Sioux Falls' Community
Third Place

I’m Shannon Ward, founder of Good NAtured, Sioux Falls’ community living room.

My path here wasn’t a straight line. I’ve had many opportunities that I now use every day in our work at Good NAtured. I care about building spaces where people actually connect. I hold a degree in Psychology from South Dakota State University, and I’m a Certified Food Protection Instructor/Proctor, which turns out to be a pretty useful combination for running a place built on both community and a commercial kitchen.

Good NAtured started in 2023 as pop-ups and borrowed spaces, just an idea we couldn’t shake about what a room full of good people could feel like. By October 2024, it had a home of its own on Eighth Street, and by 2026, it had grown into a bigger space with room for real food, a full drink program, and an even fuller calendar.

 I live in Hartford with my husband, two dogs, and cat. Outside of Good NAtured (when it happens, haha), you’ll find me creating, mentoring, or working on the next thing our community’s asking for.

At the core, we built Good NAtured because we wanted a place like it to exist. Watching other people find that same thing here is the best part of it!