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Shiloh Francis
FAILING INTO INNOVATION
In 1968, a scientist at 3M named Spencer Silver was trying to create a super-strong adhesive, but, instead, created a weak, pressure-sensitive adhesive that could be easily removed without leaving residue. For years, Silver couldn’t figure out what to do with this useless glue. His colleagues weren’t interested, and it seemed destined for the trash heap of history. Eventually, the failed adhesive was developed into the Post-it Note. And the rest, as they say, is history. 3M’s “failure” became a billion-dollar product that changed how the world organizes information.
Welcome to this issue of Elevate, where we are organizing the entrepreneurial ecosystem. There’s the story of Tamara Morrow, who experienced firsthand the weight of medical debt and wondered why acts of radical kindness couldn’t happen more often. Her question became Do Good, a platform that connects churches with families struggling with medical bills. The same is true for Chris King, who watched racers tape pieces of paper to walls and thought there had to be a better way to manage motocross events. His frustration with inefficiency became Adrenaline, a comprehensive track management platform. Finally, we feature Brandon Hatle and Tim Brown, who saw dangerous terrain in the Black
PRESIDENT & CEO
Tom Johnson
SENIOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS
DIRECTOR
Taylor Davis
SENIOR MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
DIRE CTOR
Shiloh Francis
SENIOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Lori Frederick
SENIOR PUBLIC POLICY DIRECTOR
Garth Wadsworth
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Liz Highland
ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT
& PROPERTY MANAGER
Loni Reichert
Hills and imagined aerial solutions that didn’t yet exist. Their vision became AerSol, bringing drone technology to agriculture and construction in ways the region has never seen.
We’re also taking this moment to update you on a community success story: the development of our Innovation District in downtown Rapid City. We believe the next 5-10 years hold good things for entrepreneurs in the area, and we believe we can have the infrastructure, community, and resources that tomorrow’s entrepreneurs will need to turn their own “failures” into breakthrough innovations.
The Innovation District spans six distinct zones, each designed to support different stages of the entrepreneurial journey. From mineral processing labs to drone testing facilities, from maker spaces to venture capital meeting rooms, the Innovation District represents Rapid City’s commitment to being a place where wild ideas don’t just survive, they thrive.
And we think it has a good chance of sticking around.
Stay safe and God-speed.
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Laura Jones
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Kallie Ruland
BUSINESS PROSPECT MANAGER
Drew Staufer
CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER
Bailey Sadowsky
EVENTS & MARKETING MANAGER
Kamryn Wainwright
INVESTOR SALES MANAGER
Adam Braun
EXECUTIVE
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Ashley Simonson
Tom Johnson, President & CEO
Elevate is a monthly publication produced by Elevate Rapid City. It is the premier business magazine for the Black Hills region telling the stories that make our area unique and vibrant.
PO Box 747 Rapid City, SD 57709 605.343.1744
elevaterapidcity.com
RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA \\
JULY 2025
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
October 1–31
LIL’ HARVESTER’S PUMPKIN PATCH
8680 US-16
lilharvesterspumpkinpatch.com
October 1–31 WASPOOKI WaTiki watikiwaterpark.com/events
October 3–5
BLACK HILLS FILM FESTIVAL
The Journey Museum blackhillsfilmfestival.org
October 3–4
GIRLS LAKOTA NATION VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 3
REHAB + NINE LEFT DEAD + PISTOLS AT DAWN
The Park thepark707.com/event
October 3–5
THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL Performing Arts Center performingartsrc.org/events
October 4
CRUISER CAR SHOW
Canyon Lake Drive simpletix.com
October 4–25
FALL FEST AT OLD MACDONALD’S FARM
Old MacDonald’s Farm oldmacdonaldsfarmrc.com
October 4
FALL MARKETPLACE POP UP
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 5
2025 FHANA FRIESIAN KEURING (INSPECTION)
James Kjerstad Events Center centralstatesfairinc.com/events
October 6–7
SDHSAA CLASS AA BOYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Meadowbrook Golf Course sdhsaa.com/activity
October 10–12
BLACK HILLS POW WOW
