Innovation + Job News

The world of micro-robot systems just got bigger.
 
Edina-based ReconRobotics, the fast-track robotics company that's been growing quickly, announced that it has established an international headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland.
 
The move is part of the company's multi-year global expansion plans, and the HQ there will oversee all sales, marketing, and customer service for operations outside of North America.
 
ReconRobotics has seen a robust amount of traction within the past couple years, garnering some major contracts from U.S. military and law enforcement agencies. Now, the company intends to broaden its international footprint, according to President and CEO Alan Bignall.
 
The Lugano subsidiary, known as RRI Global SAGL, will expand the company's international reseller network, which currently extends to 33 countries.
 
Formed in 2006, ReconRobotics started as a way to commercialize technology developed at the University of Minnesota Distributed Robotics Laboratory, with funding from the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), among others.
 
The company's mini-robots are particularly attractive to the military and law enforcement, since they can be sent into dangerous situations and navigated remotely in order to collect intelligence. For example, a SWAT team can throw one into a house and use the robot's cameras to assess a hostage situation.
 
"These robots are just the beginning of what we're seeing in terms of capability," Bignall says. "There are so many applications for this technology, and we're seeing expansion in both geography and in usage."
 
Source: Alan Bignall, ReconRobotics
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Although mobile devices like the iPad are wildly attractive to children, local app developer Christopher Black found that the tools don't have many apps that are geared toward that audience.
 
"You can find some storybooks from major brands like Disney, but there didn't seem to be many options for kids' books, especially from small local publishers," he says. "We wanted to create something people hadn't seen before."
 
About two years ago, Black founded his own contract work and app development firm, Blacktop Interactive. When his girlfriend had an idea for a children's book, the pair realized it could lend itself well to an online storybook, and "Turtle's Day at the Beach" was born. The interactive storybook, designed for ages 3 and older, is available as an app for Nook, Blackberry, and Apple devices.
 
That app has been followed by "Rainbows are Colorful," an app to help children learn about colors, and coming soon is a painting app that allows kids to digitally color illustrations of animals.
 
"Now that we have the platform, we wanted to continue reusing that and going down that path," says Black. "It just makes sense in terms of our strategy and our interests."
 
Black hopes to have at least eight apps on the market by the end of the year, and to keep going strong after that. So the next time kids reach for a coloring book, they'll want to make sure it's got a full battery charge first.
 
Source: Chris Black, Blacktop Interactive
Writer: Elizabeth Millard 

The Role of Diversity in a World of Opportunity
 
May 31
Walker Art Center, Skyline Room
5:30pm - 8pm
$35 (rsvp required)
 
What does diversity in business really mean? It goes beyond race and culture, and extends into creating meaningful messages that resonate with consumers. In this presentation by Chris Roberts, president of Cargill Kitchen Solutions, attendees will hear about how we can check our own biases in order to do good work. All proceeds go to benefit The BrandLab, a non-profit that brings students from diverse backgrounds together with people in the marketing industry.
 
Eyeo Festival
 
June 5 - 8
Walker Art Center
9am - 2pm
Pre-conference workshops: $125; festival ticket price: $549
 
Artists, designers, and coders come together for a series of workshops and mixers to transform digital culture. The festival attracts a wide range of talented individuals, including those interested in creative code, data visualization, design, experience design, 3D printing, architecture, and gestural computing.
 
d.school Crash Course
 
June 5
CoCo Minneapolis
6pm - 8pm
$50
 
A quick introduction to "design thinking" methods and mindsets. In this session, students will take a common experience and redesign it completely. This crash course is based on the original Stanford Design Program d.school curriculum. See The Line's coverage of CoCo's d.school here.
 
TechMasters
 
June 5
Benchmark Learning training facility
4510 W. 77th St., Suite 210, Edina
7:40am - 9am
free
 
TechMasters is a new Toastmasters chapter in the Twin Cities, dedicated to helping technology professionals improve their skills in public speaking and presentations, impromptu speaking, critical thinking, and communicating with non-technical people. Every week, the group rotates roles to practice speaking in a friendly and supportive environment.
 
