Innovation + Job News

As Internet-based marketing continues to boom, a newer field is growing along with it: online reputation management.
 
That's good news for companies like Minneapolis-based Internet Exposure, a web design and development firm that specializes in helping companies keep track of what's being said online, and advises them on ways to increase positive buzz.
 
The firm added two new people within the last month, and is likely to bring on more in the year ahead if demand continues as expected.
 
"In the last five years, the issue of a company's online reputation has come up more and more," says Internet Exposure CEO Jeff Hahn. "Almost every new business meeting I have covers social media, and although it's more important to certain clients, all of them need to address it in some way."
 
Companies of any size, particularly those run by multi-hat-wearing entrepreneurs, can find it daunting to build a good reputation online through sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. They might have an executive blog or a business website, but often they struggle with how to create true influence through social media.
 
Internet Exposure assists them by using search tools to see what's being said about the business, and then helping executives to use social media more effectively to create a positive image. If a company has negative reviews or feedback online, the firm has tactics that can help to push the comments lower in search results, and also works to address the feedback directly.
 
Hahn expects to see more interest in the tactics in the future, and as a result, Internet Exposure should see more growth as well. He says, "The Internet is still a bit in the 'Wild West' phase. So, we're excited to help people make these online tools work for them, instead of against them."
 
Source: Jeff Hahn, Internet Exposure
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Eagan isn't yet known as a telecommunications hub, but that may change in the near future, when the city builds a major new data center.
 
Known as The Connexion, the colocation facility will be open to all telecom and Internet service providers, as well as local and regional companies that need offsite data storage and disaster recovery.
 
The facility will be developed and owned by Five 9s Digital, a North Carolina firm that's well versed in the complexities of building and running these types of specialized data centers.
 
"This is an effort to protect technology jobs and attract new jobs," says Tom Garrison, the city's communications director and the liaison to the Eagan Technology Working Group, which has been studying the city's broadband needs for the past five years.
 
"The Connexion isn't jobs-intensive on its own, but it will provide the infrastructure for technology companies, and that could bring them to the area," Garrison says. "We think this will go a long way toward establishing Eagan as a top technology location."
 
The Connexion will provide high-connectivity private data suites, route redundancy, and environmental efficiencies. Private investment in the project is estimated at between $75 million and $100 million. The new facility will provide Tier III space, which is important, given the high demand for space at that classification.
 
Look for the facility to get kickstarted soon, with a projected completion of mid-2012.
 
Source: Tom Garrison, City of Eagan
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

In classrooms around the world, Sophia is proving to be a very popular and very smart girl.
 
The online education site went live last March and experienced an overwhelming response, with people logging on from nearly 70 countries in just the first two days.
 
Now, just seven months later, Sophia has grown from start-up to robust enterprise, expanding from six to 13 full-time employees, plus approximately 25 contractors and consultants. Founder and CEO Don Smithmier, whom we profiled in February, anticipates more hiring in the coming year, as Sophia ramps up even more.
 
"We're now executing a plan that we'd put forth at the beginning, the goal of bringing Sophia to the world," he says. "We're getting traction, and seeing growth as a result."
 
Sophia is a free social learning community, focused solely on education. The service brings together teachers and students from around the world. Utilizing "learning packets" that combine text, video, and graphics, teachers can create educational units that can be viewed by everyone, or just a select group of students.
 
Smithmier notes that the approach falls into a growing new category of academics called "social education," in which access to learning is increased. He says, "We're talking about flipping the student-to-teacher ratio. So, instead of 30 students for every teacher, what you'll have are 30 teachers for every student."
 
The strategy can be particularly effective, he adds, because people tend to "click" with some teachers but not others. Exposing students to so many teachers and different teaching styles keeps those relationships clicking.
 
As Sophia keeps expanding, in both employees and reach, Smithmier anticipates that the company will be doing more work on its learning programs and refining its offerings. "We want to make Sophia nationally known, and eventually globally known," he says, then laughs. "I guess we just want to be world famous."
 