The Monument blackhillspowwow.com
October 10
MANIA THE ABBA TRIBUTE
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 11
18TH ANNUAL JOLLY LANE FALL FESTIVAL
Jolly Lane jollylane.com
October 11
BIERBÖRSE FESTIVAL
Main Street Square visitrapidcity.com/event
October 12
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 12
THE SECRET AGENTS
Performing Arts Center rapidcityconcertassociation.com
October 17–19
BADLANDS LITTLE
BRITCHES RODEO
James Kjerstad Events Center centralstatesfairinc.com/events
October 17
PARKER MCCOLLUM
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 17–19
RAPID CITY KENNEL CLUB
ANNUAL DOG SHOW
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 18
BLACK HILLS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
PRESENTS GARDEN OF THE GODS
Performing Arts Center performingartsrc.org/events
October 19
MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL 2: CRUISING THROUGH THE CHANGE
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 24–25
RAPID CITY RUSH VS. WICHITA THUNDER
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 25
CANDLELIGHT: A HAUNTED EVENING OF HALLOWEEN CLASSICS
Performing Arts Center feverup.com
October 25
MERCYME LIVE WITH NATALIE GRANT AND SPECIAL GUEST SAM WESLEY
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 28–November 1
GOLD RUSH NATIONALS
The Monument themonument.live/events
October 31
COVEN OF CHAOS HALLOWEEN PARTY
Hotel Alex Johnson alexjohnson.com/events
October 31
THE FAB FOUR – THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE
The Monument themonument.live/events
Events are curated with the most accurate information available at the time of print. Please check the event website for full details or changes.
EVENTS 2025 OCTOBER
EXECUTIVE
Mark Houston
PUBLIC
Leslie Cline IT/ENGINEERING
Chris Jaques PRODUCER
Amber Clement
Oakley Tye PROMOTIONS
Mitchell Stafford
Brenna Sherry DATA
Josh Partridge OPERATIONS
Toni Kinney THE CAST
M ark Houston
Leslie Cline
Amy Rose
Mitchell Stafford
Oakley Tye
Brandon Jones
Gary Matthews
Francie Ganje
SOUTH DAKO
BLACK HILLS’
FLIGHT FIRSTIN
DRONE SPRAYING IS THE WAY OF THE AGRICULTURAL FUTURE.
STORY BY KORY LANPHEAR // PHOTOS BY BAILEY SADOWSKY
The famous Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus warns of the perils of flying too near the sun. In reality, flying too close to the ground is far more dangerous. It is with this partially in mind that Managing Members Brandon Hatle and Tim Brown created AerSol, which deals in agriculture and surveying drones, drone repair, sales, and training.
“The name AerSol is short for ‘aerial solutions,’” says Brandon Hatle, 37, originally from the Piedmont area and a Sturgis Brown and Black Hills State graduate. “The idea was 10 years in the making. I was working for the power company cutting trees, and I saw opportunities to use herbicide, insecticides and fungicides in the Black Hills, but there was really no spraying apparatus to be able to do what I was thinking could be done.”
Because of the Black Hills’ uneven terrain, it’s dangerous and imprecise
to use traditional, manned aircraft for spraying. At the time, Brandon broached his general idea to a future, now former, member of AerSol, who suggested using drones. Brandon was intrigued. However, his initial research found that the technology was not quite advanced enough yet.
Five years later, Brandon met future business partner, Rapid City Stevens and University of South Dakota graduate, Tim Brown. Tim, 36, was also interested in drones and brought a background in construction management to the table. However, they each turned to other endeavors for the time being.
“The stars aligned two years ago; that’s when we really started putting the fuel to the fire. Eighteen months ago, we officially launched as a company. Now, we’re just really trying to literally get this thing off the ground,” Brandon says.
Common goals Uncommon good
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“MY VISION IS TO BE ALL THINGS DRONES FOR THIS REGION AND TO HELP IMPLEMENT THEM INTO TONS OF INDUSTRIES, NOT JUST CONSTRUCTION, NOT JUST AGRICULTURE.”
- TIM BROWN
Brandon likens the spray drone to the Swiss Army knife of spray tools. AerSol’s large commercial drone, about 10 feet in length, propeller to propeller, has multiple agricultural spraying applications.
“Farmers or ranchers can use one drone to spray their whole operation — farm and hay ground, pastures, cattle, trees, you name it,” he says. “You program the drone, and it does the work for you. It could be spraying in the middle of the night, if you want. There are very few limitations other than wind, which is pretty standard for spraying.”