Womens Excelerator Workshop
 
June 16
St. Catherine University
CDC401 Board room, 4th floor
8am - 12pm
$89
 
In this workshop, attendees will develop a level of comfort with pitching their business, and will learn to create a value proposition statement. Each entrepreneur will have 10 minutes to present her business to her peers and facilitators, followed by a feedback session to identify which parts of the elevator pitches need work.

School outreach and scholarship program The BrandLab has been growing steadily since its inception in 2007, and this year, the organization is kicking off its summer season with a whole new offering: a work-ready training week.
 
Started by OLSON and expanded to include other agencies, The BrandLab creates opportunities in the marketing industry for students with diverse cultural and economic backgrounds (see The Line's previous coverage here).
 
This year, executive director Ellen Walthour was chatting with a 3M executive about wanting to broaden the initial training that's done when the students arrive. Since the participants range in age from 17 to 20, most haven't had a professional job and sometimes have trouble adjusting to a business environment.
 
3M offered to pay for a week of training, and that kicked off a flurry of networking and workshop development, with a range of topics planned. Students will learn about how to act at a business lunch, what to wear, how to write in a professional manner, what to expect in an informational interview, and how to brand themselves.
 
"It's been amazing to see how this has all come together," says Walthour. "People are so eager to help, and we have workshop leaders from several agencies in town."
 
The main goal, she adds, is to give the students confidence when they're walking into their 7-week internship. From there, they can learn about how to eventually stand out in a competitive job marketplace and compete against a large pool of talented professionals.
 
If all goes well, it's likely that The BrandLab will implement the week-long workshop again next year, and keep the business insights buzzing for its fortunate interns.
 
Source: Ellen Walthour, The BrandLab
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

When it comes to predicting a product's shelf life, or detecting leaks or aromas in packaging that could affect flavor, people around the world turn to Minneapolis-based MOCON.
 
For over 40 years, the company has been a leader in the development of testing services and instruments, and its capabilities are impressive. Numerous clients depend on the firm for insights on packaging, cost reduction, sustainability, and food safety.
 
Because it's often considered the industry standard when it comes to such tests (many scientific papers note that researchers did a "MOCON test" to demonstrate a specific result), it's not surprising that the company is growing at a nice clip. Now at 150 employees, some have been brought on as the result of acquisition, while the rest were hired to meet demand.
 
"The packaging industry is a hidden but huge industry," says the company's marketing manager, Guy Wray. "Think about everything around you that has packaging, and you'll get an idea of the scope of this work."
 
MOCON's expertise lies in detecting moisture and oxygen levels within packaging, as well as other factors. Those two issues in particular can destroy food flavor, affect product safety, and significantly shorten shelf life. After all, nobody wants soggy potato chips.
 
About 90 percent of the company's product development is done locally, but it also relies on scientists and engineers in Germany, China, Texas, and Colorado.
 
"We feel very lucky to have gotten to the point we're at," says Wray. "We've become the Hoover or the Kleenex of the industry."
 
Source: Guy Wray, MOCON
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Imagine being out with your real estate agent and expressing interest in a certain neighborhood. The agent holds up a smartphone, taps a few buttons, and voila! You have for-sale property listings for a multi-block radius, complete with the ability to arrange a viewing.
 
That future is now, with a mobile app called HomeSpotter, created by MobileRealtyApps.com and recently integrated into the technology mix at NorthstarMLS. The organization serves more than 13,500 realtors in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
 
"Using this app really increases the 'wow factor' for local agents," says Tom Flaherty, director of marketing and communications for NorthstarMLS.
 
HomeSpotter uses a technology called augmented reality, which can overlay property info on a device's live camera feed. Using an iPhone or iPad (with Android soon to come), an agent can get data on surrounding properties for sale, including photos of the interior, property specifics, and other relevant details.
 
"These days, everyone expects a realtor to have information at their fingertips, and with this app, we can meet that expectation," notes Flaherty. "We're finding it to be very beneficial."
 
The developer is working on a consumer version, but it would only be available if the user is working with a licensed real estate agent.
 
