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Strong Local Economy : Featured Stories

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Ivey Awards Founder Scott Mayer: Let's Make the Most of Our Theater Power

Jon Spayde Wednesday, July 24, 2013
In a Q and A with The Line, marketer and theater maven Mayer asks: with nearly eighty professional theater companies in town, why don't we do more to promote theater as an attraction that sets the Twin Cities apart?

The Twin Cities' Openness Problem

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, July 17, 2013

These entrepreneurs chose the Green Line

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, June 19, 2013
It's been an article of faith since Central Corridor light rail (Green Line) construction began that, despite all the disruption and traffic chaos of the building stage, the line would eventually become a magnet for local entrepreneurs. That scenario appears to be playing out; here are three entrepreneurial ventures that were lured to the line by light rail's promise.

A Line or Two: Beer U

Jon Spayde Wednesday, June 19, 2013
This week: a heads-up about a July class in the University of Minnesota's extension division that will fill you in on the local craft beer revolution--it's origins, its economics, its varied business models, and more. Requirements include the actual consumption of product.

Regina Vong's family business

Dan Heilman Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The young entrepreneur's Royal Bangkok Restaurant is just one of the Vong family businesses at 315 University Avenue--a building that enshrines the enterprise and hope of a clan whose patriarch fled Cambodia in the wake of the Khmer Rouge.

Where to charge your car: Electric-car "refueling" stations in the Twin Cities

Anna Pratt Wednesday, June 05, 2013
Charging stations for electric cars are popping up here and there in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. In fact, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is working to install up to 76 electric car-charging stations throughout the metro area, adding to an already expanding network.  Here's our guide (a work in progress) to our towns' car-charging infrastructure.

The Two-Wheel Entrepreneurs: Bike culture spawns businesses nationwide

Lee Chilcote Wednesday, May 22, 2013
While the Twin Cities duke it out with Portland over which metropolis sets the gold standard of bike culture, other cities--some of them unlikely--are becoming serious players in the boom. Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, DC, and Tampa are among the places where ingenious entrepreneurs are "riding" the new bike culture,

A Line or Two: Minneapolis' Creative Economy by the Numbers

Jon Spayde Wednesday, May 22, 2013
It came into my mailbox the other day--Minneapolis' first-ever study of the impact of the creative sector on the city's bottom line, in terms of sales and employment. There were points of pride, surprises, and caveats, along with ample proof that the arts pull more than their weight in bringing prosperity to the city.

"A Very Feminine, Very Driven Business Incubator": The WBDC

Julie Kendrick Wednesday, May 08, 2013
The local office of the Chicago-based Women's Business Development Center gives majority-women-owned ventures here support and connections they might not otherwise have--as long as they can pass a rigorous qualifying process. It's women helping women to shatter the glass ceiling.

A Line or Two: Downstairs at Honey

Jon Spayde Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Monday night I joined urbanist Katherine Loflin, The Line publisher Dena Alspach, colleagues from the Citizens' League, an old magazine-biz pal, and a lively audience for some informal urbanism: an improv comedian emceeing a discussion about why people love/don't love the Twin Cities--and why they stay or go. Craft beer and Asian appetizers were in the mix.

Coworking for Fashionistas: Two designers open "Showroom"

Anna Pratt Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Jen Chilstrom and Kimberly Jurek have just opened (May 1) a new kind of fashion boutique. The Showroom is a combination retail shop/workshop/coworking space where local designers can come, work, exhibit, share ideas, and grow creatively.

The Big Picture: Laura Zabel on Art's New Roles in the Community

Jon Spayde Wednesday, May 01, 2013
The nonprofit Springboard for the Arts used to concentrate solely on career development for artists. Now, under the leadership of Laura Zabel, it's become a powerful force in redefining the whole relationship between artists and the communities they live in--and in marshaling artistic creativity to improve those communities.

A Line or Two: A Weeklong Placemaking Confab with Katherine Loflin

Jon Spayde Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Monday, May 6, The Line and its civic partners kick off a weeklong Placemaking Residency with urbanist and placemaker Katherine Loflin, who knows why we love (or don't love) our cities.

A Line or Two: Urbanist Katherine Loflin Coming to town to talk placemaking and "talent magnetism"

Jon Spayde Wednesday, April 24, 2013
She was the key consultant on the Knight Foundation/Gallup Soul of the Community project, which looked at why people love where they live and how that attachment can drive economic development. The in-demand placemaker is the star attraction at a weeklong series of discussions next week, cosponsored by The Line.

The Rise of the Rest: Tech Hubs Bloom Far from Silicon Valley

Eric Peterson Wednesday, April 17, 2013
From Greenville, North Carolina to Baltimore, from Tampa to Denver to Cleveland to the Twin Cities, tech savvy, entrepreneurship, and investment are coming together to create bright clusters of digital innovation.
108 Articles | Page: | Show All
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