Fellow:Emily O'Brien

Emily O'Brien a native of Lakeville, MN and graduate of the University of North Dakota in

 Entrepreneurship and Business Management, now pursuing her Master's in Entrepreneurship. In the past few years at the University of North Dakota, Emily has had the privilege to be apart of many different organizations on campus. She held positions in her sorority; Gamma Phi Beta as Vice President of Risk Management, Recruitment, Panhellenic Council Vice President, Chair of Greek Judicial Advisory Board, and currently holds positions in the School of Business and Public Administration Student Advisory Board as President, and serves as the President of Dakota Venture Group. Currently, she works as an Entrepreneur Specialist at the Center for Innovation helping entrepreneurs with their business ventures. Emily was also apart of the team that helped establish 1 Million Cups Grand Forks, and Startup Weekend Grand Forks. Additionally, Emily is working to establish a Co-Working Space in Greater Grand Forks, creating entrepreneur synergy, providing workstations, meeting space, technology infrastructure, and programming for independent professionals, freelancers, micro-business owners, and startups. Emily was also the lead for the Nation's First Student Venture Capital Summit, bringing together Student Venture Funds and professional leaders from all over the United States. Emily serves on the Grand Forks Herald Advisory Board, Grand Forks & East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Committee, Corvida Medical's Advisory Board, and UND School of Entrepreneurship Professional Practice Advisory Council. She has a passion for helping startup companies, nonprofits, investing, event planning and working with others. Emily strives to learn all that she can, that pushes her to continue to grow her knowledge and contributing to the entrepreneur ecosystem is an opportunity she truly values.