Jan. 7, 2026
This piece is sponsored by Startup Sioux Falls.
By Brienne Maner, president of Startup Sioux Falls
We celebrate the launch. We post pics from the ribbon cutting. We love those “grand opening” moments.
But the true story of Sioux Falls entrepreneurship is written in the months and years after the launch, when founders are struggling to make payroll, find and keep customers and manage talent, but still keep going. At Startup Sioux Falls, it is always our pleasure to celebrate new businesses, but it is our responsibility to give them the tools to achieve sustainability.
It’s our responsibility to make sure entrepreneurs, homegrown businesses and family-owned companies in our community are not only encouraged to start, but feel truly supported as they grow and work to sustain their operations through shifting markets, workforce changes, funding uncertainty and evolving technology.
A community built on belief
Before looking ahead, it is important to recognize Mayor Paul TenHaken and his administration for their unwavering belief in Sioux Falls entrepreneurs, homegrown businesses and family-owned companies. Their consistent support of local startups, small businesses and the organizations that serve them helped shape a culture where innovation is welcomed and where people feel encouraged to build here, stay here and grow here.
As Sioux Falls prepares for new political leadership, we invite mayoral, City Council and state candidates to continue placing entrepreneurs, homegrown businesses and family-owned companies at the center of their platforms. These businesses are much more than just contributors to our economy. They are the backbone of our neighborhoods, our culture and our future workforce.
Strong policy, flexible frameworks and consistent collaboration with economic development partners will play a critical role in how well our city navigates the next decade.
Why sustainability matters more than ever
The world entrepreneurs are building into today looks very different from what it did even five years ago.
Founders are navigating economic uncertainty, budget constraints, workforce shifts and rapid advances in artificial intelligence. Many are building leaner companies, launching with smaller teams, working remotely and testing ideas faster than ever before.
As their needs change, the way we support them must change too.
Sustainability now applies not only to individual businesses but also to the broader systems that support them.
It also comes down to something far more human. People.
Our downtown co-working space has become a place where founders can walk in, meet others who are building and feel connected right away. That sense of belonging influences where people choose to build their companies and whether they decide to stay.
Entrepreneurs tend to put down roots in places where they feel supported, where collaboration is visible and where the overall experience of the city makes it easier to live and work well. Investing in those experiences is more than quality of life. It is economic infrastructure that helps sustain local businesses and attract new founders to Sioux Falls.
Our own entrepreneurial journey
Startup Sioux Falls has been on its own entrepreneurial journey.
Over the past several years, we have grown right alongside the founders we serve. Today, our programs support people starting their first business, leaders growing teams and CEOs scaling established companies who still carry the same entrepreneurial mindset that launched their journey.
Our Start, Scale and Sustain framework now guides how we design programs, partnerships and pathways. It allows us to meet founders where they are while also keeping a clear long-term view of what sustainable success looks like.
By 2031, our goal is to have measurably supported 300 resilient Sioux Falls businesses that have sustaining revenue and are making a meaningful investment back into their community. That goal shapes how we think about impact, growth and responsibility.
We remain committed to cultivating a cohesive and inclusive ecosystem that stays curious, welcomes new ideas and engages K–12 schools, tech schools and universities so the next generation knows they can build their future right here at home.
At the recent South Dakota Bio Summit, Governor’s Office of Economic Development Commissioner Bill Even reflected on the bold entrepreneurs who shaped our past. He also challenged us to stay optimistic, to keep looking forward and to remain committed to strengthening the systems that support the founders of tomorrow.
That spirit is what will carry Sioux Falls into its next chapter.
Looking ahead to 2026 and how you can step in
As we move into 2026, Startup Sioux Falls is expanding programming, refining support systems and continuing to strengthen the pathway for founders to start, scale and sustain.
Entrepreneurship is not built in isolation — it grows faster and stronger when founders are surrounded by people, ideas and momentum.
There are three simple ways the community can be part of what comes next.
Join the room.
Attend an upcoming Startup Sunrise or Startup Skills Workshop to connect, learn and grow alongside local founders.
Send founders our way.
If you know someone thinking about starting a business or working to grow one, connect them to our accelerators, mentorship network, co-working facility and community resources.
Be an advocate.
Support small businesses. Share their stories. Encourage founders. Help make Sioux Falls a city where entrepreneurship feels possible for everyone.
Our full 2025 Annual Report outlines the progress we have made and the momentum ahead. We invite you to explore it and walk with us into what is next.
Startup Sioux Falls is here to be a launching pad of innovation, possibility and community business, doing it the Sioux Falls way. Let’s Start, Scale and Sustain together.
