May 12, 2020

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Peter Hauck, community manager at the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship.

Name: Peter Hauck

Age: 25

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I was born and raised here. I went to college in the Cities but always knew I wanted to come back. Somehow, I convinced my Minnesotan wife to join me!

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

It may sound a little cliche, but I honestly cannot think of a better place to live. I tried my hand at “big-city livin’” in Minneapolis and, while it was fun to work in a skyscraper, I spent two hours commuting every day, and I couldn’t see myself starting a family in a city like that. It’s not just hometown pride, though. People who know me know that I’m one of Sioux Falls’ biggest cheerleaders. I love our city, and I love the fact that there’s always something new and exciting happening here. I am super proud to call this city home.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I just started in mid-April, but I love putting together programming for the members of the startup community and thinking about what Zeal can do in the long term to help promote entrepreneurship in our city. My dad is an entrepreneur, and his dad was an entrepreneur before him, so I know how challenging it can be to strike out on your own. I love that I get to play a role in helping entrepreneurs and founders achieve their dreams.

How did you get connected to this opportunity at Zeal?

Honestly, I knew that Zeal was a place that I would love to work. It’s at the intersection of all of my biggest interests — entrepreneurship, marketing, real estate and Sioux Falls — so I asked Brienne Maner if she’d meet me at Queen City Bakery, and I gave her my resume.

Describe Zeal in three words.

Innovation. Inspiration. Ignition.

What do you think people might be surprised to learn about what’s been happening at Zeal?

I think that, when people think of Zeal, they tend to think of us as a building with tenants, but we are here to serve the entire community. That was the whole idea behind merging with Startup Sioux Falls — we’re here to be a one-stop-shop for innovators and entrepreneurs in Sioux Falls. Our business is helping you get your business off the ground. Incubation space is a portion of that, but it’s not the whole picture.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

Supporting local businesses is something that’s near and dear to my heart. I try really hard to shop locally because I know where my money is going, and I want those businesses to succeed.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

I’d love to see some more indoor, social entertainment options. I’m loving the fact that escape rooms and ax throwing have become popular here, but we live in the Midwest, and it would be awesome to have more options for entertainment in the winter or for rainy summer days.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Over the next five years, I hope that I continue to grow deeper, stronger roots right here in Sioux Falls. I think what we have here is special, and I want to use whatever talents I have to help our community grow and prosper as much as it possibly can. I’m not going anywhere.