entrepreneurship : Innovation + Job News

Social networking resources like LinkedIn and Facebook help to expand professional networks, but sometimes you just need the equivalent of a good phonebook.

Toward that end, a particularly valuable resource that lists women entrepreneurs is now being compiled by CoCo, a coworking and collaborative space that recently expanded into Minneapolis.

The project got its start when the founders of CoCo were talking about creating an advisory group of successful business people and entrepreneurs who could offer wisdom and advice, according to co-founder Don Ball.

"We created a short list of candidates that we might approach and it was apparent that we didn't have any women in the list," he says. "Kind of pathetic."

So, Ball tapped into his Twitter network to find a list of successful women entrepreneurs in Minnesota, and discovered that one didn't exist. He put a web form on CoCo's site to collect that information and immediately got questions asking for definition, such as "What do you mean by entrepreneur?" and "In what fields?"

"I made the list really open-ended," Ball says. "We're looking for information about any women entrepreneurs, however one interprets that. So, if you look at the list, you'll see that we have some diversity in peoples' pursuits, which seems healthy and appropriate. I don't need to set the criteria on the collection end. People who want to access the list can determine what kind of entrepreneurs they're interested in knowing about and connecting with."

Currently, the list has about 75 entries, and Ball is hoping to get many more and turn the information into a searchable, sortable database so that the data is more usable.

If the initiative is successful, Ball envisions similar efforts for other directories, like compiling the area's innovators, social entrepreneurs, Hispanic entrepreneurs, or green-energy business owners.

Source: Don Ball, CoCo
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Co-ops are a common business structure for groovy food emporiums, energy consortiums, and dairy producers, but now that setup is ready to fuel more growth at entrepreneurial advocacy group MOJO Minnesota.

The collection of Twin Cities attorneys, advisors, entrepreneurs, and investors came together about a year ago, calling themselves "agitators for innovation policy and community." The group's main goal is to shine a light on new technologies through state policy advocacy, unique events, and mentoring. Creating connections among business leaders, industry groups, and investors is another strong focus.

Now, it's a co-operative as well. "Up until this point, we've been an unincorporated association, which just means there was a collection of us working together on these particular issues," says co-founder Ernest Grumbles. "We wanted to formalize our structure, and when we looked at the available options, we latched onto being a co-op because that's how we've been functioning."

MOJO has a populist feel to it, he notes, but more importantly, it allows the group to pursue advocacy action and potential commercialization that would have been more challenging if it had sought non-profit status.

"Minnesota has been a big booster of co-ops," he adds, "where people come together and share resources. There are a number of power co-ops and consumer co-ops, but our group is unique in taking that structure."

Grumbles believes that other business advocacy and networking organizations would be beneficial for the state, and it's his hope that MOJO won't be the only business-focused co-op for long.

Source: Ernest Grumbles, MOJO Minnesota
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Because immigrants are settling in areas outside of the Twin Cities, the African Development Council (ADC) decided to begin reaching out beyond its Minneapolis offices.

"The pattern of movement with African immigrants is changing," says Hussein Samatar, ADC's Executive Director. "They were coming to the Cities in the beginning, but gradually, they've been moving outside the metro for job opportunities or housing, or to have more space for their children."

In order to offer assistance to those in other cities, the ADC recently purchased a building in Willmar to serve as a regional satellite office, with plans to open in mid-September. A new location in Rochester opened in June to serve those in that region of the state. Samatar notes that in downtown Willmar, more than 40 percent of businesses are owned by African or Latino people.

ADC was established in 2003, with its first major funding and full-time staff positions coming just a year later. The group believes that immigrant groups help to revitalize neglected neighborhoods, boost the economy through new businesses, and increase home ownership. The organization focuses on these areas with strategic lending, housing assistance, and other services.

