Coordination/Collaboration : Innovation + Job News

In a January opinion piece in TechCrunch, entrepreneur Jon Bischke suggested the most successful urban leaders are those who view cities like startups. CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders dedicated to creating next-generation cities, will examine that premise at its 2012 Spring National Meeting: The City As a Startup--Creating Demand, Attracting Talent, Taking Risks, and Going to Scale.

The meeting is set for May 17-18 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and is made possible with support from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. Former AOL Chairman and CEO Steve Case will deliver the morning keynote and also sit on a panel conversation about Startup America.

CEOs for Cities will also release its latest City Vitals report, a framework for measuring the success of cities. Other panels include considering Songdo, South Korea as the planet's smartest city and using the collective-impact approach to catalyze social change. There will also be opportunities to tour Cincinnati attractions and examples of success.

Register here. View a draft agenda here.

Issue Media Group, the parent company of The Line, partners with CEOs for Cities in exploring new options for urban growth.

About 13 years ago, business partners Cameron Henkel and Dave Gooden were both looking for lake property and shared their war stories about going through newspaper listings and calling multiple realtors.
 
"We wondered why there wasn't a one-stop shop for that kind of thing," says Henkel. "So, we decided to create it for ourselves." The pair had been selling computer equipment online, and began adding cabin rentals on their site as well. About a year later, they had about 600 realtors and thousands of properties on their site, LakePlace.com.
 
They decided to expand in 2006 and become a real estate brokerage. That meant giving up their classified-ad revenue and taking a big chance. Henkel says, "We had to make a bet that being a brokerage would be better. It was hard to make that gamble, but it paid off."
 
They added another site to the lineup, LandBin.com, and opened offices in Brainerd, Hayward, and Wayzata. They employ 30 real estate agents and LakePlace.com has become the second most visited site in the Midwest, with 1.5 million visitors a year.
 
"We're growing every day, I'm not kidding," says Gooden. "Hopefully, we'll be making some exciting announcements this year. We have a solid roadmap of where to go."
 
The founders, who've been friends since kindergarten, foresee abundant growth through acquisitions and hiring. And for site visitors, there's finally a place to shop for cabins and land without resorting to the classifieds.
 
Source: Cameron Henkel, Dave Gooden, LakePlace.com
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

As more companies focus on providing preventive health services to employees, RedBrick Health is finding itself in constant hiring mode.
 
"As we expand our ability to innovate, we're seeing growth in client numbers and in employees," says Eric Zimmerman, the company's chief marketing officer.
 
Founded six years ago, the Minneapolis-based firm offers health improvement platforms designed to increase employee engagement and provide reporting and analytics to clients.
 
"There's a rising tide of interest in these types of platforms right now," Zimmerman says. "If you look at health care costs and insurance costs, you can see that it's imperative to create high-performing work forces, particularly in a rapid timeframe."
 
As a way to get employees more involved in health initiatives, RedBrick recently launched a mobile version of its platform. The app allows people to check in with a health coach, track progress with a personalized plan, and play games related to health. For example, a company that's sponsoring a weight loss contest might create teams, and an employee can use a mobile device to see how the team is doing on the leaderboard.
 
"The market is very hungry for this type of approach," says Zimmerman. "Employers are frustrated with the slow-moving 'legacy' approaches."
 
RedBrick has seen triple-digit growth for the past three years, and the strong emphasis on innovation means that it's hiring most within its technology departments.
 
"We'll continue on this trajectory," Zimmerman notes. "We're seeing robust growth, and we're looking forward to keeping that going."
 
Source: Eric Zimmerman, RedBrick Health
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Crowdsourcing is a technique that allows tasks to be outsourced to a wide array of people simultaneously. A project that might normally be sent to one individual for help on a specific issue can be sent to "the crowd," where it benefits from numerous perspectives and skill sets.
 
Minneapolis-based Brand Ninjas brings this concept to design contests, giving clients the ability to create a design brief and set a project budget, then send it out to a crowd of design professionals (which the company calls ninjas).
 
The artists submit designs and give feedback, and the client can choose the design they like the best. Every time a designer places in the top three rankings for a client, he or she earns a "belt" similar to a martial arts ranking.
 
Created by entrepreneurs David Throldahl and Brad Haymaker, the company is already gaining traction, even though it was started just a few months ago.
 
"It's been shocking to us, how much it's taken off," says Throldahl. "People are really honing in on their ability to find reliable resources through this method." He adds that the design ninjas are worldwide, so the "crowd" that sends in designs might include people from Indonesia, Texas, or Eastern Europe. Becoming a ninja is free, which is part of what's driving the growth, Throldahl notes.
 
"We just wanted to create a platform where artists can get recognition and jobs, and clients can get more access to an international design community," he says.
 
