What it Means to be a Champion for Founders in Sioux Falls
On March 19, our mayor will once again proclaim Founders Day in Sioux Falls. It is a simple proclamation with a powerful message: The future of our economy depends on the people who decide to build something, right here at home.
New and young businesses create nearly all net new jobs in America. They are the primary source of wage growth, innovation and economic mobility. Yet many communities, often without realizing it, make it harder than it needs to be for someone to start and grow a business.
Sioux Falls is not immune to that challenge. We have the talent, the ideas and the work ethic. What founders often lack is a clear, supported path forward and a community that understands what they are trying to do.
That is where startup champions come in.
At Startup Sioux Falls, we meet founders at the earliest stages of their journey. They walk in with a concept, a lot of questions and the courage to try. Over the last three years, more than 400 entrepreneurs have plugged into our programs, peer groups and one-on-one guidance through our ecosystem. Many of them have gone on to launch businesses, hire employees, rent space downtown and become members of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.
This is where the story comes full circle. The person who once needed support becomes the business owner who offers it. The founder who once attended a workshop is now sponsoring events, mentoring others and helping strengthen our local economy. That cycle does not happen by accident. It happens because a community chooses to champion its founders.
Being a startup champion does not mean you have to start a business yourself. It means you recognize that when founders succeed, Sioux Falls succeeds. It means you understand that small businesses and startups make up nearly all employers in the United States and have been responsible for most new job creation over the last two decades. It means you choose to invest time, encouragement and resources into people who are building something new.
On the morning of March 19, we will gather partners, donors and ecosystem leaders for our Startup Champions Breakfast. This event is about momentum. It is a chance to share stories of founders who are building real businesses here and to invite others to help remove financial barriers for the next generation.
Later that same day, we will host our Alumni Lunch, open to the public, where founders, mentors, partners and community members come together to celebrate these journeys. We will hear from founders who have built businesses in Sioux Falls and stayed rooted here because of the people and support they found along the way.
These events are more than celebrations. They are reminders. They remind us that economic development is not only about recruiting large companies. It is also about supporting the people who already live here and are willing to take the risk of building something from scratch. They remind us that collaboration between Startup Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, the City of Sioux Falls, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and our broader startup and economic development ecosystem creates a strong, unified front door for entrepreneurs.
Most of all, they remind us that founders do not build alone. Nationally, 92% of voters say it is difficult to start a business today. At the same time, 43% of Americans say they have thought about starting one. The aspiration is there. The barrier is the path.
When we champion founders locally, we are showing that a city can choose to make it easier, clearer and more welcoming for people who want to create jobs and contribute to their community. If you are a business owner, a community leader or someone who cares about the future of Sioux Falls, you are already positioned to be a startup champion. You can attend events. You can share your expertise. You can open your network. You can invest financially so that cost is not a barrier for someone trying to learn how to run a sustainable business.
Founders Day is a celebration of entrepreneurs. It is also a celebration of the community that stands behind them. When we champion founders, we invest in the long-term strength of our small business economy, the vibrancy of our downtown and the resilience of Sioux Falls as a place where people can start, scale and sustain their ideas.
That is worth celebrating.
Brienne Maner serves as president of Startup Sioux Falls, an organization dedicated to empowering founders to start, scale and sustain businesses that strengthen the Greater Sioux Falls region. Under her leadership, the organization is working toward a bold 2031 goal of supporting 300 resilient local businesses to achieve sustaining revenue and reinvest
in the community.