies for our company and this region since the moment we announced our intention to build our first harbor in Madison, South Dakota,” said Brian Knochenmus, chairman of the board at trū Shrimp. “It’s no secret that SDSU and the surrounding partners have extensive knowledge and experience in aquaculture, and we’re excited to work together to continue disrupting the shrimp industry from our platform here in the Midwest.”
Five of the 30-plus trū Shrimp employees in Balaton, Minnesota, are graduates of South Dakota State University, including the company’s chief technical officer Bruce Paterson. In addition to the full-time employees, trū Shrimp has employed five interns from SDSU in the past two years.
The trū Shrimp Company announced in January 2019 its intention to build its first full-scale shrimp harbor in Madison.
Earlier this fall, trū Shrimp began commercially selling shrimp from its Balaton facility.
The company is currently raising capital from regional and national investors and finalizing plans for its Madison location. No timeline is in place for building the facility, Ziebell said Thursday.
Source
By SDSU Marketing & Communications and staff reporters, The Brookings Register
Minnesota-based firm aims to create products from shrimp shells
BROOKINGS – The trū Shrimp Co. President and CEO Michael Ziebell and the Research Park at South Dakota State University CEO and Executive Director Dwaine Chapel announced Thursday a partnership they say further builds upon trū Shrimp’s commitment to South Dakota and the region.
In January 2020, trū Shrimp will take up residency in the Brookings Innovation Center located at the Research Park at SDSU.
In addition to trū Shrimp, General Mills, Novita and Raven Industries are among the 42 firms which have offices at the Research Park at SDSU. The Brookings Innovation Center is a 43,000 square-foot startup business incubator for early stage tech and science research firms.
The primary purpose of trū Shrimp’s work in Brookings will be to further research, enhance and optimize the coproducts created as shrimp are grown. This work will begin with the shrimp shell itself, which can be processed to create a product called chitosan.
“Our shrimp production technology is proven, and we continue to learn each day at our headquarters location in Balaton, Minnesota,” Ziebell said.
“In addition, we’re eager to add this new research capability in Brookings. Our first priority at the Research Park is commercialization of the medical-grade chitosan coproduct derived from the shrimp’s shell. The Tidal Basin technology leveraged in our system not only provides the highest quality water and perfect habitat for the shrimp, but also leads to a purity in our shells that we believe is unmatched,” Ziebell said.
“The collaborative opportunities that exist will now happen at a rapid rate. The partnership between SDSU and trū Shrimp has evolved in a positive and productive direction since our first meeting in July 2016. The Research Park provides that ‘Power of Place’ where industry and university expertise collide to create innovation,” Chapel said.
“We’ve been amazed at the opportunities and synergies for our company and this region since the moment we announced our intention to build our first harbor in Madison, South Dakota,” said Brian Knochenmus, chairman of the board at trū Shrimp. “It’s no secret that SDSU and the surrounding partners have extensive knowledge and experience in aquaculture, and we’re excited to work together to continue disrupting the shrimp industry from our platform here in the Midwest.”
Five of the 30-plus trū Shrimp employees in Balaton, Minnesota, are graduates of South Dakota State University, including the company’s chief technical officer Bruce Paterson. In addition to the full-time employees, trū Shrimp has employed five interns from SDSU in the past two years.
The trū Shrimp Company announced in January 2019 its intention to build its first full-scale shrimp harbor in Madison.
Earlier this fall, trū Shrimp began commercially selling shrimp from its Balaton facility.
The company is currently raising capital from regional and national investors and finalizing plans for its Madison location. No timeline is in place for building the facility, Ziebell said Thursday.
Source
Data scientists evaluate credit risk to help
lenders, borrowers
Posted September 9, 2019
By Christie Delfanian
To lend or not to lend, that is the question.
With the increase in online lending, financial service companies face the daunting task of determining which consumers will repay their loans and, more importantly, which will not.
Traditionally, the risk was determined based solely on credit history. However, ValidiFI, a Florida-based company, provides lending companies an alternative means of evaluating risk, in part, through predictive modeling expertise from the South Dakota State University Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
“We help financial service companies make better decisions when providing a financial product to a consumer,” explained ValidiFI Chief Operating Officer Jesse Berger. “We are a few years into it and already working with some of the largest personal lenders in the nation.”
Using vast amounts of complex data to detect patterns can help lenders determine which applicants will repay loans—and it’s one of the strengths of the SDSU data science program, explained associate professor Tom Brandenburger.
When the two met in 2016, Berger was interested in recruiting data scientists to work in Florida. Brandenburger suggested opening an office in the Research Park at South Dakota State University—and that’s what Berger did.
As ValidiFI’s chief data scientist, Brandenburger mentors data scientists who are also SDSU alumni at the Brookings office, which opened last year.
Providing unique decision-making data
Data science has dramatically improved financial technology and is vital to providing access to more consumers. As financial services migrate to the digital realm, the possibility for risk is greater and more sophisticated.
“Many consumers want to do their banking online. In the virtual world, we no longer sit across the table from a client. Consequently, there are more opportunities for fraud,” said Berger, who described himself as a serial entrepreneur. During the last 25 years, he has started multiple companies that provide data or technology services.
“What’s unique is the type of data we provide for the credit decision-making and underwriting,” explained Berger, who started Merchant Boost about four years ago. The firm was recently renamed ValidiFI. “We spent years building out the technology and went to market about two years ago.”
“We are using alternative data to verify that people who are taking out loans are who they say they are and that they are a decent credit risk,” Brandenburger said. “It’s data that credit bureaus do not have—and it’s helping people demonstrate they are good payers and weeding out the bad players who are purposefully trying to defraud the lender.”
For instance, he explained, “If the name, Social Security number and birthdate do not match the data provided by the applicant, our Bank Account Validation product concludes that person is not likely to repay a personal loan.” The same is true, for example, if a single address is listed on 37 applications for credit in the last seven days or if that address has 72 different people associated with it during the last 60 days.
The BAV product also “confirms ownership of bank accounts and debit cards to reduce or even eliminate some of the fraud that is happening,” Berger said.
Though Brandenburger describes predictive modeling as “a fancy version of math that established likelihood out of a large amount of data,” he also admits the difficulty lies in the complexity and the size of the data.
“Tom and his group in Brookings use machine learning and artificial intelligence to build different types of scores to help make sense of the data,” Berger said.
The Payment Instrument Risk Score, for instance, analyzes a variety of financial datasets to generate a risk score that places the applicant in a low, medium or high credit risk category. “We send the results in real time within milliseconds, giving the financial institution the score and details about the person based on the data we have,” Berger noted.
Minimizing overdraft charges
ValidiFI’s Bank Aggregation technology monitors a borrower’s bank account. By explicitly authorizing this type of oversight, the borrower not only secures a loan, likely at a more reasonable rate, but also receives protection against a bounced or late payment—and in the end, a better credit rating.
However, many people don’t realize that bounced payments hurt both the lender and the borrower. “When you bounce a payment, you get an overdraft—but so do lending companies that use ACH (automated clearing house) payments,” Brandenburger explained.
“We can alert the lender ahead of time if the bank account balance is running low and if there is a high probability the client will not make the next payment,” Berger continued. The parties can then work out arrangements to avoid an overdraft. “This helps both the borrower and the lender.”
This is particularly beneficial for a client with little to no credit history—and something that young people find worthwhile, Brandenburger said. “It’s a generational thing—young people are happy to give to get. We are creating an environment with a safety net for everyone involved that reduces the risk associated with these monetary transactions,”
Expanding services
Through a partnership with First Bank & Trust of Brookings,ValidiFI will be offering a new service line for credit card and ACH payments.
“Essentially, we will provide a data solution to verify identity, detect fraud and determine credit-worthiness based on payment instruments like credit cards and bank accounts,” Berger said. This new service line builds on the company’s core payment data instrument.
The payments will be processed through ValidiFI’s partnership with First Bank & Trust. “It’s exciting to partner with such an innovative company, as ValidiFI’s products and proven results are a real game-changer in the lending industry,” said Cal DeJong, the bank’s President of National Products.
In the future, Berger hopes to expand into the mortgage, automobile and home loans market.
Supportive business climate, student talent
help cybersecurity startup
Posted August 27, 2019
By Christie Delfanian
Three years ago, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dhiraj Sharan decided to start a company to help midsize to large companies protect themselves from cybersecurity threats. What he did not know then was that he would open his new business in Brookings, South Dakota.
That same year, his wife Anamika Prasad accepted a position as an assistant professor in the South Dakota State University Department of Mechanical Engineering. “It turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” said Sharan, who started Query.AI in the Research Park at SDSU last year.
“Cybersecurity threats can come from scammers, competitors, intellectual property thieves or rogue nations—all these are in the national headlines,” said Sharan, who has worked in the enterprise information technology and cybersecurity space for the past 20 years. He also holds 10 patents in cybersecurity and IT data analytics
“Those kinds of threats have always been there, but now they are harder to detect. Now companies have to use advanced data analytics and AI techniques to continuously monitor their IT environment,” he said.
“When I came to know about the state’s focus on cybersecurity and the programs at South Dakota State University and Dakota State University, I saw there is talent here we can leverage. What has been missing from this ecosystem is the cybersecurity industry,” he said.
Sharan’s new business has garnered local and state recognition. Query.AI received the 2018 Company of the Year Award from the Brookings Innovation Center and placed second in the 2019 Governor’s Giant Vision Competition.
Strong support for entrepreneurs
“The entrepreneurial culture, talent pool and local can-do attitude made launching Query.AI highly efficient and cost-effective,” Sharan said of the strong local and state support he found for entrepreneurs.
Early on, he met Dwaine Chapel, Research Park CEO and executive director. Chapel helped Sharan make connections at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development as well as the Brookings Innovation Center.
“He was an early believer who saw the opportunity the same way I did. He provided a lot of support and introductions,” Sharan said.
Chapel and Enterprise Institute Executive Director Tim Weelborg also introduced Sharan to angel investor groups. Though he began raising venture capital in Silicon Valley first, Sharan said, “Query.AI capital funding is split equally between Silicon Valley and here.”
