Buzz

BrightScope lists local companies with best 401k plans

BrightScope Wednesday, July 18, 2012

BrightScope, an investment research firm, released its second annual list of the Minneapolis-area-based companies that boast the highest-ranked 401k plans.

Twenty five companies were highlighted, including newcomers to the list like M.A. Mortenson Company, The Valspar Corporation, and American Medical Systems.

The top three companies were Fish & Richardson, Briggs and Morgan, and Leonard Street and Deinard.

"It is apparent that the companies on this list have created high quality and effective 401k plans for their employees, making each of them a standard in which all other companies in the Minneapolis area should strive to imitate," noted Dan Weeks, BrightScope founder, in a press release about the results.

Minnesota Recruiters releases hiring and jobs survey

Minnesota Recruiters Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Minnesota Recruiters, a network of recruiters and HR professionals, released its annual hiring and jobs survey, yielding some insights into the current jobs scene.

The survey found that hiring continues to be strongest with jobs that require a two- or four-year degree, and that moderate hiring is the theme. IT hiring seems to be a stress across the board, the report notes, and the results are similar to national trends.

Marketing continues to be in the "fewest jobs" category, but the interactive side of the industry is very strong. The most jobs tend to be in IT, sales, finance, and engineering.

Cities expert shares thoughts on Twin Cities

MinnPost Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Renowned urban expert Charles Landry recently spent time in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and shared numerous thoughts on how citizens and developers could make the area into a world-class region.

As noted in a recent article in MinnPost, Landry spoke with more than 1,000 people during his seven-day visit, and gave advice on how to increase appreciation for diversity, view community projects in a broader context, and rally behind small-scale efforts.

Writing about Landry in MinnPost, Erik Takeshita noted that the Twin Cities show up on many national "Top 10" lists, but that we shouldn't get complacent. "So, as we bask in the glory of national kudos for best this and best that, let's rededicate ourselves to making sure Minneapolis-St. Paul continues to have a place high on those lists for many years to come," he wrote.

For more on Landry's visit to the metro and his insights on our urban landscape, check out Camille LeFevre's recent article in The Line.

Business Journal notes return of summer jobs for teens

The Business Journal Wednesday, June 06, 2012

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recently noted a positive trend in the economy: summer jobs for teenagers.

This particular economic indicator has been ailing throughout the recession, and it's been reported that 2010 was the worst summer for teen jobs since 1949.

But analyzing data from Chicago-based outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, local reporter Jim Hammerand saw that almost 160,000 teens found summer jobs last month. That's more than twice the number of jobs added in May of last year.

Colorado newspaper highlights Minneapolis as a model city for biking

Valley Courier Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Minneapolis joins Hangzhou, China and Amsterdam as cities that could serve as models for better bicycling policies, believes a columnist for Valley Courier, a newspaper in Colorado.

The article notes that in addition to the extensive bikeway system in Minneapolis, the area is also home to the founders of Bike Fixtation (see previous coverage in The Line here), a new kind of vending machine that dispenses bike accessories and patch kits.

"We could learn something from these models," the article notes. "[W]e'd save a lot of money and a lot of gas, while dropping the pounds that weigh us down."

Placemaking conversation regarding Hennepin Avenue at Walker Art Center

Walker Art Center Wednesday, May 02, 2012

The Walker Art Center magazine features a story about the “Art of Placemaking,” as it pertains to Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis.

“Despite its status as a major, historic thoroughfare in Minneapolis--or maybe because of it--Hennepin Avenue has for decades been regarded as a problematic, contested public space,” it reads.

A project called Plan-It Hennepin aims to change that, by turning it into a “lively, compelling cultural corridor,” the story says.

The story touches on the Walker’s perspective on the process, in which it’s a participant: It quotes the Walker’s Olga Viso, who says, “Along with our partners in Plan-It Hennepin, we thought that the Walker could help lead a different conversation in terms of creativity and envisioning possibilities, by bringing artists’ voices into the process.”

This story dovetails with The Line's feature this week on Candy Chang.

Venture Beat nods to local coworking space, business accelerator

Venture Beat Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Venture Beat mentions the local CoCo coworking space and Project Skyway business accelerator in a story about the coworking trend.

Skyway is an example of the kind of collaborations that can come out of coworking, it expains.

For the vast majority of startups, coworking may be a better alternative than the traditional business incubator, it argues.

“Co-working shifts the startup mentality away from the tunnel-vision focus on getting funding, and onto the 'first-things-first' task of growing a company culture, developing ideas, and most importantly, nurturing support networks,” it states.

