Buzz

General Mills' Betty Crocker on Adweek list of famous frontwomen

Adweek Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Advertising and branding industry magazine Adweek recently singled out "Five Famous Female Frontwomen," and Minneapolis-based General Mills won a spot on the list for its iconic creation, Betty Crocker.

The persona was first created in 1921, when Gold Medal Flour wanted a personalized way of responding to customer letters. Advice from "Betty" was so popular that the company created a full-blown character in 1936.

The article notes that Betty's appearance has been updated seven times since then, transforming her from "a matronly lady to one who today embodies four brand attributes: She's resourceful, committed to family, community-minded, and likes to bake."

Other frontwomen who made the list are Progressive's Flo, Mrs. Butterworth, M&M's Ms. Brown, and the Chicken of the Sea mermaid.

Minneapolis arts economy comes in sixth nationwide

Minneapolis Creative Index Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Minneapolis has the sixth largest arts economy in the country, according to city information.

A report from the Creative Index, which takes into account arts jobs, consumer spending, and revenue of arts organizations, shows that in Minneapolis, the arts scene “is an integral, thriving part of the local economy that has stayed steady even during tough economic times,” the city’s website states.

Go here to see the Minneapolis Creative Index data for 2013.

The index used some indicators “that have never been measured before in Minneapolis,” drilling down to the zip-code level.

Other cities that came out ahead of Minneapolis in the Creative Index include Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston.

Minneapolis outpaced the national average creative index score by 4.8 times, according to city information.

Local artist Jennifer Davis featured in Juxtapoz magazine

Juxtapoz Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Local artist Jennifer Davis got a shout-out in the national art magazine, Juxtapoz.

Scroll through a gallery of her work on the magazine’s website.

Davis, who has shown her work all over the U.S., Canada and the U.K., studied art at the University of Minnesota.

It was during that time that she fell in love with painting and drawing, specifically. She’s continued to work in those mediums since she graduated with a B.F.A. in 1998.

“Her portraits of people and animals, acrylic paintings on panel (and sometimes paper) have a surreal candy-land exterior full of innocent charm, which only hint at an undercurrent of darker truths," says the magazine.

MSP named a top airport for business travelers

The Wall Street Journal Wednesday, February 27, 2013

In a recent MarketWatch section, The Wall Street Journal named the best U.S. airports for business travelers, and Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport made the list of favorites.

Coming in at number four out of ten, the airport was singled out for its WiFi, a fitness walking patch, postal services, and FedEx availability. The newspaper also appreciated the soothing vibe of the airport, which features quiet seating areas for reading and resting, as well as meditation. Business travelers are also likely to appreciate the airport's massage chairs, shoeshine stations, and luggage delivery services.

The Journal's top pick for business travelers was Atlanta's airport, thanks to its "minute suites" that allow travelers to nap or watch TV during long layovers. The airport also has four Brookstone stores, a currency exchange, and a spa. Rounding out the top three were Chicago O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth.

University of Minnesota's new, free online courses generate buzz

Pioneer Press Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The University of Minnesota's recent decision to begin offering free online courses via development firm Coursera caused a nice amount of stir after the announcement. Local business and news publications highlighted the story, as well as popular technology blog TechCrunch.

A story in the Pioneer Press noted that the university is among a growing number of educational institutions that will be offering free online courses. These types of courses have attracted millions of students, the article states, and five U. of M. professors have already signed on to create the courses.

"This partnership will give people from around the world the opportunity to learn from the U's world-class faculty at a time when we are working harder than ever to increase access to higher education, reach broader audiences, and strengthen our land-grant mission," University Provost Karen Hanson told the Pioneer Press.

Fast Horse features Public Functionary

Fast Horse Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Fast Horse featured Public Functionary, a new nonprofit art gallery in Northeast Minneapolis, in a Q&A on its blog.

The post’s author, Jen Kreilich, was among the 230 people who contributed to the gallery’s $30,000 Kickstarter campaign.

Right now, the gallery is preparing for an event centering on building momentum for such a campaign.

Kreilich says in the post, “I can’t wait for Public Functionary to open its doors. I’m thrilled by their focus on making art more accessible, cultivating young collectors and using content to expand the experience beyond the walls of a gallery.”

Twins make a strong showing in Baseball America list

Pioneer Press Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Six players from the Minnesota Twins made it into Baseball America's top 100 prospects list, according to a recent Pioneer Press story.

The elite list includes third baseman Miguel Sano (No. 9) and center fielder Byron Buxton (No. 10), who “were ranked with the sport's future stars,” the story reads.

Right fielder Oswaldo Arcia (41), right-handers Alex Meyer (59) and Kyle Gibson (68), and center fielder Aaron Hicks (72) also made the list.

“All except Sano and Buxton, who received a $6 million signing bonus as the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, are in big-league camp this spring. Gibson and Hicks are considered strong candidates to make the Opening Day roster,” the story states.

Fast Company recognizes innovation at Recon Robotics and Target

Fast Company Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Major local companies Target and ReconRobotics have landed on business and technology magazine Fast Company's recent list of "Most Innovative Companies 2013."