According to a report by The Minneapolis Foundation, about 13 percent of the state's foreign-born residents are from Africa--a higher percentage than in any other U.S. state. Most Africans have come to Minnesota from Somalia, Liberia, and the Sudan, according to the ADC, but there's an increasing influx from Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Eritrea as well.

ADC formed to fill a gap that some saw with mainstream development corporations and the complex needs of African immigrants.

Just as the group is expanding northward and southward outside the metro, it got some help itself recently, when it garnered a two-year grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation. Samatar points out that Bremer's founder was a German immigrant, who came to the U.S at a different time, but faced many of the same business and housing issues that still challenge immigrants today.

"We feel that there are so many opportunities where we can provide services, and the grant will help us to keep expanding and serving more people," says Samatar. "We're always seeing where we can fill in gaps and provide assistance."

Source: Hussein Samatar, African Development Council
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Although the state government's operations might be temporarily reduced to a simmer, it seems that Minnesota's exports are at full boil.

According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the state's exports of manufactured, agricultural and mining products grew 13 percent in the first quarter, compared to the same period a year ago. Overall, state exports were a record $4.8 billion for the quarter.

The most dominant export category proved to be manufactured products, bringing in $4.4 billion of total sales, which is a 12 percent increase over last year.

"Minnesota exports continue to be strong, generating more business for companies and contributing to job growth statewide," said DEED Commissioner Mark Phillips in a press release announcing the news. He added that exports to nine of the state's top 10 markets expanded from a year ago, and sales for most of Minnesota's products and commodities grew as well.

Canada remains Minnesota's largest customer, accounting for $1.3 billion in exports in the quarter, up 16 percent from a year ago. Other top markets include China, Japan, Mexico, Germany, and South Korea. Growth in Asia was particularly significant, with exports to China increasing by 35 percent.

Despite the record export growth, the Minnesota Trade Office believes that many small- to mid-sized businesses could be doing even more to bring their products and services to non-Minnesota customers. In a statement, the Trade Office's Executive Director, Katie Clark, noted that Minnesota must focus on selling its products to the global marketplace.

Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Pub Standards MN
Thursday, July 14, 6�8 p.m.
Psycho Suzie's
1900 Marshall Street NE, Minneapolis

Join in the monthly meet-up of Pub Standards MN to "drink, talk shit, complain, and commiserate" with other web professionals, as their website states.


Annual UEL Summer BBQ
Wednesday, July 20, 3�6:30 p.m.
University Enterprises Laboratories
1000 Westgate Drive, St. Paul
Free

Call 651-641-2804 or email [email protected] to rsvp for this annual gathering at the biosciences research center and early-stage company incubator.

Creativity in the Digital World � MIMA event
Wednesday, July 20, 5:15 p.m.
McNamara Alumni Center, U of M Campus
200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis
Free to $45

Heath Rudduck, chief creative officer at Campbell Mithun, will present at this event from the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA). Registration and cash bar at 5:15 p.m.; presentation at 6 p.m.; networking, food & cash bar at 7 p.m. Pre-register for $40 (free for MIMA members and students) or walk in for $40�$45.


Hacks/Hackers Twin Cities
Hacked! - Why You Should Care about Privacy in Social Media
Thursday, July 21, 6 p.m.
Public Radio International
401 Second Ave. N., Suite 500, Minneapolis

Join the newly established Hacks/Hackers Twin Cities for a conversation about privacy and security in social media.


Bootstrappers Breakfast
Thursday, July 28, 7:30�9 a.m.
Wilde Roast
65 SE Main St., Minneapolis
$10
Early stage technology startups compare notes on operational, development, and business issues with peers who "eat problems for breakfast." Moderated by start-up lawyer Kevin Spreng.


CoCo/Project Skyway Grain Exchange opening party
Saturday, July 30
400 South Fourth Street
details TBA

The early news is that CoCo and Project Skyway will celebrate the opening of their Minneapolis space at the Grain Exchange on July 30. Watch for details on their websites.


