NDSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business

We’re looking for NDSU students with awesome side hustles to join the Fall 2026 launch of NDSU Student‑Made and student leaders to help manage the online store and pop‑up events.

Student-Made NDSU is a student‑powered marketplace designed to elevate, promote, and sell products created by North Dakota State University students. Apply to be a creator or step into a leadership role supporting marketing, events, community engagement, or website management.

👉Apply TODAY: https://www.studentmadestore.com/join-student-made-ndsu

🏷️OR, tag someone with an awesome side hustle or skills we should have on the team!

| NDSU College of Business

This semester, our ENTR 201 class, made up of students from across campus who are curious about entrepreneurship and starting something of their own, had the opportunity to learn directly from inspiring guest speakers.

Each speaker brought a unique entrepreneurial perspective, offering real‑world insights into building, leading, and growing ventures. Their openness and authenticity helped bridge the gap between classroom concepts and lived experience, sparking inspiration for our students!

We are incredibly grateful to the guest speakers who generously shared their time, stories, and expertise with our class:

• Dieumerci Christel – Founder, Enlightapp
• Daniella Jasper-Okumagba – Founder, The BRDGE
• Connor Johnson – Co‑Founder, Sundog Saucery
• Justin Jee – Sr. Embedded Software Eng., NDeavor Barry D. Batcheller Tech Park
• James Pladson – Founder, Reach Right USA

Thank you all for investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs and for helping make ENTR 201 such a rich and impactful learning experience!

The Possibility Showcase was a powerful reflection of what happens when students are encouraged to think big, dream big, and have the courage to pursue their ideas.

This year, 22 students from undergraduate to PhD level, representing all colleges across campus, collaborated in teams to create 11 startup ideas. The interdisciplinary energy in the room was undeniable and served as a reminder that innovation thrives when diverse perspectives come together to tackle real world challenges.

The Possibility Fellowship is North Dakota State University’s premier entrepreneurial program, selecting students not just for their ideas, but for their drive, leadership, and commitment to creating meaningful impact. Over the past nine months, Fellows have been building, testing, failing, refining, and pushing their ideas toward real ventures. Supported by mentors and challenged through hands on learning, they have remained focused on turning possibility into reality. The showcase offered a glimpse into that journey.

The Possibility Showcase provided students with a powerful platform to share their startup ventures, pitch to a panel of judges, and present to a full crowd for the very first time. The energy was electric, the lights were bright, and our students rose to the occasion with confident, compelling presentations.

Thank you to Dieumerci Christel for an inspiring keynote, and to all who attended and invested their time and energy in our students. It was a privilege to gather and celebrate the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial mindset that define the NDSU community and the future we are shaping together.

🚀 Tomorrow at NDSU: Student founders take the stage!

Join us at the Possibility Showcase (Tuesday, April 14) to see 11 student‑led startups pitch ideas spanning AI, ag, health, sustainability, and more—plus a keynote from Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and NDSU alum Dieumerci Christel.

📅 April 14 | 4:30–6:30 p.m.
📍 Oceti Sakowin Ballroom, NDSU Memorial Union
🎟️ Free & open to all → https://t.ly/_GE-e

Come network, enjoy some free food, vote for your favorite startup, and see what’s possible North Dakota State University. 👏

Spreading joy comes naturally to Addie Loerzel, a sophomore studying business administration. Whether she's organizing community events or lifting others up, she's already making an impact on and off campus.

"Addie is one of those students who makes the entire classroom better. She is always engaged, always smiling and always thinking about how to help people," said Onnolee Nordstrom. "Addie represents what entrepreneurship is all about — curiosity, resilience and the courage to put yourself out there."

Read more about Addie's story at: ndsu.edu/experience

NDSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business
NDSU Transition and Access Program
NDSU College of Business

🚨 ONE WEEK AWAY! 🚨

NDSU student startup teams are putting the final touches on their pitches, and you’re invited to see it all happen live!

The Possibility Showcase brings together 11 student‑led startups working across AI, agriculture, health, engineering, sustainability, and more. See real prototypes, talk directly with founders, and discover what students are building beyond the classroom.

Featuring a keynote from Dieumerci Christel, NDSU alum, nationally recognized entrepreneur, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, followed by the top five teams pitching live on the main stage for the first time.

🤝 Network with local entrepreneurs and business leaders
🍕 Free food & swag giveaways
🗳️ Vote for the Campus Choice team to award student scholarships

Tuesday, April 14
4:30–6:30 p.m.
Oceti Sakowin Ballroom, NDSU Memorial Union

👉 Free & open to all! RSVP now: https://t.ly/bNvFM

Your next idea, connection, or opportunity might start here. Be in the room.

North Dakota State University | NDSU College of Business

We're excited to spotlight a recently published research article. 🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Chanchai Tangpong!

A common assumption has been that if suppliers depend on us, we win. This study flips that logic: when suppliers depend too much on a buyer, the buyer’s innovation declines. Dr. Tangpong and his co‑authors suggest that what is going wrong is:

• Suppliers stop thinking creatively - they prioritize compliance over innovation. Less risk‑taking. Less new thinking.
• Buyers stop listening - power reduces curiosity, and firms default to efficiency instead of exploration.
• Innovation flows elsewhere - if suppliers do create something valuable, they may use it to escape dependence rather than deepen the relationship.

Bottom line: If your suppliers can’t challenge you, they won’t help you innovate.

This work reflects exactly what the Center’s Research Excellence Initiative is designed to support and celebrate, research that shapes entrepreneurship and how new ventures are started, scaled, and sustained.

North Dakota State University | NDSU College of Business

Our first Start Something Weekend brought together an amazing community of student creators and big thinkers! 🎉

We were blown away by the energy, innovation, and collaboration students brought to transform curiosity into real ideas in just 24 hours. They walked away with new confidence, momentum, and a spark to keep building. 🚀

🥇 Congratulations to our first‑place team:
Shaylee Stroot, a marketing major, for her startup idea Soul Scribbles, a customizable, print‑on‑demand prayer and reflection book recognized for its clarity, purpose, and thoughtful development. Shaylee teamed up with Artin Sadeghi, an electrical engineering major, to bring the concept to life during the 24‑hour sprint.

👉 Read the full recap here: https://t.ly/DDyNd

A special thank you to our entrepreneur panel, Ashley Morken (Unglued) and Breanna Cain (The Cain Collective) and to our judges Sarah Louise (gener8tor), Jenna Radtke (NDSU College of Business), Brenna Johansen (NSF I-Corps Hub Great Plains), and our own Onnolee Nordstrom, Chair of Entrepreneurship.

North Dakota State University |

NDSU students invited to bring ideas to life at free entrepreneurship weekend NDSU is hosting the inaugural 24-hour Start Something Weekend for students to create and collaborate with peers.