Summit

Joni Ekstrum serves as executive director of South Dakota Biotech. She oversees its advocacy, communication, education, and membership services, representing more than 60 members in industries from food and agriculture to human health and renewable energy.

Since she assumed this role in 2012, Ekstrum has grown the membership and increased gross profit while maintaining and expanding membership benefits. Her collaborative approach has provided connections for networking and led to new business and partnering opportunities for both members and individuals. Her passion for the industry and charismatic personality have helped build relationships with other states and parent organization BIO, legislators, other advocacy groups, venture capital, economic development, and other industry partners.

Kick off SD Biotech Summit with an evening designed for connection! Join peers, innovators, and industry leaders for a networking reception featuring refreshing drinks, heavy appetizers, and plenty of opportunities to spark new collaborations.

This welcoming mixer is your first chance to meet fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and start building the biotech bridges that will carry South Dakota into the future.

Don’t miss the perfect start to an inspiring convention—arrive ready to connect!

Strategic Conversations: Shaping the Future of South Dakota Biotech

Ready to move beyond presentations and into action? Join us for an interactive session designed to spark fresh ideas and bold collaborations.

✅ Explore hands-on stations focused on South Dakota’s strategic biotech goals
✅ Dive into private sector + academic collaboration opportunities
✅ Engage directly with expert facilitators

This is your chance to share insights, build connections, and help shape the future of South Dakota’s biotech ecosystem. Don’t just attend—be part of the conversation that defines what comes next.

Morning Plenary: Innovation in the Heartland

Start your day with a thought-provoking fireside chat exploring how innovation is transforming rural communities across South Dakota and beyond. This session will highlight the unique challenges and incredible opportunities that arise when biotech, technology, and agriculture intersect in the heartland.

Hear from leaders who are driving breakthroughs, fueling local economies, and proving that rural regions can be powerful engines of innovation.

Inspiring conversation at the South Dakota Biotech Summit—where the future of innovation takes root.

2025 VISIONARY SPONSOR

Responsiveness counts. That’s what clients tell us, and that’s what we’re known for. It shows in everything we do: devising forward-thinking solutions to get the best results, respecting and meeting clients’ service needs, anticipating the impact of national events and legal developments on clients’ interests, and taking action to keep clients agile and informed. With more than 600 attorneys in 15 offices, we can respond wherever and whenever our clients need us. We provide results-driven counsel and exceptional service in Business and Transactions, Finance, Intellectual Property, Litigation, and Real Estate.

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Fisher Scientific offers customers convenient access to a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in scientific research, health care, safety and education markets. A global network of direct sales professionals, industry-specific catalogs, e-commerce capabilities and supply-chain management services enables Fisher Scientific to offer a broad mix of products manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific and third parties.

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Biotechnology Innovation Organization [BIO] is the world's largest biotechnology organization, providing advocacy, business development and communications services for more than 1,200 members worldwide. Our mission is to be the champion of biotechnology and the advocate for our member organizations—both large and small. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology technologies. Corporate members range from entrepreneurial companies developing a first product to Fortune 100 multinationals. We also represent state and regional biotech associations, service providers to the industry and academic centers.

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POET’s vision is to create a world in sync with nature. As the world’s largest producer of biofuel and a global leader in sustainable bioproducts, POET creates plant-based alternatives to fossil fuels that unleash the regenerative power of agriculture and cultivate opportunities for America’s farm families. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Sioux Falls, POET operates 34 bioprocessing facilities across eight states and employs more than 2,400 team members. With a suite of bioproducts that includes high-quality animal feed, corn oil, green asphalt rejuvenator, purified alcohol, and renewable CO2, POET nurtures an unceasing commitment to innovation and advances powerful, practical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Today, POET holds more than 100 patents worldwide and continues to break new ground in biotechnology, yielding lower-carbon, more efficient renewable energy and bioproducts.

