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Intermissions: Joni Ekstrum --Executive Director and Connector for SD Biotech
•Aaron & Diane
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South Dakota has a thriving biotech network, thanks largely to Joni Ekstrum, Executive Director for South Dakota Biotech. Joni also helped make this podcast happen.
In this episode we get to know Joni better and learn what Joni likes best about the biotech world and her work with SD Bio. Enjoy!
Aaron Harmon:
Welcome to Inside Out quality intermissions, where we give you a closer look at the people who make this podcast possible and short features of local professionals in the biotech industry. Welcome to Inside Out quality intermissions with Joni Ekstrum. Joni is the executive director of South Dakota biotech and one of my go twos when it comes to crazy ideas that I have media connection or even a quick venting session. One such episode happened last year when I had an idea and ran into Joni and the result was this podcast being produced. So here with us today on the Intermission is Joni Ekstrum Welcome to Inside Out Quality.
Joni Ekstrum:
Thanks, Aaron. Glad to be here.
Aaron Harmon:
I've got some questions for you some little more serious, some not so serious. The first one is what is the favorite part of your job?
Joni Ekstrum:
Meeting people and learning from people?
Aaron Harmon:
What is one of your favorite restaurants in Sioux Falls when going out for a nice dinner?
Joni Ekstrum:
Maury Steakhouse. They are awesome. Great wine selection.
Aaron Harmon:
You have a recommendation and wine. Huh?
Joni Ekstrum:
Well, how long do we have for this? Cabernet? Honey cuts one of my favorites.
Aaron Harmon:
What was the last show you binge watched?
Unknown:
Ozark? What is Ozark Ozarks? Oh my gosh, no money laundering and it's worse. Yeah, you gotta watch it tune in.
Aaron Harmon:
How does South Dakota biotech help students?
Joni Ekstrum:
Wait, can I go back also and say Yellowstone to my favorite coming up November 8.
Aaron Harmon:
How does South Dakota biotech help students?
Joni Ekstrum:
There's so many ways I think the biggest way that we help them as introduce them to potential people they can work for. And by way of networking events, by way of internships, by way of education, webinars, you know, all that stuff.
Aaron Harmon:
So if a student's like, Hey, I'm trying to get involved in the biotech space, they should reach out to you,
Joni Ekstrum:
I would hope they'd reach out to us. And so how we do that is we work with the universities and work with the faculty members, and really let us have an opportunity to talk to those students, because otherwise, it's hard for me to get to them.
Aaron Harmon:
Definitely. If you can make any new biotech product, what would it do?
Joni Ekstrum:
Probably make my aches and pains go away a little bit more like my back or my hair, or you know, maybe make me look younger. I'm getting older Aaron, and you know what I'm a girl is going to be those kinds of things that can cure cancer or save the world. Well, I think people are already doing that. And Lord knows I, I, I have full faith that they're already on that path. Yeah, I know. That was really bad at first.
Aaron Harmon:
That's good. That's totally good answer. I like it. If you could change the year you were born in what would you pick?
Joni Ekstrum:
Geez. I think hmm. I think I would go way back to before we had to deal with all the probably all the technology, all the stuff. I know. It's very simplistic, but let's go the early 1900s That's one of my go to yours, too. Yeah,
Aaron Harmon:
good for the Great Depression. All the wars.
Joni Ekstrum:
Yes. I agree. See, we have something in common. bigram.
Aaron Harmon:
Do you have any hidden talents? Well, let me tell you.
Joni Ekstrum:
I have always wanted to be in a band. Ah, however, no one would allow me to sing. I mean, I think I can sing great. My husband tells me I have great volume. So that tells me
Aaron Harmon:
that's not great. This podcast could be a platform. Oh, sure. Career donate.
Joni Ekstrum:
Here we go. I got a mic in front of me that we're ready. But I love to play the tambourine. So I have tambourines and my close friends know that about me.
Aaron Harmon:
Yeah. Do you have one here with us? Oh, jeez. Oh, yes. I know, this episode's ending to do? What do you enjoy the most about working with the biotech community?
Joni Ekstrum:
Well, I'm gonna go circle back, it's similar to the first one is meeting new people. I didn't know much about biotech, per se. So the psychologist didn't know about really how vast the industry is, and how cool they are. And the stuff that you know, the biotech professionals and what they're doing. It's amazing. curing cancer is so cool. Greenhouse gas emissions, you know, working with biofuels, and trying to save the planet, all cool stuff.
Aaron Harmon:
Very much. I agree. If you have the chance to take a dream vacation, where are you going?
Joni Ekstrum:
bucket list item would be going over to Italy, or Greece. You know, hence the wine reference.
Aaron Harmon:
If you could pick anyone to be on this podcast, who would you pick? They can be dead or alive.
Joni Ekstrum:
Am I thinking about the audience? Like who would one listener can? If everyone's Do
Aaron Harmon:
you could pick anyone to be on this podcast?
Unknown:
Oh, no. Can I pass on that one? Huh? That's a harder I'm gonna ask you that
Aaron Harmon:
for an adventure with an idea in the biotech space. Why should they contact you?
Joni Ekstrum:
Because I'm going to help them grow. Actually. They talked to a lot of inventors. And we have access and resources to people that they need and want to know so Whether it's finding money funding it early stage investments to finding mentors of people that have done that Been there done that. We have all those connections. So yeah, we work with those that group a lot.
Aaron Harmon:
You're probably the most connected person I know. It's it's, it's good and bad thing. If you could choose a superpower, what would you pick? I think I like to fly.
Joni Ekstrum:
I think like watching drone footage when you can just be up or no one sees you, but you can watch kind of what's going on and see what's happening in the hustle and bustle in different areas. I think that'd be fun.
Aaron Harmon:
That would be well, thank you for being here, Joni.
Joni Ekstrum:
You're welcome. Thanks for having me.
Aaron Harmon:
We hope you enjoyed this episode. This is brought to you thanks to South Dakota biotech Association. If you have a story you'd like us to explore and share, let us know by visiting www. SD bio.org. Also, if you live in the Sioux Falls area, check out quit a local Quality Assurance Professionals Network. You can find out more about COVID by clicking on the link on our website too. Thanks for listening