Source: Don Smithmier, Sophia
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

CIO Panel
 
December 6
7:30--9:30 a.m.
Minnesota High Tech Association
Free for MHTA members, $85 for non-members
 
The annual CIO Panel at the MHTA is an educational forum aimed at addressing key technology issues, trends, and challenges that CIOs are facing. This year's panel includes Abdul Bengali of the Mayo Clinic, Joe Topinka of Red Wing Shoes, and Ranell Hamm of Patterson Companies.
 
 
LifeScience Alley Conference & Expo
 
December 7
Minneapolis Convention Center
From $70 - $525 depending on membership and different attendance options
 
Now in its 10th year, LifeScience Alley is a must-attend event for medical technology professionals from around the globe. Session topics cover finance, IT, sales and marketing, product development, research, and other issues.
 
 
Doing Business in Africa

December 7
Carlson School of Management
321 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis
Suite 2-206
Free
 
This panel discussion about education and workforce development is being put on by the Carlson Global Institute of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, the Corporate Council on Africa, and Books for Africa. The panelists include Hussein Samatar of the African Development Center, Trevor Gunn of Medtronic, and Michelle Grogg of Cargill.
 
 
Kindred Kitchen Food Show and Buyers' Fair
 
December 15
6:30 p.m.
1200 W. Broadway, Minneapolis
Free
 
Participants in Kindred Kitchen's food business incubator program have the opportunity to meet industry professionals, food retail buyers, and the general public as they showcase their delicious creations. 

Quick: think about a still-sour economy, layoffs, lost clients, and financial difficulties.
 
Although those are the types of thoughts that many business leaders try to avoid, many entrepreneurs still focus on those negatives, and end up falling short of their potential, believes business consultant Laura Goodrich.
 
In her work with organizations over the past 17 years, Goodrich has developed a program, "Seeing Red Cars," that applies these principles of unconscious attraction. She named the program after an analogy, in which someone might not think about cars of a certain color until he or she buys a red car, and then, suddenly, begins to notice red cars everywhere. Changing one's focus and attitude about an enterprise can feel exactly like that, she notes.
 
"Seeing Red Cars is a transformation process, it's about being intentional and about the nature of change," says Goodrich. "When we talk about the unconscious focus that people have, we begin to see the outcome that they're seeking. If you have an unconscious pull toward negative outcomes, that's what you'll get."
 
Along with a business partner, Goodrich owns On Impact Productions, a content company that specializes in producing videos, coaching, and consulting. She's produced a full-length film that brings together all of her views on how executives can create a more positive environment for themselves and employees.
 
Goodrich is hoping that as her business grows, so will the reach of her message: that getting stuck in a rut is all too common, and that it takes a new perspective to climb out of that ditch.
 
"I've worked with executives who don't know they have an unconscious focus on the negative, and yet they're sucking the energy out of their employees," she says. "They're putting a pin in every balloon. At this moment, what we all need is dynamic change, and that's what I want to help provide."
 
Source: Laura Goodrich, Seeing Red Cars
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

In the crowded healthy-bar space--think Larabar, Clif Bar, Luna, and dozens of others--a new competitor has sprouted from local roots.
 
Pashen, created by siblings Wendy Sorquist, Pol Sorquist, and Lisa Wilson, aims to bring superfood-level nutrition into the marketplace, and give consumers a taste of delicious, raw, sprouted ingredients.
 
The small food company was started when Wilson, a health and wellness counselor, came up with a recipe for the bar while teaching raw food classes. The response was overwhelming, and the trio decided to see if they could make them on a commercial scale.
 
They rented space at Kindred Kitchen, a food incubator in North Minneapolis that's geared toward food entrepreneurs. Within a month, they'd figured out how to make the bars in a cost-effective, efficient way, and ended up selling some to Seward Co-op and Golden Fig, as well as four other locations.
 
The bars are unique because they incorporate sprouted ingredients that are easier to digest than other raw foods, says Wendy Sorquist. They use items like buckwheat and pumpkin seed and soak them so that key nutrients are maintained, she notes. That helps to promote good bacteria in the digestive system. It doesn't hurt that the bars are also very tasty, too.
 
The siblings decided on the phonetic spelling of "passion" as a name because of their enthusiasm about the venture, and they're still motivated for what they see ahead: larger sales opportunities, their own commercial kitchen, and eventually, national distribution and expanding the team.
 