Black Hills Regional Angel Fund in Rapid City, Falls Angel Fund in Sioux Falls, Hub City Capital LLC in Aberdeen and Park Capital Fund LLC are among the company’s South Dakota investors.
Through the GOED, Sharan also received support through the Dakota Seeds Program, which provides matching funds for interns, and the Proof of Concept Fund, which supports research to demonstrate the feasibility of innovations on the path to commercialization.
“I feel being in South Dakota is a great advantage,” Sharan explained, citing lower operating costs. He also sees being “centered between two coasts in a Central time zone” as advantageous.
In addition to tapping into the student workforce, Sharan uses faculty expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning with assistant professor Semhar Michael of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics serving as an adviser. To fulfill the need for experienced senior engineers and professionals, Query.AI also has an engineering team in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India.
Benefits of SDSU connection
Query.AI sponsors senior design projects at SDSU as a means of not only connecting with students and faculty, but also collaborating with the campus IT group, Sharan noted. Vice President of Security and Technology Mike Adelaine and his team have built a central security operations center to monitor the South Dakota Board of Regents and Regents Information Systems’ cybersecurity data. The regental institutions face approximately 20 million cyberattacks each day.
This spring, Query.AI student intern Craig Jorgensen, who is now a full-time employee, was part of a three-member senior design team that worked with the SDSU security team.
“We came up with an open-source solution that allows them to access more data, more easily to get the answers and insights they can use to help stop phishing and other potential attacks on the university,” Jorgensen said.
The relationship with SDSU also benefits the company. “We can test our solution in a friendly home environment and they (the security team) can leverage it for their use cases,” Sharan said.
In addition to Jorgensen, four interns from SDSU and two from DSU work at Query.AI.
“For students graduating in computer science, we want to be the company where they come for internships first,” Sharan said. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is increasing dramatically with an estimated 3.5 million shortfall in the workforce worldwide by 2021. “This can be a springboard to a very nice career.”
By Christie Delfanian
Three years ago, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dhiraj Sharan decided to start a company to help midsize to large companies protect themselves from cybersecurity threats. What he did not know then was that he would open his new business in Brookings, South Dakota.
That same year, his wife Anamika Prasad accepted a position as an assistant professor in the South Dakota State University Department of Mechanical Engineering. “It turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” said Sharan, who started Query.AI in the Research Park at SDSU last year.
“Cybersecurity threats can come from scammers, competitors, intellectual property thieves or rogue nations—all these are in the national headlines,” said Sharan, who has worked in the enterprise information technology and cybersecurity space for the past 20 years. He also holds 10 patents in cybersecurity and IT data analytics
“Those kinds of threats have always been there, but now they are harder to detect. Now companies have to use advanced data analytics and AI techniques to continuously monitor their IT environment,” he said.
“When I came to know about the state’s focus on cybersecurity and the programs at South Dakota State University and Dakota State University, I saw there is talent here we can leverage. What has been missing from this ecosystem is the cybersecurity industry,” he said.
Sharan’s new business has garnered local and state recognition. Query.AI received the 2018 Company of the Year Award from the Brookings Innovation Center and placed second in the 2019 Governor’s Giant Vision Competition.
Strong support for entrepreneurs
“The entrepreneurial culture, talent pool and local can-do attitude made launching Query.AI highly efficient and cost-effective,” Sharan said of the strong local and state support he found for entrepreneurs.
Early on, he met Dwaine Chapel, Research Park CEO and executive director. Chapel helped Sharan make connections at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development as well as the Brookings Innovation Center.
“He was an early believer who saw the opportunity the same way I did. He provided a lot of support and introductions,” Sharan said.
Chapel and Enterprise Institute Executive Director Tim Weelborg also introduced Sharan to angel investor groups. Though he began raising venture capital in Silicon Valley first, Sharan said, “Query.AI capital funding is split equally between Silicon Valley and here.”
Black Hills Regional Angel Fund in Rapid City, Falls Angel Fund in Sioux Falls, Hub City Capital LLC in Aberdeen and Park Capital Fund LLC are among the company’s South Dakota investors.
Through the GOED, Sharan also received support through the Dakota Seeds Program, which provides matching funds for interns, and the Proof of Concept Fund, which supports research to demonstrate the feasibility of innovations on the path to commercialization.
“I feel being in South Dakota is a great advantage,” Sharan explained, citing lower operating costs. He also sees being “centered between two coasts in a Central time zone” as advantageous.
In addition to tapping into the student workforce, Sharan uses faculty expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning with assistant professor Semhar Michael of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics serving as an adviser. To fulfill the need for experienced senior engineers and professionals, Query.AI also has an engineering team in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India.
Benefits of SDSU connection
Query.AI sponsors senior design projects at SDSU as a means of not only connecting with students and faculty, but also collaborating with the campus IT group, Sharan noted. Vice President of Security and Technology Mike Adelaine and his team have built a central security operations center to monitor the South Dakota Board of Regents and Regents Information Systems’ cybersecurity data. The regental institutions face approximately 20 million cyberattacks each day.
This spring, Query.AI student intern Craig Jorgensen, who is now a full-time employee, was part of a three-member senior design team that worked with the SDSU security team.
“We came up with an open-source solution that allows them to access more data, more easily to get the answers and insights they can use to help stop phishing and other potential attacks on the university,” Jorgensen said.
The relationship with SDSU also benefits the company. “We can test our solution in a friendly home environment and they (the security team) can leverage it for their use cases,” Sharan said.
In addition to Jorgensen, four interns from SDSU and two from DSU work at Query.AI.
“For students graduating in computer science, we want to be the company where they come for internships first,” Sharan said. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is increasing dramatically with an estimated 3.5 million shortfall in the workforce worldwide by 2021. “This can be a springboard to a very nice career.”
Team develops sensor to monitor blood
sugar through breath
Posted Dec 18, 2018
By: Christie Delfanian
A simple puff into a handheld device may be all it takes for people with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar using a new technology developed through Nano Tek LLC.
“The device will not only be painless, but reusable—no finger pricks or expensive test,” explained doctoral student Khalid Emshadi. He did research on drug delivery systems while earning a master’s degree in materials science and biomedical engineering from Washington State University.
The sensor device will work like a breathalyzer, but rather than measuring alcohol, the sensor measures acetone in a person’s breath to determine blood sugar level, according to Qiquan Qiao, Harold C. Hohbach Endowed Professor of Electrical Engineering. He and Emshadi co-founded Nano Tek LLC with assistance from Dwaine Chapel, CEO and executive director of the Research Park.
“Acetone is a biomarker for blood glucose,” said doctoral student Md Tawabur Rahman, who leads sensor development. The researchers submitted an invention disclosure to the SDSU Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization.
Developing biosensor
Qiao, along with Professor Huitian Lu of the Department of Construction and Operations Management, began developing the sensor in 2015 through a two-year grant from South Dakota Board of Regents Research and Innovation Grant Program and Sanford Health.
To make the biosensor, the researchers used a technique called molecular imprinting to deposit a polymer layer onto graphene. “The 3D polymer has small cavities that are the same shape and size as acetone molecules,” Rahman said. “It works like a filter, allowing only acetone to get through and bind to the graphene.”
“Human exhaled breath contains more than 3,000 volatile organic compounds resulting from the body’s metabolic pathways,” Emshadi said. “The sensor detects only acetone and ignores the others. The selectivity is very high.”
When the acetone molecules attach to graphene, it changes the material’s electrical properties.
“The resistance in the graphene sensing layer changes based on the concentration of acetone gas,” said Rahman. The sensor detects acetone levels ranging from 0.9 ppm to 10 ppm.
The acetone concentrations in the breath of a nondiabetic range from 0.3 to 0.9 parts per million. However, in diabetics, those levels are higher,” Rahman said. To test the sensor, he placed it in a chamber into which different concentrations of acetone gas were introduced. Additional electronic components will then convert the measurement to milligrams per deciliter, the standard blood glucometer reading.
Rahman will also optimize the sensor’s recovery time—how long the user must wait before taking another reading. “My goal is to make it less than one minute,” he said. Qiao estimates that completing the proof-of-concept work will take approximately nine months.
Once preliminary evaluations are completed, the researchers will integrate the sensor into a prototype device that can be tested using human breath.
Moving toward commercialization
With Chapel’s assistance, Qiao and Emshadi secured a $20,389 grant from the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development Economic Development Administration i6 fund to gather more data on the sensor and help build a prototype. The EDA i6 program, which is part of the South Dakota Bioscience Commercialization Alliance, is a proof-of-concept program that helps move bioscience innovations to the market.
In addition, Qiao and Emshadi worked with Chapel as their industry mentor to obtain a $50,000 National Science Foundation Innovation Corps grant to explore their customer base and build connections with health-care professionals and biomedical manufacturers. The NSF I-Corps™ program provides training for scientists and engineers to extend their research beyond the laboratory.
At the January I-Corps™ training session, Emshadi said, “We met with 100-plus customers, as well as companies, medical advisers and doctors. We found there is a need for such a noninvasive device. This technology will increase the compliance rate among diabetics, which will save money for insurance companies because patients will experience fewer complications, such as kidney failure.”
Qiao and Emshadi also identified companies interested in their technology and will continue developing those relationships. “Once we finish the proof of concept, we can work together to improve the product,” Qiao said.
Emshadi envisions putting the breath sensor into a smartphone along with an app that enables users to effectively monitor and manage their blood glucose levels. “This new technology promises to be revolutionary—it will make life easier for everyone with diabetes,” he said.
By: Christie Delfanian
A simple puff into a handheld device may be all it takes for people with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar using a new technology developed through Nano Tek LLC.
“The device will not only be painless, but reusable—no finger pricks or expensive test,” explained doctoral student Khalid Emshadi. He did research on drug delivery systems while earning a master’s degree in materials science and biomedical engineering from Washington State University.
