Dec. 22, 2020

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Sara Lum, the new program and marketing manager at the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship.

Name: Sara Lum

Age: 33

Hometown: Brandon

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

We decided to move to Sioux Falls from Brookings so my husband would no longer need to commute. Despite leaving a group of close friends in Brookings, we love Sioux Falls.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

The opportunity to do work at organizations that have a positive impact on our community. We also love what Sioux Falls has to offer as a big little city.

You’ve evolved in industry but have a background in architecture. What drew you to the field, and how are you continuing to use those skills?

Being creative has always made me happy; one of my childhood best friends and I created a fake design company when we were in third grade: MS. Design. I decided I wanted to be an architect when I was 12 years old, and for reasons I can’t pinpoint, I never wavered. I value the critical thinking skills I have developed as an architect, and I believe this is a transferable skill in our modern economy.

What does your new role at Zeal entail?

I will be responsible for implementing programs, events and marketing activities and other project and data management. In the immediate future, the success of the Co.Starters business accelerator program will be one of my priorities.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I am a basketball referee. I took this season off because I am trying to finish my MBA. The people I have met and opportunities I have had through basketball have changed my life, so refereeing is one way I give back to the sport. The kids are awesome too!

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

I enjoy volunteering for organizations when I can add value, but I have learned that sometimes money is more impactful, so I enjoy giving financially when I can!

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

I lived in Houston, Texas, for three years and fell in love with H-E-B grocery stores. Unfortunately, H-E-B only has stores in Texas and northeast Mexico. Maybe someone can convince them a store in Sioux Falls should be the first outside of Texas?!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

A member of the team at the Zeal Center, working to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Sioux Falls area.