Kevin Sonsalla

Kevin Sonsalla is a business development official at the North Dakota Department of Commerce, where he is listed as the Value-added Ag Business Development Manager in the Economic Development & Finance division. The Commerce site directs agriculture-related business inquiries to him and describes North Dakota’s value-added agriculture effort as focused on increasing the value of crops and livestock through processing, diversification, product modification, and pre-production improvements.

Sonsalla’s public role is not that of a private angel investor; the verifiable record points to a state economic-development and financing role. He works around public financing, incentives, and development programs that support North Dakota businesses, including value-added agriculture initiatives and related state finance tools.

He also serves in statutory or representative roles tied to state agriculture funding programs. The North Dakota Department of Agriculture lists him on the Agricultural Products Utilization Commission board as the Commerce Commissioner designee and on the Agriculture Diversification and Development Fund committee as a Commerce Representative.

LinkedIn lists Sonsalla in Bismarck, North Dakota, at the North Dakota Department of Commerce, with education at Dickinson State University from 2005 to 2010.

• Focuses on value-added agriculture: North Dakota Commerce defines this as changes to crops or livestock that increase product value and create new economic activity and jobs.
• Works with projects involving biofuels, livestock, bio-energy, new and emerging crops, consultants, construction companies, engineering companies, and investors.
• Through related state programs, target companies are generally North Dakota businesses that add value to agricultural products, create jobs, generate new wealth, and show commercialization potential.
• The Agriculture Diversification and Development Fund prioritizes value-added agriculture businesses that demonstrate financial feasibility, enhance profitability for farmers and ranchers, and grow North Dakota’s economy.
• The North Dakota Angel Match Program supports “high-growth early-stage primary sector North Dakota businesses” by matching investor commitments of up to $250,000 per business.
• AMP eligibility emphasizes North Dakota headquarters, primary-sector certification, fewer than 250 employees, a compliant private financing round, and a credible path to exit in 5-10 years.