Since its introduction at NorthstarMLS earlier this year, Flaherty is seeing robust interest and numerous downloads. He says, "Agents tell us that it makes them look good to clients, because it shows that they have the latest technology tools available."
 
Maybe in the not-too-distant future, people will be be able actually buy a house with a few clicks of a smartphone...
 
Source: Tom Flaherty, NorthstarMLS
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

What happens when a former executive "fails" at retirement, longing for the type of daily success that only work can bring? Or when a senior director wants to make a switch to another company, but hasn't updated her resume in decades?
 
In situations like these, Navigate Forward is ready to assist.
 
Started in 2008 by management consultants Teresa Daly and Mary Kloehn, the firm works with executives in transition. Daly says, "We really saw an opportunity in the marketplace to help this group of people. In the big firms, transition services have changed, they've become more standardized. We felt people needed more personalized services to meet them where they're at."
 
She adds that many of those in the Baby Boom generation are at a particular crossroads right now in their careers. They've been used to trailblazing, and are now seeing work change as they get older. In the later stages of their careers, they may prefer to switch industries, work longer into their supposed retirement, or even shift into starting their own companies.
 
"Careers aren't always a straight line," says Daly. "Because of that, making career transitions isn't just about updating a resume or tapping into a network."
 
Navigate Forward specializes in helping executives to "build their brand," which means packaging themselves based on where they're going, not on where they've been. Daly notes that a resume is helpful for detailing experience, but it's a "look  backward" that doesn't usually capture the essence of a person.
 
The firm prefers to create a "brand profile" instead that captures someone's interests, passions, and personality. Clients often tell Navigate Forward that they come out of the process with more clarity than they've ever had.
 
"They're able to tell a story about who they are, and what unique contributions they can bring to an organization," Daly says.
 
The firm currently employs nine people and expects to grow organically as it develops an even stronger foothold in the local executive transition space. Daly notes, "There's such a big trend of seeing the value of a whole generation of executives, and understanding what they bring to the business world."
 
Source: Teresa Daly, Navigate Forward
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Founded in 1991 by entrepreneur Tom Salonek, Intertech has grown from a one-person operation to the largest combined software-developer training company in the state.
 
The firm's consulting services and software development give the company an even greater edge and now with more facility space, Intertech is making a splash nationally as well as locally.
 
Recently, the company moved to a new building, and although it stayed in its hometown of Eagan, it nearly doubled the amount of square footage of its offices and training rooms.
 
In addition to expanding geographically, the company took the opportunity to boost its virtual technology as well, giving its training spaces a high-tech flair that's increased its client base as a result.
 
"People have greater ability to attend classes virtually, and that's significantly increased enrollment for us," says Salonek. "Also, it's driven our consulting to a higher level as well." For example, the company just signed a consulting contract with a firm in South Korea, and will conduct business via the virtual technology at the new facility.
 
Salonek believes that the growth will remain robust, and he predicts that the company should bring in about $12.5 million this year. Several new employees have been added just in the past month, and hiring should continue at a steady pace, Salonek notes, especially in the sales and technology departments.
 
"We're looking forward to building out additional offerings and bringing on more clients, in addition to serving existing clients," he says. "It's an exciting time for us."
 
Source: Tom Salonek, Intertech
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

For most business owners, having a website is essential, but they can be tricky to manage for those who aren't IT-savvy.
 
Local web technology firm Origin Eight believes that it doesn't have to be that way. The company, which brands itself as a consulting group rather than an agency, specializes in a core set of technologies based on Drupal, an open source framework.
 
(Quick primer for non-techies: "open source software" involves freely available source code that anyone can use for building applications, and Drupal is an open-source content management system that's used specifically for developing websites.)
 
Because of the use of Drupal, Origin Eight's clients have more power to tweak their own sites, notes company founder Seth Viebrock.
 
"A lot of existing sites are built on solutions that make it difficult for users to edit their own content," he says. "Redoing these sites in Drupal is worth the effort, because it allows the end user to embrace this new way of doing things. Basically, our growth comes from people looking to make their lives easier."
 
Founded in early 2010, the firm has built some high-profile sites, including ones for Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna, as well as Boston entrepreneur hub Greenhorn Connect and social networking site swapbeats.com.
 