Given the number of technology firms on the list, Target was a surprise pick, but Fast Company noted that it scored a place at the number 10 spot (out of 50) for its ability to "shrink the big box" with a forward-thinking, half-size store that's ideal for urban environments.

The smaller footprint stores were launched in Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles last year, and the magazine noted the appeal of strong signage, the use of rehabbed buildings, and free WiFi.

Robot maker ReconRobotics got a nod at number 44 for "building the stealthiest robot you'll never see." The article notes that the company's strong growth--with 2012 revenue nearly four times that of 2010 — makes it an innovative company worth watching.

Local CEO lands on Forbes "Most Powerful" list

Forbes Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Northern Oil & Gas CEO Michael Reger was recently named one of "America's Most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under" by business magazine Forbes.

This is Reger's second consecutive year on the list, and he comes in at 15 out of 20, down two spots over last year's ranking. The 36 year-old CEO co-founded the Wayzata-based energy company in 2006 and recently, Northern has been seeing major growth from the North Dakota oil boom.

In terms of the rest of the list, Google's Larry Page ranked no. 1, with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Yahoo!'s Marissa Mayer rounding out the top three. To make the list, candidates had to be a CEO at a major publicly traded company in the United States.

A new map for getting around the skyways downtown Minneapolis

Skyway My Way Wednesday, February 20, 2013

A new map for navigating the skyways in downtown Minneapolis is out on a website called, Skyway My Way.

The website has a map plus a searchable database of businesses within the skyway system.

This map-app differs from others in that “Searching for a location in other popular mapping applications puts you on the street, not in the skyway,” it states. “Our team of skyway gremlins have meticulously combed every nook and cranny to obtain all of the necessary information.”

The website can help people find everything from a lunch spot to a chiropractor.

New York Times features Minnesota Orchestra concert

New York Times Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The New York Times recently featured the Minnesota Orchestra, which played a concert in early February despite a lockout that’s been ongoing since October.

“The Minnesota Orchestra and its players have been locked out since Oct. 1, after they rejected management’s proposal for a 32 percent cut in base pay and refused to make a counterproposal,” the story reads.

The special concert took place at the Minneapolis Convention Center, celebrating an orchestra ensemble’s Grammy nomination for its Bis recording of Sibelius’s Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5, the story states.

“The recording is indeed superb, easily one of the best of 2012, and the concert represented it well, despite compromised circumstances,” the story adds.

Two Minnesota companies make Forbes "most promising" list

Forbes Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Business magazine Forbes released its annual list of "America's Most Promising Companies," and two Minnesota businesses got nods.

Hastings-based Anytime Fitness ranked 14th on the list of 100. Forbes noted that the company's steady growth and high sales were notable, as is the franchise model's numerous locations.

Code 42 Software, based in Minneapolis, came in at 53rd on the list. The company creates cloud-based backup systems for consumers and companies, and notable clients include Google and Apple, Forbes noted.

Companies were ranked based on factors like market size, key partnerships, quality of management team, presence of investors, and demonstrated growth. The magazine considered Florida-based mobile platform developer 3Cinteractive the most promising company in the country.

Minneapolis duo wins Grammy for children's recording

Entertainment Weekly Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Okee Dokee Brothers, a Minneapolis-based bluegrass duo made up of Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, recently nabbed a Grammy award for the Best Children's Album of 2012, and saw subsequent buzz from news sites like Entertainment Weekly.

The magazine's online site published an article that highlighted the award-winning and folksy "Can You Canoe?" recording, which was created after a Mississippi River trip that the musicians took in 2011.

"We were up against some really quality kids' performers," Mailander told Entertainment Weekly. "The range really represented the genre and what's going on in the industry."

The duo plan to make the recording into the first of a series, and the next album will cover a trip on the Appalachian Trail.

Twin Cities in top 10 list for literacy nationwide

MPR Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Twin Cities is among “America’s Most Literate Cities,” a just-out report for 2012 shows.

Once again, Minneapolis came in third place while St. Paul was sixth, according to MPR.

The annual report from Central Connecticut State University looks at the number of bookstores, educational achievement, Internet and library resources, the publishing business, and newspaper circulation to rank cities.

Dr. John Miller, who led the study, is quoted in the story, saying that the marks are “a large-scale portrait of our nation's cultural vitality. From this data we can better perceive the extent and quality of the long-term literacy essential to individual economic success, civic participation, and the quality of life in a community and a nation."”

The Princeton Review names U of M a 'Best Value College' for 2013

University of Minnesota Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Princeton Review recently listed the University of Minnesota as a "Best Value College" for 2013, according to a prepared statement from the university.

This is the third year in a row that the university has been singled out by the publication for the distinction.

“The University’s commitment to academic excellence, financial aid availability and the overall value of an education at the U of M’s Twin Cities campus has again merited inclusion on this year’s Best Values list,” the statement reads.

The Princeton Review uses more than 30 data points related to academics, cost, and financial aid to single out schools.

This year, the publication recognized 150 schools out of 650 total.