"We're really excited to be spreading the word, and getting these out to stores," says Sorquist. "We want to branch into other categories, maybe do trail mixes, and more flavors. We don't think our product is a good fit for really big supermarkets, but with so many stores focusing on whole food and healthy options, we think we're a great fit for those, and that we have a great start."
 
Source: Wendy Sorquist, Pashen
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Accounting, tax, and consulting firm McGladrey is clearing plenty of desk space for the months ahead, anticipating an increase of at least 25 more people before January.
 
The hiring push isn't surprising, considering that the firm has been bringing on new employees at a steady clip over the past six months, adding about 100 employees since the beginning of May. Currently, the Minneapolis office has about 325 people, with most of them getting ready for the busy tax season ahead.
 
Growth has also come from an increase in business consulting, notes Christine Mack, Northern Plains Assurance Leader and Partner at McGladrey. She says that for the past few years, many companies have been delaying the use of consulting in areas like risk advisory and technology services, but that the demand is increasing again.
 
She says, "There's a subtle shift in the economy. What was put on the back burner is now coming to the front, as people recognize they need advisory services to keep their businesses growing."
 
Expanding the firm's employee number comes at the same time as another major effort at McGladrey: implementing a paperless tax process.
 
The move toward a paperless strategy was sparked by a desire to create more efficiency in the tax process, says Mike Nelson, Managing Director of Tax Services. By going paperless, McGladrey employees can be more mobile and work electronically, allowing them to access files from a client office, for example. It's an innovative approach that's already making McGladrey unique among competitors.
 
"It just makes sense," says Nelson. "We can be mobile, it helps the environment, and our employees appreciate the flexibility. Everybody wins."
 
Source: Mike Nelson and Christine Mack, McGladrey
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Billing itself as a site for "all things cool and canine," DogWonderful.com makes it easier for people to travel without leaving their dogs behind. The site offers hotel deals, listings of dog-friendly accommodations, and handy tips for traveling with dogs.
 
The pet travel site is the creation of Teresa Matsui Sanders, founder of a hospitality management and consulting firm, InnWorks.
 
After the economic downturn in 2009, and battling breast cancer twice within a year, Sanders was looking for a fresh start and different consulting opportunities. She did some work for an online publisher and learned about monetizing websites, but wasn't sure what to do with the knowledge until her beloved dog, Kendall, died at the end of June.
 
"The day after she died, I had the inspiration to do a website about dogs and travel," she says. "From my experience in the hospitality industry, I knew there were databases and booking engines that could give dog owners access to thousands of hotels."
 
Sanders hopes to steadily boost visitor numbers and have DogWonderful.com become a major destination site for people who want to travel with their animal companions. Part of the site's revenue is donated to dog-focused charities like NEADS, an organization that trains hearing dogs by using prisoners and combat veterans as trainers.
 
The site launched in late October, on a day that would have been Kendall's 17th birthday, Sanders notes. "Dogs just become such a huge part of your life, and what I've found from working on this site is how much people want to share their love of dogs. It's been amazing."
 
Source: Teresa Matsui Sanders, DogWonderful.com
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) recognized 14 companies that are contributing to innovation, development, and commercialization of technology in the state, handing out its annual Tekne Awards last week.
 
The awards included separate categories for small and growing businesses, with revenues under $50 million, and for established businesses. Winners range across a number of fields, from manufacturing to sustainable technologies to non-profit organizations.

"Minnesota’s technology community has responded enthusiastically to the Tekne Awards for the past twelve years," says MHTA President and CEO Margaret Anderson Kelliher. " Year after year the Teknes generate a tremendous amount of pride and help inspire a new generation of innovators."
 

Nova-Tech Engineering won for advanced manufacturing, Ecolab took home the cleantech and energy award, and Global Traffic Technologies won the computer hardware and electronic devices award.
 
For the most innovative collaboration of the year, MHTA chose Maverick Software Consulting, which paired with Digital River, Thompson Reuters, and MnSCU to bring together computer science students and corporations providing software development and testing. Students received real-world experience working in the technology field, and companies got talented candidates. 
 
Other winners included Sophia Learning, Minntech Corporation, Pursuit Vascular, GeaCom, Imation, and Calabrio.
 