Next up for the site will be the creation of a brand toolkit, where site users can store multiple brochures and ads, giving designers a better reference point for bidding on projects.
 
Throldahl says, "We're very excited about the future with this. The fact that it's so well received already gives us a great starting point."
 
Source: David Throldahl, Brand Ninjas
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Now in its eighth year, the Minnesota Cup is ready to award $200,000 in prize money to innovative entrepreneurs, inventors, and small business owners.
 
Designed to award breakthrough business ideas, the competition has six main categories: bioscience and health IT, clean tech and renewable energy, general, high tech, social entrepreneur, and student. Since 2005, more than 6,000 people have participated in the competition, and finalists from the last three rounds have gone on to raise $45 million in capital.
 
The competition's co-founder, Scott Litman, notes that the program expands every year, which has always been one of its major goals. Also, the number of partners increases--this year, UnitedHealth Group and Proto Labs have signed on as partners, bringing more prize money to the competition.
 
In terms of trends, Litman says he's seen a good deal of energy around high tech ideas in the past few years, and he expects that this year should continue that trend.
 
The program's judges are expecting a last-minute rush--and that's meant literally. Litman says, "About 10 percent of our entries come in during the last hour of the competition, and some come in during the last couple minutes. It gets pretty intense, actually." Entrants have until May 18th to submit their ideas. The contest ends at 11:59 pm on that day.
 
That level of excitement is felt during all aspects of the Minnesota Cup, and Litman is looking forward to another lively round of competition. "We love seeing the entries, and watching people talk about the program over social media," he says. "This should be another great year."
 
Source: Scott Litman, Minnesota Cup
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Designing Content That Sells
 
April 4
International Market Square
274 Market St., Suite 180, Minneapolis
11:30am - 1:15pm
$35 members, $55 non-members
 
Put on by the Society for Marketing Professionals, this workshop for those in the architecture and engineering industries focuses on developing effective online content. Reporter and PR professional Rachel Gold will give tips on making content interesting and on gauging how well design and content work together.
 
From Focus to Performance
 
April 6
DoubleTree Hotel
7800 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington
7:00am - 9:00am
$35
 
Sports psychologist and executive coach Dr. Justin Anderson presents the latest advancements in performance psychology and brain research, providing tips on how to use your mind in a more optimal manner to enhance sales and lead a more meaningful life.
 
High Heels, Higher Heights
 
April 10
Minneapolis Convention Center
3:00pm - 6:00pm
$80 members, $95 non-members
 
This annual event honoring women leaders is a prime networking opportunity, and is put on by the Women's Health Leadership TRUST. This year's speaker is Teri Fontenot, president and CEO of Woman's Hospital in Louisiana. Women leaders in health care will also be recognized for two major awards.
 
MHTA Spring Conference
  
April 25
Minneapolis Convention Center
$165 member, $215 non-member
 
The Minnesota High Tech Association presents its popular spring conference, kicked off by a morning keynote address by Rick King, Thomson Reuters chief operation officer for technology. Participants can network with other technology leaders, visit an expanded exhibit hall of more than 100 technology-related businesses, and attend breakout sessions about research, funding, education, and policy development.
 

In the middle of the recession in 2009, Jamie Millard (no relation to this writer) was ready to find work in publishing. There was just one problem: there were no jobs for her.
 
After graduating at the top of her class and having done five internships, Millard still couldn't find a position. "So, I decided to stop asking for permission and create my own," she says. Together with a couple other enthusiastic, literary friends she formed Paper Darts in order to create a new literary magazine.
 
"We saw the opportunity to jazz up that genre with a more lighthearted tone, to pull in the mainstream reader," she says. "That was our mission, to fill the void of unemployment with something useful."
 
Although Millard eventually landed a job at the Charities Review Council, she and the other founders kept the magazine going and even hired an editorial director to bring more cohesion to the firm. Recently, Paper Darts published its first book, and the staff members were excited to learn about the book publishing process from start to finish, Millard notes.
 
The firm has slowly turned into a creative agency as well. They'll be redesigning the popular Pollen newsletter, and taking on other projects as they crop up. Millard says, "We're trying to build a model that can support a full-time staff, but right now, we're just happy with the creative projects that we have. We're having fun with it."
 
Source: Jamie Millard, Paper Darts
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

The Office for Technology Commercialization (OTC) has helped numerous University of Minnesota researchers, becoming an engine for economic development. Now, it's even more useful for university-based entrepreneurs.
 
A new program will eliminate the kind of roadblocks that have challenged researchers in the past. Previously, researchers have had difficulties launching startups within the university, since some federal business grants require a certain amount of time spent on the business. Researchers struggled to fit their entrepreneurial ventures together with their academic duties.
 
