North Dakota Entrepreneur Howard Dahl Brings ‘Never-Quitters’ Story to 鶹Ʒ Business Students
Fargo business leader and author will share lessons in innovation, resilience and risk-taking Oct. 22 at the Gary Tharaldson School of Business
BISMARCK, ND — A North Dakota entrepreneur whose family helped shape generations of agricultural innovation will bring lessons in business, resilience, and risk-taking to 鶹Ʒ students this fall.
Howard Dahl, president and CEO of Amity Technology in Fargo and co-author of the new book “The Never-Quitters: The E.G. Melroe Legacy,” will speak Thursday, Oct. 22, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. in Butler Auditorium at the 鶹Ʒ’s Gary Tharaldson School of Business. The event is open to students and the public.
Dahl’s new book, co-written with author Patrick McCloskey, chronicles the entrepreneurial legacy of the Melroe and Dahl families and their influence on agricultural innovation in North Dakota and beyond. Dahl is the grandson of E.G. Melroe, whose family business, Melroe Manufacturing Co., became closely associated with one of North Dakota’s best-known innovations — the Bobcat loader.
For Dr. Karel Sovak, dean of the Gary Tharaldson School of Business, Dahl’s visit represents the kind of encounter the school wants its students to have with accomplished business leaders who can speak candidly about the successes, setbacks, and decisions behind a lifetime of entrepreneurship.
“Howard Dahl’s story is ultimately about much more than building successful companies,” Sovak said. “It is about perseverance, innovation, taking prudent risks and having the courage to continue when circumstances do not unfold as planned. Those are lessons our students can carry into any profession. We want them to learn from men and women who have actually confronted those decisions and understand that business, practiced virtuously, can be a noble vocation and a tremendous force for good in the lives of others and their communities.”
That philosophy extends throughout the student experience at the Gary Tharaldson School of Business, where classroom instruction is paired with extensive hands-on opportunities and interaction with professionals.
All business students complete an internship, while other opportunities allow students to begin putting business principles into practice before graduation. Members of the 鶹Ʒ Investment Club research companies, make investment pitches and help manage a live portfolio now valued at more than $1 million. Students also gain banking experience through the full-service Bravera Bank branch inside the Lumen Vitae University Center on campus, including opportunities to serve in leadership roles.
The school also recently launched its tuition-free Accounting Academy, through which selected students study year-round and complete their Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2.6 years before continuing into 鶹Ʒ’s MBA program. Academy students also receive mentorship and opportunities to connect with business leaders and potential employers.
Those experiences reflect the Gary Tharaldson School of Business’ emphasis on preparing students not simply to enter the workforce, but to become ethical servant leaders equipped to use their abilities in service to others.
Dahl’s visit adds another accomplished North Dakota business leader to that education — and gives students the opportunity to hear firsthand how innovation rarely follows a straight line.
To learn more about the Gary Tharaldson School of Business and its undergraduate and graduate programs, visit umary.edu/business.