The sensor device will work like a breathalyzer, but rather than measuring alcohol, the sensor measures acetone in a person’s breath to determine blood sugar level, according to Qiquan Qiao, Harold C. Hohbach Endowed Professor of Electrical Engineering. He and Emshadi co-founded Nano Tek LLC with assistance from Dwaine Chapel, CEO and executive director of the Research Park.
“Acetone is a biomarker for blood glucose,” said doctoral student Md Tawabur Rahman, who leads sensor development. The researchers submitted an invention disclosure to the SDSU Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization.
Developing biosensor
Qiao, along with Professor Huitian Lu of the Department of Construction and Operations Management, began developing the sensor in 2015 through a two-year grant from South Dakota Board of Regents Research and Innovation Grant Program and Sanford Health.
To make the biosensor, the researchers used a technique called molecular imprinting to deposit a polymer layer onto graphene. “The 3D polymer has small cavities that are the same shape and size as acetone molecules,” Rahman said. “It works like a filter, allowing only acetone to get through and bind to the graphene.”
“Human exhaled breath contains more than 3,000 volatile organic compounds resulting from the body’s metabolic pathways,” Emshadi said. “The sensor detects only acetone and ignores the others. The selectivity is very high.”
When the acetone molecules attach to graphene, it changes the material’s electrical properties.
“The resistance in the graphene sensing layer changes based on the concentration of acetone gas,” said Rahman. The sensor detects acetone levels ranging from 0.9 ppm to 10 ppm.
The acetone concentrations in the breath of a nondiabetic range from 0.3 to 0.9 parts per million. However, in diabetics, those levels are higher,” Rahman said. To test the sensor, he placed it in a chamber into which different concentrations of acetone gas were introduced. Additional electronic components will then convert the measurement to milligrams per deciliter, the standard blood glucometer reading.
Rahman will also optimize the sensor’s recovery time—how long the user must wait before taking another reading. “My goal is to make it less than one minute,” he said. Qiao estimates that completing the proof-of-concept work will take approximately nine months.
Once preliminary evaluations are completed, the researchers will integrate the sensor into a prototype device that can be tested using human breath.
Moving toward commercialization
With Chapel’s assistance, Qiao and Emshadi secured a $20,389 grant from the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development Economic Development Administration i6 fund to gather more data on the sensor and help build a prototype. The EDA i6 program, which is part of the South Dakota Bioscience Commercialization Alliance, is a proof-of-concept program that helps move bioscience innovations to the market.
In addition, Qiao and Emshadi worked with Chapel as their industry mentor to obtain a $50,000 National Science Foundation Innovation Corps grant to explore their customer base and build connections with health-care professionals and biomedical manufacturers. The NSF I-Corps™ program provides training for scientists and engineers to extend their research beyond the laboratory.
At the January I-Corps™ training session, Emshadi said, “We met with 100-plus customers, as well as companies, medical advisers and doctors. We found there is a need for such a noninvasive device. This technology will increase the compliance rate among diabetics, which will save money for insurance companies because patients will experience fewer complications, such as kidney failure.”
Qiao and Emshadi also identified companies interested in their technology and will continue developing those relationships. “Once we finish the proof of concept, we can work together to improve the product,” Qiao said.
Emshadi envisions putting the breath sensor into a smartphone along with an app that enables users to effectively monitor and manage their blood glucose levels. “This new technology promises to be revolutionary—it will make life easier for everyone with diabetes,” he said.
Brookings Innovation Center names
Company and Student of the Year awards
Posted Dec 18, 2018
By: From SDSU Marketing & Communications
BROOKINGS – Query.AI received the Company of the Year Award while Ellen Schlechter was selected as the Student of the Year Award winner during the Dec. 8 annual Innovation Celebration at the Brookings Innovation Center. The event marked the 10th year for the Research Park at South Dakota State University.
“The Research Park at SDSU is the power of place for innovative technologies and ideas to grow and succeed.” said Melissa Werner, director of operations at the Brookings Innovation Center. “We provide the space, resources, and connections to create value for our clients.”
Sen. Mike Rounds was the event’s keynote speaker. As governor, Rounds played a major role in the research park’s early years.
He said the biggest challenge he faced as governor and for several of the governors before him was keeping young people in the state.
“Today is a special day because it is a chance to get the opportunity to say thanks to all of those people who participated in making the dream of a research park a reality,” Rounds said. “Now, our young people, such as those who are with us here today, can stay in our state longer, even perhaps for their entire careers, and make our state a better place.
“In partnerships, individual organizations created this research park and this innovation center. You have created a space where thoughtful analysis happens and an atmosphere where new ideas thrive,” he continued. “Our young people, our state and our people will have a better future because of what you have done. Thank you for what you have done.”
Company of the Year
Dhiraj Sharan with Query.AI accepted the award for commercializing an innovative technology. Assisted Investigations (AI) Console product will be used by enterprise IT and security teams.
“AI Console will allow users to get answers and insights out of their log data toward solving their IT/security investigations use-cases,” Sharan said. “One important milestone in our journey so far was when the Brookings Innovation Center accepted us in their program and started incubating us.
“With the Innovation Center’s help, we got in touch with the GOED (South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development) and were awarded the Dakota Seeds Fund and the Proof of Concept Fund. We raised angel funding from cybersecurity industry executives and that helped us build a small engineering team at our Research Park office,” he continued. “My experience in three cybersecurity startups led me to define the current market need and product that we started developing with the local talent graduating from SDSU. The Research Park has been focal in providing us the facilities, networking opportunities, access to talent, and developing relationships with investors and prospective customers in the region. It would have been difficult to get this kind of help and opportunity anywhere else.”
Query.AI’s AI Console product will add value to customers with existing IT log data repositories such as Splunk, ELK, SIEMs and Loggers. Query.AI’s growth would allow it to hire local computer science and data science talent to build a strong engineering team. Query.AI plans to continue working with its partners to validate the product, create customer success and reach out to prospective customers.
Student of the Year
Schlechter won for The Calving Book app. Schlechter, from Orient, is a sophomore majoring in agricultural business and business economics at South Dakota State. She was recently recognized by Cattle Business Weekly as a Top 10 Industry Leader Under the age of 40.
“I would like to thank the Brookings Innovation Center for all of the resources it has provided. Whether it is just bouncing ideas off each other or using the services they provide, this award really means a lot,” she said. “This spring will be The Calving Book app’s fifth calving season on the market. The original version is a skeleton of what the app is today thanks to the feedback of its users.
“The app allows users to keep track of your calving records right from their smartphone or tablet. Since everything is cloud-based, users can access records from any device at any time. Additionally, all records are searchable, so users no longer have to flip through countless pages of records,” Schlechter continued. “In the next few weeks, we will be releasing the first big update of the season and we will be highlighting some of the newer features on our Facebook page. At this point, the users have created over 10,000 accounts and the app has been featured on RFD-TV, KELO-TV, KSFY and in publications like Cattle Business Weekly, Tri-State Neighbor, The Farm Forum and USA Today.”
By: From SDSU Marketing & Communications
BROOKINGS – Query.AI received the Company of the Year Award while Ellen Schlechter was selected as the Student of the Year Award winner during the Dec. 8 annual Innovation Celebration at the Brookings Innovation Center. The event marked the 10th year for the Research Park at South Dakota State University.
“The Research Park at SDSU is the power of place for innovative technologies and ideas to grow and succeed.” said Melissa Werner, director of operations at the Brookings Innovation Center. “We provide the space, resources, and connections to create value for our clients.”
Sen. Mike Rounds was the event’s keynote speaker. As governor, Rounds played a major role in the research park’s early years.
He said the biggest challenge he faced as governor and for several of the governors before him was keeping young people in the state.
“Today is a special day because it is a chance to get the opportunity to say thanks to all of those people who participated in making the dream of a research park a reality,” Rounds said. “Now, our young people, such as those who are with us here today, can stay in our state longer, even perhaps for their entire careers, and make our state a better place.
“In partnerships, individual organizations created this research park and this innovation center. You have created a space where thoughtful analysis happens and an atmosphere where new ideas thrive,” he continued. “Our young people, our state and our people will have a better future because of what you have done. Thank you for what you have done.”
Company of the Year
Dhiraj Sharan with Query.AI accepted the award for commercializing an innovative technology. Assisted Investigations (AI) Console product will be used by enterprise IT and security teams.
“AI Console will allow users to get answers and insights out of their log data toward solving their IT/security investigations use-cases,” Sharan said. “One important milestone in our journey so far was when the Brookings Innovation Center accepted us in their program and started incubating us.
“With the Innovation Center’s help, we got in touch with the GOED (South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development) and were awarded the Dakota Seeds Fund and the Proof of Concept Fund. We raised angel funding from cybersecurity industry executives and that helped us build a small engineering team at our Research Park office,” he continued. “My experience in three cybersecurity startups led me to define the current market need and product that we started developing with the local talent graduating from SDSU. The Research Park has been focal in providing us the facilities, networking opportunities, access to talent, and developing relationships with investors and prospective customers in the region. It would have been difficult to get this kind of help and opportunity anywhere else.”
Query.AI’s AI Console product will add value to customers with existing IT log data repositories such as Splunk, ELK, SIEMs and Loggers. Query.AI’s growth would allow it to hire local computer science and data science talent to build a strong engineering team. Query.AI plans to continue working with its partners to validate the product, create customer success and reach out to prospective customers.
Student of the Year
Schlechter won for The Calving Book app. Schlechter, from Orient, is a sophomore majoring in agricultural business and business economics at South Dakota State. She was recently recognized by Cattle Business Weekly as a Top 10 Industry Leader Under the age of 40.
“I would like to thank the Brookings Innovation Center for all of the resources it has provided. Whether it is just bouncing ideas off each other or using the services they provide, this award really means a lot,” she said. “This spring will be The Calving Book app’s fifth calving season on the market. The original version is a skeleton of what the app is today thanks to the feedback of its users.