For the future, Viebrock notes that the company wants to grow in a sustainable and consistent way, and expand into other sectors like education. "We're always looking at other ways to differentiate ourselves, in addition to building awesome websites," he says. "But of course, we'll keep doing that, too."
 
Source: Seth Viebrock, Origin Eight
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

A "quad" is a measurement of energy, and the massive unit is used by the U.S. Department of Energy when discussing national and global energy budgets.
 
The United States uses nearly 100 quads of energy each year, and local entrepreneur Mark Brown (as well as many other experts) believe that the majority of these quads are wasted.
 
To address the issue, Brown started QuadROI, a Minneapolis-based firm that intends to boost productivity and innovation in the energy industry through the use of better business intelligence. "Regulation is not our enemy," the company's webpage notes. "Waste is our enemy."
 
Brown believes that waste can be minimized by utilizing existing documents and reports, and tweezing out data that can be used by utility companies and others to create benchmarks and goals. He aims to develop a single, searchable repository of information where subscribers can see high-level trends as well as project-level ROI stats. He also hopes to cultivate an online community where ideas can be shared, and collaboration can occur.
 
"There's so much information that's available out there, but it can be hard to make use of, especially when it comes to comparison with other programs," he says.
 
Right now, the site is in beta testing, and Brown expects it to be in full force by the end of the summer. After that, it's likely that QuadROI will assist in making sure those quads aren't getting wasted.
 
Source: Mark Brown, QuadROI
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Finding skilled employees is always a challenge, but what about staffing a short-term project that requires expertise on thin polymers or medtech regulations? Then it's time to call Talencio.
 
The staffing firm, founded in 2008 by Paula Norbom, specializes in contract and direct-hire professionals in biotech, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medtech. Norbom had been an executive in the medical device industry, and found that there was a particular need in the life sciences field for shorter-term experts who could lend their experience to projects.
 
"The life science industry is really strong here in Minnesota, and there's some great talent," says Norbom. "So, we're all about making those connections."
 
The company has five employees, and maintains a database of about 2,000 contractors, with around 80 percent located in the state.
 
Norbom expects that Talencio will keep growing its contractor roster, and expanding its services. Part of that growth will come from a pool of contractors who appreciate the flexibility that a project-based arrangement can bring.
 
"Many people just want to do what they love and what they know how to do best," Norbom says. "They don't want to be stuck in meetings all day. This way, they can just step in and get the job done and move to the next project."
 
She adds that companies are changing how they view employment as well. Many of her clients have a core group of talented employees, and bring talent in as needed from Talencio. Norbom expects this strategy to keep booming, and the firm will grow as a result. So, for those in the life science industry who need help with everything from risk management to clinical research, Talencio is ready.
 
Source: Paula Norbom, Talencio
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Some companies are particularly well named. Here's an example: On-Demand Group, which is bringing such fresh energy to the IT consulting realm that it's driving high client demand.
 
Helmed by Heather Manley, with her brother Sean acting as COO and partner, the company was started by their father 16 years ago. Manley signed on in 2006 and bought out the firm just two years later.
 
Over the past five years, they've worked to revamp technology and processes, and as a result, they've seen consistent growth. Last year, the company grew 75 percent, Manley says.
 
On-Demand Group fuels that surge by distinguishing itself from other IT consulting firms, Manley notes: "We're doing a ton of things that add value. We do a multitude of steps that companies don't do when they're on-boarding." She adds that the firm also has a global component, since it does some work in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
 
"Every year, we add something that's different and unique," she says. "Whether it's a new perk or more social activities, we create a culture that draws people to us."
 
The company has about 50 consultants in its pool, and within the next year, Manley expects to double the consultant roster, and to continue expansion of offshore offerings. With second stage growth just around the corner, On-Demand Group is likely to keep creating more demand.
 
"This is a really exciting time, and we're implementing some fantastic things," Manley says.
 
Source: Heather Manley, On-Demand Group
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Anthropology and business are rarely put together as complementary fields, but they have more in common than many people might think. The social science deals with the organization of human societies and all characteristics of the human experience, so it makes sense that it could be used to make a company more agile, transparent, and strategic.
 
