Creative Leadership : Innovation + Job News

Marketing Going Mobile
August 11
Metropolitan Ballroom
5418 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley
$30 for BMA members and $45 for non-members

The Minnesota chapter of the Business Marketing Association is hosting a panel discussion on how to successfully add mobile technology to B2B marketing campaigns. Topics include: leveraging mobile as a new media channel, integrating mobile into a marketing mix, and challenges associated with building applications for mobile devices. Attendees can register online at BMA's site through August 9, and a limited number of walk-up registrations are also available.

Mobile Twin Cities
August 16
Refactr office
11 Fourth St. NE, Minneapolis

Geared toward mobile developers, but open to non-techies, Mobile Twin Cities is a group of mobile enthusiasts who enjoy meeting on the third Tuesday or each month to discuss trends and software on all platforms. Past topics have included the challenges of training cellular sales teams, the use of QR codes, and the top news in mobile. For those who are interested, but can't make the meeting, Mobile Twin Cities offers videos of previous meetings on its site.

Summer Garden Party in the Sky
August 17
Crowne Plaza's Sky Garden
618 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis
free, but registration recommended

Put on by the MainStreetChamber, this networking mixer is a celebration of the gathering's first-year anniversary in Minnesota. The meetup is expected to draw hundreds of small business owners, and offers magnificent views of downtown as well as the hotel's rooftop garden.

Bootstrappers Breakfast
August 25
Wilde Roast
65 Main St. SE, Minneapolis
$10 fee + your own breakfast costs

Held monthly, the Bootstrappers Breakfast gives those in early-stage technology startups a chance to compare notes on operational, development, and business issues with their peers. The discussion is moderated by Kevin Spreng, an attorney specializing in entrepreneurial and investment issues. The focus isn't on fundraising through venture capital interest, but instead, on sharing ideas about how to grow a business.

A firm dedicated to making roadways safer and more efficient is getting some potential speed of its own, thanks to the inclusion of a former congressman.

Global Traffic Technologies (GTT), a developer of traffic sensing and routing systems, is bringing on Jim Oberstar as Senior Strategic Advisor.  

"Jim is a passionate advocate for improving the transportation infrastructure in an affordable and sustainable manner, and he has built an incredible reputation not just across the U.S., but around the world, for his commitment to this cause," says Doug Roberts, CEO at GTT.

During his 36-year tenure serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Oberstar championed a wide range of initiatives to improve transportation safety. His efforts culminated in his appointment as chairman for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in 2007, a position that included oversight of all modes of transport, including aviation, maritime, and highway systems.

Oberstar has been familiar with GTT's work, Roberts notes, so the match seemed perfect. He says, "When the opportunity arose, it was a natural fit to combine Jim's passion and ability to communicate with GTT's ability to deliver."

In addition to raising GTT's profile and extending its reach into new markets, Oberstar will be working with customers to identify the public-private partnership models that GTT depends on, Roberts says.

Oberstar's appointment comes at an important time for the company, he adds, since GTT has developed new products that allow customers to draw more benefits from their existing systems. Getting the word out about these fresh offerings will help municipalities save money, and foster growth for GTT going forward.

Source: Doug Roberts, Global Traffic Technologies
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

If ReconRobotics has its way, the company's cutting-edge micro-robots will become standard issue for many more government entities.

Although the Edina-based firm already has a number of federal and state contacts, the addition of Andrew Borene--a former U.S. Marine who served in Iraq and once worked at the Pentagon--should boost its reach, the company hopes.

ReconRobotics was formed in 2006 in order to commercialize robotics technology developed at the University of Minnesota Robotics Laboratory. The company's devices are used by hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and military units to obtain real-time video of hostile environments.

The distinctive robots are lightweight, rugged, and versatile, and the newest little robot, the Recon Scout XT, is only 1.2 pounds and can be thrown 120 feet without damage.

Borene steps into the newly created position of Director of Government and Industry Affairs in order to build the company's government-relations activities and support federally funded research and development programs for micro-robot technologies. Most recently, Borene served in a similar capacity at LexisNexis, where he dealt with large contract programs with defense and intelligence agencies.