“The app allows users to keep track of your calving records right from their smartphone or tablet. Since everything is cloud-based, users can access records from any device at any time. Additionally, all records are searchable, so users no longer have to flip through countless pages of records,” Schlechter continued. “In the next few weeks, we will be releasing the first big update of the season and we will be highlighting some of the newer features on our Facebook page. At this point, the users have created over 10,000 accounts and the app has been featured on RFD-TV, KELO-TV, KSFY and in publications like Cattle Business Weekly, Tri-State Neighbor, The Farm Forum and USA Today.”
SDSU Research Park celebrates 10 years
Posted Fri Dec 07, 2018
By Jill Langland
BROOKINGS, S.D. (KSFY) - Its been ten years of innovation and research, all done on the outskirts of South Dakota State University's campus.
The SDSU Research Park focuses on technology and science-based development and provides a central home for university students, faculty and businesses to grow.
The park is celebrating a significant milestone, but some may wonder what is going on inside?
"The Research Park was a brainchild of elder statesmen of Brookings, South Dakota, he is the founder of Daktronics Aelred Kurtenbach, and so they started having discussions about the Research Park," Dwaine Chapel, SDSU Research Park CEO/Executive Director, said. "And so, the research park is where faculty, industry, and students can come and innovate ideas and to create a commercialized product."
Before research began, the area was home to acres of farmland.
"In 2008, when we were in the Great Recession and to see what has happened in those ten years is remarkable," Sen. Larry Tidemann, (R) Brookings, said. "I remember when we had the groundbreaking 11 years ago there was nothing out here except alfalfa fields."
Senator Mike Rounds was governor when the plans for the park were put into place. In hopes of drawing more people and innovation into the state.
"You're seeing it right now in some really good examples one of the best is when we talk about precision agriculture," Rounds said. "How do you learn about it? How do you make agriculture more efficient? It's by the research that is being done right here in South Dakota State. This research facility is here because people on the outside with capital invested in it, in a partnership with the state of South Dakota and South Dakota State University it allowed young people to stay in the state. That's what this is all about."
"It's just been a lot of excitement this past year we were able to work with several engineers from the college of engineering to develop product and helping to turn those products and ideas into businesses," Chapel said.
Many things have been accomplished since the groundbreaking, from an app to assist cattle monitoring to work on artificial intelligence.
SDSU's Research Park is home to more than 40 companies.
By Jill Langland
BROOKINGS, S.D. (KSFY) - Its been ten years of innovation and research, all done on the outskirts of South Dakota State University's campus.
The SDSU Research Park focuses on technology and science-based development and provides a central home for university students, faculty and businesses to grow.
The park is celebrating a significant milestone, but some may wonder what is going on inside?
"The Research Park was a brainchild of elder statesmen of Brookings, South Dakota, he is the founder of Daktronics Aelred Kurtenbach, and so they started having discussions about the Research Park," Dwaine Chapel, SDSU Research Park CEO/Executive Director, said. "And so, the research park is where faculty, industry, and students can come and innovate ideas and to create a commercialized product."
Before research began, the area was home to acres of farmland.
"In 2008, when we were in the Great Recession and to see what has happened in those ten years is remarkable," Sen. Larry Tidemann, (R) Brookings, said. "I remember when we had the groundbreaking 11 years ago there was nothing out here except alfalfa fields."
Senator Mike Rounds was governor when the plans for the park were put into place. In hopes of drawing more people and innovation into the state.
"You're seeing it right now in some really good examples one of the best is when we talk about precision agriculture," Rounds said. "How do you learn about it? How do you make agriculture more efficient? It's by the research that is being done right here in South Dakota State. This research facility is here because people on the outside with capital invested in it, in a partnership with the state of South Dakota and South Dakota State University it allowed young people to stay in the state. That's what this is all about."
"It's just been a lot of excitement this past year we were able to work with several engineers from the college of engineering to develop product and helping to turn those products and ideas into businesses," Chapel said.
Many things have been accomplished since the groundbreaking, from an app to assist cattle monitoring to work on artificial intelligence.
SDSU's Research Park is home to more than 40 companies.
SDSU Research Park to mark decade of service
Posted Dec 4, 2018
By: From SDSU Marketing & Communications
Innovation Celebration slated for Friday
BROOKINGS – The Research Park at South Dakota State University has worked with more than 100 companies since its inception in 2008.
Those entities include startups, South Dakota State University students and faculty, virtual clients, coworking and established businesses. The Brookings Innovation Center has provided and continues to provide resources to help companies grow and succeed.
The park will hold its annual Innovation Celebration Dec. 7 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Brookings Innovation Center. The event is open to the public. Company and student of the year awards will be announced at 5 p.m. and Sen. Mike Rounds will deliver a keynote address at 5:30 p.m. in honor of its 10-year anniversary.
Location, access to products and available space were key factors in Novita Nutrition’s decision to move to the Brookings Innovation Center in May 2012.
“The Research Park played a key role in the success of Novita,” said Novita founder Don Endres. “As a startup company, the staff and board of directors provided the ‘power of place’ for us to really kick-start our business. The new business startup package provided Novita programming and incentives to assist in our development. We are a prime example of what the focus of the park’s original partners imagined that it could be, a place where industry and university research can become a viable commercialized innovation.”
The Novita team quickly grew to 50 employees as construction was completed on its first production facility, Novita Aurora. The $95 million project was completed in June 2017 and is located 2 miles east of Brookings. Novita’s headquarters remain in the Brookings Innovation Center.
Solus LED, a lighting solutions company, was looking to expand into South Dakota when it arrived at the park in August 2015.
Solus graduated from the Brookings Innovation Center in May 2017 to a 1,200-square-foot space in downtown Brookings.
During its stay at the Brookings Innovation Center, Solus LED signed its 50th hotel customer.
The goal was to get to 48 by October 2016, but shortly after locating at the BIC, Solus exceeded that goal with customers in Brookings, Watertown and Sioux Falls.
“The BIC provided me with not only an amazing location and address, but the tools I needed to grow and market my company. Hands down, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve success this fast trying to do this at home or in a space with limited resources,” said Tony Bianchi-Rossi, who was Solus LED’s vice president of sales for the firm’s west region before starting his own lighting solution company, DakotaLux, which is based in Brookings.
For more information on the Research Park at South Dakota State University or its upcoming event, visit www.rpsdstate.com or call 696-5600.
By: From SDSU Marketing & Communications
Innovation Celebration slated for Friday
BROOKINGS – The Research Park at South Dakota State University has worked with more than 100 companies since its inception in 2008.
Those entities include startups, South Dakota State University students and faculty, virtual clients, coworking and established businesses. The Brookings Innovation Center has provided and continues to provide resources to help companies grow and succeed.
The park will hold its annual Innovation Celebration Dec. 7 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Brookings Innovation Center. The event is open to the public. Company and student of the year awards will be announced at 5 p.m. and Sen. Mike Rounds will deliver a keynote address at 5:30 p.m. in honor of its 10-year anniversary.
Location, access to products and available space were key factors in Novita Nutrition’s decision to move to the Brookings Innovation Center in May 2012.
“The Research Park played a key role in the success of Novita,” said Novita founder Don Endres. “As a startup company, the staff and board of directors provided the ‘power of place’ for us to really kick-start our business. The new business startup package provided Novita programming and incentives to assist in our development. We are a prime example of what the focus of the park’s original partners imagined that it could be, a place where industry and university research can become a viable commercialized innovation.”
The Novita team quickly grew to 50 employees as construction was completed on its first production facility, Novita Aurora. The $95 million project was completed in June 2017 and is located 2 miles east of Brookings. Novita’s headquarters remain in the Brookings Innovation Center.
Solus LED, a lighting solutions company, was looking to expand into South Dakota when it arrived at the park in August 2015.
Solus graduated from the Brookings Innovation Center in May 2017 to a 1,200-square-foot space in downtown Brookings.
During its stay at the Brookings Innovation Center, Solus LED signed its 50th hotel customer.
The goal was to get to 48 by October 2016, but shortly after locating at the BIC, Solus exceeded that goal with customers in Brookings, Watertown and Sioux Falls.
“The BIC provided me with not only an amazing location and address, but the tools I needed to grow and market my company. Hands down, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve success this fast trying to do this at home or in a space with limited resources,” said Tony Bianchi-Rossi, who was Solus LED’s vice president of sales for the firm’s west region before starting his own lighting solution company, DakotaLux, which is based in Brookings.
For more information on the Research Park at South Dakota State University or its upcoming event, visit www.rpsdstate.com or call 696-5600.
10 Years of Innovation
Posted Nov 28, 2018
By: SDSU Marketing & Communications
BROOKINGS – Conversations between key Brookings community leaders and South Dakota State University administration about a research park were initiated in the 1990s. The groundbreaking of the first building in the Research Park at SDSU occurred in spring 2007 with a ribbon cutting in fall 2008.
The park will hold its annual Innovation Celebration and 10-year anniversary from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Brookings Innovation Center. The event is open to the public. Sen. Mike Rounds will deliver a keynote address at 5:30 p.m.
Dhiraj Sharan with Query.AI will receive the Company of the Year Award, and Ellen Schlechter with The Calving Book App will receive the Student of the Year Award.
The Brookings Innovation Center was the Research Park’s first building, offering 26,000 square feet of incubator space. Construction continued during the next four years. An 18,000-square-foot addition was added, creating 44,000 square feet of incubator space. A 30,000-square-foot building was then added as a recruitment tool. At the end of 2012, approximately 57,000 square feet were available for lease to develop startups and to recruit new university-related businesses.
“The vast amount of space provided a great opportunity for growth to the community and university,” said Dwaine Chapel, the park’s CEO and executive director.
SDSU constructed the Young Brothers Seed Technology Laboratory in 2011. The facility added 36,000 square feet.
Currently, the park has roughly 18,000 square feet for lease.
The employee numbers have continued to grow from approximately 40 to more than 235. Today, the research park has an average payroll of $12.4 million. It is home to 43 client companies. Additionally, the number of visitors has increased from a few hundred per year to more than 3,000.