But now, they can turn to the OTC for assistance, notes university spokesperson John Merritt. The office will help faculty members create companies and avoid conflicts of interest. Entrepreneurs can use the school's lab for business projects, and the university will own 49 percent of the company.
 
The OTC will guide faculty in the formation of a business, and will assist in recruitment of formal management teams for each new company.
 
The new approach is part of a move toward making the university more entrepreneurial, and geared more toward winning federal grants like Small Business Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovation Research.
 
Merritt adds that the OTC has been in a process of reinvention itself over the last three or four years. This fresh program should help university researchers and faculty to be more competitive for grants, and pursue entrepreneurial ventures in the future.
 
Source: John Merritt, University of Minnesota
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Fred Haberman never intended to go into public relations. It just turned out that he's very good at it, especially when he's following his passion and encouraging others to do the same.
 
After starting an adventure travel company and an organizational development counseling firm with his wife, Haberman fell into the PR field. The couple started their own business in their house, with clients meeting at the dining room table, and eventually grew it into a 38-employee firm housed in the Warehouse District.
 
Growth has been robust, Haberman notes, attracting clients like explorer Ann Bancroft, Great River Energy, National Cooperative Grocers Association, Organic Valley, Slow Money Alliance, HealthSimple, and the Social Venture Network.
 
Sensing a theme yet?
 
Haberman's firm specializes in sustainability-focused clients who are trying to make a contribution to their communities, and Haberman has that same vision.
 
"We're geared toward helping to create a collaborative world," he says. "The question is: how do we make a difference while being financially sustainable? And we think the answer is that we follow our passion."
 
Companies have begun to seek out Haberman, to tap into that energy and spark that sets the firm apart. As a result, he expects to keep hiring and growing the firm, which benefits not just the company and its employees, but all of us, Haberman believes.
 
"There's something remarkable about creating shared value," he says. "That's what we've been about from the beginning."
 
Source: Fred Haberman, Haberman
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Marketing to the Millennial age group--18-to-28-year-olds--can be more than tricky, but a new Minneapolis-based agency has the savvy and background to help. After all, it's run by a couple of Millennials.
 
Started in January 2011, The Social Lights got started when friends Martha McCarthy and Emily Pritchard decided to combine their entrepreneurial energies while they were both attending the University of St. Thomas.
 
They did business plan competitions together and took classes in journalism as well as business topics. They created The Social Lights during their last semester at school, and McCarthy recalls that it wasn't easy. "We were doing homework and pitching clients at the same time," she says.
 
After graduation, they came to a full boil and took on numerous campaigns, focusing on others in their age group. "Sometimes companies that are trying to use social media can have a hard time reaching Millennials," says McCarthy. "They know how to use the tools, but they don't know how to communicate with them. Since we're in that age range, we have insight into what that audience needs."
 
With an increasing number of clients, the firm is getting ready to hire its first non-founder employee this summer. McCarthy believes that the hire will be another major step forward for the company: "We're not sure how large we'd like to get eventually, but this is very exciting, to get to this point."
 
Source: Martha McCarthy, The Social Lights
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Entrepreneurial incubation program Project Skyway was much heralded for its first round of tech acceleration. Although the initial cycle saw a couple of speed bumps--which the founders expected, given that it's the state's first seed-stage startup program--it resulted in the growth of several early-stage companies.
 
Now comes round two, with a quartet of businesses that are looking to be the next big thing in tech. Here's the lineup, which will be worth watching over the next couple of months:
 
YumZing: This service is similar to Yelp, but instead of collecting information on restaurants, it'll list menu items. So, if you want to find the best taco in town, or a list of creative cocktails, the site will guide you there.
 
HypeSpark: Users of this site can earn rewards and freebies by endorsing brands through social media.
 
Energy Resource Insights: An aggregator of data from thousands of reports, this service relies on a central database that can provide current information on regional energy programs.
 
Political Harmony: The name might sound like an oxymoron, but the site's creators intend for the service to help voters choose political candidates more effectively.
 
Focused on building companies that promise long-term and sustainable growth, Project Skyway provides mentorship and support. For this latest round, the competition was ferocious.
 
"These companies beat out ambitious entrepreneurs from five states and four different countries," says Project Skyway co-founder Casey Allen. "In a nutshell, they're all solid entrepreneurs that we believe are working on solid ideas."
 
Source: Casey Allen, Project Skyway
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

It was quite a way to kick off a new year. Recently, Edina-based ReconRobotics received a $13.9 million contract from the U.S. Army, in its largest order to date.
 
The company started in 2006 as a way to commercialize technology from the University of Minnesota's Distributed Robotics Laboratory (see previous Line coverage here). At this point, the company's micro-robot systems are used around the world by military and police forces.
 