"ReconRobotics has established itself as a world leader in micro-robotics," he says. "The company is now going from being a start-up to a mature enterprise, and it's my job to help that happen."

He adds that a recent speech by President Obama highlighted several industries that would be pushing the economy forward, and robotics was mentioned as a source of innovation. Borene is ready to make good on that promise by getting ReconRobotics into the spotlight.

"I see my role as helping to marshal government resources and get some development and support," he says. "It's really exciting, what we have ahead. I love it."

Source: Andrew Borene, ReconRobotics
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

With multiple conservation successes over the past decade and a half, Great River Greening is poised to do even more in the near future.
 
The organization began in 1995 as part of the St. Paul Foundation, with an initial goal of planting 35,000 trees and shrubs in the riverfront area of St. Paul.
 
By mobilizing over 10,000 volunteers, Great River quickly achieved that mission and moved on to a new project: the "Million Acorns Campaign," which aimed to revive the dwindling oak savannah population in the city.
 
With that project now completed as well, the group is looking to go state-wide with its initiatives, and is adding two key director positions in development and marketing, to grow the nonprofit.
 
"We need to go to the next level," says Deborah Karasov, Great River's Executive Director. "We have an amazing group of devoted donors, and now we want to take our message to a wider audience, and grow geographically."
 
The group is well known in the St. Paul metro area, but Karasov notes that they'd like to do more initiatives in the Minnesota River Valley, as well as in northern counties.
 
Great River is distinctive, she adds, because they don't do political advocacy or lobbying work, focusing all their energies instead on conservation efforts and community building. The group's ability to get volunteers for hands-on work is particularly inspiring, Karasov believes.
 
In the future, she anticipates there will be many more projects around water quality protection and land restoration. The newly-minted directorial positions should bring a needed boost to Great River's ambitious-but-realistic goals to green up the state.
 
Source: Deborah Karasov, Great River Greening
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

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
 

The appliance retailer Warners' Stellian has started compacting leftover Styrofoam packaging and sending it out by the semi-trailer load to be recycled.

The effort has earned the company a "Sustainable Saint Paul" award, a city award that promotes environmental stewardship.

The initiative was a huge undertaking for the company, requiring it to make a large investment and train all of its drivers to separate packaging materials as part of every delivery.

"It was quite a learning curve to get used to the process," said Bob Warner, director of operations. "It took a little over a year."

The new Styrofoam compactor is one of just two in the state, but Warner said the investment makes good business sense. It saves on refuse costs and taxes, and the company is paid for the recycled material. At least three other partners provide Warners' Stellian with additional Styrofoam to compact and recycle.

Warner said his company sells appliances that are more efficient than the industry standard, so going green was a natural choice.

"We already have a consumer that's very conscious about being green and being efficient," Warner said. "We're seeing that philosophy through our entire corporation."

He said the company has added other touches to make it more efficient. Delivery trucks automatically power down after five minutes of idling. A natural air ventilation system in the warehouse circulates cooler air in the northern stretch back through the warmer, southern portion of the building. Warehouse lighting is motion-sensitive, so lights only blink on in the particular aisle a forklift is using. After five minutes of inactivity, the lights power down again.

Warners' Stellian also donates plastic wrap to be recycled and put back into manufacturing.

"Foam was the last big component of our waste stream," Warner said. "We were generating a tremendous amount of waste. Now, very little is going to the landfill."

Source: Bob Warner, director of operations, Warners' Stellian
Writer: Michelle Bruch

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

While RedBrick Health is growing rapidly, its customers are shrinking.

The five-year-old health technology and services company has 85 employees currently, and it expects to add another 50 this year, says chief marketing officer Eric Zimmerman.

The company offers health improvement programs through its consumer health engagement platform. RedBrick has 20 clients of two types. Most are large, self-insured employers that utilize their full product, while a few channel partners license their social engagement platform, a component of the larger corporate platform.

The social engagement platform was the basis for the Biggest Loser Minnesota Challenge, now in its second year and sponsored by the Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota.