Visit Tech.MN for a full listing of tech-related events.

Minnesota companies account for one-fourth of the start-ups that will advance from the North-Central region and hope to compete on the national stage in this year's Cleantech Open.

The 20 semi-finalists from the 10-state North-Central region include five Minnesota companies in three of the six categories. A Cleantech Open news release describes the companies:

Green Building category
Supreme Energy Products of Lakeville--Seamless building envelope systems to enable 50-70 percent greater energy savings

Renewable Energy category
Atmosphere Recovery of Eden Prairie--Dramatic energy output increases from gas or liquid-based renewable energy processes
INVELOX of Chaska--Technology for safe, silent, low-cost and high-efficiency wind power generation

Transportation category
CleanTrack of Plymouth--Fleet fuel consumption and hydrocarbon emissions reduction system.
RoutePerfect of Minneapolis--A new fuel optimization technology for the transportation industry

In October, finalists will be chosen from the regions to compete nationally for up to $250,000 in investment and services and an opportunity to present in front of 2,000 attendees at The Cleantech Open's Global Forum in November.

Perhaps more important is the advice, education, and access to investors that each semifinalist company will receive in the coming months, including coaching from a network of business mentors, one-on-one consulting with specialists, an intensive "boot camp," and other local supporting events and training.

Win or lose, it's an opportunity to develop or perfect business plans and showcase ideas in search of capital to get a start-up off the ground

This year marks the second year of participation for the North-Central region in the competition, which began nationally in 2006. Illinois, new to the region this year, also sends five companies into the semi-final round.

In total, 163 start-ups made the semifinal round nationwide.

Source: Cleantech Open
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

After picking up speed over the last month, Minnesota's first tech accelerator is set to cruise with its first class of companies.

Following a weekend-long "bootcamp" June 10�12, Project Skyway chose eight "Skywalkers" from the field of 25 semi-finalist companies. Over the course of the weekend, the companies pitched their own and each other's ideas to fellow entrepreneurs, Project Skyway organizers, and the public. They attended roundtables with lawyers, investors, accomplished tech and software entrepreneurs, and others, and they met potential investors and customers.

"They certainly got a lot out of it," whether they moved on or not, said Project Skyway founder Cem Erdem of the 25 bootcampers. Project Skyway asked many of those not selected to apply for the next round after fine-tuning their ideas, adding a business partner, raising capital, or otherwise advancing their businesses.

After the bootcamp, the companies were rated by all involved, including each other and members of the public. In the end, eight were chosen:

COR² Technology--The company offers a cloud-based business-process and work-flow automation service to help organizations with 5 to 500 co-workers eliminate piles of paper by integrating simple applications with unlimited user licenses that power the whole organization.

Naiku--Naiku creates an affordable Software-as-a-Service that K-12 teachers use to easily individualize learning with a dashboard created by its proprietary analytics model.

Nitch--Nitch is an online platform for B2B collaboration and commerce.

Paypongo--Paypongo's service is a secure mobile payment solution that allows consumer-to-merchant transactions; consumer-to-consumer transactions; and merchant-to-merchant transactions, all through mobile devices. Transactions can originate from banking accounts or credit cards.

Qualtrx--Qualtrx is a new healthcare sales channel--an online solutions marketplace where healthcare providers publish patient-care needs, goals, and priorities, and where pharma and device vendors purchase these needs as "keywords" to make targeted needs-based proposals via the Qualtrx platform.

Telementry Web--TelemetryWeb helps makers of Internet-connected sensors and industrial devices build a new class of innovative, data-centric solutions by leveraging a ready-to-use, scalable Software-as-a-Service platform to secure, store, process, and integrate sensor data in novel ways.

Vanquish AP--VanquishAP is developing a real estate management platform that connects property managers, building owners, and tenants by creating local social communities while automating redundant tasks and centralizing logistics.

