Featured Stories

The Rebirth of Rachel Swardson

Julie Kendrick Wednesday, November 09, 2011

When her husband left her, her innovative postnatal-care company, her finances, and her hope for the future hit the skids. But then, with courage, savvy, and some high-powered help, she came back, big time.

Creative Economy, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare

RangerOnCall: a high-tech tour of the mighty Mississippi

Anna Pratt Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Did you know that there's a National Park right in the middle of the Twin Cities metro? It's long and narrow, and it's called the Mississippi River. The National Park Service and its local ally, the Mississippi River Fund, want you to know more about our stretch of the river. Get your cell phones, tablets, and laptops out.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Emerging Technology, Energy, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability

Vikas Narula probing the networks - Bill Kelley

Who really runs your company? Keyhubs can help you find out

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Vikas Narula learned early that informal networks of power and influence may be more important to a business than its official org chart. So he started a consultancy to help companies identify their unofficial movers and shakers.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship

Southwest

Bruce Corrie Talks with Jon Spayde - Bill Kelley

The Big Picture 9: Bruce Corrie on the power of "ethnic capital"

Jon Spayde Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Often, says Concordia University economist and biz-school dean Bruce Corrie, our minority and immigrant communities are seen solely through the "problem" lens. Their struggles are real, but their contributions to our prosperity and potential for growth are greater than most majority Minnesotans realize. And Corrie's got the figures to prove it.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, Strong Local Economy, Talent Dividend

North End, Greater East Side, Dayton's Bluff, Central Avenue, Phillips, Midway, Cedar - Riverside/West Bank, West Side, Lake Street, North Side, Seward, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Payne - Phalen, Powderhorn, Summit - University

The New Philanthropy: Corporate-style savvy to make altruism sustainable

Dan Heilman Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tough times and public deficits are forcing nonprofits to step up to the plate in new ways. At Social Venture Partners' national convention in Minneapolis, two keynoters let our reporter in on some of the things that smart do-gooders are learning from the pinstripe crowd.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy

Downtown

Behind the Bicycle Boom

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Most of us in the Twin Cities are aware that we've become a great town for bicycling in recent years, but urbanist and author Jay Walljasper--an avid biker for decades--has been digging into the trend to find out the what and the why behind it. In this adaptation of an article he wrote for Bikes Belong, he fills in the story and gives us some impressive facts about the sheer scale and promise of our new two-wheel era.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, diversity, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, Phillips, University, Macalester - Groveland, Cedar - Riverside/West Bank, Downtown, Lake Street, Southwest, North Side, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Seward, Nokomis, Longfellow, Calhoun - Isles, Powderhorn, Warehouse/North Loop, Northeast

Videoline: Celebrating the Midtown Greenway

Streetfilms Wednesday, October 19, 2011

To accompany Jay Walljasper's take on bike policy and bike culture in the Twin Cities, here's a video by Streetfilms that shows just how valuable one of the crown jewels in our bikeway system is--the Midtown Greenway, running more or less parallel to Lake Street from Chowen Avenue to the Mississippi River.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, Phillips, University, Macalester - Groveland, Cedar - Riverside/West Bank, Downtown, Lake Street, Southwest, North Side, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Seward, Nokomis, Longfellow, Calhoun - Isles, Powderhorn, Warehouse/North Loop, Northeast

Jon Spayde planning his Trip with Don and Chieko - Bill Kelley

MSP Tours lets air travelers see Minneapolis in a whole new way

Jon Spayde Wednesday, October 12, 2011

If you've got a lengthy layover at Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport, you don't have to be bored any more. How about taking what may be the world's first out-of-the-airport, self-guided audio tour? With an audio unit and a map from the brand-new MSP Tours, you ride the light rail and discover Minneapolis at your own pace. The Line's Spayde and Kelley put on earphones to give it a try.

Anna Bonavita's "chocolate revolution"

Susan Klemond Wednesday, October 05, 2011

The Twin Cities-based importer of hard-to-find European chocolate sees it as much, much more than a confection. For her, the finest chocolate, like the best wine, has the power to change our lives for the better. That's why she's passionate about issues like cacao percentages, and why she pairs yoga and tai chi classes with chocolate tastings.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability

Our favorite Minneapolis public art: a slide show

Bill Kelley Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Following our selection of some favorite public artworks in Saint Paul two weeks ago, here is our take on the beautiful and the quirky in Minneapolis outdoor art--minus the Spoonbridge and Cherry, which is terrific but a little overexposed. It's just a taste of the richness available, designed to get you outside looking at art before the snow flies.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Design

Phillips, Downtown, Lake Street, Longfellow, Calhoun - Isles, Warehouse/North Loop

Stephanie Williams and Jessica Welsch - Bill Kelley

Two sister-entrepreneurs and their healthy (even life-saving) frozen treats

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Frustrated by the problems their fledgling baby-food firm was having, Jessica Welsch and Stephanie Williams changed course: they created a company that sells kits and recipes for hyper-healthy Popsicle-style frozen treats made from things like kale, cabbage, and beets. First developed to give easily-nauseated chemotherapy patients nourishing but odorless meals, they've caught on with all kinds of people who want treats that are really, really good for them.

My View: Minneapolis needs a mural arts program

Elissa Cedarleaf Dahl Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Muralist, public-school teacher, and MCAD professor Elissa Cedarleaf Dahl has a big idea for Minneapolis: a mural program that would engage at-risk kids, create beautiful public art all over the city, and celebrate our neighborhoods and the people who live in them.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity

North Side

The Line Reader Survey

The Line Team Monday, September 26, 2011

We'd like to thank you for reading The Line and showing interest in the people and companies driving change in our cities. To help us better understand our readers and improve our coverage of the issues you care about, we're asking if you'll take 30 seconds and answer some questions you'll see if you click through. We appreciate your interest and continued support.

Mary Meehan and Vicki Abrahamson of Panoramix - Bill Kelley

The Big Picture 8: Global Trendwatching with Abrahamson and Meehan

Jon Spayde Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Vickie Abrahamson and Mary Meehan founded one of America's premier trend-spotting and marketing consultancies, Iconoculture. Last year, they became startup entrepreneurs again with Panoramix Global--a virtual network of consumer-trend analysts with their eyes on the entire world. In this conversation, they discuss why they love their new business model, why marketers need to reach Muslims, and why 3M product engineers are studying tree frogs.

Our favorite Saint Paul public art: a slide show

Bill Kelley Wednesday, September 21, 2011

There's a wealth of public art in the Twin Cities, from the overexposed (that Spoon, those Snoopys) to the underappreciated. This week, we celebrate nine works in Saint Paul that impress us with their sheer beauty, offbeat appeal, or some combination of the two. (Look for our Minneapolis picks on October 5.)