Minnesotans lost a collective 75,000 pounds during 23 million minutes of physical activity during the 12-week program, which ended April 15. The challenge was expanded this year from 2010's seven corporations to more than 22,000 people across the state.

RedBrick is measuring its success in more than shed pounds, however. Medical device manufacturer Welch Allyn, a RedBrick client since 2007, has seen an estimated $1.32 million in total health and productivity savings over two years, according to a recent release. That's $443 per year per participant, and a 3-to-1 return on investment, says RedBrick.

The Welch Allyn numbers are typical of other clients RedBrick has such data on, but they're higher than industry averages, says Zimmerman.

The company released the fourth generation of its platform in February, and it had raised one-third of a $15 million equity round, according to an SEC filing that month.

Source: Eric Zimmerman, RedBrick
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

St. Paul-based Synovis Life Technologies received the Manufacturers Alliance Association's 2011 Manufacturer of the Year Award not so much for what it creates, but how it produces it.

The diversified medical device company makes implantable biomaterials, devices for microsurgery, and tools used in surgical repair and reconstruction of soft tissue damaged or destroyed by disease or injury.

The annual award, now in its 15th year, recognizes companies that use lean tools and techniques in their manufacturing. Synovis won in the mid-sized manufacturers' category.

""We started looking at lean five or six years ago," says Brett Reynolds, Synovis' chief financial officer. Synovis switched to the Kanban (or "just-in-time") product scheduling system, reducing its on-hand stores of inventory from 17 weeks to just eight weeks.

Furthermore, work cells organized by product line increased efficiency, says Reynolds. As a result, Synovis has been able to stay in its 65,000-square-foot facility despite an average annual growth of 25 percent over the past five years, and its on-time shipping rate has gone up to virtually 100 percent, says Reynolds.

The MAA award recognizes not only innovation in manufacturing, but a company's willingness and efforts to share those ideas and practices within the industry, something Reynolds says Synovis has been active in doing.

Its operations team shares ideas at conferences, and companies and educational groups tour the facility to see the manufacturing process, he says.

Synovis was founded in 1985 with $300,000 in revenue, a number that grew to almost $69 million last year, says Reynolds, who expects $80�85 million in 2011. Of its 300 employees, 200 work in St. Paul at University Avenue and Highway 280 on the border of Minneapolis.

Source: Brett Reynolds, Synovis Life Technologies
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

Minnesota's first tech accelerator, Project Skyway, is accepting applications through May 1 for its first three-month program, beginning in August.

For the inaugural round, Project Skyway will select ten software-as-a-service (SaaS) or mobile startups to receive mentorship, co-working space, $6,000 (per founder), two developers, and a connection to key players in Minnesota's emerging startup scene. In June, 25 semi-finalists will participate in a tech accelerator "boot camp," after which the ten finalists will be chosen.

Project Skyway is seeking founders of companies that are beyond the idea stage, preferably with some sort of online presence, according to FAQs posted online.

"We want you to have done some market validation," says Project Skyway mentor Darren Cox. "Go out and talk to your potential customers � do some research, at the very least."

It wouldn't hurt to be in the revenue stage, either.

"We're no different than any other investor, in that folks with revenue actually have something to point to that folks without revenue can't," says Cox.

That said, Project Skyway has "some pretty strong differentiators" from other accelerators, says Cox. "We don't believe that you must be a coder to be a successful technology entrepreneur." Thus the access to two full-time developers per funded company.

The $6,000 per founder amounts to living expenses, explains Cox. "The money is there to allow you to focus 100 percent of your time on building your company."

The greatest value of the accelerator program to the chosen "Skywalkers" will be the mentorship, resources and connections, says Cox.

"That's how you build a company--you build a groundswell of support for the idea and for the people who are shepherding that idea," he says.

The first round is focused on SaaS and mobile "because we really want to dial into the type of startups that we know we can provide the most help to right away," according to the FAQ page. Future accelerator rounds might venture into hardware, cleantech, social ventures, and other types of startups.

