FARGO, N.D. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today brought together Cabinet Member U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet and entrepreneurial leaders from the Fargo area for the first U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship field hearing in North Dakota.

Heitkamp highlighted the strong growth of startups in North Dakota, and the need to make sure much of the investment in startups – both private and public – goes not just to Silicon Valley, but all across the country, including to more rural areas like North Dakota.

Heitkamp spoke about the state’s entrepreneurial renaissance in recent years, particularly in the Red River Valley, as communities, local innovative leaders, and North Dakota’s two research universities have come together to create an environment that supports startups, innovation, and new ideas. Heitkamp noted that key SBA programs, such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small Business Technology Transfer Program have played a key role in helping startups minimize risk and help level the playing field as they compete with larger companies. During the hearing, Heitkamp and Contreras-Sweet also discussed challenges that many startups in communities throughout North Dakota face, including accessing capital and high-speed Internet, addressing labor shortage issues in areas like the Fargo-Moorhead region, understanding and navigating the bidding process for federal contracts, and addressing other business opportunities available.

Several local business and economic development leaders testified at today’s field hearing, including Myriad Mobile co-founder and CEO Jake Joraanstad, Senior Vice President – Finance & Entrepreneurial Development of the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation John Machacek, and City of Fargo Community Development Administrator Dan Mahli.

“So often when we think of startups, we picture grand images of Silicon Valley. But it’s happening all over the country, and the startup scene in North Dakota is booming,” said Heitkamp. “As our startups continue to grow, I want to make sure the federal government is doing all it can to help support that growth – boosting economic development and promoting innovation. The unique needs of startups in the Upper Great Plains are often very different from those on the coasts, and working together, we can make sure the federal government is addressing those needs in a targeted, thoughtful way. I greatly appreciate Administrator Contreras-Sweet coming to North Dakota to hear about what it can do to help support our startups and entrepreneurs to make sure Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and other communities have access to the capital and resources they need to thrive.”

“I applaud the leadership of Senator Heitkamp, whose work in the Senate Banking and Small Business Committees ignites the opportunities for entrepreneurs in North Dakota. Here in Fargo, we’re proud to be part of one of America’s truly vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems. The startup scene in Fargo has attracted national attention, and its success can be traced back to a strong partnership with the SBA and the state,” said Contreras-Sweet. “It owes much of its success to the collaborative nature not only of individuals, but also educational institutions, private organizations, government entities and business organizations. At the SBA, we’re focused on assisting both small Main Street startups and high-growth small firms here in North Dakota, so that they can create jobs and help keep the state's unemployment rate one of the lowest in the nation. We are promoting trade and exports for North Dakota small businesses through STEP grants and other investments, working with state and federal leaders. And we’re especially proud to be part of the unique spirit of collegiality and cooperation that has made Fargo such an attractive place for entrepreneurs.”

To read testimony from today’s hearing witnesses, click here.

Yesterday, Heitkamp brought Contreras-Sweet to Bismarck for a discussion with successful female small business owners on how SBA can support women entrepreneurs and inspire the next generation of women leaders. Later in the day, they traveled to the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation to meet with tribal and business leaders and announce new training, resources, and support for Native American small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Heitkamp has led efforts to make sure small businesses – which represent 95 percent of all employers in North Dakota – have the resources and support they need to succeed. Last May, Heitkamp joined a discussion in Minot hosted by the SBA’s North Dakota District Office to talk with small business owners, prospective owners, and organizations that provide small businesses with the proper resources, about the ways to help small businesses better access capital and to thrive. And in March, Heitkamp reintroduced bipartisan legislation to level the playing field for local brick-and-mortar businesses by allowing states to decide whether to continue to allow out-of-state Internet retailers to conduct transactions without collecting sales tax owed.

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