Smaller drones, similar in size to what a hobbyist might fly, are used for data collection in architecture, engineering, and construction, or AEC. These drones are armed with anything from a standard camera, to multi-spectra imaging for plant identification, thermal
sensors to pick up heat patterns, or Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to accurately assess elevations.
“On a construction site, the drones collect centimeter-accurate data to tell if a building is in the right spot, how much dirt is in this pile or that pile, etc.” says Tim. “Whether a project is commercial or residential, there’s no reason why you can’t have proof something was built a certain way. The drones are just another tool to help capture that data or monitor it.”
It was a primary objective for Brandon and Tim to be first to market in the area and try to help usher in an era of new practical technology for businesses still operating in the traditional ways. Their approach is to begin as a service provider and gradually transition into sales, with the ultimate goal of customers purchasing drones to operate for their own business needs. AerSol can help facilitate training, licensing and software implementation.
“I feel like we’re coming in at a very good time, but a very difficult time,” says Brandon. “The business space now looks completely different than it did a year ago. Unfortunately, pretty much all the drone technology comes from China. Many of those drones are no longer allowed into the states. It’s been interesting to navigate that to say the least. We’ve just got to keep failing forward.”
In the next five years, AerSol would like to help put 100-200 spray drones in the skies around a 300–400-mile radius of Rapid City.
“My vision is to be all things drones for this region and to help implement them into tons of industries, not just construction, not just agriculture,” says Tim. “We want to help teach the region how to use this tool and how it fits into their operation.” *
MOTOCROSS MEETS INNOVATION
LOCAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPER CHRIS KING CREATES SEAMLESS RACEDAY APP
STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI \\ PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS
IT’S REMARKABLE HOW MANY LITTLE COINCIDENTAL THINGS IN MY PAST HAVE COME BACK TO AID ME IN THE SITUATION I AM IN NOW, BEING A FOUNDER OF A STARTUP AND WORKING IN THIS NEW TERRITORY.”
- CHRIS KING “
Chris King first discovered motocross at age 8, but it wasn’t until his 30s that the thrill of a dirt bike truly gripped him. One ride around a cul-de-sac on a friend’s new bike was all it took.
By the next day, he owned one himself. A few weeks later, a road trip through South Dakota sealed the deal. “It was a life-changing experience.”
Soon, Chris was racing alongside his stepson, a passion that sparked an idea during their first competition.
“I saw the way they were managing the data; essentially, it was pieces of paper taped to the wall,” Chris said.
“They would have the order of the races, who was racing, then every single racer walks up to the wall and takes a photo of the paper. That was a big eye opener.”
Drawing on his longtime career as a software developer, he set out to transform the extreme sport’s race-day experience. His vision became Adrenaline, a startup now changing the way motocross events are run.
Adrenaline is a comprehensive track management platform for off-road motorcycle racing-streamlining ticketing, registration, and race-day logistics into one seamless system. Designed for organizers and racers alike, it simplifies operations to deliver engaging, well-run events from start to finish.
A native of Kansas City, Chris started writing software code in his early 20s
- for fun. He lacked formal education but immersed himself in the field and has been there ever since.
He worked at a company in Kansas City in the late 1990s, soaking up all the knowledge he could. “It was a great learning experience. I had a great boss who trusted my skills. They basically said, here is the admin password, eight servers, 60 computers and 60 phones – just take care of it,” Chris said.
In 2007, he left Kansas City for a job in Sioux Falls where he continued to build up his resume and his learning opportunities. Six years later, Chris moved farther west, landing in Rapid City and getting a remote job as a video game engineer. “I love South Dakota. It is so welcoming and easy. I’ve really grown to appreciate everything here,” he said.
It was in 2023 when Chris’s passion for writing software code and off-road motorcycles collided. He bought his motorcycle, started practicing and entered events alongside his stepson. “I was not in physical condition to do it, but I went gung-ho, being both motorcycle parent and racer.”
Along with the competitions, Chris began sketching out the idea of what would eventually be Adrenaline. “I started toying with it on the side as a hobby, figuring out what the app would be like and some of its core functionalities.”
The idea didn’t fully take shape, however, until life forced a turning point
and Chris was laid off from his job. “A lot of people in the industry were getting their jobs cut,” he said, adding that he would be one out of thousands of people applying for one job. “It was intense.”
But it was also the push Chris needed to try something different. “The idea of owning a software company was intimidating, but in that moment, I knew it was the right thing to do.”