In exchange for the program, Project Skyway receives 6�9 percent "founders shares" of common stock from participating (and successful, assuming) startups.

Source: Darren Cox, Project Skyway
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

Hey entrepreneurs: how does $50,000 sound? Good?

Well how about $30 million?

The first amount is the take-away for the winner of the 2011 Minnesota Cup competition, through which entrepreneurs pit their best ideas and business endeavors against one another in six categories.

The higher number is the amount of capital raised by companies that were Minnesota Cup finalists in 2009 and 2010.

Through May 20, the seventh annual Minnesota Cup is open for entries in six award divisions--High Tech, BioSciences, Clean Tech and Renewable Energy, Social Entrepreneurship, General, and Student--through a short online form.
 
Later, judges will select 8�10 semi-finalists from each division who will prepare full business plans and be paired with an industry-specific entrepreneurial mentor.

Division winners are awarded as much as $25,000 and the chance at the grand prize--another $25,000--in September.

While 50 grand and the exposure of winning is nothing to sneeze at, Minnesota Cup Co-founder Dan Mallin notes that the goal is really to "help 30 businesses get started in each category," whether a given business is just a good idea or an existing startup.

"Another good outcome is they might find out it really isn't a good idea," says Mallin.

Participants also benefit from mentorship and resources--far more of which exist in general for the state's entrepreneurs since the advent of the Cup six years ago, notes Mallin.

Two of those resources are the new 2011 partners Minnesota Angel Network and tech accelerator Project Skyway, which will offer the winner of the High Tech division a spot in its startup "boot camp."

Mallin says he sees momentum in the startup scene.

"The Cup is an attempt to be a conduit amongst the players and resources behind that momentum," he says.

That said, Mallin also sees a lot of room for improvement in state's entrepreneurial efforts. "We're being outspent by 30 other states in innovation," he says.

Source: Dan Mallin, Minnesota Cup
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

Ignite Minneapolis
Tuesday, April 12, 6:30�9:30 p.m.
Heights Theatre, 3951 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights
ticket information online

The lineup is set for the third round of Ignite Minneapolis, a high-energy evening of "5-minute talks by people who have an idea." Eighteen speakers will muse on topics ranging from "Can the US government deal with a technically sophisticated citizenry? to karaoke tips, and a history of the vibrator.

The organization will make a donation to Children with Autism Deserve Education, a volunteer-run organization that supports families affected by Autism. Admission includes two free beer tickets.


Greening Your Business Conference
Thursday, April 14
Marriott City Center, 30 S. Seventh St., Minneapolis
Free to $75

The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council expect 100 exhibitors and 1,200 attendees at this year's conference, which will include a kickoff address by Mayor R.T. Rybak, a keynote panel presentation, a lineup of workshop speakers, and exhibits at which attendees can learn about sustainable and eco-friendly products and services for the workplace.

A free morning workshop on energy management and efficiency is funded by the City of Minneapolis' Climate-Change Grant. Exhibit-hall passes are $15, while a $75 fee grants admission to the entire conference.


Minnesota High Tech Association Spring Conference
Thursday, April 14
Minneapolis Convention Center
$159�$199

Minnesota innovation is the theme at the MHTA's spring conference.

Keynote speakers include Ira Flatow of NPR's Talk of the Nation Science Friday; Geek Squad founder and Best Buy chief technology officer Robert Stephens; Amit Mital, corporate vice president of the Startup Business Group at Microsoft; Carolyn Parnell, the State of Minnesota's chief information officer; and Theresa Wise, senior vice president and chief information officer of Delta Air Lines.

An impressive list of high tech executives will lead more than 20 breakout sessions, as well.


MOJO Mixer: "Speed Mentoring"
Wednesday, April 13, 5 p.m.
PSoup HQ, 287 E. Sixth St., Ste. 160, St. Paul

MOJO Minnesota and Minne* present the first MOJO mixer, described as an evening of "speed dating for entrepreneurs," who will meet, greet and mingle and receive guidance and advice from professional subject matter experts on a wide rang of topics involved in startups.