The Brookings Innovation Center itself is home to more than 90 of those employees. The BIC offers office space and resources to help startups and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses.
Chapel became the park’s CEO and executive director in 2012. Melissa Werner joined the team as full-time director of operations in June 2016, and Ashlee Wright recently joined the team as its development director.
“I believe we have built a strong leadership team,” Chapel said. “The growth we’ve seen and will continue to incur is a direct result of its hard work.”
The team recently initiated a recruitment plan affiliated with SDSU’s Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering.
“We are excited to have built a strong and sustainable relationship with the College of Engineering,” Wright said. “Early success can be attributed to the commitment from Associate Dean of Research Dr. Dennis Helder.”
The team is transforming programming to more effectively assist startups. There is a strong focus on student and faculty entrepreneurs.
“The BIC has become a one-stop shop,” Werner said. “We have put in place a strong anchor team to assist in business development and recruitment.”
Business resources include a full-time CPA, attorneys with specific skillsets, the Enterprise Institute, the Small Business Development Center, Brookings Economic Development Corporation, angel fund opportunities and the Brookings Area Makerspace. The team continues to expand and develop new programming.
“The uniqueness of a research park is that if you’ve seen one research park, you’ve only seen one research park … they each are different. Each director is willing to share best practices. The parks really do not compete,” Chapel said. “As the first research park in South Dakota, we have experienced a few more valleys than peaks. The organization has really started hitting on all cylinders the past 18 months, and we are excited about the next 24 months.”
The Growth Partnership staff oversees operations of the Research Park and Brookings Innovation Center. The board of directors include: Jay Bender, Growth Partnership board chair and president of Falcon Plastics; Keith Corbett, mayor of Brookings; Barry Dunn, SDSU president; Ryan Krogman, Brookings County commissioner; Al Kurtenbach, co-founder of Daktronics; Jim Morgan, South Dakota Board of Regents and retired Daktronics CEO; Kevin Tetzlaff, president of First Bank and Trust; and S.D. Sen. Larry Tidemann.
By: SDSU Marketing & Communications
BROOKINGS – Conversations between key Brookings community leaders and South Dakota State University administration about a research park were initiated in the 1990s. The groundbreaking of the first building in the Research Park at SDSU occurred in spring 2007 with a ribbon cutting in fall 2008.
The park will hold its annual Innovation Celebration and 10-year anniversary from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Brookings Innovation Center. The event is open to the public. Sen. Mike Rounds will deliver a keynote address at 5:30 p.m.
Dhiraj Sharan with Query.AI will receive the Company of the Year Award, and Ellen Schlechter with The Calving Book App will receive the Student of the Year Award.
The Brookings Innovation Center was the Research Park’s first building, offering 26,000 square feet of incubator space. Construction continued during the next four years. An 18,000-square-foot addition was added, creating 44,000 square feet of incubator space. A 30,000-square-foot building was then added as a recruitment tool. At the end of 2012, approximately 57,000 square feet were available for lease to develop startups and to recruit new university-related businesses.
“The vast amount of space provided a great opportunity for growth to the community and university,” said Dwaine Chapel, the park’s CEO and executive director.
SDSU constructed the Young Brothers Seed Technology Laboratory in 2011. The facility added 36,000 square feet.
Currently, the park has roughly 18,000 square feet for lease.
The employee numbers have continued to grow from approximately 40 to more than 235. Today, the research park has an average payroll of $12.4 million. It is home to 43 client companies. Additionally, the number of visitors has increased from a few hundred per year to more than 3,000.
The Brookings Innovation Center itself is home to more than 90 of those employees. The BIC offers office space and resources to help startups and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses.
Chapel became the park’s CEO and executive director in 2012. Melissa Werner joined the team as full-time director of operations in June 2016, and Ashlee Wright recently joined the team as its development director.
“I believe we have built a strong leadership team,” Chapel said. “The growth we’ve seen and will continue to incur is a direct result of its hard work.”
The team recently initiated a recruitment plan affiliated with SDSU’s Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering.
“We are excited to have built a strong and sustainable relationship with the College of Engineering,” Wright said. “Early success can be attributed to the commitment from Associate Dean of Research Dr. Dennis Helder.”
The team is transforming programming to more effectively assist startups. There is a strong focus on student and faculty entrepreneurs.
“The BIC has become a one-stop shop,” Werner said. “We have put in place a strong anchor team to assist in business development and recruitment.”
Business resources include a full-time CPA, attorneys with specific skillsets, the Enterprise Institute, the Small Business Development Center, Brookings Economic Development Corporation, angel fund opportunities and the Brookings Area Makerspace. The team continues to expand and develop new programming.
“The uniqueness of a research park is that if you’ve seen one research park, you’ve only seen one research park … they each are different. Each director is willing to share best practices. The parks really do not compete,” Chapel said. “As the first research park in South Dakota, we have experienced a few more valleys than peaks. The organization has really started hitting on all cylinders the past 18 months, and we are excited about the next 24 months.”
The Growth Partnership staff oversees operations of the Research Park and Brookings Innovation Center. The board of directors include: Jay Bender, Growth Partnership board chair and president of Falcon Plastics; Keith Corbett, mayor of Brookings; Barry Dunn, SDSU president; Ryan Krogman, Brookings County commissioner; Al Kurtenbach, co-founder of Daktronics; Jim Morgan, South Dakota Board of Regents and retired Daktronics CEO; Kevin Tetzlaff, president of First Bank and Trust; and S.D. Sen. Larry Tidemann.
Student-Founded Business Flume Gets BSAF Booth
July 13, 2018
By: John Kubal, The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS – “I decided I wanted to start on something,” said Laurel Diekhoff, sole owner and operator of Flume Bath & Body, a product line that specializes in handcrafted bath bombs, lip care, lip scrubs, perfume sprays and shower steamers.
She started her research in December 2016, made her first sale in May 2017 and now has a booth at this year’s Brookings Summer Arts Festival.
“So for a little over a year, I’ve been a functioning business,” she explained.
“Flume is deeply rooted in the Brookings community,” she added. “All Flume products are designed and handmade in the Brookings Innovation Center with the intention of creating added value to daily life and to days when you just need a little extra pampering.”
A native of Wessington, Diekhoff graduated from Wolsey-Wessington High School in 2016 and went straight to South Dakota State University. In the fall she starts her junior year as a double major in entrepreneurial studies and business economics.
As a freshman, she got off to a fast start on her double-major venture. At the last minute she entered a “venture plan competition” and finished as a runner-up. She won $100 and got the attention of two Economics Department faculty: Barb Heller, entrepreneurship coordinator, and assistant professor Craig Silvernagel.
Heller is one of Diekhoff’s instructors and is the faculty adviser to the SDSU chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, of which Diekhoff will serve as president in the fall.
She added that Silvernagel is “a huge part of the reason I started.”
Diekhoff said that with the $100 prize money and $100 out of her own pocket, she was able to “start messing around with bath and body stuff. I knew I had an interest in it. I had watched tons and tons of videos on it and done research.”
Finishing well in the venture plan competition was the inspiration that convinced her to strike out on her own. And the money allowed her to buy some get-started ingredients.
As to the moniker for her business, she smiles and laughs as she tells how it came about.
“Honestly, I just thought it was a beautiful-sounding word. I was working at 1000 Degrees Pizza (in Brookings) at the time, and we used to talk about the oven flumes and the big flame shooters in the back of them.”
Diekhoff will be displaying and selling her wares in the “Edibles & Naturals” area at the annual festival in Pioneer Park. While it will be a new sales venue for her, she has been selling her products in both the retail and wholesome markets. And she does have an online presence at www.etsy.com/shop/FlumeBathAndBody.
For now the arts festival has been the focus of her business venture; she sees it as an opportunity to gauge the business climate for the future of her products.
“I know that I’m still interested in wholesale,” Diekhoff explained. “And I’m starting to wonder though if doing a big event like the arts festival might be an actual opportunity to turn this into something fulltime.
“I do know that a lot of people come from out of state for this, of course; and I know that there are a lot of other opportunities in the Midwest to do things like this. I’m going to learn more this weekend to see what that’s like.”
‘Just like baking’
In the handcrafting of her bath and body products, Diekhoff procures her ingredients from local sources whenever possible and brings them all together, assembling them in a single room at the Brookings Innovation Center at the Research Park at SDSU.
“It’s maybe a little bit like baking,” she explained. “Just like baking, you have to know how things interact. Of course, you have to know what you can and can’t do.”
She considers the “target base” for her products to be “women between the ages of 16 and 30ish.” She noted that her mother is one of her best customers, adding, “I have a few friends that are kind of my product testers.”
Some products work out; some don’t.
“A lot of things get thrown out in the early stages,” Diekhoff said, again smiling and laughing. “It’s judgment and, like never mind.”
One product line that has worked out well is bath bombs. They’re made to appeal to three of the five senses: sight, smell and touch.
The bombs carry such descriptions as “Pink Grapefruit,” “White Gardenia,” “Dewberry,” “Royal Rose” and “Turtle Beach.” Royal Rose features petals in the bath bomb. And each Turtle Beach bath bomb has a toy turtle embedded in it.
Festival goers are invited to stop by Flume, in the Edibles & Naturals area, on Saturday and Sunday, visit with Diekhoff and enjoy the sweet smell of success.
Register photo:
Above, Laurel Diekhoff, owner and operator of Flume Bath & Body, prepares some of the perfumes she will be selling at the Brookings Summer Arts Festival in Pioneer Park on Saturday and Sunday.
Check out Flume's Facebook page!
By: John Kubal, The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS – “I decided I wanted to start on something,” said Laurel Diekhoff, sole owner and operator of Flume Bath & Body, a product line that specializes in handcrafted bath bombs, lip care, lip scrubs, perfume sprays and shower steamers.
She started her research in December 2016, made her first sale in May 2017 and now has a booth at this year’s Brookings Summer Arts Festival.
“So for a little over a year, I’ve been a functioning business,” she explained.
