North Dakota
Letter: Black-owned businesses are making history in North Dakota and across America
North Dakota small business owners are some of the strongest, most creative, and resilient people you will ever meet. In recent years, our small business community has weathered a global pandemic, persistent supply chain issues, sometimes volatile prices, and a tight labor market. Black-owned businesses in our state have faced disproportionate impacts from these pandemic challenges. Despite those headwinds, Black entrepreneurs across North Dakota are fueling one of the largest and most diverse waves of new business creation America has ever seen—what President Biden calls America’s Small Business Boom.
As we mark America’s 48th national celebration of Black History Month, the SBA is highlighting Black entrepreneur achievements here in North Dakota and throughout the nation. The past three years have been the three strongest years of new business formation in American history. The 16 million new business applications filed during this period show Americans starting businesses at nearly twice the rate—86% faster—compared to the pre-2021 average. During that time, U.S. small businesses have created more than 7.2 million net new jobs. And Black-owned businesses are responsible for some of the most significant gains.
This historic entrepreneurial boom didn’t come out of nowhere. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda reopened our nation’s economy, brought back Made in America manufacturing, and restored America’s global competitiveness. We’re rebuilding America’s roads, bridges, ports, and water systems while we build the clean energy economy of tomorrow. We’re also expanding high speed internet access nationwide including to many of North Dakota’s rural areas.
These investments are powering the Biden Small Business Boom, and unlike many economic recoveries of the past, this one includes entrepreneurs of color. One of the reasons for that is the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program. This innovative hub-and-spoke partnership connected hundreds of community organizations around the country – like the U.S. Black Chambers of Commerce and the National Urban League – with entrepreneurs, helping them make the most of SBA resources so their small businesses can grow and thrive.
Under SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman’s leadership, the agency has also delivered record-breaking government contracting for small businesses—including the most federal contracting dollars going to minority-owned businesses in history. And we’re addressing longstanding gaps in access to capital for Black entrepreneurs, more than doubling our small business loans to Black-owned businesses since 2020.
These investments are making a big impact. Black business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in 30 years. The share of Black households owning a business doubled between 2019 and 2022. In 2023 alone, Census data showed Americans filed 5.5 million new business applications across the country, including nearly 9,000 here in North Dakota. That success is creating a rising tide. Black wealth is up a record 60% from before the pandemic, and Black unemployment has reached historic lows since 2021.
These positive impacts are not isolated—in fact, we’re seeing positive gains for small businesses across demographics, regions, economic sectors, and beyond.
While North Dakota’s Black-owned businesses continue to help power the Small Business Boom, our work is far from done. Despite record federal dollars reaching Black-owned businesses through government contracting, longstanding disparities persist. Recently, the president announced his new goal to increase the share of federal contracts with Small Disadvantaged Businesses to 15% by fiscal year 2025. This represents a massive increase over historical averages—and a 50% increase from when he first took office, and a huge step towards equity.
The SBA also understands that, even in good times, minority entrepreneurs and other historically underserved communities (including women, veterans, and rural) still face obstacles accessing capital. That’s why the SBA is committed to ensuring that anyone with a good idea can pursue that opportunity. We’re helping more Americans than ever access the funds they need to realize their dreams of small business ownership – and that means more jobs, more goods and services, and more resilient communities, no matter the zip code.
For more information on SBA’s programs and services please visit
www.sba.gov
.
Aikta Marcoulier serves as the SBA’s Region VIII Administrator in Denver. She oversees the agency’s programs and services in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
The Denver Broncos made their big splash this offseason trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to bolster their offense. The position is now five deep at the position with Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant.
The receiving corps has a lot of talent, but also a lot of questions. Sutton isn’t getting any younger and has a significant cap hit in 2027. Additionally, it’s the last year of Mims’ rookie contract. In my opinion, the Broncos don’t have a long-term replacement in the mix for Sutton at the X position, which could be an area they seek to address in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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The Broncos utilizing their second-round selection on a wide receiver is very unlikely. However, a player I believe they will carry a relatively high grade on his North Dakota State standout Bryce Lance. Lance broke out in 2024 during the Bison’s last FCS title with 75 receptions for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns catching passes from Cam Miller. This past year, he had 51 receptions, 1,070 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns with projected Day 2 pick Cole Payton throwing him the ball.
He checks a lot of the boxes Head Coach Sean Payton covets at the position. Not only that, but I also believe he has the ability to be an explosive X receiver at the next level. Let’s do a deep dive regarding his strengths and weaknesses, and why and when the Broncos should consider selection him in this year’s draft.