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The Research Park strives to establish itself as a physical environment that can deve​lop, attract and retain technology companies that are aligned to the talent and sponsored research conducted at SDSU. ​

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For over 60 years, it´s been our business to help better your business. Since 1954, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation (SFDF) has been leading the way in creating one of the most vibrant, secure, and growing economies in the nation. Founded by a group of far-sighted business leaders, the SFDF is a non-profit economic development corporation with the mission of improving the economy of the Sioux Falls region. We connect businesses with the tools and resources they need to be successful.
What we do:
• Help you build partnerships for workforce success
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• Develop high-quality business parks
• Guide you in developing a local network of business allies

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The USD Discovery District is an 80-acre contemporary corporate and academic research park is a public-private partnership effort between USD, the City of Sioux Falls, the South Dakota Board of Regents, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the business community through Forward Sioux Falls. The research park's expansion is anticipated to conclude over a 25-year timeline. Upon full completion, the expected economic outcomes encompass 26 privately constructed buildings, with a combined construction value exceeding $314 million. Additionally, the research park is projected to provide employment opportunities for nearly 2,800 individuals through companies situated within the district.

The concept for the Discovery District began more than two decades ago, with leaders in business and education coming together to set a strategy on growing technology-based business in South Dakota. In 2012, the legislature passed and Governor Daugaard signed legislation to authorize research parks on lands controlled by the South Dakota Board of Regents. The USD research park corporation was formed later that year. The USD Discovery District name was formalized in 2015.

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The University of South Dakota is a vibrant setting of innovation artistry and discovery, with research and creative activity opportunities in all disciplines across campus. USD researchers collaborate with industry professionals to bring new technologies to market as well as carrying out fundamental research in order to elucidate physical processes, improve human health, and protect the environment. In addition to individual research, the university hosts multi-disciplinary competitive research centers that foster academic excellence and spur economic growth. Biomedical engineering, chemistry, and physics are the main pillars of USD’s materials research; key research strengths and facilities within this area include the Center for Ultra-low Background Experiments in Dakotas (CUBED), Graduate Education and Applied Research Center (GEAR), and Center for Security Printing and Anti-Counterfeiting Technologies (SPACT). USD is also home to the state's only medical school. Sanford School of Medicine faculty members teach students the latest techniques and skills for a career in biomedical research. Critical biomedical research areas include anatomy and structural biology, cancer biology, immunology, cardiovascular sciences, microbiology, neuroscience, rural healthcare, pharmacology and physiology, among others. Key research groups and facilities include: South Dakota Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN), Neuroscience & Nanotechnology Network (USD-N3), Center for Brain & Behavior Research (CBBRe) and USD’s two biomedical cores: Behavioral Core and Physiology Core.

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AdvaMed, The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), is a trade association that leads the effort to advance medical technology in order to achieve healthier lives and healthier economies around the world. AdvaMed’s membership has reached over 500 members and more than 80 employees with a global presence including Europe, India, China, Brazil, and Japan. AdvaMed’s member companies range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. The Association acts as the common voice for companies producing medical devices, diagnostic products and digital health technologies.

AdvaMed promotes competitive policies that foster the highest ethical standards, appropriate reimbursement, and access to international markets. While the policies advocated by AdvaMed are tailored to the specific issues facing the device and diagnostics industry, the need for strategic government policies is applicable to all the high technology, high value sectors in which America must compete effectively if it is to assure robust economic growth and a high standard of living for the American people.

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Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America's heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves more than one million patients and 220,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The integrated health system has 47 medical centers, 2,800 Sanford physicians and advanced practice providers, 170 clinical investigators and research scientists, more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations and world clinics in 8 countries around the globe.

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SUPPORTING SPONSOR

No matter where you live across the Upper Midwest, count on Avera Health, an integrated health system based in Sioux Falls, SD, for the same top-quality health services you’d find at major medical centers and regional referral facilities. Avera serves South Dakota and surrounding areas of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota through six regional centers in Aberdeen, Mitchell, Pierre, Sioux Falls and Yankton, SD, and Marshall, MN. We serve you through 37 hospitals, 215 primary and specialty care clinics, 40 senior living facilities in addition to home care and hospice, sports and wellness facilities, home medical equipment outlets and more. You’ll benefit not only from the highest quality expertise and technology, but also from an emotional and spiritual connection with Avera caregivers.

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NETWORKING SPONSOR

South Dakota State University is the state’s leader in the creation and dissemination of knowledge through research, development and innovation. Whether it’s through in-house R&D or partnerships with industry leaders designed to give students hands-on experience, SDSU ensures graduates will make an immediate impact on the rapidly evolving biotech industry.

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