“Flume is deeply rooted in the Brookings community,” she added. “All Flume products are designed and handmade in the Brookings Innovation Center with the intention of creating added value to daily life and to days when you just need a little extra pampering.”
A native of Wessington, Diekhoff graduated from Wolsey-Wessington High School in 2016 and went straight to South Dakota State University. In the fall she starts her junior year as a double major in entrepreneurial studies and business economics.
As a freshman, she got off to a fast start on her double-major venture. At the last minute she entered a “venture plan competition” and finished as a runner-up. She won $100 and got the attention of two Economics Department faculty: Barb Heller, entrepreneurship coordinator, and assistant professor Craig Silvernagel.
Heller is one of Diekhoff’s instructors and is the faculty adviser to the SDSU chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, of which Diekhoff will serve as president in the fall.
She added that Silvernagel is “a huge part of the reason I started.”
Diekhoff said that with the $100 prize money and $100 out of her own pocket, she was able to “start messing around with bath and body stuff. I knew I had an interest in it. I had watched tons and tons of videos on it and done research.”
Finishing well in the venture plan competition was the inspiration that convinced her to strike out on her own. And the money allowed her to buy some get-started ingredients.
As to the moniker for her business, she smiles and laughs as she tells how it came about.
“Honestly, I just thought it was a beautiful-sounding word. I was working at 1000 Degrees Pizza (in Brookings) at the time, and we used to talk about the oven flumes and the big flame shooters in the back of them.”
Diekhoff will be displaying and selling her wares in the “Edibles & Naturals” area at the annual festival in Pioneer Park. While it will be a new sales venue for her, she has been selling her products in both the retail and wholesome markets. And she does have an online presence at www.etsy.com/shop/FlumeBathAndBody.
For now the arts festival has been the focus of her business venture; she sees it as an opportunity to gauge the business climate for the future of her products.
“I know that I’m still interested in wholesale,” Diekhoff explained. “And I’m starting to wonder though if doing a big event like the arts festival might be an actual opportunity to turn this into something fulltime.
“I do know that a lot of people come from out of state for this, of course; and I know that there are a lot of other opportunities in the Midwest to do things like this. I’m going to learn more this weekend to see what that’s like.”
‘Just like baking’
In the handcrafting of her bath and body products, Diekhoff procures her ingredients from local sources whenever possible and brings them all together, assembling them in a single room at the Brookings Innovation Center at the Research Park at SDSU.
“It’s maybe a little bit like baking,” she explained. “Just like baking, you have to know how things interact. Of course, you have to know what you can and can’t do.”
She considers the “target base” for her products to be “women between the ages of 16 and 30ish.” She noted that her mother is one of her best customers, adding, “I have a few friends that are kind of my product testers.”
Some products work out; some don’t.
“A lot of things get thrown out in the early stages,” Diekhoff said, again smiling and laughing. “It’s judgment and, like never mind.”
One product line that has worked out well is bath bombs. They’re made to appeal to three of the five senses: sight, smell and touch.
The bombs carry such descriptions as “Pink Grapefruit,” “White Gardenia,” “Dewberry,” “Royal Rose” and “Turtle Beach.” Royal Rose features petals in the bath bomb. And each Turtle Beach bath bomb has a toy turtle embedded in it.
Festival goers are invited to stop by Flume, in the Edibles & Naturals area, on Saturday and Sunday, visit with Diekhoff and enjoy the sweet smell of success.
Register photo:
Above, Laurel Diekhoff, owner and operator of Flume Bath & Body, prepares some of the perfumes she will be selling at the Brookings Summer Arts Festival in Pioneer Park on Saturday and Sunday.
Check out Flume's Facebook page!
Research Parks Recognize Abbott's Vision for a "State of Innovation"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2018
Research Parks Recognize Abbott’s Vision for a “State of Innovation”
USD President has career-long commitment to innovation-focused development
PIERRE, S.D. – The USD Discovery District and the Research Park at South Dakota State University today awarded University of South Dakota President James W. Abbott the inaugural “State of Innovation” Visionary Award for making South Dakota a state of innovation. The award was presented today at the annual Research Park Day at the Legislature.
“President Abbott exemplifies the dedication, collaboration and leadership that it takes to make decades-long progress for the benefit of our entire state,” said Richard Naser, Jr., president of the USD Discovery District. “This award recognizes the extraordinary commitment made by a true champion of research-driven innovation and economic development.”
The initiatives championed by Abbott have become the heart of the state’s growing research and bioscience infrastructure dating back more than 20 years. He has been a catalyst for growing health and medical related research areas, strategic workforce development and funding including:
Instrumental in the foundation of medical research in the state, Abbott helped create the South Dakota Health Research Foundation, a partnership between then Sioux Valley Health System and the USD Medical School, with the goal to connect laboratory and clinical research. The initiative was a catalyst for the establishment of Sanford Research in 2007.
“President Abbott’s persistence and on-going support has resulted in a strong foundation for others to build upon—making his impact one for today, tomorrow and future generations,” added Naser.
Abbott’s cooperative spirit has engaged other universities, communities and organizations in advancing opportunity throughout the state. The growth of USD’s chemistry and physics programs into multi-facility doctorates and related research institutes around those programs have changed the face of those disciplines in South Dakota.
The greatest example of collaboration is the USD Discovery District now taking shape in northwest Sioux Falls. The District is an 80-acre corporate and academic research park with the goal of providing access to research facilities and infrastructure for research business development and spurring innovation-driven businesses. The development is a private-public partnership between the University of South Dakota, the Board of Regents, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Forward Sioux Falls and the City of Sioux Falls. However, Abbott’s advocacy for research parks again extends beyond the USD Discovery District.
“From the perspective of the research parks, we understand that innovation-based economic development is really about creating opportunities within our state,” said Dwaine Chapel, executive director at the Research Park at SDSU. “President Abbott has supported collaboration in research, economic development and education beyond his own constituencies. Through this alliance–we’re creating more opportunities for the entire state and making an impact on a regional, national and global scale.”
A lifelong South Dakotan, President Abbott practiced law, was a successful entrepreneur, a respected legislator and in 1997 was named the first USD alumnus to hold the office of president. He will retire from that post as the longest-serving university president in the Board of Regents system. The impact of his ambitious vision and tenacious work ethic are evidenced in record-setting fundraising and enrollment growth, along with USD’s step up to Division 1.
Recently under Abbott’s leadership, new BME programs have been added aimed at the commercialization of technologies and workforce development including certificates in laboratory science and regulatory affairs, an associate degree in integrated science and a Master of Science in medical product development and manufacturing.
“It’s been my honor to work with President Abbott for more than 15 years,” Naser said. “The goal of the Discovery District is to strengthen the region’s capacity to support and grow innovation-based businesses. President Abbott has had this vision for a long time and is now seeing the realization of these efforts. We congratulate him on receiving this inaugural Visionary Award.”
About South Dakota’s Research Parks
South Dakota’s Research Parks are powering a state of innovation by fostering collaboration and partnerships between research institutions, businesses, industries and government since 2004. They bring together key partners to shape South Dakota’s economic future, create opportunities for people and businesses and drive the innovation that impacts the world. These master-planned innovation communities share the common goal of propelling knowledge-based economic development and an innovation-driven economy, resulting in new jobs, increased wealth and enhanced tax revenues.
About the Discovery District
The USD Discovery District is an 80-acre corporate and academic research park under development in northwest Sioux Falls. The District's goal is to provide access to research facilities and infrastructure for research business development and spur innovation-driven businesses in an environment for students, researchers and entrepreneurs. When fully developed, it will include an estimated 26 privately developed buildings and nearly 2,800 people will work for companies in the District.
About the Research Park at SDSU
The Research Park at SDSU was established to create a physical environment that can develop, attract and retain research and technology companies that are aligned to research licensing, intellectual property, innovation and talent with South Dakota State University.
Photo cutline:
USD President James Abbott was presented the inaugural, “State of Innovation” Visionary Award by South Dakota’s Research Parks. Presenting the award (left to right) Dwaine Chapel, executive director, the Research Park at SDSU, Abbott, and Rich Naser, Jr., president of the USD Discovery District.
February 1, 2018
Research Parks Recognize Abbott’s Vision for a “State of Innovation”
USD President has career-long commitment to innovation-focused development
PIERRE, S.D. – The USD Discovery District and the Research Park at South Dakota State University today awarded University of South Dakota President James W. Abbott the inaugural “State of Innovation” Visionary Award for making South Dakota a state of innovation. The award was presented today at the annual Research Park Day at the Legislature.
“President Abbott exemplifies the dedication, collaboration and leadership that it takes to make decades-long progress for the benefit of our entire state,” said Richard Naser, Jr., president of the USD Discovery District. “This award recognizes the extraordinary commitment made by a true champion of research-driven innovation and economic development.”
The initiatives championed by Abbott have become the heart of the state’s growing research and bioscience infrastructure dating back more than 20 years. He has been a catalyst for growing health and medical related research areas, strategic workforce development and funding including:
- Establishing the USD Biomedical Engineering (BME) Program–a collaboration with South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2006,
- Opening of the USD Graduate Education and Applied Research Center (GEAR) in 2009,
- Securing federal funds for South Dakota, and
- Supporting key legislation for the incorporation, infrastructure and funding of the USD Discovery District.
Instrumental in the foundation of medical research in the state, Abbott helped create the South Dakota Health Research Foundation, a partnership between then Sioux Valley Health System and the USD Medical School, with the goal to connect laboratory and clinical research. The initiative was a catalyst for the establishment of Sanford Research in 2007.
“President Abbott’s persistence and on-going support has resulted in a strong foundation for others to build upon—making his impact one for today, tomorrow and future generations,” added Naser.
Abbott’s cooperative spirit has engaged other universities, communities and organizations in advancing opportunity throughout the state. The growth of USD’s chemistry and physics programs into multi-facility doctorates and related research institutes around those programs have changed the face of those disciplines in South Dakota.
