These engagements were not just travel. They were deliberate steps in building a connected network — one designed to attract talent, capital, and partnerships from around the world to South Dakota. The lessons and relationships from both stops are already shaping how I evaluate partnerships and how I approach recruiting. This is more than a story about working together. It is about the deliberate pursuit of building a community that attracts innovation — grounded in shared purpose, proximity, and practical support.
Washington, D.C. — Supporting Innopolis Growth Accelerator
Ryan and I spent several evenings in May evaluating and coaching South Korean companies preparing to enter the U.S. market. Through a partnership with Luceque Global and for the second consecutive year, we supported the Innopolis Growth Accelerator Program in Washington, D.C. The program included legal and intellectual property strategy sessions, U.S. market entry and commercialization guidance, pitch presentation workshops, and other targeted support for South Korean deep tech companies.These companies ranged from developing education technologies to support mental wellness to increasing safety in autonomous vehicle navigation. After weeks of preparation and coaching, these companies presented their technologies and business to a dedicated audience in D.C. for investment, partnerships, and the relationships necessary to validate their proof of concept in the U.S.
Over the course of three days, what stood out most was how familiar the federal messaging sounded. The same topics we discuss in South Dakota — SBIR/STTR programs, technology readiness levels, and technology commercialization — were front and center in the nation’s capital. We are not as far behind as it sometimes feels. The conversations happening at the highest levels are remarkably aligned with the work already underway in smaller ecosystems like ours.
One conversation that stayed with me centered on Amazon’s decision to locate its second headquarters near Washington, D.C. The strategic value of proximity between technology leaders and policymakers was clear. It reinforced something we are intentionally building at the USD Discovery District: an environment where researchers, entrepreneurs, and support organizations can form genuine relationships in a place that offers both professional opportunity and quality of life. I believe that South Dakota’s scale makes an authentic community and meaningful connection more achievable than in larger coastal hubs.
San Diego — BIO International Convention 2026
For the second year in a row, the USD Discovery District participated in the BIO Partnering program. This experience goes far beyond walking a crowded exhibition hall. The data and insights gained through partnering meetings provide critical context on the priorities of companies actively seeking collaboration. Neurological disease emerged as one of the top primary therapeutic areas represented at the convention, offering signals about startup trends, regulatory focus areas, and capital allocation. We look forward to exploring these patterns in greater depth in the fourth edition of our South Dakota Bioscience Market Study.
From a South Dakota perspective, the event was a powerful reminder that even a smaller state can participate meaningfully on a global stage. Many other states presented with large, eye-catching installations in the exhibit hall. Yet it quickly became difficult to differentiate what truly sets one location apart — because nearly every state emphasizes similar incentives and advantages.
My strongest takeaway came from conversations with contract research organizations (CROs). Unlike last year, I was approached by multiple international CROs interested in partnership discussions — representing Brazil, Australia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. This was notable. In an increasingly connected world, location still matters — but companies appear more open to options that align with their specific operational and cultural needs. One business development leader from a Swiss CRO shared stories of growing up in rural Switzerland that immediately resonated with my own experience in South Dakota. We are more similar than we often assume.
Several sessions highlighted the increasing national focus on supply chain resilience, biodefense, and of course – artificial intelligence. However, I noticed that the conversations around AI have evolved in biotech. Specifically, topics such as data sovereignty, data availability and integrity, and proprietary information in AI-enabled research carried more weight this year. Companies with direct experience navigating FDA pathways appeared more discerning about AI hype. This scrutiny reflects a maturing adoption of artificial intelligence in the bioscience industry.
When asked what makes South Dakota different, I found myself moving away from listing incentives and instead speaking about the character of the people and place. One consultant raised in Los Angeles remarked that he often cannot tell what season it is because the weather in California barely changes. That perspective feels foreign to those of us shaped by four distinct seasons. Our environment influences how we work, how we build relationships, and how we solve problems together — advantages we sometimes take for granted but that others clearly notice.
Connecting the Dots: Strategic Impact on the USD Discovery District
I continue to return to the District’s core priorities and how these two trips align with them. In episode 16 of the Favorable Environments podcast, we expanded on what these priorities are. Deepening strategic partnerships and filling Building 1 remain central focuses. At our most recent board meeting, a board member reminded us that we have been operating for roughly 18 months and Building 1 has almost 50% of the available square feet built out. This is not a small feat.
The common thread running through both the Washington, D.C. and San Diego engagements is a sharpened emphasis on authentic partnerships. As we work to attract the right tenants to Building 1, I am increasingly convinced that our posture must shift from recruiting tenants to attracting them. When asked at BIO what I hoped to gain from the event, my answer was immediate: relationships that lead to genuine partnerships, not transactional deals.
Attracting tenants means companies actively seek out environments like the USD Discovery District because of the ecosystem, the university integration, the quality of life, and the people in our community and network. Recruiting tenants often focus on selling incentives. In my opinion, we cannot win — and should not fight — a pure incentives battle. As detailed in our first market study, companies ultimately relocate for access to funding, talent, and the right environment, not incentives alone.
Our national and international engagement is one step towards creating favorable environments because it requires us to show up, build real relationships, and demonstrate that South Dakota delivers extended operating runway and lower friction for innovators who are actively looking for exactly that combination.
Looking Ahead
These two trips, supporting deep-tech South Korean companies through the Innopolis Growth Accelerator in Washington, D.C. and engaging global partners at BIO International Convention, reinforced a clear truth. Building a thriving innovation ecosystem requires more than incentives or infrastructure. It requires showing up, forming genuine relationships, and creating the conditions where talent and capital choose to stay and grow.
At the USD Discovery District, that means continuing to shift from recruiting tenants to attracting them. Companies that value the combination of university integration, quality of life, and a collaborative community that gives them more time and lower friction are actively seeking exactly these conditions.
As we move forward, we remain focused on deepening strategic partnerships and filling Building 1 with the right tenants who see South Dakota not just as a location, but as a place to build. We invite founders, researchers, industry partners, and fellow ecosystem builders to connect with us and visit Sioux Falls.
The network we are building reaches far beyond our state borders, but its foundation is the community we are intentionally growing right here at home. I’m sincerely grateful to Luceque Global for including the USD Discovery District in their program. It was also a pleasure to reconnect with our partners in San Diego.