The City of Minneapolis received an award for technology excellence in a non-profit organization, with MHTA noting the city's work toward bringing technology and information together to make Minneapolis safer. The city's new emergency operations training facility and strategic information center blend digital data, streaming video and interactive interfaces to create a communications center for the city.
 
The Tekne Awards also featured more inductees to the Minnesota Science and Technology Hall of Fame, which was created four years ago to acknowledge the work of entrepreneurs, engineers, professors, inventors, researchers, and scientists.
 
Source: Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Minnesota High Tech Association
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Consumers are switching to credit unions and community banks in record numbers, and this past weekend, "Bank Transfer Day" had some financial institutions jammed full of new customers.
 
For Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, that means plenty of hiring to keep up with demand.
 
President and CEO Kyle Markland notes that the credit union has been adding about 2,000 members per month, which is double the amount they saw a year ago. About 80 percent of those members have been referred by existing members, but they're also seeing an uptick in interest thanks to their "ditch your bank" campaign.
 
"We've been very public about letting the general population know that there's an alternative to large banks," he says. "Our members see the value in the type of service that we provide, and I think more and more people are looking for that level of service."
 
Affinity currently has 356 employees, but that number is likely to increase as the credit union sees an increase in transaction volume, Markland notes. He says that in the last five years, members have been depending on the credit union for more of their banking needs, such as loans.
 
Because of the growth rate, Affinity is likely to add another 100 employees over the next 12 to 18 months. Just in the past two weeks, they've brought on almost 20.
 
That level of hiring is likely to be tricky, Markland says, because the credit union is very particular about who joins their team. Employees have to be motivated by an environment where they're empowered to make decisions, he says, and can fit in with Affinity's service-oriented culture.
 
"It all comes down to finding good people who want to work with other good people," says Markland.
 
Source: Kyle Markland, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Sometimes, one simple decision can shake a company's entire foundation.
 
For Eagan-based JumpTech, that moment came about a year ago, when the company decided to move its applications to a mobile platform.
 
The firm's software for inventory management and proof of delivery was turned into JumpPOD, an app for iPhone and Android that allows anyone with those devices to track deliveries, accept signatures, and do performance reporting.
 
Since its release about four months ago, the company gets several phone calls per day for orders, says JumpTech CEO John Freund: "This caught us a little off guard, the popularity of JumpPOD. We've had to accommodate for such sudden growth."
 
The 11-member firm is likely to double its employee size over the next few months, he adds, and is moving soon to new, larger office space down the street from its existing offices.
 
Fortunately, Freund has been on the fast-growth track before, when a company he co-founded zoomed upward before it was sold. Now, he uses that experience to make sure that he keeps JumpTech on the right path.
 
"It's a balancing act, because you fight so hard to get customers excited and buy the app, but you have to make sure that you can deliver when they come to order," says Freund. "That's why we're making sure that we're hiring resources now."
 
Technology companies in particular can be challenged by such a turn in fortunes, he adds, and many overreact to growth by staffing up quickly. Then, if sales don't come through as projected, they need to downsize. Freund says, "The way to prevent that is to focus on what you're delivering, as opposed to what you're selling. Here, we're doing that, and growing organically as a result."
 
Source: John Freund, JumpTech
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Students at the University of Minnesota's College of Design will now have even more prototyping power, thanks to the debut of a new digital fabrication laboratory, nicknamed the DigiFabLab.
 
The facility lets students create 3D models of their work, and includes laser cutting technology, and equipment donated by Eden Prairie-based Stratasys.
 
Previously, students had access to some 3D modeling and fabrication equipment, but the DigiFabLab's new systems let them work in hard plastic to produce stronger models, according to Associate Dean and Professor Lee Anderson. These types of models can be beneficial for simulating joint connections in buildings, for example.
 
An additional laser cutter in the lab makes it easier for students to cut building facades with more precision, a process that's usually very complicated and time-consuming when done by hand.
 
In the future, the DigiFabLab anticipates adding more equipment like computer-controlled modeling, a lathe, and routers.
 
"Whenever you can represent an object in a different way, it gives you new insight into what that design can do, and you can see aspects of it in a fresh way," says Anderson. "Looking at a building design as a sketch and as a 3D model create two different ways of seeing the same thing, and that contributes to your understanding of it."
 
