Finance graduate leads as Ag-Tech entrepreneur
Samuel Peterson never planned on becoming an entrepreneur. Today, the NDSU graduate is helping shape the future of agriculture through Key Aviation.
When Samuel Peterson started at NDSU’s College of Business, he expected to pursue a traditional career in business analytics. He enjoyed using data and strategy to help organizations make better decisions.
Entrepreneurship wasn’t necessarily part of the plan.
Today, Peterson is the co-founder and chief operating officer of Key Aviation, an agricultural drone technology company serving farmers, agricultural retailers and custom applicators. The company provides spray drones, training, service and technical support to help agricultural operations improve efficiency.
Peterson’s path to Key Aviation began with his cousin and co-founder, Colin Dean. Dean had previously worked for a drone dealership and recognized an opportunity to provide agricultural drone sales, service and long-term support in North Dakota. As the idea took shape, he needed someone with a strong business background to help build the business behind the technology.
That became Peterson’s role.
While completing his MBA at NDSU, Samuel helped establish Key Aviation’s accounting systems, tax registrations, financing, inventory management, website, customer relationship management system and operational processes.
“So much of what I was learning in the classroom was being applied directly to a real business… I helped fill a critical gap,” Peterson said.
An education that opened doors
Samuel earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from NDSU in 2024 before completing his MBA and a certificate in business analytics in 2025.
One of the most influential experiences of his NDSU career came through undergraduate research with Associate Professor, Oudom Hean. The opportunity sparked a deeper interest in data analytics, economic analysis and solving complex problems with real-world data.
That broad foundation has proven invaluable as a business owner.
“As an entrepreneur, you're constantly switching between finance, accounting, marketing, operations, human resources, strategy and countless other responsibilities,” Peterson said. “Having exposure to each of those areas gave me the confidence to step into roles I had never held before.”
Learning to figure things out
Building Key Aviation has brought challenges ranging from changing regulations and supply chain disruptions to market uncertainty and the everyday decisions that come with running a growing company. But Peterson says those challenges are also what make entrepreneurship rewarding.
When Key Aviation launched, he understood the fundamentals of running a business but had limited experience in the agricultural drone industry. He quickly learned that entrepreneurship is a continuous education.
“More than anything, NDSU gave me the confidence that I could figure things out,” Peterson said. “Entrepreneurship doesn't require you to know everything on day one, it requires the willingness to keep learning, adapt to new challenges and trust that you can find solutions.”
Start before everything is perfect
For students interested in entrepreneurship, Samuel’s first recommendation is to simply get started.
“There is never a perfect time, and there is rarely a perfect business idea,” he said. “If you wait until all the uncertainty is gone, you'll probably never begin.”
He also encourages students to invest in relationships. Classmates, professors, mentors and industry connections can become future business partners, advisors, customers or employees.
Looking back, many of the opportunities that shaped Peterson’s career — from undergraduate research to graduate school to building Key Aviation — came through relationships with people who believed in him and opened doors.
His journey is a reminder that a career path doesn’t always unfold as planned. Sometimes, the experiences that prepare you for your future are the ones you never expected to have.
And sometimes, the most valuable thing you can learn is how to figure things out.
If you would like to support Key Aviation, visit keyaviationdrones.com or explore their YouTube channel at youtube.com/@KeyAviationDrones.