While jumping into entrepreneurship was scary, the support and encouragement around him made the journey easier.
Chris met with Elevate Rapid City, who recommended he contact Wildfire Labs, an early-stage accelerator that helps entrepreneurs build and launch their software products. Through Wildfire, he reconnected with longtime friend and entrepreneur Mike Vetter, co-founder of Wildfire Labs, and recently graduated from Wildfire Academy.
His time in Wildfire Academy gave him the tools to build a robust app that streamlines racing events from start to finish. With Adrenaline, promoters can create and publish events, handle registration and check-in and manage live scoring and timing — all with results delivered straight to participants’ phones.
Currently in early launch with invitation-only access, Adrenaline is already generating positive feedback. Chris is eager for the next phase: touring around motocross races with Tom Glanzer, his director of operations, to promote the app.
“It’s remarkable how many little coincidental things in my past have come back to aid me in the situation I am in now, being a founder of a startup and working in this new territory – things that happened in the past that I may not have appreciated for their value at the time, but now I realize the valuable lessons learned and am grateful they happened.” *
ADRENALINE ADRENALINE.MX
YEARS
DELIVERING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND PROVEN SERVICE SINCE 1976
KIND •
CONNECTING ACTS NESS OF
Wildfire Labs Grad Launches
Platform to Wipe Out Medical Debt
STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI \\ PHOTOS SUBMITTED
In December 2020, Tamara Morrow opened her mailbox to find a letter that would change her life.
It wasn’t another bill, but the opposite. A letter stating that her medical debt had been paid off by a local church.
“There was no contact information, no way to know who had helped. It really was just an act of radical kindness,” she said. ‘I wondered why this didn’t exist all the time.”
That moment stuck with her.
She had undergone multiple surgeries that left her with thousands of dollars in bills, and as a longtime social worker, she knew firsthand the weight of medical debt.
“Medical debt causes people to file bankruptcy, and the number one reason for first-time homelessness is bankruptcy,” Tamara said. “Every day I helped people with social security disability and VA disability, connecting them with medical providers and getting treatment. I witnessed firsthand how medical debt was affecting people – not just financially but mentally.”
Her experience, both as a patient burdened with medical debt and as a social worker walking alongside others in crisis, sparked a question: What if homelessness could be prevented by wiping out medical debt while at the same time connecting families with the churches that helped?
Staff photo
That question grew into Do Good, a software platform that links churches with local hospitals, adding a personal touch. Tamara recently graduated from Wildfire Labs and is now moving her family from Oklahoma to Rapid City to expand her startup.
Morrow first laid the groundwork for Do Good in 2023 while participating in Leadership Tulsa, a community leadership development program connecting diverse leaders who want to make a difference in the community.
Do Good began as her Leadership Tulsa community project.
During that same year, she began working with Builders and Backers, another startup accelerator. “They really helped with my initial research, but no churches really picked it up at the time. It was all data-driven, and there was no story component.”
That changed when Mike Vetter, co-founder of Wildfire Labs, reached out to Tamara. “He was at a convention in Washington, D.C., and he heard about my project,” she said. “That transformed my community project into a full-scale computer program.”
Tamara partnered with friend and longtime debt collector, Brian Hines. The two meet with churches to discuss the amount of community outreach funds they will contribute. Brian then negotiates with local medical providers to buy as much medical debt as possible with that money.
Instead of a debt collection notice, individuals and families receive a postcard with a QR code stating, “We paid off this medical debt.” The QR code leads to a website that features a message from the church along with a list of community classes, groups and other events.
THAT TRANSFORMED MY COMMUNITY PROJECT INTO A FULL-SCALE COMPUTER PROGRAM.”
- TAMARA MORROW
|For three months, if families opt in, a follow-up campaign continues the connection, offering resources and asking what other barriers they may face.
“We give that information to the church so they may be able to help the community members beyond paying for the medical debt,” Tamara said.
The families receiving support live in the same communities as the churches. Do Good partners with hospitals within 30 miles of the need, if possible.
So far, Tamara is working with churches in Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico and Missouri, already building connections to relieve medical debt and give families some much-needed peace of mind.
And she is not stopping there.
Aside from building up her list of partner churches, Tamara has added additional apps, DD Presenter and Do Good Pastor, to her platform, providing technology that assists with everyday tasks like creating slide presentations and speech writing.
