Work like a woman

In my constant quest to consume information, I recently stumbled across an article on the disparities between the salaries of male and female actors that included a tweet someone had sent to a female celebrity, requesting advice on how to respond to her father, who had told his daughter she couldn’t become an engineer because she was a girl. The response? “Become an engineer.”

I couldn’t agree more with that statement and neither could the 25 women you’ll learn more about in this issue. Our second annual list of the top 25 women in business on the northern Plains includes engineers, as well as CEOs, business owners, researchers, tech experts, bankers, and a number of other careers that at one time were considered male careers. Some of the women included on these pages were trailblazers in their professions, all of them have achieved notable accomplishments in work and in their communities, and nearly all of them say they succeeded not because they were women, but because it didn’t matter to them that they were women. Many of the honorees shared examples with me of overcoming adversity or simply choosing not to acknowledge it as they pursued their passions. That’s not to say these women were never scared as they set out on their paths. As Laurel Nelson, who trained as a nurse but has been a serial entrepreneur for more than two decades, said: “I’m afraid a lot, but I do things anyway.” Read more about Laurel and the rest of this year’s honorees in “Breaking the Mold.” Congratulations to all honorees.

Given the subject of women in business, there was no better person to highlight as our Business Insider this month than Deb Eslinger. As executive director for the Center for Technology & Business in Bismarck, Deb has supported countless women as they launch businesses and pursue leadership roles. Her office has provided women-specific leadership training in Bismarck and Minot for several years and recently received a Bush Foundation grant to expand the program to more communities throughout the state, giving more women the chance to network with their peers and grow to their full potential. Learn more about the program and Deb’s tireless efforts to support small business entrepreneurs in “Champion for women.”

Occasionally when we accept nominations for contests we come across a qualified candidate who is having a significant impact on the region from afar. This month’s Construction Corner focuses on a worthy Williston, N.D., project that is set to spur a downtown revitalization. It also happens to be the work of a mother-daughter development team. As a woman in real estate development with no nest egg of her own, Nancy Kapp had the deck stacked against her when she launched The Renaissance Companies as a property management firm in Chicago in 1985. She prevailed and has gone on to earn a reputation as a real estate developer that doesn’t just complete successful infill projects, but makes lasting positive changes to communities. She’s particularly passionate about affordable housing and says that was what initially drew her to Williston. The mixed-use Renaissance on Main project is set to be complete in September and will include affordable housing units, as well as needed retail and office space, and is already having a positive impact on other developments in the Bakken hub city. Read “Jumpstarting downtown Williston” for more details.

Finally, we also bring you up to speed on the recent fast-moving developments surrounding the blossoming unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry. On Feb. 18, industry leaders and officials gathered at the Grand Forks Air Force Base to commemorate the official execution of an enhanced use lease agreement for Grand Sky — the first UAS business park in the nation. It’s been a long time coming and leaders say it should soon translate into new businesses for the region that will bring cutting-edge advancements to many of our core industries, including agriculture. Read “Set to Launch” for details.

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

KRIS BEVILL, Editor

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Manager

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

Sales Director:

JOHN FETSCH 701.212.1026 jfetsch@prairiebizmag.com

Sales:

BRAD BOYD western ND/western SD 800.641.0683 bboyd@prairiebizmag.com

NICHOLE ERTMAN eastern ND/western MN 800. 477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebizmag.com

Editor:

KRIS BEVILL 701.306.8561 kbevill@prairiebizmag.com

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Qualifying subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Subscriptions Free subscriptions are available online to qualified requestors at www.prairiebizmag.com

Address corrections

Prairie Business magazine PO Box 6008

Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008

Beth Bohlman: bbohlman@prairiebizmag.com

Online www.prairiebizmag.com