031: Greg Tehven, Creating Community in Fargo, N.D.
Ever Better Today
English - August 19, 2016 07:30 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MB - ★★★★★ - 65 ratingsCareers Business Entrepreneurship Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Greg Tehven is a co-founder of Emerging Prairie, an organization in Fargo, North Dakota created to celebrate and connect the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It's had quite an impact. In August 2016, Fargo was named the 7th best U.S. city for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur Magazine, and Emerging Prairie was cited as a factor.
A fifth generation North Dakotan, Greg's great-great grandfather was an early settler from Sweden. Greg grew up with the security of a large, close-knit family and neighbors who cared for each other, but longed to experience life in a larger city. He attended college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and then traveled the world, before coming home to rediscover the magic of Fargo.
Listen to the podcast to hear Greg discuss:
False humility - the ‘disease’ of his communityEmerging Prairie's evolution from blog producer to event creator
The popular, graffiti-decorated co-working space shown below
4 Principles of Emerging Prairie
Educate our city Infuse the arts Build on our bright spots Be radically inclusive
Supporting creative products and services through financial means, not just exposure
Working with "The Misfits"
The impact of 1 Million Cups on the Fargo community
Other community-building projects that inspire Greg:
The Dandelion Project from Marc Winn, featured on Ever Better Podcast 23
NEWaukee in Milwaukee, WI
Co.space in State College, PA
Creativity Week in Brookings, S.D.
Removing barriers for entrepreneurs through Startup House
Taking the first steps to make a difference in your community
Celebrating the strange
Why drones have become such a large part of the N.D. economy
Attending the State of the Union and getting marriage advice from politicians
Midnight Brunch - an amazing Thursday night event in Fargo
Stacking events back-to-back to create a more immersive experience for attendees
The greatest challenges to our world
Listening deficit - not enough people can share who they really are Productivity culture - we worry so much about growth that we don’t rest enough
Quotes from Greg
“My inheritance isn’t wealth or resources or an art collection, it’s this incredible tribe of people that have cared about each other for generations.”
“Entrepreneurs drive the economy but artists drive culture.”
“We don’t think about advertising, we think about creating a world class experience for the people in the room. We’re trying to delight our guests. We are trying to add so much value. We are trying to love them so much that they can’t help but want to come back, they can’t help but to tell their friends.”
“Let’s create a community we all want to live in. Let’s create the community we want to be part of.”
“I want to live in a city where anyone, of any background can participate.”
Contact Greg:
On Twitter @GregfromFargo
Emergingprairie.com
Contact Lisa:
@EverBetterU