Greg Tehven runs a $5.5 million nonprofit with 40 teammates in Fargo, North Dakota — and his advice to leaders is to stop working on problems they can solve alone.
That instinct built Emerging Prairie into the heartbeat of a region's entrepreneurial ecosystem, launched Grand Farm, and turned TEDx Fargo into an event 1,000+ people build their year around. Guest co-host Stacy Huston, CEO of SixDegrees.org, brings Greg on to talk about what it actually takes. 🩵
In this episode, you'll hear:
- Why "make the problem bigger" is the fastest way to get more people working on it — and more fun besides
- The business model Greg borrowed from a Buddhist teacher: if a tree adds value to the community, the community waters it
- How Emerging Prairie designs for radical inclusion — childcare, food choices, time of day — and why those small barriers decide who shows up
- What Greg learned about receiving, not just giving, in a gift shop in India
- How serving the board first changed what the board gave back
You'll walk away with a way of building that doesn't require permission, a finished plan, or a bigger budget. 🩵
Episode Highlights:
- (4:05) Gravel roads and good neighbors: the making of Greg
- (7:38) From burnout to the Fargo thesis
- (11:17) Designing for generosity: the business model
- (14:09) Tolerance of ambiguity (and the TEDx story nobody saw coming)
- (21:43) Fighting for self, team, and community
- (26:50) The gift shop in India: learning to receive
- (30:21) Serving the board before asking the board
- (34:50) What doesn't show up in a grant application
- (37:55) One good thing: make the problem bigger
Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/744
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