Source: Lee Anderson, University of Minnesota
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Drawn to the online advertising spending power and retail strength of the Twin Cities, California-based digital marketing company ValueClick recently opened an office here in order to expand its Midwestern presence.
 
ValueClick combines data, technology, and services to increase brand awareness for advertisers, and focuses on boosting revenue for online and mobile publishers. Some of the brands under its umbrella include Greystripe, Mediaplex, Smarter.com, and PriceRunner.
 
The Minneapolis office is helmed by Jeff Zoss, who's worked in digital advertising for nearly a dozen years, including stints at CoolSavings and MyPoints. He runs the outpost as a one-person operation now, with another representative in the office for Greystripe, but he anticipates that business will build enough to warrant hiring a team.
 
"Minneapolis/St. Paul is seen as a very valuable market for ValueClick and for advertising in general," says Zoss. "If you look at what's here, from Target and Best Buy to ad agencies, there's a strong focus for the interactive market."
 
ValueClick, like other digital marketing companies, had been relying on a Chicago location for its Midwestern presence, but Zoss notes that an office here will allow the company to become a larger part of the community.
 
"It's nice to be local, to meet someone for coffee instead of flying in," he says. "Sometimes, the best business deals happen because you ran into someone in the skyway."
 
Source: Jeff Zoss, ValueClick
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

First Tuesday
 
November 8
University of Minnesota
Carlson School of Management
McNamara Alumni Center
$28, includes lunch
 
Held for nearly 20 years on the first Tuesday of every month at the McNamara Alumni Center, the First Tuesday Speaker Series has showcased top executives and their insights about business and leadership. This month's round features John Stumpf, the Chairman, President, and CEO of Wells Fargo.
 
 
Best Practices in Leadership Effectiveness & Employee Engagement
 
November 10
Embassy Suites Minneapolis Airport
Bloomington
Main conference: $200 members, $300 for members of partners, $400 non-members
 
Put on by the Minnesota Council for Quality, this two-day event features a main conference on Nov. 10 and post-conference workshops the following day. Organizations such as Toro, US Bank, and Allina Hospitals & Clinics will share best practices in succession planning, communication, employee engagement, and other topics.
 
CityCamp Minnesota
 
November 12
University of Minnesota
Humphrey Center
free
 
Touting itself as an "unconference," CityCamp Minnesota aims to bring together community organizations, technology startups, social media experts, software developers, open government advocates and "everyday citizens" for a discussion about how to strengthen local communities. Although there will be breakout sessions and at least 25 different interactive discussions, the conference organizers note that the "coffee break becomes the conference."
 

Robotics Alley
 
November 17
University of Minnesota
Carlson School of Management
$145
 
ReconRobotics (see our previous coverage here) teams up with the Minnesota High Tech Association to host a gathering of 250 leaders in the global robotics industry. Featuring a keynote address by renowned robotics expert Peter Singer, the program also includes a series of open-format talks on the business of robotics from experts in the financial, legal, policy, and academic sectors.

Innovative marketing firm d.trio is boosting its account services and interactive offerings with the addition of three new employees in the past few months, according to one of the firm's partners, Megan Devine.
 
"We've been building a comprehensive team for a multi-channel focus," she says. "We bring together a team of people to really develop a plan based on what the client needs. As opposed to hiring out for certain services, we've been developing one in-house that will give us greater breadth."
 
The agency--named after the trio of co-founders Devine, Maureen Dyvig, and Fred Driver--has clients like Gander Mountain, American Red Cross, Rasmussen College, Synovus, and the University of Minnesota. The marketing group offers strategy, digital services, print production, creative work, and other services.
 
In its location just a block from the Minnesota Twins stadium, the company prides itself on a culture that's lively and unique, which helps to draw candidates, Devine believes.
 
The new additions to the 13-member company bring more strategic savvy, she adds. They'll give d.trio the ability to approach new industries and extend the firm's reach into areas like healthcare, retail, and non-profits.
 
Although many companies claim that clients come first, that's truly the mantra at d.trio, Devine adds: "We think about what we can do to kick up a campaign. Our creative is tied to strategy, and we feel that growing those happy client relationships is what's going to keep us growing."
 
Source: Megan Devine, d.trio
Writer: Elizabeth Millard