UHungry--UHungry is developing a social networking site to help college students save money and time by making it easy for them to place orders online at quick-serve restaurants with a group of friends while earning points to spend on future orders by completing tasks. This company, hailing from Long Island, was the only one not from Minnesota.

Erdem notes that the Skywalker companies are all early-stage companies, beyond the more basic start-up level.

Erdem and Casey Allen's video run-down of the eight Skywalkers gives an inside look not only at each of the companies, but at the Project Skyway decision process and model.

Cem and Casey Play-by-Play Skywalker Commentary from Casey Allen on Vimeo.

Although the accelerator class was intended to begin Aug. 1, Erdem sent an email this week informing the finalists that they would move forward now with the momentum of the bootcamp.
 
The class, and Project Skyway in general, will be based out of the tech accelerator's new shared space (with the co-working organization CoCo) in the Grain Exchange building in Downtown Minneapolis. Project Skyway plans a 'big party' at the end of July after the move in mid-July.

Erdem's personal email to each of the eight finalists reflects the tenor of his passion, and it sets the bar high for the participants:

"I bought into your vision," he writes, "but more importantly I bought into your purpose, your character, who you are. Our entire community will be watching you every step of the way. They are thirsty to see you succeed and bring the long lost entrepreneurial fame back to our region."

Source: Cem Erdem
Writer: Jeremy Stratton
 

A total of 51 companies have moved into the semi-final round of the 2011 Minnesota Cup, which is now in its seventh year.

The list of companies includes two, Naiku and Qualtrx, that were also selected for Project Skyway's inaugural tech accelerator.

The Minnesota Cup is also similar to the national Cleantech Open, which also announced semifinalists last week-- companies compete for divisional and grand prize money (a total of $185,000) but also receive invaluable mentoring and exposure to investors, entrepreneurs, and other business experts.

Companies fall into six divisions: Clean Technology and Renewable Energy, BioSciences, High Tech, Social Entrepreneur, General, and Student.

Matt Hilker, director of the Minnesota Cup, who is in his second full cycle of the competition, says this is where the value starts for the semi-finalists--with "the validation and the exposure they get for their idea, whether it's potential advisors or even customers, that's huge," says Hilker.

"Just the process itself is good, because they're given deadlines of when they have to turn in a business plan," says Hiler. "It's motivation."

Over the next month-and-a-half, each company will be paired with at least one mentor while they write their business plans. In mid-August, three finalists will be chosen from each division, with the winners of each collecting $25,000 and moving on to the final round in September.

The Minnesota Cup's program background and details page gives a good explanation and a timeline of the competition.

Source: Matt Hilker, Minnesota Cup
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

The Minneapolis City Council in April approved the Homegrown Business Development Center, aimed at supporting small and start-up food-based businesses in the city.

The center is a loan program and technical assistance center, through which Minneapolis-based businesses associated with the processing, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of local food products can apply for loans of up to $10,000 at 2 percent interest. Businesses will need to match the loan amount.

The April approval by the City Council set in motion a year-long pilot with $100,000 in total loan funds available.

The center is part of the larger, ongoing "Homegrown Minneapolis" effort, "one small piece of the homegrown pie," says Kris Maritz, loan and technical assistance specialist for the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), which administers the loans for the city. It's "another tool in the toolbox of loans that the city provides for small businesses."

Eligible businesses exist in the middle of the continuum of grower-to-consumer local foods, says Maritz. While other resources exist for local growers and retailers, the program might benefit a small producer that has been selling at farmers' markets, for instance, but wants to take the step to packaging and selling in greater volumes.

Maritz says the newly approved center has yet to receive its first application, but she has spoken to about a dozen interested companies. Maritz expects the first round of loans to go to existing companies that already have  products and/or sales under their belts. That said, the loans are intended to support start-ups as well.

The center will also refer companies to other resources such as experts in food packaging or nutrition labels, says Maritz.

