What Dallas Taught Me About Building Here
A research leader once told me something I haven’t forgotten: you can’t hire good people and expect them to be great. You have to hire great people.
It applies to teams. It applies to places too. Something has to make people want to show up and stay. That idea followed me to Dallas for the AURP (Association of University Research Parks) international conference, where I joined people who build and run research parks across the country.
From Friction to Flow: Mapping South Dakota’s Innovation Assets
South Dakota has the talent, research capacity, institutional assets, and many other resources needed to support growing companies. What it has often lacked is a clear way to connect them. That connection is central to the USD Discovery District’s mission: linking the university core strengths—research, talent, and institutional capacity—with private sector resources and companies. The new resource mapping tool, developed by Dr. Marc Niamba, is a direct expression of that purpose.
From D.C. to San Diego: Shifting from Recruiting to Attracting Innovators
In the span of three weeks, I traveled from Washington, D.C. to San Diego — from supporting South Korean companies in the nation’s capital to participating in the world’s largest biotech conference. Instead of flying over South Dakota between time zones, I came home to reflect on what these experiences mean for the work we are doing at the USD Discovery District.
What USD’s First Hackathon Revealed About South Dakota’s Talent Pipeline
USD’s first hackathon revealed more than student ingenuity. It exposed a talent pipeline that’s deeper than expected. Students paired advanced tools with foundational methods, while bringing a broader, human-centered perspective to the problems they chose to solve. The capability is there. What happens next is the question.
Something Is Starting to Work in Sioux Falls
Inspired by Ernest O. Lawrence’s idea that innovation depends on environment, the USD Discovery District is shaping how research, talent, and industry connect.
Designing Systems That Scale: A Conversation with Marc Niamba
Dr. Marc-Antoine Niamba discusses discipline, systems thinking, and building innovation infrastructure at USD Discovery District’s growing bioscience hub.
What the Governor’s Giant Vision Competition Reveals About South Dakota’s Startup Ecosystem
The recent Governor’s Giant Vision Competition in Pierre, South Dakota, offered a compelling view of the state’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape. Reflecting on the experience, Tung Nguyen—who previously participated as a finalist in 2022—observed a noticeable elevation in the event’s execution and the quality of ventures emerging from across the state. Events like Giant Vision reinforce the importance of coordinated innovation infrastructure as South Dakota’s startup ecosystem continues to mature.
From Ideas to Execution: What a Week Reinforced for Our Work in Sioux Falls
From warming up space at Building 1 to engaging global innovators in Minneapolis, the 2026 Medical Alley Summit reinforced what matters most for South Dakota’s bioscience growth: focus, trust, and execution.
Federal Suicide Prevention Grant Supports Community Action for Veterans’ Expansion into USD Discovery District
Community Action for Veterans has received a $344,990 federal suicide prevention grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is expanding into four offices at the USD Discovery District. The funding supports rural-focused outreach, research, and care coordination for veterans across 14 eastern South Dakota counties.
USD Discovery District Returns as Sponsor for 2026 Medical Alley Summit, Reinforces South Dakota’s Bioscience Momentum and National Connectivity
The USD Discovery District returns as a sponsor of the 2026 Medical Alley Summit, highlighting South Dakota’s growing role in bioscience innovation. The district will spotlight a new global case study on OmegaQuant and join a national conversation on the future of healthcare.