ND Future Forum Session Details

In this keynote, Dr. Marian Tupy offers a fresh way to think about population growth and resources. He explains that as the population grows, so does human creativity and problem-solving. Drawing from his co-authored book Superabundance, he uses real data to show how innovation and free markets have made many essential goods more available and affordable over time.

This session explores what these trends mean for economic growth, the workforce, and public policy. Dr. Tupy’s message is clear: the future isn’t defined by limits, but by our ability to innovate, adapt, and create new solutions.

Keynote Host: Dr. John Bitzan, Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth

Dr. Marian Tupy, Cato Institute

JOHN BITZAN is the Menard Family Director of the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth and a professor of management at North Dakota State University. His research has focused on public policy issues involving railroads, airlines, motor carriers, waterways, and public transit, with particular emphasis on transportation costs, energy use, pricing, profitability, and regulatory change. He has also studied college students’ attitudes toward free expression, their understanding of human progress, and their views on capitalism and socialism. Bitzan has co-edited three books on transportation economics and published in leading academic journals, including the Southern Economic Journal, Journal of Law and Economics, Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, and Review of Industrial Organization. His work has also appeared in Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Fox News, and Newsweek. He earned his PhD in economics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

MARIAN L. TUPY is the founder and editor of Human​Progress​.org, and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity.

He is the coauthor of the Simon Abundance Index, Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet (2022) and Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting (2020).

His articles have been published in the Financial Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Newsweek, the U.K. Spectator, Foreign Policy, and various other outlets both in the United States and overseas. He has appeared on BBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, Fox Business, and other channels.

Tupy received his BA in international relations and classics from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and his PhD in international relations from the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom.

This CEO conversation offers a candid look at leadership, growth, and what’s next for North Dakota’s economy. Featuring Dave Ehlis, President and CEO of Bravera Bank—a community-focused financial institution serving businesses and families across the state—and moderated by GNDC President and CEO Arik Spencer, the discussion will connect personal leadership journey with broader economic impact.

Ehlis will share how his experience across industries shaped his approach to banking, and how he’s guided Bravera through brand evolution, strategic mergers, and expanded reach in both eastern and western markets. The conversation will explore the realities of leading through change, the opportunities ahead in across sectors, and the critical role financial institutions play in supporting business growth and strong communities.

Attendees can expect an engaging, down-to-earth exchange with practical insight into where North Dakota is headed—and who is helping drive it forward.

Dave Ehlis, CEO & President, Bravera Bank

Arik Spencer, CEO & President, Greater North Dakota Chamber

In 2014, DAVE EHLIS was named President and CEO of Bravera Holdings Corp. and Bravera Bank, an employee- and director-owned company, comprised of Bravera Bank, Bravera Insurance, and Bravera Wealth. Before assuming his current role, Dave held several management and leadership roles in the United States military, energy, banking, and agricultural industries.

Dave is a New England, North Dakota native. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. Dave and his wife Karla reside in Bismarck, North Dakota. They have two daughters, one who lives in New York City, New York, and one who lives in Bismarck.

He is currently a board member and Chair of the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC; Trustee of the University of Mary, Board Member of Humanities North Dakota; member of the Bismarck Rotary Club, member of the Cathedral Parish; Board Member of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors; and a partner of Dakota West Farms.

ARIK SPENCER is the President & CEO of the Greater North Dakota Chamber (GNDC), North Dakota’s premier business advocacy association, which is solely dedicated to growing North Dakota’s economy and creating the best business climate in the nation on behalf of businesses of every size and in every sector.

Spencer has more than two decades of experience in government relations and public policy advocacy, as well as non-profit management. Other areas of expertise include operational planning, coalition building, organizational strategy, and membership services.

Before joining GNDC in 2018, Spencer was the Executive Vice President of the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association and had previously worked for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department. He serves on the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute Advisory Board, Chairs the North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance Board Nominating Committee, and is the treasurer of the North Dakota Transportation Coalition. Spencer also serves on the strategic planning committee for the National Association of State Chambers and is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100.

Spencer has a bachelor’s in business management from the University of Mary. He and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of three children and live in Bismarck.

This panel explores the full cycle of impact: how business growth drives job creation and economic opportunity, how employees carry that success into their communities through leadership and engagement, and how companies are making intentional investments that shape the places where they operate.

From sponsorships and foundations to workforce and place-based investments, panelists will share why they engage, how they prioritize where to invest, and what outcomes they’re seeing—for both their businesses and their communities. This conversation moves beyond philanthropy to strategy, highlighting how community investment strengthens talent pipelines, enhances company culture, and creates a more competitive and resilient economy.