Such resources could be just a part of a company's preparation to apply for the loan, notes Maritz. "Just because you send in an application doesn't mean you're going to get the cash," she says. "There's a lot of legwork that has to be done before a business is even ready to apply for a loan."

Once off the ground, Maritz says she thinks the program can be very successful. "I think it can really help a lot of the food manufacturers in the city � not just the loan capital, but sending this message to food businesses in the metro. Even if you don't come to us for a loan, you can still get a lot of informational help."

 More information is available in the city's Guide to Starting a Local Food Business in Minneapolis. (pdf)

Source: Kris Maritz, Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

St. Paul co-working group Co-Co and tech accelerator Project Skyway have joined forces to establish Co-Co's second location, this one on the old trading floor of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange building in Downtown Minneapolis.

The16,000-square-foot trading floor of the 1903 building will offer alternative office space for Co-Co's clients: freelance professionals, small businesses, and corporate workgroups; and it will provide working and meeting space for Project Skyway's twice-yearly classes of tech entrepreneurs, according to a press release. The space will also hold educational and social events hosted by CoCo.

The space is set to open July 5.

Project Skyway, billed as "Minnesota's first tech accelerator program for motivated entrepreneurs," is currently in its first round of assisting early-stage tech companies. Project Skyway will hold a weekend�long bootcamp, June 10�12, for 25 select companies at CoCo's flagship St. Paul location, which opened in 2010. Ten of those companies will be the finalists to go through the inaugural three-month program in the new Minneapolis space, starting in August.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, whose office encouraged the move, said in the release that "entrepreneurs built our region in the 19th century, and their partnership will help a new generation of startups do the same in the 21st century."

Cem Erdem, founder of Project Skyway,and founder and CEO of the educational software company Augusoft, dubbed it "the Brain Exchange."

The organizations promise to post detailed space designs, images and videos in the coming weeks. In the meantime, they invite folks to visit the evolving space, every Wednesday through June 29, between 1 p.m and 5 p.m. (Email first.)

Source: CoCo, Project Skyway
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

The Minnesota Angel Network is beta-testing and fine-tuning its process in anticipation of a public launch in July.

Announced in January, the network will help companies prepare for funding by angel investors and will connect the two groups.

Right now, seven companies are beta-testing the process, says Todd Leonard, executive director of the Minnesota Angel Network. They represent various industries, regions of the state, and even stages of development--"from the whole spectrum of business," he says.

The company types include software, internet sales, biotech/cleantech firms, and animal health, and they include new startups, firms that have been through the equity process previously, and operational companies seeking outside funds for the first time.

"We're finding that even very seasoned CEOs that actually have functional, operating companies still are finding our educational process extremely helpful," says Leonard.

It's that educational process, more than connecting companies with capital, that Leonard stresses the network is about.

"Our primary concern is the educational side to this," he says. "The investment is really an additional benefit that we have, in that we have this relationship with those investors."

Investors are poised for that relationship, however, according to Leonard, and the Minnesota Angel Network is aligned with a number of other states with angel investment networks--at least 18 other network funds that "represent a significant amount of angel investment monies," he says. The network has also partnered with Rain Source Capital and other networked funds in Minnesota and elsewhere.

The network is also leveraging regional economic development organizations across the state with which it partners. While many may refer companies to the emerging program, those that sponsor the network as donors will take an early-stage role, facilitating intake and some of the training.
 
Those basic steps include due diligence and gap analysis, readying companies and their information for investors --an effort that mitigates risk for investors and companies alike.

The angel network also now has a full-time chief operating officer: David Wagy, a former senior director of finance for Medtronic and an angel investor.

Leonard says his own role is currently focused on fundraising. The network's goal is to not use any funds outside of donors, he says, and to be self-sustaining within its second year of operations.

Source: Todd Leonard, Minnesota Angel Network
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

When it comes to medical diagnosis and treatment, one generally doesn't want the doctor to "phone it in."