Tamara envisions building a comprehensive, affordable software platform designed to serve all church needs. For now, she is focused on relocating her husband, Branden, and their children, Octavian and Hadrian, to Rapid City, where she will continue to grow the next chapter of Do Good. *
DISTRICT INNOVATION
INSIDE THE STUDY
A VISION FOR RAPID CITY’S FUTURE
Across the country, innovation districts are redefining how communities grow their economies. These districts are not simply clusters of offices or research labs. They are vibrant ecosystems where universities, entrepreneurs, and businesses work side by side, supported by housing, retail, and public spaces that encourage creativity and connection. Now, Rapid City is stepping into that future.
For Rapid City, the district is envisioned as more than just a cluster of buildings. It’s about fostering collaboration between universities, industry partners, local startups, and established companies, while making the east end of downtown a hub of energy and activity.
Rapid City has been experiencing healthy, sustainable growth. Wages have risen, the prime-age workforce is expanding, and new businesses are opening at a steady pace. Together, these factors create fertile ground for an innovation district that not only attracts talent but also keeps it here.
Photo by SD Mines
The journey began in October 2023, when Elevate Rapid City was awarded a $500,000 Strategy Development Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration under the federal Tech Hubs program. Rapid City was one of just 29 communities chosen nationwide. The grant provided more than just funding, it placed Rapid City on a national stage and signaled that the region’s potential for innovation was worth investing in.
That process led to the Innovation District study, which lays out a bold vision to connect
SD Mines to downtown Rapid City and its surrounding corridors. A steering committee comprised of representatives from Elevate Rapid City, the City of Rapid City, Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), SD Mines, Western Dakota Technical College, Caterpillar, and RESPEC worked to map out how we could harness our strengths in science, technology, and entrepreneurship to build a more resilient economy.
THE FRAMEWORK: Six Key Zones
The study outlines a district divided into six interconnected zones, each with a specific role in building a dynamic, future-ready community:
HIGHWAY SAFETY
Enhanced safety and connectivity along Omaha Street with high-visibility commercial spaces, and attractive front door to the Innovation District and Rapid City
Area for collaborative spaces, integrating co-working spaces, restaurants and bars, artist studios, policy research, and apartments
RESEARCH NEXUS
State-of-the-art facility that bridges academic research and commercial innovation: meeting spaces, labs and test facilities, student housing, and a welcome center
SANDBOX GATEWAY COMMONS MISSING MIDDLE
Development that connects the Innovation District and Downtown: storefronts, co-working spaces, commercial kitchens, medium- and high-density housing
Large-scale prototyping and machining facility to develop, test, and exhibit large equipment in an area that supports collaboration between Mines & WDTC
Diverse housing options complementary to the existing neighborhood: cottages, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and other innovative housing
MAPLE
Together, these six zones form more than just a collection of projects. They represent a new way of thinking about Rapid City’s future: one where research translates more quickly into real-world applications, where entrepreneurs find support to grow, and where residents see direct benefits in jobs, housing, and cultural amenities. The study also acknowledges the challenges ahead, particularly in moving discoveries from the lab to the marketplace. Commercialization has long been a stumbling block in the mining and advanced manufacturing sectors, and overcoming that gap will be critical if the district is to succeed.
Yet this challenge is also an opportunity. The very purpose of the Innovation District is to
bridge these divides between research and business, between ideas and investment, and between the downtown core and the broader community. By aligning public and private resources and fostering collaboration across sectors, the district has the potential to create jobs at all skill levels, attract outside investment, and position Rapid City as a destination for talent.
For the community, the benefits go beyond technology. A thriving district means more vibrant downtown spaces, stronger support for small businesses, and expanded opportunities for students and workers alike. It means a city where people can both enjoy a high quality of life and contribute to groundbreaking work. *
NOMINATE FOR THE 2025
The Distinguished Public Service Award was established in 2023 to honor an individual who has worked in the public sector to bring positive change to his or her community at the state or local level. Award recipients have devoted a large portion of their lives to serving others, professionally and privately, not because they expect something in return; not because they think it will improve their reputation; but because service is so deeply ingrained in their identity, so profoundly a part of who they are.
Scan the QR code to nominate and complete the application.
You may either nominate and complete the application for a deserving individual or you may complete the application for yourself. The recipient will be honored at Elevate’s Annual Meeting in January 2026.