The greatest example of collaboration is the USD Discovery District now taking shape in northwest Sioux Falls. The District is an 80-acre corporate and academic research park with the goal of providing access to research facilities and infrastructure for research business development and spurring innovation-driven businesses. The development is a private-public partnership between the University of South Dakota, the Board of Regents, Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Forward Sioux Falls and the City of Sioux Falls. However, Abbott’s advocacy for research parks again extends beyond the USD Discovery District.
“From the perspective of the research parks, we understand that innovation-based economic development is really about creating opportunities within our state,” said Dwaine Chapel, executive director at the Research Park at SDSU. “President Abbott has supported collaboration in research, economic development and education beyond his own constituencies. Through this alliance–we’re creating more opportunities for the entire state and making an impact on a regional, national and global scale.”
A lifelong South Dakotan, President Abbott practiced law, was a successful entrepreneur, a respected legislator and in 1997 was named the first USD alumnus to hold the office of president. He will retire from that post as the longest-serving university president in the Board of Regents system. The impact of his ambitious vision and tenacious work ethic are evidenced in record-setting fundraising and enrollment growth, along with USD’s step up to Division 1.
Recently under Abbott’s leadership, new BME programs have been added aimed at the commercialization of technologies and workforce development including certificates in laboratory science and regulatory affairs, an associate degree in integrated science and a Master of Science in medical product development and manufacturing.
“It’s been my honor to work with President Abbott for more than 15 years,” Naser said. “The goal of the Discovery District is to strengthen the region’s capacity to support and grow innovation-based businesses. President Abbott has had this vision for a long time and is now seeing the realization of these efforts. We congratulate him on receiving this inaugural Visionary Award.”
About South Dakota’s Research Parks
South Dakota’s Research Parks are powering a state of innovation by fostering collaboration and partnerships between research institutions, businesses, industries and government since 2004. They bring together key partners to shape South Dakota’s economic future, create opportunities for people and businesses and drive the innovation that impacts the world. These master-planned innovation communities share the common goal of propelling knowledge-based economic development and an innovation-driven economy, resulting in new jobs, increased wealth and enhanced tax revenues.
About the Discovery District
The USD Discovery District is an 80-acre corporate and academic research park under development in northwest Sioux Falls. The District's goal is to provide access to research facilities and infrastructure for research business development and spur innovation-driven businesses in an environment for students, researchers and entrepreneurs. When fully developed, it will include an estimated 26 privately developed buildings and nearly 2,800 people will work for companies in the District.
About the Research Park at SDSU
The Research Park at SDSU was established to create a physical environment that can develop, attract and retain research and technology companies that are aligned to research licensing, intellectual property, innovation and talent with South Dakota State University.
Photo cutline:
USD President James Abbott was presented the inaugural, “State of Innovation” Visionary Award by South Dakota’s Research Parks. Presenting the award (left to right) Dwaine Chapel, executive director, the Research Park at SDSU, Abbott, and Rich Naser, Jr., president of the USD Discovery District.
GlycoScience Research honored with Company of the Year Award
December 12, 2017
Brookings, SD: The Company of the Year Award was presented to GlycoScience Research Tuesday evening as part of the annual Innovation Celebration at the Brookings Innovation Center. Larry and Susan Holler with GlycoScience Research proudly accepted the award for creating an innovative product, promoting economic growth, and making a difference in the community.
“We’re honored to receive this award and are excited to be making progress toward clinical trials with GM1 ganglioside for Huntingtons’s Disease (HD). Funding from The Bev Hartig Huntington’s Disease Foundation totaling $200,000 has allowed us to set up a lab at the Research Park and collaborate with scientists at the GEAR center in Sioux Falls. Additional funding has come through Sheep Industry grants and The Shepherd’s Gift: GM1 for HD, a non-profit founded by HD families. The South Dakota Community Foundation has supported the Shepherd’s Gift and the community of cooperating sheep producers who are willing to help the community of HD families. HD has been called the cruelest disease known to man. “We have the opportunity, through a value added ag product, to be able to impact lives.” said Susan Holler, VP of GlycoScience Research. “The Research Park has been pivotal for networking and providing a location for our start up lab. It has truly been a Godsend. We’re very appreciative for the support that enables entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses here.”
Continued growth for GlycoScience Research will include expansion of lab facilities, pharmaceutical grade manufacturing facilities and possibly a pharmaceutical company. Additionally, expansion and revitalization of the sheep industry in SD and nationwide to provide the lambs that are the source of the value added product will have significant economic impact for producers as they make a difference for others.
“Providing a place for innovative technologies to grow and succeed is what the BIC is all about,” said Melissa Werner, director of operations at the Brookings Innovation Center. “Larry and Susan have been following their dream for over 20 years to bring their product to commercialization and improve the quality of life for patients suffering from neurological diseases.”
Contact: Susan Holler
[email protected]
605-695-9478
Brookings, SD: The Company of the Year Award was presented to GlycoScience Research Tuesday evening as part of the annual Innovation Celebration at the Brookings Innovation Center. Larry and Susan Holler with GlycoScience Research proudly accepted the award for creating an innovative product, promoting economic growth, and making a difference in the community.
“We’re honored to receive this award and are excited to be making progress toward clinical trials with GM1 ganglioside for Huntingtons’s Disease (HD). Funding from The Bev Hartig Huntington’s Disease Foundation totaling $200,000 has allowed us to set up a lab at the Research Park and collaborate with scientists at the GEAR center in Sioux Falls. Additional funding has come through Sheep Industry grants and The Shepherd’s Gift: GM1 for HD, a non-profit founded by HD families. The South Dakota Community Foundation has supported the Shepherd’s Gift and the community of cooperating sheep producers who are willing to help the community of HD families. HD has been called the cruelest disease known to man. “We have the opportunity, through a value added ag product, to be able to impact lives.” said Susan Holler, VP of GlycoScience Research. “The Research Park has been pivotal for networking and providing a location for our start up lab. It has truly been a Godsend. We’re very appreciative for the support that enables entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses here.”
Continued growth for GlycoScience Research will include expansion of lab facilities, pharmaceutical grade manufacturing facilities and possibly a pharmaceutical company. Additionally, expansion and revitalization of the sheep industry in SD and nationwide to provide the lambs that are the source of the value added product will have significant economic impact for producers as they make a difference for others.
“Providing a place for innovative technologies to grow and succeed is what the BIC is all about,” said Melissa Werner, director of operations at the Brookings Innovation Center. “Larry and Susan have been following their dream for over 20 years to bring their product to commercialization and improve the quality of life for patients suffering from neurological diseases.”
Contact: Susan Holler
[email protected]
605-695-9478
The Shepherd’s Gift: GM1 for HD
August 29, 2017
Brookings, SD: The Shepherd’s Shuffle Charity 5K and 1 mile run/walk will be Saturday, Sept. 30th at 7 AM at the SDSU Research Park (2301 Research Park Way) in Brookings, SD. The event is in conjunction with the South Dakota Sheep Growers Annual Convention. All proceeds go to The Shepherd’s Gift: GM1 for HD, a charity whose mission is getting GM1 into clinical trials for Huntington’s Disease (HD) and other neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Join us for a quick loop around the research park for the 1 mile fun run or add a trip through the beautiful McCrory Gardens Arboretum for the 5K. Relay teams of three enter to do the 3 mile event. The first 150 participants will receive wool running socks donated by FARM to FEET, a t-shirt and goodie bag. The 1st place male and female 5K finishers will receive a sock drawer make over from FARM to FEET (valued at over $200). Breakfast will be provided by Aramark after the event.
Register at http://allsportcentral.com/EventInfo.cfm?EventID=65624 through Thursday 9.28.16. Cost of registration per individual is: 5K ($35), 1Mile ($30), and 3Mile Relay ($30 each). Families are welcome! Children, whose parent signs a waiver, can participate for free with a registered adult. Early packet pick up and late registration is on Friday, September 29, 5:30 to 8:30 pm, at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum (925 11th St., Brookings, SD). In conjunction with the South Dakota Sheep Growers Assn. Convention, you are welcome to stay for the 'Night at the Museum' event. Cost is $15 payable that evening. Race Day packet pick up and late registration is at the SDSU Research Park facility from 6:00-6:45am.
The Shepherd’s Shuffle is dedicated to the memory of Robin Oss who lost her battle with Huntington’s Disease on August 13, 2017 at age 44. Robin’s childhood was filled activities including Brownies, ballet and gymnastics, swimming and piano lessons. School activities included student council, chorus, cheerleading, and track. Robin received her degree in social work from Augustana University. She worked in her chosen career as a social worker with Siouxland Mental Health for only seven years before she was forced to retire due to her HD symptoms. She mainly worked with troubled children. Robin loved her work and was well liked by both the children and their teachers. Even during her five years in the nursing home, Robin continued to touch many lives.
HD has been called the cruelest disease known to man and described as Parkinson’s, ALS and Alzheimer’s all rolled into one disease. GM1 ganglioside shows great promise for halting the progression of HD and possibly reversing symptoms. GM1 is a natural molecule found in brain cells of all mammals which protects and regenerates neurons. HD, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients are deficient in GM1. A special genetic line of sheep, which have GM1 gangliosidosis, accumulate GM1 in levels 40 times normal and can be the replacement source of this essential protection needed for the brain cells of these patients. Help The Shepherd’s Gift get GM1 into clinical trials and to the families desperately in need of a treatment! We know the potential benefit GM1 holds for HD and other diseases but the missing component is the funds needed to get FDA approval for human clinical trials. Join us to honor Robin’s memory as sheep producer families strive to help improve the quality of life for HD families. Working together we can make a difference!
For more information visit www.shepherdsgift.org
Contact: Susan Holler
[email protected]
605-695-9478
Brookings, SD: The Shepherd’s Shuffle Charity 5K and 1 mile run/walk will be Saturday, Sept. 30th at 7 AM at the SDSU Research Park (2301 Research Park Way) in Brookings, SD. The event is in conjunction with the South Dakota Sheep Growers Annual Convention. All proceeds go to The Shepherd’s Gift: GM1 for HD, a charity whose mission is getting GM1 into clinical trials for Huntington’s Disease (HD) and other neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Join us for a quick loop around the research park for the 1 mile fun run or add a trip through the beautiful McCrory Gardens Arboretum for the 5K. Relay teams of three enter to do the 3 mile event. The first 150 participants will receive wool running socks donated by FARM to FEET, a t-shirt and goodie bag. The 1st place male and female 5K finishers will receive a sock drawer make over from FARM to FEET (valued at over $200). Breakfast will be provided by Aramark after the event.