Moderator: Melissa Beach, President – Economic Development Association of North Dakota, Economic Development Administrator – Minnkota Power Cooperative

Tara Bujold, Director of Executive Operations, Dakota Medical Foundation

Erin Dickson, Brand Engagement Manager, Northern Plains Rail Services

​Kim Lawler, Manager of Giving & Social Impact, Marvin

MELISSA BEACH is an Economic Development Administrator with Minnkota Power Cooperative, where she brings equal passion to million-dollar regional investments and the smallest Main Street dreams. Whether supporting transformative infrastructure initiatives or helping a family business turn a spark of an idea into a thriving venture, Melissa is driven by one mission: turning great ideas into successful projects that strengthen communities. She finds particular fulfillment in working within the cooperative model, where the focus on member-owners and community well-being aligns closely with her commitment to meaningful, locally driven impact.

Melissa currently serves as President of the Economic Development Association of North Dakota, where she works with partners across the state to advance its mission of promoting the creation of new wealth to build vibrant communities and improve quality of life.

Before joining Minnkota, Melissa served as Economic Development Director for the City of Casselton, North Dakota, and as Executive Director for the Traill County Economic Development Commission. She also brings experience as an agricultural and commercial lender—background that provides both a strategic and practical understanding of what it takes to move projects from concept to reality.

Outside of her professional work, Melissa is a dedicated sports mom to three active children (ages 15, 12, and 9). She can often be found in a gym, at a field, or mat-side, and has become an unofficial connoisseur of sideline comfort products. Melissa and her kids call Hillsboro home.

TARA BUJOLD serves as Director of Executive Operations at Dakota Medical Foundation, where she leads day-to-day operations and strategy for both Dakota Medical Foundation and Impact Foundation. She also currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of Impact Foundation. She oversees development efforts, manages key initiatives, and works closely with board members, fund holders, and community stakeholders to ensure organizational goals are achieved. Tara plays a role in hosting Giving Hearts Day, the nation’s longest-running 24-hour giving event, helping drive engagement and impact across the region.

Prior to her current role, Tara worked at Northwestern Mutual in investment operations and client relations. She brings expertise in strategic planning and operations and remains active in the community through her board service with Farm in the Dell.

ERIN DICKSON is the Brand Engagement Manager at Northern Plains Rail Services, where she leads brand strategy, brand communications, and community engagement efforts across the company’s rail and service operations. With more than 20 years of experience across both agency and in-house roles, Erin brings a strategic marketing perspective along with deep roots in the agriculture and transportation industries.

Raised in North Dakota and now living on a family farm with her husband and three children, Erin brings a personal understanding of how strong communities and sustainable economic growth go hand in hand. At Northern Plains, she helps align business growth with meaningful community investment—from workforce development to partnerships like the company’s recent contribution to the Grand Forks Children’s Museum.

Erin is passionate about building brands that not only grow business, but also strengthen the communities they serve.

KIM LAWLER leads Giving and Community Relations at Marvin, where she oversees the company’s enterprise‑wide philanthropy, volunteerism, and community engagement across Marvin locations. Her work extends Marvin’s aspirations and values by strengthening the communities where employees live and work.

Through Giving at Marvin, Kim collaborates across the enterprise to make thoughtful, strategic investments of funding and volunteer support for hundreds of nonprofit partners. Marvin’s approach centers on building strong community partnerships, mobilizing employees, and ensuring its philanthropic efforts create meaningful, tangible impact.

Kim guides the Brighter Days Fund, Marvin’s employee assistance program, which provides financial support to team members facing unforeseen hardships. To date, the Fund has distributed over $1 million in assistance to more than 450 employees, funded through employee donations matched by Marvin.

With more than three decades of experience in philanthropy and community leadership, Kim previously worked as a fundraising professional for nonprofit organizations spanning health care, the arts, youth employment training, and environmental causes. Across her career, she has secured millions of dollars in support while strengthening board engagement, volunteer leadership, and cross‑sector partnerships.

Kim extends her commitment to community through service on the boards of Warroad Chamber & Tourism, Hearts and Hammers, Warroad Women of Today, and other local organizations. A native of Iowa, she earned her B.A. in Speech Communications from Iowa State University and has made her home in Minnesota since 2000, now residing between Marvin’s headquarters in Warroad and the Twin Cities.