FARGO, ND — Emerging Prairie announces the recipients of its 2027 1 Million Thanks Awards, which recognize the individuals, organizations, and community leaders whose contributions continue to shape the region’s entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation ecosystem.
The 1 Million Thanks Awards celebrate achievements across the region and honor those whose leadership, service, and partnership move a shared vision forward. Their work strengthens communities, elevates ideas, and creates lasting impact across North Dakota and beyond.
The 2027 award recipients are:
Lifetime Impact Award
The Lifetime Impact Award honors individuals whose leadership has left an enduring legacy.
- Admiral Stuart Munsch, U.S. Navy (Ret.), and Beth Munsch
Admiral Stuart Munsch and Beth Munsch are recognized for a lifetime of service to the nation and for the North Dakota roots that shaped it. A North Dakota native, Stuart graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he led his class as brigade commander, and went on to study at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Over nearly four decades in the Navy, he commanded the submarine USS Albuquerque, led Submarine Group 7, served in senior leadership roles at the Pentagon and on the Joint Staff, and most recently commanded NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, along with U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa. He became the second longest serving commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe since the command’s founding in 1917. Earlier in his career, as a White House Fellow, he served as special assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture. Beth shared in that journey across assignments around the world, building community wherever the Navy took them. Now back in North Dakota, Stuart and Beth bring a lifetime of leadership, service, and commitment to the state they call home.
Grand Farm Partner of the Year Award
The Grand Farm Partner of the Year Award recognizes a collaborator whose work meaningfully advances agricultural innovation.
- Community of Casselton
The community of Casselton is honored for its partnership as home to the Grand Farm Innovation Campus. From the start, the Casselton community has welcomed Grand Farm with a spirit of collaboration, helping create a place where researchers, startups, growers, and industry partners come together to test and advance new ideas. As the campus continues to grow, the community’s partnership helps lay the groundwork for what comes next. Casselton shows how a rural community can play a central role in shaping the future of agriculture.
Community Leadership Award
The Community Leadership Award recognizes those who lead with vision, integrity, and long-term commitment to place.
- Current and Past Grand Farm Board and Founding Steering Committee Members
This year, Emerging Prairie honors every individual who has served on the Grand Farm Board and its founding Steering Committee. From the earliest conversations about what Grand Farm could become to the guidance that steers it today, these leaders have given their time, expertise, and belief to build something lasting. Their collective stewardship has helped Grand Farm grow into a nationally recognized hub for agricultural innovation, and their influence will be felt for years to come.
Community Impact Award
The Community Impact Award honors organizations whose philanthropic leadership strengthens the ecosystem as a whole.
- Bell Bank
Bell Bank is recognized for its generosity and longstanding commitment to the communities it serves. Through early and continued support of initiatives such as TEDxFargo, Emerging Prairie, and Grand Farm, Bell Bank has helped elevate entrepreneurs, champion new ideas, and strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem. Its Pay It Forward program and support of local nonprofits further empower employees and neighbors to invest in the causes that matter most to them. Bell Bank’s culture of giving helps build the connected, resilient community where innovation and opportunity can thrive.
2026 recipients of the 1 Million Thanks Awards include the FM Area Foundation, Pivot Bio, Forum Communications, the late Cindy Schreiber-Beck, and the late Eric Hardmeyer.