That is changing with the advent of companies like Zipnosis. The St. Paul-based firm facilitates online diagnosis and treatment of common health needs like colds, flu, allergies, common infections, tobacco cessation, and more.

For a $25 fee, registered patients can complete an "adaptive online interview" about their ailment. The information is sent digitally to a local, board-certified and licensed clinician, from whom the patient receives a diagnosis, treatment plan, and prescription if necessary, within an hour, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Zipnosis was co-founded in late 2008 by CEO Jon Pearce, then an MBA student at the University of Minnesota.
The company now has six employees, including corporate officers with experience at notable local health care and IT organizations.

Zipnosis completed a year-long, local pilot in early May, partnering with Park Nicollet to provide diagnosis and treatment to approximately 3,500 patients--about 30 percent of them in rural Minnesota.

Pearce says the pilot answered the questions: "'Can we deliver the care effectively? Can we deliver it safely? What sort of marketing responses work?' You get a really good idea for how the business works," he says.

Both clinical quality and patient satisfaction were high, says Pearce--in the mid-to-upper nineties (in terms of percentage) for safe and effective treatment and in terms of positive patient responses to a survey. More than 30 percent of patients served have used Zipnosis more than once, Pearce notes.

With the success of, and lessons learned from, the pilot, "We said, 'OK, we think it's ready to move into multiple states at this point,'" says Pearce. They wasted no time; Zipnosis expanded its services to two other states, Colorado and Washington, on May 15. Pearce expects to add others by the end of the year. Zipnosis has even drawn international interest, which they have had to turn down in this early stage. "We're not quite there," says Pearce. "[With] six people [it's] a little hard to tackle some of the other countries."

Here at home, Pearce anticipates Park Nicollet will remain a long-term partner in Minnesota. The company will similarly partner with local clinics and practitioners in other states, he says.

Pearce said he expects Zipnosis to add employees as the company grows and expands its reach.

Zipnosis can offer two types of service in partnering with providers, according to Pearce: practitioners can use the company's online "turnkey solution, right out of the box," he says, or it can "help them create an identity for their system" using the platform and technology.

"So far most people � have used the off-the-shelf product, because it seems to work fairly well," says Pearce.


Source: Jon Pearce, CEO, Zipnosis

Writer: Jeremy Stratton

At least a handful of local startups will have one cost area covered for them in the coming year: marketing and advertising.

Hopkins-based direct-response advertising company Marketing Architects and sister company MACatalyst have set aside $2 million for a new business incubator, called Project Lab.

Marketing Architects sells direct-to-consumer products through radio and television ads. The company began 15 years ago in radio, "very much at a time when everyone else thought that radio could not work for direct response," says Brand Manager Katelin Johnson. It is now the largest direct-response marketing company in the nation, she says.

The incubator is in response to the Minneapolis and St. Paul mayors' Entrepreneurship Accelerator," initiative, according to a press release from the company.

The Project Lab is a 5,000-square-foot space, designed to be movable and fluid enough to handle as many as 20 businesses, she says. Startups and existing customers may use the "creative" space for strategizing, research and development, testing, and as a "dedicated space � for their product lineups," according to the release.

The $2 million will actually fund businesses above and beyond the development of five products currently in various stages, says Johnson. Marketing Architects expects a couple of them--one a home-goods/lawn-and-garden product, the other a medical device--to launch in July.

"And by launch, I mean spots on the air," says Johnson. Direct-response marketability is a prerequisite for the startups and products, which otherwise may vary widely in type and stage of development, she says, starting with as little as "just an idea."

How much each company will get and how they use it will also vary, "depending on where they are in that startup process," she says. Marketing Architects and MACatalyst are open to dedicating more than the $2 million set aside for this year, and they plan further investment in the coming years, she says.

Marketing Architects has 115 employees, including those added when the company moved into television about four years ago, says Johnson. They stayed steady during the economic downturn and have about ten active job openings right now.

