An article published in the Bismarck Tribune announced that North Dakota’s Marketplace for Entrepreneurs will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this upcoming January.  It will be held in Bismarck this time around and, with the legislative session beginning about the same time, it will probably see even more visitors than it has in the past.

The Marketplace intrigues me because it builds on a tradition of creative thinking that North Dakotans seem to be very good at.  I believe it brings entrepreneurs together from across the state so they can share successes and help build each other up.  North Dakota Ag Commissioner Roger Johnson and North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad posted this statement on the Marketplace web site:

For the past 20 years, we’ve been honored to host Marketplace for Entrepreneurs. What started out as a small meeting for farmers has grown into North Dakota’s largest and longest running economic development conference.

While Marketplace has grown by leaps and bounds, its mission remains the same– to increase economic opportunities for all North Dakotans. There is great opportunity right now in North Dakota’s energy and agriculture sectors. Renewable fuels, like ethanol, biodiesel and biomass, are crucial elements to our nation’s energy future, and these fuels can and are being produced right here by our own farmers. Because our state is already an important provider of energy from wind, coal, oil and gas, North Dakota has the potential to be the center of a new energy economy.

As we work to develop that energy economy, it’s nice to know that the state is encouraging local entrepreneurs to partcipate, maybe (and I hope this is true) even take the reins. 

A side component of this program is Marketplace for Kids, which encourages children to be inventors and gives them opportunities to share their ideas with others.  That’s an investment in time and energy that the state can be truly proud of.