On a brisk Wednesday morning, instead of heading off to one of our local coffee spots, I ended up going to Fargo to Brewhalla. Brewhalla has quickly become a staple in the Fargo scene. Opening earlier this year, it boasts a combination of retail spaces, event venues, and offers lodging with an attached hotel. Its charm is further accentuated by hosting StartupBREW, one of Fargo-Moorhead’s largest and most consistent networking events.

The StartupBREW season finale promised to be a reunion of 16 past speakers from this unique platform. This event, aimed at entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives, and community enthusiasts, concluded its 2023 series with a 90-second spotlight for each speaker to update the community on their entrepreneurial journeys since they last spoke.

Roger, a long-time supporter of StartupBREW and its predecessor, One Million Cups, greeted us warmly when we came in. Known for his vibrant personality, at the start of the program Roger humorously mentioned that he’d be “in mourning” for the next 90 days, wearing all black attire, emphasizing the close-knit community feeling that the environment created. 

Sadie Schaeffer, Senior Startup Coordinator launched the morning, presenting a lineup of speakers. With the cold and flu season, she mentioned some of the speakers could not attend but we were left with plenty to hear. 

Before the first speaker, Emma McIntyre from Folkways opened by noting their local community projects in elven getup, like the Red River Market and the Kris Kringle Market. Ashley Ham from Dear NICU Mama announced an upcoming non-profit fundraising event. Stephanie Arniel of Sparkl + DOT discussed a forthcoming artisan market featuring her work and many others.

Paul Brueler, the first entrepreneur to speak and formerly of Maktelier, discussed his venture into Pallet Shuttle Automation after the acquisition of his former company. Bryce Wuori from Pavewise has taken his intelligent construction software to the international stage, recently winning a competition in Munich, Germany. Amy Longtin, the face of Tech4Kids, has expanded her initial pandemic-driven project to include a $25,000 grant mentioning having a great team of volunteers.

Meanwhile, Leola Daul, the driving force behind Heart-n-Soul Community Cafe, mentioned her food truck and pop-up cafes, which operates under a pay-what-you-can model and has served over 4,800 meals. 

Emily Buckingham from F45 Studio provided a quick wellness break, advising on how posture influences cortisol and testosterone levels in the body. 

Mark Bjornstad of Drekker Brewing discussed how Brewhalla serves as a unique event space and revealed a recent partnership with Folkways for the holiday season. Adam Bergman from Muskox, a Grand Forks based entrepreneur announced $10 million in sales. Zac Davis from Z3D discussed the need for file management in mass production, whereas Lisa Esberger from Verdethos spoke on creating sustainable global connections in supply chain management. 

Jodi Kallais announced Sheywest’s kicking it off for the Christmas season with a new space, while Dylan Kallman of Great Plain Greens talked about his hydroponic lettuce-growing venture. Both entrepreneurs have found synergy with the Red River Market, creating opportunities for community engagement. 

StartupBREW Fargo’s season finale reflected the diverse range of ventures and the community’s vested interest in supporting them. As the room emptied and Roger’s “mourning” period began, the anticipation for StartupBREW’s 2024 season could already be felt, and the finale set the stage for even more growth and innovation in the year ahead. 

Davíd Moreno is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at daví[email protected].