Vision:
North Dakota is the home of skilled, innovative people powering a diversified, vigorous economy.

Mission:
To stimulate, encourage and assist North Dakotans of all ages and walks of life to envision and investigate ideas for supplementing income and creating new enterprises.

Description:
MARKETPLACE FOR ENTREPRENEURS
A YEAR LONG APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Marketplace for Entrepreneurs seeks to empower individuals and communities to pursue their individual economic development visions by providing new ideas, opportunities and encouragement. The process of people sharing information and ideas, once set in motion, continues throughout the year in several different forms.

Marketplace for Entrepreneurs is more than a single day: Marketplace has developed into a statewide institution connecting people who are looking for and using new ideas for growth in our rural economy. These ideas are presented and discussed at different times and events throughout the year.

U.S. Senator Kent Conrad and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, the organizing sponsors, believe Marketplace gives participants the tools, ideas, encouragement, advice and support they need to boost family income and help communities revitalize their economy. Marketplace presents information, resources and training that are useful to all, regardless of where they live and work.

VALUES

History:
BRIEF HISTORY

Marketplace of Ideas/Marketplace for Kids, Inc. is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization and equal opportunity program.

Marketplace of Ideas is a collaborative effort to develop home-based businesses, small businesses, agricultural diversification, value-added agriculture, information technology, new business ideas, marketing skills and stronger communities. The organizing sponsors are U.S. Senator Kent Conrad and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. A variety of state, federal, public and private resources are combined into a network of technical support for economic diversification in North Dakota and adjacent areas of Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota. It gives participants the tools, ideas, encouragement, advice and support they need to boost family income and help communities revitalize their economy.

The first Marketplace of Ideas conference was held in Minot in November 1989. The event drew 700 participants and featured approximately 70 booths, 24 workshops and 30 sponsoring organizations. Since that first conference, eleven annual Marketplace of Ideas conferences have been held in Bismarck, ND and three have been held in Grand Forks, ND.

In 2004, the name of the Marketplace of Ideas conference was changed to Marketplace for Entrepreneurs. The 2004 Marketplace for Entrepreneurs Conference was held at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND on January 14-15 and attracted 6,635 participants plus 1,513 additional participants in the day before seminars. This 15th Annual conference involved 258 booths, 122 workshops, 1,467 volunteers and over 200 sponsors.

However, Marketplace for Entrepreneurs is more than an annual gathering. It is a statewide continual network of people, ideas and resources.

Marketplace for Kids began in 1995 as an outreach program of Marketplace of Ideas. The purpose of this program is to introduce a greater entrepreneurial education curriculum to North Dakota schools with a focus on grades four through middle school. ND Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Dr. Wayne G. Sanstead joins U.S. Senator Kent Conrad and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson to form the Organizing Sponsors for this program. The first event, held in Jamestown, ND in 1995, drew 700 participants. In 2004, Education Days were held in eight regions of the state with over 15,000 participants.

Marketplace for Kids is a unique program that seeks to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills and to encourage community service. A Learning Guide and in-service training are provided to teachers and other interested individuals. It is the vision of Marketplace to encourage entre-preneurial education statewide in grades four through graduate school.

Contact people:

Trina Schnaible, Assistant Director Of Operations, (701) 663-0150, (email) Renee Kipp, Director Of Operations, (701) 663-0150, (email)

Office fax number: (701) 663-1032

Address:

311 East Thayer Avenue Suite C Bismarck, ND 58501-4024 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.MarketplaceForKids.org