Register at http://allsportcentral.com/EventInfo.cfm?EventID=65624 through Thursday 9.28.16. Cost of registration per individual is: 5K ($35), 1Mile ($30), and 3Mile Relay ($30 each). Families are welcome! Children, whose parent signs a waiver, can participate for free with a registered adult. Early packet pick up and late registration is on Friday, September 29, 5:30 to 8:30 pm, at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum (925 11th St., Brookings, SD). In conjunction with the South Dakota Sheep Growers Assn. Convention, you are welcome to stay for the 'Night at the Museum' event. Cost is $15 payable that evening. Race Day packet pick up and late registration is at the SDSU Research Park facility from 6:00-6:45am.
The Shepherd’s Shuffle is dedicated to the memory of Robin Oss who lost her battle with Huntington’s Disease on August 13, 2017 at age 44. Robin’s childhood was filled activities including Brownies, ballet and gymnastics, swimming and piano lessons. School activities included student council, chorus, cheerleading, and track. Robin received her degree in social work from Augustana University. She worked in her chosen career as a social worker with Siouxland Mental Health for only seven years before she was forced to retire due to her HD symptoms. She mainly worked with troubled children. Robin loved her work and was well liked by both the children and their teachers. Even during her five years in the nursing home, Robin continued to touch many lives.
HD has been called the cruelest disease known to man and described as Parkinson’s, ALS and Alzheimer’s all rolled into one disease. GM1 ganglioside shows great promise for halting the progression of HD and possibly reversing symptoms. GM1 is a natural molecule found in brain cells of all mammals which protects and regenerates neurons. HD, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients are deficient in GM1. A special genetic line of sheep, which have GM1 gangliosidosis, accumulate GM1 in levels 40 times normal and can be the replacement source of this essential protection needed for the brain cells of these patients. Help The Shepherd’s Gift get GM1 into clinical trials and to the families desperately in need of a treatment! We know the potential benefit GM1 holds for HD and other diseases but the missing component is the funds needed to get FDA approval for human clinical trials. Join us to honor Robin’s memory as sheep producer families strive to help improve the quality of life for HD families. Working together we can make a difference!
For more information visit www.shepherdsgift.org
Contact: Susan Holler
[email protected]
605-695-9478
Ribbon Cutting for Novita Plant
June 22, 2017
By: Chandler Holland, The Brookings Register
AURORA – The $95 million Novita Nutrition plant officially opened with a ribbon cutting near Aurora Thursday. The animal nutrition company uses distillers dried grains to create two products: highly digestible protein for the dairy market and a renewable oil used to produce fuels and animal feed.
Initial product development began in 2005, and the company started construction in 2015. The plant started running in March and is now in full operation. Vice President of Operations Kurt Swenson opened the ceremony with remarks followed by President and CEO Don Endres.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard said the facility is a great kind of business that is wanted in the state, and he predicts Aurora’s plant will be the first of many for Novita. “We welcome economic development of all sizes, shapes and kinds in South Dakota, so long as it improves the quality of life for our residents and provides good jobs,” Daugaard said. “But we’re especially appreciative of businesses like Novita that are in the ag space and the biotech space, because that fits so well with South Dakota’s nature.” The representatives said not only is the plant great for the dairy and poultry industry, it has also brought jobs to the Brookings/Aurora area. The company has approximately 50 full-time employees.
Plant officials estimate the feed will nourish up to 600,000 dairy cows every day in the U.S. The product is what they call NovaMeal, which is a bypass protein delivering essential amino acids to the dairy industry. Novita also creates a NovaOil, a vegetable oil delivering energy into poultry diets.
About 1,200 tons of NovaMeal can be created each day, totaling 432,000 tons per year. Approximate capacity for producing NovaOil is 166,000 pounds per day, or 60 million pounds per year. NovaMeal is backed by research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. That research shows the improvement in milk component yield, improved performance, and improved overall economics, Endres said.
“These dairy cows are producing 100 pounds of milk every day. They’re consuming 55 pounds of dry matter, plus water. It’s those high-performing dairy cows where we’re focusing,” Endres told the Register in 2016. “Overall, what the research shows is that by taking the … fats out and by changing and improving the quality of the protein, we can lower the cost of nutrients delivered to the dairy cow,” Endres said, with that savings improving farmers’ bottom line.
Check out Novita's website here!
By: Chandler Holland, The Brookings Register
AURORA – The $95 million Novita Nutrition plant officially opened with a ribbon cutting near Aurora Thursday. The animal nutrition company uses distillers dried grains to create two products: highly digestible protein for the dairy market and a renewable oil used to produce fuels and animal feed.
Initial product development began in 2005, and the company started construction in 2015. The plant started running in March and is now in full operation. Vice President of Operations Kurt Swenson opened the ceremony with remarks followed by President and CEO Don Endres.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard said the facility is a great kind of business that is wanted in the state, and he predicts Aurora’s plant will be the first of many for Novita. “We welcome economic development of all sizes, shapes and kinds in South Dakota, so long as it improves the quality of life for our residents and provides good jobs,” Daugaard said. “But we’re especially appreciative of businesses like Novita that are in the ag space and the biotech space, because that fits so well with South Dakota’s nature.” The representatives said not only is the plant great for the dairy and poultry industry, it has also brought jobs to the Brookings/Aurora area. The company has approximately 50 full-time employees.
Plant officials estimate the feed will nourish up to 600,000 dairy cows every day in the U.S. The product is what they call NovaMeal, which is a bypass protein delivering essential amino acids to the dairy industry. Novita also creates a NovaOil, a vegetable oil delivering energy into poultry diets.
About 1,200 tons of NovaMeal can be created each day, totaling 432,000 tons per year. Approximate capacity for producing NovaOil is 166,000 pounds per day, or 60 million pounds per year. NovaMeal is backed by research published in the Journal of Dairy Science. That research shows the improvement in milk component yield, improved performance, and improved overall economics, Endres said.
“These dairy cows are producing 100 pounds of milk every day. They’re consuming 55 pounds of dry matter, plus water. It’s those high-performing dairy cows where we’re focusing,” Endres told the Register in 2016. “Overall, what the research shows is that by taking the … fats out and by changing and improving the quality of the protein, we can lower the cost of nutrients delivered to the dairy cow,” Endres said, with that savings improving farmers’ bottom line.
Check out Novita's website here!
Solus LED Expansion
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May 31, 2017
Solus LED recently graduated from the Brookings Innovation Center. They are expanding into a 1,200 square foot space in downtown Brookings which includes a large private office, a conference room, a small warehouse, and a part time administrator who will assist with day to day operations. “Graduation is an important part of our mission and we want to see our clients move out into the community to create jobs. That’s what the BIC is all about – providing resources to grow your business.” Melissa Werner, Director of Operations at the Brookings Innovation Center. During their 18 month stay at the Brookings Innovation Center, Solus LED signed on its 50th hotel customer. The goal was to get to 48 by October of 2016, but shortly after locating at the BIC they were able to exceed that goal with new customers in Brookings, Watertown, and Sioux Falls. "The BIC provided me with not only an amazing location & address, but the tools I needed to grow and market my company. Hands down, I wouldn't have been able to achieve success this fast trying to do this at home or in a space with limited resources." Tony Bianchi-Rossi, Solus LED. The mission of the Brookings Innovation Center is to create a business atmosphere to encourage the development of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. For more information visit the Solus LED website! |
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Flume - Student Innovation Center
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May 18, 2017
Last December, I accidentally started a business. After first hearing about the New Venture Plan Competition, I brushed it off. I knew what kind of business I would start in a perfect world, but I’d never given the business side of it much real thought. I had no business plan. I had minimal resources. I didn’t even know how I would sell my product. After hearing about the competition several more times, I realized that I had extra time one day and at the worst, I would have spent a couple of hours on entering. With that mindset, I entered. When the results were in, I found out that I had won a prize for runner up! More importantly, I now had a business plan. It was incredibly flawed, but still an interesting place to start from. Craig Silvernagel and I sat down and we concluded that with a few changes, maybe there was something to work with. Shortly after, Craig connected me with Dwaine and Melissa from the Research Park and I was accepted into their Student Innovation Center program. Since then, things have moved so fast! The Brookings Innovation Center is full of helpful resources for new entrepreneurs; like Tim Weelborg who is great with startup and general business processes, and Carey Miller who is an awesome resource for copyrighting and trademarking. The startup process is exponentially less scary when you have people who want to help you succeed, I promise! After months of planning, developing, scheduling meetings, failing, problem solving, and working a lot of late nights, I finally launched Flume Bath & Body on April 15th! Because I plan to sell my handmade products through wholesale only, I need more available time to process large orders, so full operation will begin this summer. I’m also hoping to begin offering new products and learn more about starting a business. I can’t wait to continue growing this project! “We are passionate about the program and the milestones Laurel achieved in such a short time. The Brookings Innovation Center is truly a one stop shop to launch your business. We established a Student Innovation Center program designed to help you succeed without the distractions of roommates and coffee shops. The program offers shared workspace, free Wi-Fi and parking, and access to business coaching.” Melissa Werner, Director of Operations at the Brookings Innovation Center. Without the resources that I’ve found through SDSU and the Research Park, there’s no way that I would be a business owner as a freshman in college. When I return to the Student Innovation Center next fall, I’m hoping to continue focusing on building a stronger customer base. Although I can’t plan for or predict much else yet, I’m ecstatic to see where Flume might end up! -Laurel Diekhoff, Owner of Flume Bath & Body For more information visit Flume's Facebook page! |
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