The educational/inspirational/networking event is open to entrepreneurs who have begun the launch of a business. See website for more detail and a list of experts and topic areas.


Momentum 2011: Hans Rosling
Tuesday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.
Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 S. Fourth St., Minneapolis
$20 ($15 for U of M students, staff, faculty, alumni, UMAA members)

International health guru Hans Rosling will speak on a fact-based world view for this second of three monthly events hosted by the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment. Rosling co-founded the Gapminder Foundation, which promotes "a fact-based world view by converting international statistics into moving, interactive, understandable and enjoyable graphics."

Comedian Cy Amundson opens, and MPR's Kerri Miller will host the event. You can submit a question online for Rosling to answer.

Note: the Launch.MN kickoff event originally scheduled for April 2 has been postponed until May. Watch online for information.

The saying "too many cooks in the kitchen" has a more positive connotation for Kitchen in the Market since the chef's collective moved to its new 1,550-square-foot space in Minneapolis' Midtown Global Market in February.

Kitchen in the Market was born in a 400-square-foot space at the Global Market in 2007 out of a need for affordable shared commercial kitchen space, says manager and owner Molly Hermann, who also runs Tastebud Catering.

After two and a half years at capacity with a waiting list and low turnover, Kitchen in the Market was bursting at its seams. The new space is quadruple the size of the old one and allows more than twice the number of chefs to rent; the number grew from nine to 17 with the move, and more are expected.

Midtown Global Market invested over $100,000 in the new space. Hermann says the City of Minneapolis approached her about the low-interest loans that financed about half of the cost, the other half coming from the Neighborhood Development Center.

The move is more than just a physical expansion. Kitchen in the Market incorporated as a business and added a more formalized cooking class space that allows new and more classes and events.

While the expanded space has improved Kitchen in the Market as an entity, its core benefit remains the availability of affordable commercial space for the caterers and chefs that rent there.

"It definitely allows them to grow their businesses," says Hermann, adding that it's a great opportunity for startups with low overhead. The chefs not only share equipment and resources, they use each other as a network.

"I think all of us have benefited in a lot of different ways from being in the same kitchen," Hermann says.

Source: Molly Hermann, Kitchen in the Market
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

After four months of private-site testing, the online education site Sophia went live on March 7.

The response was overwhelming: In the first 48 hours, people logged on from 69 different countries. Not bad, considering Sophia had spent nothing on advertising.

"That was really just based on educational blogs and people spreading the word on Twitter and Facebook," says Sophia founder and CEO Don Smithmier, whom we recently profiled. "It's just the most incredible example of the power of the social web that I've ever seen."

It's exactly that power Smithmier and his team hope to tap with Sophia--a sort-of social media for academia that crowd-sources educational instruction for free, public dissemination.

While the minimum registration age is 13, Sophia's core audience is grades 11�14, says Smithmier, "the last two years of high school and first two years of college, when people are working on general education curriculum � topics that are a gateways to college where a lot of people struggle."

That said, anyone can view Sophia's "learning packets," which registered users create on any subject, with instruction in text, video, graphics and more. (A quick perusal finds topics ranging from graphing rational functions to Chaucer.)

Packet creators may offer their instruction to the whole World Wide Web or create and manage private groups for work amongst students and peers.

Sophia packets are rated for "trustability" in two ways: through a five-star user rating, and by a more rigorous expert review. Though still crowd-sourced, subject experts need to be a teacher or hold a master's degree or higher in the field. Academically sound packets must be vetted by three such experts.

Sophia is one of four companies under entrepreneur Smithmier's Matter Worldwide umbrella. Based in the Warehouse District in Downtown Minneapolis, Sophia began last November.

Before the public beta launch in March, 1,600 academics from 200 institutions tested the site. Those educators used it in ways the Sophia team didn't expect. "One high school teacher used it as an assessment tool," says Smithmier. "Instead of creating learning packets, he assigned [his algebra students] to create a learning packet � to demonstrate that they understood the concept."

It's an example of how the crowd-sourced, social education site will grow organically.

