Community

Minot Area Chamber EDC connects businesses, builds community

Coffee and conversation with an entrepreneur before most of the city has started its workday. A ribbon cutting on a weekday afternoon. A room full of businesspeople making connections in the evening. A committee meeting where members hear directly from an elected official, a military leader or an industry expert.

For the Minot Area Chamber EDC, these gatherings are different expressions of the same idea: a strong business community depends on people being connected and involved.

The organization represents more than 600 member investors throughout the Minot area. While its work spans several pillars of focus -- including economic and community development, workforce initiatives, and support of the local military community -- much of what people see day to day is centered on serving those member investors. That includes networking, professional development, leadership opportunities, and programs that give people a way to take an active role in the community.

"Nothing that we do as an organization would be possible without the support of our member investors," said Brekka Kramer, Minot Area Chamber EDC president/CEO. "Our job is to bring them together, help create opportunities and make sure the business community has a strong voice. When our members are connected and engaged, that contributes to the magic of Minot."

The Chamber EDC says its mission is to advocate for and invest in business activity by being a collaborative partner in the community, focused on improving quality of life for all.

For 2026 Board Chair Jarid Lundeen, a longtime Minot business owner, involvement also comes down to reinvestment.

"My dad always told me that when you're in business in a community, you have to reinvest," Lundeen said. "Not just financially -- you've got to invest your time, your presence, your attention."

There are plenty of ways for Chamber EDC member investors to do that.

Business After Hours is one of the organization's longest-running opportunities to connect. Each month, a different member investor hosts the event, opening its doors for an evening of conversation, food and networking. The setting is informal, but the relationships that begin there can have lasting value.

"The space that the Chamber EDC creates for networking and connection-building is crucial," Lundeen said. "We live in a world where you can get everything from hamburgers to undergarments delivered to your doorstep. Knowing that, there is nothing better than getting out of your shell, out of your social network, and stretching out and meeting new people."

That same spirit carries into the annual Showcase of Business, where each November, dozens of Chamber EDC member investors gather to introduce themselves to the public and to one another. The event turns networking into a communitywide showcase and gives participating businesses another way to build visibility.

Other programs are built around particular audiences or goals.

Women Connect provides opportunities to focus on personal and professional development while learning from speakers and one another. The group's next event, scheduled for Oct. 6, features a presentation on leadership by retired Kansas City Chiefs mascot Dan Meers. Women Connect programs are open to everyone, not just women.

Start Up Minot takes a similar community-minded approach to entrepreneurship. The program brings entrepreneurs, business owners and supporters together each month for a free morning networking event featuring the stories of new and growing businesses.

Across its events and programs, the spirit of collaboration - and the philosophy that communities are stronger when people work together - is central.

"Sometimes the most valuable thing we can do is make a connection," Kramer said. "That might be introducing a new business owner to someone who has been through the same challenge, helping a member find a resource, or bringing people together around an issue that affects the whole business community. That's where the magic happens."

Committees offer another avenue for involvement.

Employees of member investor businesses are eligible to serve on volunteer groups focused on agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, governmental affairs and military affairs. Committee meetings regularly feature public officials, military leaders, business representatives and subject-matter experts. Members can ask questions, share concerns and better understand issues affecting Minot.

The Chamber EDC also makes a point of recognizing new and expanding businesses: the red-coated Ambassadors Committee celebrates openings, expansions, new ownership and milestones with ribbon cuttings on a regular basis.

Taken individually, those activities may look like a calendar full of meetings and events. But together, they exemplify what Lundeen sees as one of the Chamber EDC's most important roles - giving people a way to engage.

"You may come to an event just planning to meet a few people, and that might lead to something else, which might lead to something else," Lundeen said. "That engagement outside of your four walls matters."

Kramer said that willingness to participate has long been one of Minot's strengths.

"There are so many people here who care deeply about this community and are willing to give their time and talents to make it better," she said. "The Chamber EDC gives them a place to connect and collaborate. Whether someone serves on a committee, attends an event, welcomes a new business or simply makes an introduction, they are helping strengthen the business community."

For Lundeen, that is part of what makes Minot an attractive place to do business.

"We're not Destin, Florida. We may not necessarily win because of our coastlines or our weather," he said. "We win because people around here have grit. We work hard and we keep grinding."