One Million Cups

The NDSU Innovation Challenge helped NDSU junior Mariah Billadeau meet interested collaborators for EcoTex, an environmentally-friendly textile concept. Billadeau will present at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, April 24. Her idea for EcoTex took second place in the Innovation Challenge’s social impact track. The roots of the concept trace to a study abroad trip…

Andy Jorgensen saw an opening in the fireworks industry for a business that allowed customers to buy online and launched Fire Brothers Fireworks in response. The business allows users to order fireworks on its website and pick them up. It also compiles photos and videos of the fireworks online so customers can see what they…

South Dakota-based MarketBeat is one of the top venues for stock market news and data thanks to its website and successful newsletters. MarketBeat’s roots lie in Paulson’s personal finance blog, which he launched while in college. He noted he was listening to a lot of financial podcasts at the time. “I thought, well, I know…

An Indiana-based startup is training artificial intelligence to detect parasites in animals, crops, and eventually humans. QMIRA, headed by CEO Steven Gerrish, has been deploying its AI technology to detect parasites in animal fecal matter and is now expanding to apply its work to diagnose and treat crops and, eventually, humans. Gerrish will present at…

A new tech lab at NDSU is intended to bring students together from across disciplines for hands-on projects. The digital fabrication lab sports 3D printers, CNC machines and more, and its near future will see the addition of a laser cutter. Andrew Elznic, the university’s emerging technology coordinator in the digital fabrication lab, will present…

By the time she came to Moorhead to attend college, Duluth native Ashleigh Arntson had already launched a successful nonprofit company—If the Dress Fits—to help students who can’t afford the high cost of a prom dress. Arntson is presenting at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, April 3. Arntson started If the Dress Fits during…

  Fargo non-profit Unseen brings education, expertise, and creativity together to help organizations battle human trafficking. Unseen cofounder and CEO Than Baardson presents at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, April 3. Unseen started in 2011. Baardson’s background is in broadcast journalism for the National Guard, and an initial co-founder worked in photography in South…

A Twin Cities-based company is helping employers and organizations foster inclusion and diversity. 26 Letters uses a multi-faceted approach including a text-based resource for employees, inclusion-oriented assessments, and educational content to build awareness of and engagement on diversity in workplaces and other spaces where teams work. Founder Caroline Karanja is presenting at 1 Million Cups…

Take 12, a Twin Cities-based maternity leave registry platform, is striving to reshape the landscape of parental leave. Marguerite Scott, Take 12’s founder and president, will present at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, March 27. While the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 guarantees some employees 12 weeks of maternity or paternity…

Creedence Energy Services cures what ails oil wells. The company produces chemical solutions that clean pipes and equipment involved in oil harvesting and production, ensuring a longer life span. Creedence Energy Services co-founder and President Kevin Black will present at 1 Million Cups Fargo on Wednesday, March 20. He explained oil wells deteriorate like the…