That's the theory behind Thinkers & Makers, a firm founded in 2010 by Emilie Hitch, who started her career as an academic anthropologist.
 
The idea for the company germinated while Hitch was doing field work in Peru. She wondered if she could translate the academic world of anthropology into the business realm of strategy. When she couldn't find a job that fit that idea, she landed at creative agency Olson, and began applying her studies to marketing projects.
 
After two years there, she saw the need to start Thinkers & Makers, to give clients a unique perspective on their organizations, employees, and customers. "I bring a very different view than what you'd get from an MBA or an economist," Hitch says. "Usually, people come to me with a big question, like how they can find revenue leaks, or learn more about their customer, or what they need to relaunch their brand."
 
Most of her business comes through referral, and that strong word-of-mouth marketing has helped Hitch to grow the firm. Looking ahead, she's anticipating more expansion into areas like business development for startups, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability.  "Many times, I see startups that have great ideas and passion, but they don't understand all aspects of how to put their business together," she says. "My perspective can help."
 
Source: Emilie Hitch, Thinkers & Makers
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Sometimes, the decision about whether to "build or buy" can lead to even greater things than a more efficient software system.
 
At least, that's what happened when convention and visitors association Meet Minneapolis began looking for a better database system in 2003. The organization found that a solution didn't exist that was specific to the destination marketing industry. After deciding to build their own, the phones started ringing.
 
"We heard from other convention bureau leaders who told us that if we built a solution, they were interested in buying it," says Mark Lynch, vice president of sales and marketing at iDSS (Internet Destination Sales System), the company that was formed to market the subsequent system.
 
Recently, iDSS noted a significant new enhancement that will provide destination marketing organizations with the ability to measure the economic value of an event, and calculate the return on investment to the local community. In other words, if a city wants to know how much sales tax and lodging tax a certain convention would generate, iDSS could give the answer. Other factors can also be reported, like the anticipated number of jobs created as a result of an event.
 
The advancement comes as part of a technology partnership with Destination Marketing Association International, the trade association for Meet Minneapolis and other convention bureaus. Lynch notes that it should help iDSS get even more traction as it continues to expand.
 
"We're adding new clients every day," he says. "Many organizations have been waiting for the capability that we have to offer. So, we're looking forward to what's ahead."
 
Source: Mark Lynch, iDSS
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

When Kristin Pardue left her high-profile corporate position at Carlson Companies, she envisioned starting a distinctive strategic management firm, but she also considered founding a non-profit that helps teens in North Minneapolis learn digital marketing.
 
Instead of choosing, she established both.
 
"I felt there was a great need in the marketplace for people to understand organizational purpose," she says. "At the same time, we wanted a way to give back and we thought, why wait?"
 
Rêve Consulting was started in 2009, and Pardue's husband, Brad von Bank, joined a year later to help round out the team. Pardue says the combination works well, since they bring different skills to the mix. Together, they offer insight to a range of clients like Capella University, Engine for Social Innovation, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Caribou Coffee.
 
"Clients come to us with questions about how their organizations can grow, and how their systems might be impacting the levels of their employees," says Pardue. "We encourage them to think strategically on every level, about how they're engaging their organizations."
 
The company is going strong, and plans to double the size of its small staff in the next year, she adds. She's especially excited about bringing more jobs to North Minneapolis, where the company's located.
 
For the teens in the area, there's Rêve Academy, an innovative after-school program that prepares students for careers in digital marketing. With an immersive curriculum and potential internships, the program is helping to shape the kind of leaders who could shape the local creative community someday.
 
"We believe this is a true pathway for these kids," says von Bank. "They're learning real-world skills that they can apply now, and at the end of the program, they make a presentation as if they're at an agency. It's very exciting."
 
With Rêve Consulting and Rêve Academy going strong, it's obvious that when it comes to choosing a rêve (the French word for "dream"), sometimes it's possible to go even bigger than planned.
 
Source: Kristin Pardue & Brad von Bank, Rêve Consulting
Writer: Elizabeth Millard