Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
News

Thune Talks Innovation With Young Professionals

Kealey Bultena
/
SDPB
US Senator John Thune talks with members of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Network / August 11, 2015

United States Senator John Thune spent part of his Tuesday talking with young professionals in Sioux Falls. The lawmaker first spoke to members of the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce before the smaller Q&A. People who work in energy, banking, business, and other industries are asking the lawmaker questions and explaining their concerns.

It may be a roundtable discussion, but young professionals in Sioux Falls line a long, rectangular tabletop to ask questions of United States Senator John Thune.

Brian Rand is one of them. He’s a co-founder of The Bakery in Sioux Falls. His operation provides a place for co-working, so people from different businesses can use the same community space to work and network.

Rand tells the group that a recent Innovation summit in Washington, D.C. has him thinking.

Credit Kealey Bultena / SDPB
/
SDPB
US Senator John Thune speaks with Brian Rand / August 11, 2015

“You know, there’s nobody from the Midwest. It was all Texas and the coasts,” Rand says. “So as flyover country – is what they like to call us in the tech and innovative world – what are some things we can do or stuff we can do here locally to get more on the map for innovation and job creation and kind of pushing that forward?”

A trained workforce is US Senator John Thune’s initial answer. He says skilled workers are critical in an innovation economy.

“How do you create the next research triangle? How do you create a mini-Silicon Valley here on the prairie? Those are, I think, questions that we need as the policymakers on the local, state, and federal level to grapple with,” Thune says. “But I do think it starts with having the right basic ingredients that are conducive to economic growth, so you’ve got the trained workforce, tax structure, regulatory structure, fiscal structure, things like that.”

Thune says marketing South Dakota’s success in those areas is difficult, but he says people who visit the state are impressed and see potential. Thune answers other questions regarding education, nuclear talks, energy, and fairness for local business owners. 

Last week United States Congresswoman Kristi Noem held a discussion with the Sioux Falls Young Professionals. On August 25th they have an opportunity to talk with US Senator Mike Rounds.

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).