What keeps customers coming back? It's more than great products or services—it's how your business makes them feel.

Join this engaging virtual training to discover practical, low-cost strategies for creating memorable customer experiences, strengthening your brand, inspiring customer loyalty, and standing out from the competition.

This training is offered at no charge in partnership with SBDC, GROW South Dakota, and SBA.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses work, and it's not just for large companies. Learn how small businesses and startups can use AI to streamline everyday tasks, create content, enhance marketing, improve customer communication, analyze information, and uncover new opportunities.

Join us for this free workshop on Tuesday, September 1 from 3:30 - 5:00 PM, led by Silviya Topchiyska. available both in-person and online. Through real-world examples and live demonstrations, you'll gain practical strategies you can use to work smarter and grow your business.

About Silviya

Silviya Topchiyska is an AI-focused entrepreneur and business strategist who builds AI-powered products and advises organizations on AI implementation. She has independently designed and shipped full-stack AI platforms — including NoWaitInLine, an AI-driven airport food pre-order system, The 508 Island Concierge, an AI-enhanced luxury concierge platform, and Unicornin60.tech, a platform for building a business in 60 minutes with AI handling 50% of the work — combining hands-on prompt engineering, AI-assisted development, and product strategy. Beyond building her own ventures, she has founded and run an international import/export business, advised startups and economic-development organizations on AI strategy and workflow automation, and trained teams on prompt design and responsible AI deployment. She holds an MSc in Business Finance and brings a rare mix of founder-level execution and deep technical AI fluency

Join Kelly Weaver of the Small Business Development Center for a virtual introduction to QuickBooks Online on Tuesday, August 4 from 9:30 - 11:30 AM CT.

Participants will follow along with a live demonstration of the software and learn how to navigate its key accounting features and functions.This training is offered at no charge by the  SBDC, GROW South Dakota, SD CEO and SBA.

Join us at Engels Event Company on Monday, June 29th, for our Aberdeen Business Pitch Competition Finalist Event!

At this community event, the finalists from the Aberdeen Business Pitch Competition will pitch their business live to a panel of judges.

The first-place winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize (sponsored by the ADC) to be used to start or expand business operations.

Event Schedule:

• 4:00 PM | Networking Social

• 5:00 PM | Finalist Pitches

• 6:30 PM | Judge’s Deliberation (followed by Winner Announcement )

Come watch the finalist pitches, network with the community, and enjoy some food! Register with the button below.

Finalists Pitching at the Final Event:

• Abode Chiropractic - Marquelle Reid

• CR8 Soda - Madi Jones

• Everlasting Bloom - Jessica Cihak

• Opus ABA LLC - David Jakubowicz

This competition is hosted by the Northern Innovation and Startup Center and the Aberdeen Development Corporation.

Learn what investors, lenders, and judges actually want to hear. Mike will cover how to structure your pitch, what to include (and what to leave out), and how to communicate your value clearly and confidently. Perfect for entrepreneurs preparing for a competition or pitching to a bank or angel investor.

Presenter: Michael Bockorny, CEO of The 17-20 Group and Economic Development Professionals Association (EDPA) of South Dakota

Michael Bockorny currently serves as the President & CEO of The 17-20 Group. The 17-20 Group serves a number of clients all focused on business development. Mike’s main focus is serving the Economic Development Professionals Association (EDPA) of South Dakota as their CEO; an organization dedicated to the growth and diversification of South Dakota’s economy through professional development, networking, and advocacy.  Prior to his current role he served as CEO of the Aberdeen Development Corporation for over 10 years and prior to that worked in the private sector in senior living, the non-profit sector in a university setting and retail development. Michael has served on numerous Boards through the years; including the Northern State University Foundation, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, Lake Area Technical College and many others.

Michael has founded/co-founded 19 companies throughout the years and has also taught multiple college courses, primarily focusing on entrepreneurship and small business management. Michael’s business ventures include; multi-family rentals, single family housing developments, various commercial ventures including historic downtown restoration projects, a vintage bookstore, and consulting businesses.

30 Days of Content: A Social Media Workshop Series (Workshop 3 of 3)

Learn posting best practices and simple strategies to help entrepreneurs build a stronger social media presence with better reach and consistency. We’ll cover when and how often to post, what types of content perform best, and how to stay consistent without overthinking it. You’ll leave with practical tips you can start using right away to show up online more confidently and effectively.

Presenter: Kristin Harms, @TheBasicRanchMom

30 Days of Content: A Social Media Workshop Series

This 3-part series breaks social media down into simple, doable steps. You’ll learn how to plan your content, create posts that actually work, and leave with a fully mapped-out 30-day content plan you can start using right away.

30 Days of Content: A Social Media Workshop Series (Workshop 2 of 3)

If design feels overwhelming, this workshop will make Canva your new best friend. We’ll walk through the Canva Pro tools that make creating clean, consistent graphics way easier—brand kits, templates, photo editing, exporting and sizing, apps, and quick tips to help your visuals look polished without overthinking it. This is a hands-on session, so bring your laptop and come ready to work directly in Canva Pro as we build together.

