Bismarck, Oct. 1, 2025 - At this year’s annual CyberCon event hosted by Bismarck State College at their Advanced Technology Center, TechND presented DCN’s Troy Walker with an award to show appreciation for his dedication and leadership during his time with the non-profit group.
Current TechND President Tony Ambrose closed the TechND awards ceremony with the special presentation, expressing that “Our last award is a unique one, as we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge our 2023-2024 President Troy Walker. His outstanding leadership, commitment, service, passion, and hard work have helped to cement TechND as a strong and prosperous organization. We’re not sure where we’d be without his effort and dedication since joining the organization over 20 years ago.”
Ambrose continued “Troy wears many hats in the community and serves on multiple boards, so we truly appreciate the time, talent, and effort he continues to give us for the betterment of TechND. ” Ambrose then took a moment to personally thank Troy for his mentorship and guidance over the years, expressing gratitude for his leadership and friendship.
TroyWalkerPressRelease.pdf
Bismarck, Oct. 1, 2025 - At this year’s annual CyberCon event hosted by Bismarck State College at their Advanced Technology Center, TechND presented the 2025 Technology Innovator award to the F5 Project for their unique and innovative use of social media to empower and improve North Dakota communities.
TechND President Tony Ambrose presented the award to F5 Project’s Chief Advancement Officer, Megan Indvik.
“We are celebrating F5 Project and their utilization of social media to create spaces for followers to share experiences in recovery and connect with others in their community. This type of peer support is key for abating feelings of isolation and potentially relapsing,” Ambrose remarked, adding that “(F5 Project) regularly showcases success stories that highlight the journeys of individuals who have successfully rebuilt their lives. Those types of stories inspire and motivate people struggling with addiction or the justice system to prevent recidivism. They also use social media to announce their community involvement and availability to individuals who may not know all the resources available to them.”
Bismarck, Oct. 1, 2025 - The annual CyberCon event hosted by Bismarck State College saw Applied Digital awarded as 2025’s Premier Technology Company for their demonstration of outstanding performance, innovation, and community engagement in the state.
The award was accepted by Applied Digital’s Director of Community Operations, Martin Vega.
When presenting the award, TechND President Tony Ambrose remarked “Harnessing North Dakota’s natural advantages, with facilities under construction in Ellendale, ND, and now in Harwood, ND, Applied Digital seeks to provide scalable and robust capacity for the world’s leading AI companies.”
Ambrose continued, saying “Applied Digital has become an essential player in North Dakota's business and technology landscape by making substantial investments in AI centers across the state and bringing rural areas incredible amounts of economic development. We are celebrating Applied Digital and their contributions to the North Dakota’s growth as a technology hub and industry leader.”
Bismarck, Oct. 1, 2025 - This year’s annual CyberCon event hosted by Bismarck State College in their Advanced Technology Center featured the 2025 TechND Technology Awards ceremony, which saw Kayla Pulvermacher honored as North Dakota’s 2025 “Technology Champion.”
TechND President Tony Ambrose remarked when presenting the award that “Kayla has spent what seems like her whole career championing technology in one way or another;” continuing by noting a span “from her beginnings in finance and agriculture, holding executive positions helping to build infrastructure in non-profit and private sectors, modernizing organizational workflow for developing clear direction regarding policy and advocacy during legislative sessions, her involvement with TechND over the years (including recently moderating TechTalk panels and offering her insights to the Data Center Coalition of North Dakota), to her current role at Midco managing nuanced, large-scale government relations.”
After a momentary pause, Ambrose concluded with “(during this time) ...Kayla has been at the forefront in North Dakota of ushering in and utilizing technologies as they emerge.”
Available in PDF Format: 2025LEGISLATIVERECAP.pdf
Bismarck, Oct. 3, 2024 - At this year’s annual CyberCon event hosted by Bismarck State College in their National Energy Center of Excellence facility, the 2024 TechND Award for “Technology Innovator” was awarded to the Western Dakota Energy Association for their Wise Roads project.
Executive Director of TechND Terry Effertz presented the award to WDEA representatives Geoff Simon and Brent Bogar.
“This year's winner is the result of a project spearheaded by the Western Dakota Energy Association, in partnership with NDSU's North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute,” Effertz remarked, adding that “Wise Roads, as the name implies, has taken aim at drastically improving transportation information-sharing and data models which influence the oil and gas industry. Increasing efficiency for large-scale transport logistics in the energy sector, where they rely on many county and township roads subject to restriction during inclement weather, benefits the workers and citizens in our communities by maintaining the integrity of public roadways and keeping businesses operating everywhere it's safe.”
The presentation commended the project for their advanced technological approach to addressing weather monitoring needs, benefitting county road managers, industrial operations, and communities alike.
see below for official press release:
Bismarck, Oct. 3, 2024 - The annual CyberCon event hosted at the National Energy Center of Excellence by Bismarck State College saw Pavewise awarded as 2024’s “Premier Technology Business” for their cutting edge approach to large-scale infrastructure and engineering project management in the road construction field.
The award was accepted by Pavewise co-founders, CEO Bryce Wuori and COO Brittany Wuori.
When presenting the award to the winners, Executive Director of TechND Terry Effertz complimented the venture, stating they were being recognized a technology entity who has achieved outstanding success in their field by delivering technological business solutions.
