The Mayors of the Three Biggest Cities in the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Announce Their Support for “America the Entrepreneurial”
Fargo, ND – June 4, 2026 – Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, today praised the mayors of the three biggest cities in the Greater Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area for announcing their unified support for “America the Entrepreneurial,” the nonpartisan campaign to renew the nation’s entrepreneurial promise in conjunction with the 250th Anniversary of the United States, the world’s greatest startup. The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 3, at StartupBREW Fargo, Emerging Prairie’s weekly meetup for entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives, and community members to come together and explore the entrepreneurial journey.
The announcement was made by the Hon. Shelly Carlson, Mayor of Moorhead, MN; the Hon. Bernie Dardis, Mayor of West Fargo, ND; and, the Hon. Tim Mahoney, Mayor of Fargo, ND. The three mayors became Founding Mayors of “America the Entrepreneurial” and declared that advancing entrepreneurship is a civic priority in their cities.
Left to right: West Fargo, ND Mayor Bernie Dardis; Moorhead, MN Mayor Shelly Carlson; Fargo, ND Mayor Tim Mahoney
“Increasing entrepreneurship is crucial to growing the economy of the Greater Fargo-Moorhead area, and Mayors Shelly Carlson, Bernie Dardis, and Tim Mahoney are leading the way,” said Greg Tehven, Co-Founder and CEO of Emerging Prairie, and Ambassador for Right to Start. “They are uniting to send a joint message that creating new jobs through entrepreneurship is a priority for the region.”
“This is a nationally significant announcement by Mayors Shelly Carlson, Bernie Dardis, and Tim Mahoney,” said Victor W. Hwang, Founder and CEO of Right to Start and a 2025 TEDxFargo Speaker. “They are declaring entrepreneurship to be a priority across their metropolitan area, and that’s a signal that should now be replicated by mayors across the nation.”
“America the Entrepreneurial” is a nonpartisan campaign created by Right to Start. It is designed to revive the spirit that built the nation and to elevate entrepreneurship in the national conversation about economic priorities. “America the Entrepreneurial” engages entrepreneurs, their supporters, businesses and nonprofit organizations, government officials, and other civic leaders across the nation in raising awareness of the importance of entrepreneurship, the needless barriers in its way, and steps that can be taken to enhance and strengthen it.
Entrepreneurship creates virtually all net job growth in America, and it benefits everyone. Every 1% increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2% decline in poverty. Research by the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab reveals, too, that a 1% increase in the number of entrepreneurs at the county level corresponds with a 2% gain in household income. That represents an increase of about $1500 over three years per household in the county, based on the latest available national data.
Yet needless barriers make it much harder to start a new business than it should be. A recent survey conducted for Right to Start by a bipartisan team of pollsters revealed that 92% of voters think it is difficult to start and grow a new business today; nearly half (45%) think it is very difficult. That means that millions of Americans are being dissuaded from starting businesses, and, as a result, all Americans aren’t benefiting as they could be. The same survey revealed that 43% of voters have thought about starting a new business, but only half of them (21%) have tried.
Entrepreneurship has broad support, however, from American voters regardless of political affiliation. That same survey found that American voters almost unanimously agree that “it is important to America’s future that citizens have a fair opportunity to start and grow their own business”: 94% agree, 2% disagree, and 4% are not sure. Near-unanimity crosses party lines – with 95% of Republicans, 95% of Independents, and 92% of Democrats agreeing.
For more information or to speak with Victor Hwang or Greg Tehven, contact Henry Miller at hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com or 917-921-8034.
About Right to Start
Right to Start is a national nonpartisan movement to advance entrepreneurship as a civic priority throughout the United States. Entrepreneurship has long been viewed as a solitary endeavor – the lone starter in a basement or garage. Right to Start’s vision is to transform America so that all communities prioritize entrepreneurship, clearing away obstacles to ensure that every American has an equal right to start and a level playing field on which to embark.
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