Local PR executive showcased in Wall Street Journal story on mentorship

Wall Street Journal Wednesday, April 11, 2012

In a recent article on the benefits of mentoring programs, Minneapolis-based public relations professional Tameka Davis shared her insights on how a mentor helped her to succeed.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Davis chose a mentor in the interactive and social media field, and found numerous benefits with the arrangement. She developed a five-year career plan, improved her networking skills, and learned to work better with clients, the article noted.

The story went on to include tips on maintaining an effective mentor-protégé relationship.

Davis says, "It's just good to be able to talk to someone who has been there and can help you navigate your career."

Urban farming changes in Minneapolis highlighted by MPR

Minnesota Public Radio Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Growing fresh food in Minneapolis and selling those veggies will become easier, thanks to recent amendments to the city's zoning code.

Minneapolis already allows community gardens, and has rules that allow residents to keep chickens, but there has been a contentious debate over proposed changes to market gardens. Some members of the City Council weren't particularly supportive of measures to expand urban farming in the city, but the amendments ended up passing anyway.

A story from Minnesota Public Radio reports that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak--a longtime supporter of urban farming proposals--signed the changes into law at the Dowling Community Garden at Dowling Urban Environmental School.

NYTimes highlights Minnesota's new museum month

New York Times Wednesday, April 04, 2012

The New York Times recently featured Minnesota's statewide “museum month,” which is coming up in May.

It’s the first celebration of the sort to spring up nationally, according to the newspaper.

Several local museum administrators came up with the idea, the story states.

“The rich history of Minnesota’s museums invites such a focus,” says the Times, citing the 1849 founding of the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul.

The Walker Art Center’s chief of operations, Phillip Bahar, is quoted saying, “There are stories that we each try to tell individually, whenever a special exhibition is happening,” but “What we want to do is tell the stories that we don’t have the opportunity to tell very often, about the broader community of museums across the state.”

Ellen DeGeneres helps Minneapolis couple

Star Tribune Wednesday, March 14, 2012

A local couple who were facing foreclosure got help from comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, according to a Star Tribune story.

DeGeneres presented them with a $25,000 check from Fujifilm Medical Systems on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which aired last Friday.

Carrie Agnew had written to the show about the dire situation she and her partner, Rebecca Johnson, were facing.

When the show offered to fly them in to watch a taping, Agnew had no idea that the visit would involve financial help.

"It's such a relief," Agnew says in the story, adding, "Our lives are changing."

Local publishers recognized for unique literacy effort

Publishers Weekly Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Publishing industry magazine Publishers Weekly recently highlighted the collaboration of three Twin Cities literary presses on a distinctive literacy promotion effort.

Coffee House Press, Milkweed Editions, and Graywolf Press are partnering with a Wisconsin literacy group called Little Free Library, and the Walker Art Center, to produce "little free libraries" of books that are ideal for coffee shops or restaurants, the magazine noted.

If the promotion is successful, the presses may make books more widely available. The non-profit literacy group estimates that there are between 200 to 300 of their little free libraries maintained around the world, with the majority in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Minneapolis comes in at first place for National Night Out

City of Minneapolis Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The National Association of Town Watch ranked Minneapolis in first place for its National Night Out activities in 2011, according to city information.

National Night Out is a community-building celebration that encourages neighbors to get to know each other through block parties and other get-togethers. It’s been a tradition in Minneapolis for 28 years.

This past summer, nearly 60,500 people showed up for 1,173 events.

“The impact of NNO lasts throughout the year. Neighbors who know and care about each other, do a better job of watching out for one another and reporting crime and suspicious behavior to police,” a prepared statement from the city reads.

Huffington Post features Minneapolis's Central Library as cultural center

Huffington Post Wednesday, December 14, 2011

As a part of a Huffington Post series called “Libraries in Crisis,” the Minneapolis Central Library is featured as a cultural center.

Despite budget cuts, “more people than ever are visiting their local library,” the story states.

That point holds true at the Minneapolis Central Library, where the busy computer area, teen center, and New Americans Center show how library use is changing.

“Librarians across the country are looking to institutions such as this to show the way forward. For their part, the librarians here say their hope is that this library can be more of a cultural center than a book repository,” the story reads.

USA Today highlights local start-up culture

USA Today Wednesday, December 07, 2011

A recent Talking Tech column in USA Today highlighted the beneficial climate for tech startups in the Twin Cities.

The newspaper's columnist visited CoCo, the shared workspace with locations in St. Paul and Minneapolis, and talked with entrepreneurs at companies like Mobiata and QONQR.

The article also included comments from a tech analyst based in Minneapolis who noted that the Twin Cities are giving Chicago and other tech areas a good amount of competition. As driving factors, he nodded toward the schools, people, big companies, and history of innovative thinking in the local area.

Coordination/Collaboration : Buzz