Player Profile: Bryce Lance — Wide Receiver — North Dakota State
Height: 6’3” | Weight: 204 pounds | Arm Length: 32-1/8” | Hand Size: 9-1/4” | Age: 23 Years Old
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40-Yard Dash: 4.34 seconds | 10-Yard Split: 1.49 seconds | 3-Cone Drill: 7 seconds
Vertical: 41.5” | Broad Jump: 11’1” | 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.15 seconds
Statistics: 57 games played, 26 starts, 127 receptions with 2,157 receiving yards. 25 receiving touchdowns, as well as 121 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Film Room & Highlights
Hart’s Scouting Report
Positives:
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Good size and frame to handle being an X receiver on the outside in the NFL
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Elite athlete who has top-tier speed and vertical playmaking ability
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One of the most productive wide receivers in college football the past two seasons with a penchant for touchdowns and big-time plays that move the chains
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Incredible ball tracker down the field with a knack for coming down with highlight reel catches in the endzone, much like Sutton
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Amongst the best in this class most with respect to efficiency on outs, posts, corners, screens, and nine routes
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Top-notch hops and strong hands who routinely comes down with contested catches
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Ample special teams experience serving primarily in that fashion for the Bison in 2022 and 2023 after his redshirt season
Negatives:
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Despite tremendous downfield speed, he doesn’t sport much short area quickness
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Will likely need to add some strength and weight to handle the rigors of the next level
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Route refining and release at the line of scrimmage will need some work to take on NFL caliber talent
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Doesn’t have a lot of drops, but would like to see better catching technique, too often body catching instead of extending out and plucking from the air
Hart’s Projection: Top 75 Selection — Late Second Round, Early Third Round Value
Why the Denver Broncos should consider drafting Lance
After a quiet start to their free agency period, the Broncos took the NFL and media waves by storm acquiring Waddle for their first and third round picks in this year’s draft. It’s safe to say it is no longer a primary need for the team. However, it’s certainly a position where a long-term vision may come into focus during this year’s draft endeavors.
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Do I think the Broncos will use their top selection in this year’s draft on another wide receiver? No. Do I believe they should be interest in a player with Lance’s skillset, upside and ability? Absolutely. Sutton has been a good wide receiver for the franchise for years. In fact, I think he is a player underappreciated by most of the fan base. Nevertheless, it’s a possibility, especially if he has a drop in production this season, that Denver could move on from him at the end of this season. His 2027 cap hit is just over $28 million dollars.
Lance has some work to do transitioning from the FCS to NFL, but his elite athleticism and playmaking ability are enticing. He is arguably this draft’s best deep ball receiver and sported over 20 yards per reception this past season. That’s an area where Denver struggled with during their ‘25, especially Troy Franklin, whose deep ball tracking and contested catch ability are subpar.
He checks a lot of boxes, and I believe is a player the Broncos’ brass will think highly of. Whether or not that results in them drafting him is an entirely different matter. They certainly have bigger needs, though I think the Bison standout is a great fit for Denver’s offense and boasts the potential to be Sutton’s heir at the X position.
I have Lance ranked as a Top 75 player with a late-second round, early third-round grade. The Broncos are scheduled to pick at 62 overall, which may be a bit too early for him. Perhaps in a trade down scenario, the odds could pick up a bit. Overall, I love the fit, but it seems unlikely the FCS superstar ends up sporting a Broncos’ cap on draft day.
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Did you know that North Dakota has 63 wildlife refuges? That is more than any other state! These refuges are places where the land and water are protected to preserve the homes of animals dependent on the land.
North Dakota’s refuges are home to many animals, including moose, badgers, coyotes and more than 250 kinds of birds.
You can visit many of North Dakota’s wildlife refuges, including Audubon National Wildlife Refuge in McLean County, Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge in Williams County and Slade National Wildlife Refuge in Burleigh County.
Activities can range from fishing and hunting to enjoying hiking trails and photography.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
Former Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball wing Jack Robison announced he’d be transferring to North Dakota State University.
The Bison landed the 6-foot-6 forward who still has two years of eligibility remaining.
The 2026 Summit League Champions finished the 2025-26 season 27-8 overall as they suffered a 92-67 defeat in the NCAA Tournament to No. 3 Michigan State.
With only two seniors on their roster a year ago, NDSU is looking to pick up right where they left off. Robison didn’t have a ton of playing time in his two-year career with the Badgers, but his 30 appearances helped him get his feet wet.
Robison averaged 1.8 minutes per game in 2025-26, which was up from the 1.2 he averaged as a freshman. Not only were his minutes up, but he appeared in four more games as he was beginning to catch Greg Gard’s attention.
The Badgers have a ton of turnover heading into 2026-27, but Robison was the first to announce where he’d be heading. Wisconsin still awaits John Blackwell’s decision to see if he’s staying in the Big Ten or not, but Badgers fans at least know where they can follow Robison’s career for potentially his final two collegiate seasons.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.
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