The incubator is in response to the Minneapolis and St. Paul mayors' Entrepreneurship Accelerator," initiative, according to a press release from the company.

 The Project Lab is a 5,000-square-foot space, designed to be movable and fluid enough to handle as many as 20 businesses, she says. Startups and existing customers may use the "creative" space for strategizing, research and development, testing, and as a "dedicated space � for their product line ups," according to the release.

(Watch a time-lapse video, with high-powered rock-'n'-roll music, of the Project Lab being built):

 

Source: Katelin Johnson, Brand Manager, Marketing Architects

Writer: Jeremy Stratton

Mobile Technology: Adoption, Design, and Sustainability Lessons
Friday, May 6, 8:30 a.m.�11:!5 a.m., Room 2-206, Carlson School of Management
321 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis
registration required

Alina M. Chircu, associate professor in the Information and Process Management department at Bentley University, will present at this U of M MIS Research Center seminar. Chircu will discuss mobile technology adoption and usage patterns; related mobile phone design practices in developing and developed countries; recent research on sustainability principles employed by top phone manufacturers; how these principles impact business processes for new mobile products design, production and distribution; and more.


MinneBar
Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m.�5:30 p.m.
Best Buy headquarters
7601 Penn Ave. South, Richfield
Free, register online

Registration is open for the "(un)conference" that brings Minnesota's tech and design communities together. Sign up to attend or lead a discussion. Sessions will run throughout the day, and light breakfast and lunch will be provided. An after-party with beer and wine will follow.


Living Green Expo
May 7�8
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
Creative Activities, Education, 4-H, Fine Arts and Progress Center buildings
Free

The 10th annual expo will feature dozens of workshops and presentations on green topics ranging from energy efficiency and sustainable design strategies to the soybean--along with an actual "green wedding." Take a look at the full list.


MedTech Investing Conference
May 18�19
Graves 601 Hotel, Minneapolis
$895�$1,395, registration limited to 300

The 10th annual  MedTech Investing Conference will bring together medical device investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate business development executives to network and foster the development and financing of companies. This year's event, with the theme "The New Era of Innovation," will feature more than 45 industry experts as well as clinical specialty sessions.


Mobile Twin Cities
Tuesday, May 17, 7�9 p.m.
Refactr Offices, 11 NE 4th St., Suite 300, Minneapolis

The May installment of this monthly meeting, sponsored by Recursive Awesome, LLC, will feature review and   topics from the Mobile March Conference. Contact Justin Grammens at [email protected] for more information.

On May 2, the City of Minneapolis awarded nearly $500,000 in grants to assist small businesses along its commercial corridors through the city's Great Streets Neighborhood Business District Program.

The city funded 15 proposals ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, for a total of $499,873. The funds are passed through community development organizations to the businesses.

This is the fourth year the grants have been awarded. So far, more than 250 new and existing businesses have received technical assistance in marketing, bookkeeping, product mix, licensing and code requirements, and business planning, states a press release announcing the grants. The awarded organizations also use the funds for such things as business development and recruitment, public safety initiatives, real estate/market assessment, construction mitigation, and more.

The list of awarded organizations includes nonprofits across the city.
 
The Neighborhood Business District grants program is part of the city's $4 million Great Streets initiative, according to Kelly Hoffman, senior project coordinator for the City of Minneapolis.

The greater initiative also includes fa�ade improvement matching grants, real estate development gap financing loans, and marketing of the city's finance programs to help small businesses, she says.

As the program has progressed, the city is measuring progress and collecting success stories, Hoffman says, and the program allows organizations in the city's 118 commercial nodes and corridors to learn from one another.

"One of the benefits of the program being around for a fourth year is we're starting to figure out best practices and different ways for organizations to further best strategies," she says.

Source: Kelly Hoffman, City of Minneapolis.
Writer: Jeremy Stratton