01.08.16

Hoeven Invites Fargo Entrepreneurial Leader to State of the Union

Senator Will Host Greg Tehven in Washington for President’s Annual Address

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today announced that Greg Tehven of Fargo, Executive Director and co-founder of Emerging Prairie, will be his guest at President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 12. Emerging Prairie is a digital-media company that highlights startups, technology and innovation and supports the region’s entrepreneurial activities by operating a wide variety of events and initiatives, such as Drone Focus, the Prairie Den co-working space and 1 Million Cups (1MC) Fargo, the largest and most active 1MC program in the country.

“A healthy economy is dynamic and innovative,” Hoeven said. “Folks like Greg and his team at Emerging Prairie work to spark innovation and foster entrepreneurship. They are helping our startups create the industries of the future that will provide good jobs and ensure our state and nation remain a global leader. To support these efforts, we need to maintain the right kind of pro-business environment that we worked for more than a decade to create in North Dakota. It will be a pleasure to see Greg again and attend the State of the Union Address with him next week.”

Prior to founding Emerging Prairie, Tehven also co-founded and spent seven years as the Executive Director of Students Today Leaders Forever, which organizes the Pay It Forward Tours through its national headquarters in Minneapolis, student-led chapters at more than 30 college campuses and programming partnerships with many high schools and middle schools. Tehven also worked with Kilbourne Group to stimulate growth and entrepreneurship in downtown Fargo and helped to organize numerous community events in the Fargo-Moorhead area, including launching TEDxFargo, a program that brings people together in the spirit of sharing ideas and creating positive community connections.

While in Washington, Tehven will join the Secretary of the Senate and all of the U.S. Senators for dinner at the Capitol, after which he will attend the State of the Union Address in a joint session of Congress.