“Using AI analytics and realtime data collection across a myriad of sources, Pavewise offers a fast-growing platform with accurate predictions of potential road wear and damage, which means an opportunity to intervene with preventative maintenance, extending the lifespan of roadways and reducing community costs across the board,” said Effertz. “And yes, though we don't always think about road conditions, we ALL benefit from roads staying nicer, longer. During his beginnings in an industry contingent upon innumerable variables, plagued by many important pivot points where a "weak link" brings a halt to the entire operation, CEO Bryce Wuori observed… and saw an opportunity to optimize resources, time, and energy.”
See below for official press release:
Bismarck, Oct. 3, 2024 - This year’s annual CyberCon event at Bismarck State College’s National Energy Center of Excellence featured the 2024 TechND Award ceremony, which culminated in John Nagel being honored with the 2024 award for “North Dakota Technology Champion.”
TechND Executive Director Terry Effertz remarked when presenting the award that “throughout the decorated career of our last recipient, he has consistently set the tone for a progressive and intelligent approach to marrying technology and the values we cherish in the state. As an established leader in the field, he’s been instrumental in shaping the landscape that allows us opportunities to attend and support events like today’s.”
Effertz continued, “A graduate of Bismarck State College, he serves as a beacon of professionalism in his President and Chief Security Officer roles for CyberNet Security, a BEK Company, where he’s brought top-tier information security standards and practices to the business sector.” She followed by commending John for previous awards, involvement in community organizations, business success, and track record of influencing technology policy in the state. Highlighted was Governor Burgum appointing him to North Dakota’s Economic Development Foundation in 2021, advising the Department of Commerce, his pivotal involvement with the Central North American Autonomous Transportation Association (CNATA), and the focus he has put into raising awareness of cyberbullying and safe online practices.
When Matt Chaussee picked up his first virtual reality headset, the Nintendo Virtualboy, he knew he was onto something.
“I knew the Virtualboy was revolutionary, but I also felt the overall experience was underwhelming,” says Chaussee. “It needed more color.”
Out of that experience, Chaussee’s company, Be More Colorful, was born.
Today, Be More Colorful, co-owned by Chaussee and his wife Katie Chaussee, offers an assortment of services including immersive virtual reality experiences and tours.
Early Experience
Initially, Chaussee saw an opportunity to create virtual tours for real-estate agents.
“My wife and I were looking at purchasing a new home, but unfortunately my wife had an injury that prevented her from entering a lot of homes we were interested at looking at,” says Chaussee. “I thought offering virtual tour services for Realtors® was an opportunity to make real estate listings more accessible to those with mobility impairments.”
Pivot Possibilities
Like many startups, Chaussee’s initial idea started evolving away from real estate, causing him to pivot his business model.
“I love North Dakota and the experiences it has to offer and saw an opportunity to capture some of our outdoor experiences and turn them into 360 tours to lure visitors to our state.”
Shortly after, Chaussee attended the North Dakota Tourism Convention tradeshow where he connected with state officials who were excited to utilize Be More Colorful’s services to market, not only North Dakota’s tourism experiences, but also the state’s workforce opportunities.
“Former Commerce Commissioner Michelle Kommer was really excited about using our services to help market North Dakota’s employment opportunities,” he notes.
Startup Success
Today, Be More Colorful creates interactive tours and immersive career exploration experiences through a product called CareerViewXR to showcase career opportunities across North Dakota.
Chaussee recently worked with the Fargo Police Department to create an experience that puts users inside the back of a Fargo Police Department squad car.
“It gives citizens an idea what it’s like to be a Fargo police officer while allowing users to interact with the environment,” says Chaussee.
CareerViewXR also allows users to click and interact with the tools the Fargo Police Department uses to learn more about its equipment, facilities, and operations.
Growth Opportunity
Chaussee says the demand for his services were accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and he expects his business to continue to thrive as the pandemic subsides.
“Regardless of a pandemic, how do you put a student or classroom on an oil rig? You can’t. You can’t bring a high school to a dental office, but we can demonstrate what it’s like to work in one by creating a scalable experience that can be deployed to a classroom, computer, or mobile device.”
Chaussee says his clients also utilize his services on Zoom calls, as it helps clients remember their talking points when they discuss their facilities and operations.
Looking ahead, Chaussee hopes to incorporate augmented reality (AR) into CareerViewXR experiences, which incorporates graphical information into the real world through electronic displays and devices.
“It’ll take some time for AR to be fully incorporated into our experiences, but we hope to make all of these experiences part of the curriculum in schools.” Interested in having your company featured with TechND? Email us at: kyle@technd.org
Bismarck, N.D. – The Technology Council of North Dakota (TechND) is seeking nominations for its 2021 North Dakota Technology Awards. Nominations are sought in three categories: Premier Tech Business, Technology Innovator and North Dakota Tech Champion. Additional information on award criteria and nomination forms are available at technd.org/Technology-Awards. The nomination deadline is June 30.
These awards recognize individuals, entities and businesses that are changing the face of the technology industry. North Dakota’s tech leaders will be recognized for their achievements in and contributions to the state’s technology industry. Awards program details are yet to be determined.
“The North Dakota Technology Awards Program is TechND’s way of recognizing the efforts of outstanding individuals and entities that have played a vital role in the use, growth and development of technology in North Dakota,” says Justin Forde, TechND president.
Founded in 2000 by North Dakota business, government and education leaders, TechND (formerly Information Technology Council of North Dakota) has spent the past two decades advocating for a positive business climate for technology companies, addressing tech workforce needs, encouraging infrastructure development and providing knowledge sharing opportunities for its membership.
