The Lion Dance Was for All of Us
A Lion Dancer performs at 4Front Studios’ 2nd ribbon cutting. In Asian cultures, the lion symbolizes the arrival of good fortune and luck for businesses and new ventures.
A memory stopped me mid-scroll this week. April 4, 2023 — a lion dance weaving through a room packed with entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. When we launched 4Front Studios, we made a promise: help 100 local businesses improve their marketing, no strings attached. That night was our celebration. Here's what we learned.
A Goal Beyond the Bottom Line
When we started 4Front Studios, we knew we wanted to grow a successful business. But we also knew our success would be hollow if we weren't helping the community we love grow alongside us.
So we set a goal: help 100 local businesses, nonprofits, and organizations improve their marketing and visual storytelling in 1 year.
Who We Served
We worked with neighbors from Startup Sioux Falls, the Chamber, and several other local groups. Some were first-time founders with a big dream. Others were nonprofits doing the quiet, hard work on the front lines of our community's biggest challenges. We wanted to give them the tools to tell their stories — and reach more people.
Both Dakota News Now and KELOLAND covered what we were building — a reminder that Sioux Falls was paying attention.
More Than a Number
That celebration in April wasn't just about hitting a milestone.
We held a lion dance ceremony to wish every one of those 100 partners good fortune and success in the work ahead. It's a tradition rooted in my Vietnamese heritage — a way of saying: we see you, we believe in you, and something good is coming.
When one of us does well, we all do better. That room felt like proof of it.
Why I'm Running
Looking at those photos, I'm reminded of exactly why I decided to run for City Council.
My parents taught me this lesson behind the counter of their restaurant. They were the first to open a Vietnamese eatery in Sioux Falls back in 1993. They didn't just build a business — they built a life, because a community chose to support them.
Mission 100 was my way of paying that forward through my own business. Now I want to take that same spirit to City Hall.
I believe Sioux Falls is at its best when we have a Vibrant Community that supports its small businesses. I believe in Equal Opportunity — where every entrepreneur, whether a lifelong resident or a newcomer with a dream, has the resources they need to succeed.
Leadership isn't just about making decisions in a boardroom. It's about showing up, doing the work, and making sure everyone has a seat at the table.
As I look back on that celebration from 2023, I see the face of the Sioux Falls I believe in.
A city that works for all of us.
It's always been our city, and now is our moment.
Let's Rise Together. ☀️
— Vince Danh
Candidate, Sioux Falls City Council At-Large | June 2nd, 2026