"I'm a believer that there are a ton of very creative, very innovative educators out there," says Smithmier. "I think Sophia can give them a tool that's out in the cloud, not a cumbersome software package, but something that's very intuitive, very easy to use and consistent with the web's most popular systems like Facebook, Wikipedia, and YouTube."

Sophia is in no hurry to move out of beta; with tongue in cheek, Smithmier cites Google mail's seven-year test period as a benchmark. The company does intend to roll out licensable versions offering more space, functionality, and administrative control later this year.

Minneapolis-based Capella University is one of the owners of Sophia, along with Matter Worldwide. The Sophia leadership team has a strong local strain, as well--a fact that Smithmier believes reflects the city's strong standing in educational technology.

"I'm personally dedicated to � making people more aware of that fact," he says. "There's tremendous brain power here when it comes to educational technology."

Source: Don Smithmier, Sophia
Writer: Jeremy Stratton

It's a good way to feed your head, 21st-century-style: through the rapid-fire delivery of ideas that will be Solutions Vol. 4.

Since its first gathering in 2007, Solutions Twin Cities has been packing houses (local theaters, to be precise) with audiences eager to hear about the work of "solutionists" from a broad range of disciplines, but with a common goal: to improve the world and the lives of the people who live in and on it.

The evening will include video, music, performance, and conversation on a broad range of ideas in a fast-paced, digestible format: "20 images x 20 seconds each = 6 minutes, 40 seconds."

Solutions Twin Cities is now a project of Works Progress, a West-Bank based "network of creative collaborators" that is behind a growing list of past and ongoing projects.

The event will take place on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Capri Theater, 2027 W. Broadway Ave., in Minneapolis. A social hour follows at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8�16 ("pay what you can").

Organizations and individuals may also sponsor some of the 50�100 tickets that Works Progress has set aside for adults and teens in the community through the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council (NRRC), says co-founder Colin Kloecker.

This is Solutions' first foray into North Minneapolis. NRRC member Ariah Fine, whom Solutions Twin Cities co-founder Troy Gallas had met at a separate Works Progress event, was instrumental in bringing the forum to the North Side.

"The more we learned about him, and about the council, it just seemed like a natural fit to work with them," says Kloecker.

While this fourth volume is the first in two years, Kloecker says Works Progress would "like this to happen twice a year, all over the city, and in a new place every time." They hope to direct the content, as much as possible, toward the community into which it is held, he says.

Among the local presenters, for instance, Vol. 4 will feature North Minneapolis resident, educator, artist, organizer, and writer Amoke Kubat, author of Mothering Mothers and founder of the Yo Mama Institute.

Other "solutonists" will include:

Daniel Klein, producer, host and chef of The Perennial Plate, an online video series about "socially responsible and adventurous eating."

Laura Zabel, director of Springboard for the Arts, an economic development organization located in Lowertown St. Paul that connects independent artists "with the skills, information and services they need to make a living and a life."

Joseph Adamji and his students from the Kitty Anderson Youth Science Center, at the Science Museum of Minnesota, that "empowers young people to change their world through science."

Mirelle Zacharis, artist and co-curator of No Assumption, "a collaborative art exhibition that took place inside a foreclosed home in Northeast Minneapolis."

Matt Olson, co-founder of rosenlof/lucus, ro/lu, (ROLU), an independent design and art studio focusing on "landscape work, furniture design, relational architectural projects, urban planning and innovative collaborative public art."

Virajita Singh, senior research fellow at the Center for Sustainable Building Research, who is "working to raise funds for communities that need sustainable design services."

Hamilton Bell, project director of the Wilder Foundation's Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, a "cradle-to-career" community-wide effort to ensure that children in St.Paul's Summit-University and Frogtown neighborhoods "succeed in school and life."

Scotty Reynolds, founder of Mixed Precipitation, a performance group that produces short-form projects "highlighting social engagement, and encouraging the exploration of public and private spaces, as well as collaboration across disciplines."

Source: Colin Kloecker, Works Progress
Writer: Jeremy Stratton