ReconRobotics employs 52 people, with 22 added in just the last year. CEO Alan Bignall says, "We'll be expanding in many ways: in orders for our current product, in research and development, and in hiring."
 
Growth is coming from several areas, he adds. First, there's the realization that personal-level robotics are becoming more common. He compares the devices to night-vision goggles, which were once rare in the law enforcement arena, but are now common. He expects that in the not-too-distant future, smaller robots will be standard for many military and law enforcement situations.
 
Also, demand is increasing in other areas, like healthcare and maintenance. Mini-robots might be used for shoveling your sidewalk, he notes, or even for babysitting.
 
"Imagine if I could have a robot watch my kids in the backyard and let me know if they stray too far," he says. "We'll find more and more uses for this technology, especially as we add capabilities like additional sensors. It's a very exciting time to be in this field."
 
Source: Alan Bignall, ReconRobotics
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Urban farming is experiencing a huge boom in the Twin Cities, and is expected to grow stronger in the near future. Community gardens, employer gardens, and mini-farmers'-markets are popping up everywhere, and more municipal initiatives are geared toward encouraging growth.
 
So it's not surprising that a major new farm could take root. Stone's Throw Urban Farm brings together seven farmers and 12 vacant lots in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, covering four acres altogether.
 
To get the necessary startup capital, the group just launched a Kickstarter campaign. One of the farmers, Alex Liebman, notes that they wanted to put themselves on the path of independence, where they didn't rely on external funding in order to run.
 
The farm will offer shares in its community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, and will sell at the Mill City Farmers Market, but it turned to Kickstarter for the funds needed for initial projects, like building a hoophouse that will house spring transplants.
 
"Our goal is to provide a financially viable source of employment, while also tackling bigger ecological issues," says Liebman. Vegetables and fruits are grown without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides, and the farmers will hold tours and volunteer days so local residents can participate in the farm.
 
"There's a lot of coordination with this many sites, and so many people involved," Liebman notes. "But the benefits outweigh the challenges. There's a lot of excitement and great ideas happening right now."
 
Source: Alex Liebman, Stone's Throw Urban Farm
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

The local beer scene just keeps getting more and more lively, and the latest entrant is Indeed Brewing, located in Northeast Minneapolis.
 
The Line recently covered the growth of craft beer, and also noted how Indeed is moving into the rehabbed Solar Arts Building. With a strong market and a distinctive location, the brewery has a robust head start for growth.
 
"We wanted to create a brewery that could offer a fuller approach," says co-founder Tom Whisenand. "We want to sell in bars and restaurants, but also liquor stores."
 
The use of cans instead of bottles might help that effort. Unlike many of the craft breweries in the Twin Cities, Indeed has chosen to can their beer, emphasizing the durability, portability, and environmental friendliness of cans (lighter to transport, they use less fuel to ship, and are fully recyclable).
 
Another ingredient for success is Josh Bischoff as head brewer, Whisenand notes. Bischoff comes out of Town Hall Brewery, and has won awards for several of his brews. He's been the force behind the beer's first "hop-forward" brews, due this summer.
 
Whisenand came up with the name "Indeed" after he and co-founders Rachel Anderson and Nathan Berndt kicked around numerous choices. He felt that it was an affirmation of living in Minnesota, as in, "Despite the winters, this is indeed a great place to live."
 
That type of positive outlook fuels the company, he says: "We all love living here, and we believe we can create quality beer in a great place."
 
Source: Tom Whisenand, Indeed Brewing
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

To say that Minneapolis-based Code 42 Software is having a good year already is something of an understatement.
 
In late January, the firm announced that it had secured $52.5 million in venture funding, which will accelerate product development and greatly expand the company's sales and marketing efforts. A few weeks later, the Wall Street Journal published a lengthy, favorable review of its data backup system, CrashPlan.
 
"This year has started with a bang, that's for sure," says Code 42 co-founder and CEO Matthew Dornquast. "We're very happy with how it's been going in terms of growth in the past few years."
 
The company has added about 60 employees within the last year--bringing the total number to 86--and expects to hire more in the months ahead as CrashPlan gains an even broader customer base. In the last three years, Code 42 has experienced more than 500 percent growth.
 
First offered in 2007, CrashPlan was developed as a way to streamline backup. The company developed multiple versions of the product, targeting home users, private and public cloud creators, small businesses, and large enterprises.
 
With the new infusion of financing, Code 42 has become the recipient of the largest venture round ever for a private Minnesota-based software company. Now, that's the way to ring in a new year.
 
Source: Matthew Dornquast, Code 42
Writer: Elizabeth Millard