Presenter: Madeline Dell, Century Business Products & Catalyst IT

30 Days of Content: A Social Media Workshop Series

This 3-part series breaks social media down into simple, doable steps. You’ll learn how to plan your content, create posts that actually work, and leave with a fully mapped-out 30-day content plan you can start using right away.

30 Days of Content: A Social Media Workshop Series (Workshop 1 of 3)

Struggling to come up with social media posts? This workshop shows you how AI can be your new content sidekick. We’ll explore tools to brainstorm ideas, write captions, script videos, and even repurpose content—so you spend less time stressing and more time creating posts that actually work.

Presenter: Dr. Hannah Walters, Northern State University Professor

30 Days of Content: A Social Media Workshop Series

This 3-part series breaks social media down into simple, doable steps. You’ll learn how to plan your content, create posts that actually work, and leave with a fully mapped-out 30-day content plan you can start using right away.

Interested in applying for the Aberdeen Business Pitch Competition?

Join us for an informal Q&A session where you can learn more about the competition, gain clarity on the application process, and get your questions answered. Whether you’re still exploring your idea or finalizing your submission, this session is designed to help you feel confident and prepared to take the next step.

Zoom Meeting Information

• Zoom Link: https://northern.zoom.us/j/99922877250 pwd=yvpHYWFlS51dlABO3s5jA26O7lBBtk.1

• Meeting ID: 999 2287 7250

• Passcode: startup

Perfect for beginners! This workshop walks you through the basics of building a website using no-code platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and more. We’ll compare pricing, features, and best use cases, then show you how each tool works so you can choose the right fit and confidently build your first site.

Presenter: Kendra Hinz, Aberdeen Development Corporation

Kendra Hinz is the Marketing and Special Projects Director at the Aberdeen Development Corporation and Program Coordinator for the Northern Innovation & Startup Center, where part of her role is managing the websites and digital content for both organizations.

She has hands-on experience working across platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, Vagaro, and Wix, and regularly works with entrepreneurs through workshops and programs focused on building and growing their businesses. Kendra graduated from Northern State University with degrees in Management Information Systems and Business Management.

We’re breaking down every realistic way to fund your business in 2026. From what investors actually want, to what banks need from you, to local gap-funding you might not even know about—we’ve got it covered. You’ll leave knowing exactly how to prep for funding conversations and where you fit in the process.

Presenters (Panel):

• Tom Eitreim, Enterprise Institute

• Lucas Haskins, South Dakota First Capital

• Tyler Wenbourne, Dacotah Bank

• Tim Hanigan, Aberdeen Development Corporation

*About Tom

Tom Eitreim serves as Executive Director of the Enterprise Institute. In his role, he works as an entrepreneur coach specializing in early-stage financing. He assists high-growth startup companies to create viable business plans and attract both angel and venture capital.

*About Lucas

Lucas Haskins, MBA is a Principal at South Dakota First Capital, a premier venture capital fund investing in early-stage high growth businesses in SD and across the Upper Midwest. In this role he leverages more than 4 years of experience building, launching, and evaluating hundreds of businesses across multiple disciplines such as Agriculture, Food Technology, Electronics, Aerospace, Medical Devices, Marketplaces, B2B and B2C software. He is passionate about building communities of collaboration which work to regularly shatter preconceived ideas for what's possible.

*About Tyler

Tyler is a Business Banker at Dacotah Bank, focused on helping businesses find the right financial solutions. He works closely with clients to support their professional and personal financial goals, serving as a trusted partner in their success.

*About Tim

Tim Hanigan is the CEO of the Aberdeen Development Corporation and the owner of Prairie Tool Company. In his role at ADC, he works with businesses at different stages, supporting growth and expansion across the Aberdeen area, including access to ADC’s revolving loan fund and gap financing programs.

Take the stress out of your business finances! This workshop breaks down the basics in a simple, practical way by covering how to set up your books, what taxes you need to pay attention to, and the common mistakes new entrepreneurs can easily avoid. You’ll walk away with straightforward systems and tools that make managing your money easier all year long.

Presenter: Candi Olson, CPA, Northern State University Professor

*About Candi

Candi Olson has been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1996. She joined Northern in 2017 as a full-time accounting instructor in the School of Business. Olson’s professional career has spanned more than 20 years in public accounting and industry environments. 

While in public accounting, she assisted clients with a variety of tax matters at Deloitte in Minneapolis. After leaving public accounting, she worked in corporate settings including 10 years at Target Corporation, where she managed a team that handled all aspects of multistate corporate income tax planning, reporting, compliance, and controversy. 

Wednesday, September 24th starting at 9 AM

Location: Johnson Fine Arts Center, NSU

Join us for our third Technology and Entrepreneurship Summit, where industry leaders, innovators, students, and aspiring entrepreneurs converge for a dynamic event focused on the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, featuring insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to learn from tech experts and successful entrepreneurs!

Must register to attend.