Innovation + Job News

Finding skilled employees is always a challenge, but what about staffing a short-term project that requires expertise on thin polymers or medtech regulations? Then it's time to call Talencio.
 
The staffing firm, founded in 2008 by Paula Norbom, specializes in contract and direct-hire professionals in biotech, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medtech. Norbom had been an executive in the medical device industry, and found that there was a particular need in the life sciences field for shorter-term experts who could lend their experience to projects.
 
"The life science industry is really strong here in Minnesota, and there's some great talent," says Norbom. "So, we're all about making those connections."
 
The company has five employees, and maintains a database of about 2,000 contractors, with around 80 percent located in the state.
 
Norbom expects that Talencio will keep growing its contractor roster, and expanding its services. Part of that growth will come from a pool of contractors who appreciate the flexibility that a project-based arrangement can bring.
 
"Many people just want to do what they love and what they know how to do best," Norbom says. "They don't want to be stuck in meetings all day. This way, they can just step in and get the job done and move to the next project."
 
She adds that companies are changing how they view employment as well. Many of her clients have a core group of talented employees, and bring talent in as needed from Talencio. Norbom expects this strategy to keep booming, and the firm will grow as a result. So, for those in the life science industry who need help with everything from risk management to clinical research, Talencio is ready.
 
Source: Paula Norbom, Talencio
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Some companies are particularly well named. Here's an example: On-Demand Group, which is bringing such fresh energy to the IT consulting realm that it's driving high client demand.
 
Helmed by Heather Manley, with her brother Sean acting as COO and partner, the company was started by their father 16 years ago. Manley signed on in 2006 and bought out the firm just two years later.
 
Over the past five years, they've worked to revamp technology and processes, and as a result, they've seen consistent growth. Last year, the company grew 75 percent, Manley says.
 
On-Demand Group fuels that surge by distinguishing itself from other IT consulting firms, Manley notes: "We're doing a ton of things that add value. We do a multitude of steps that companies don't do when they're on-boarding." She adds that the firm also has a global component, since it does some work in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
 
"Every year, we add something that's different and unique," she says. "Whether it's a new perk or more social activities, we create a culture that draws people to us."
 
The company has about 50 consultants in its pool, and within the next year, Manley expects to double the consultant roster, and to continue expansion of offshore offerings. With second stage growth just around the corner, On-Demand Group is likely to keep creating more demand.
 
"This is a really exciting time, and we're implementing some fantastic things," Manley says.
 
Source: Heather Manley, On-Demand Group
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Anthropology and business are rarely put together as complementary fields, but they have more in common than many people might think. The social science deals with the organization of human societies and all characteristics of the human experience, so it makes sense that it could be used to make a company more agile, transparent, and strategic.
 
That's the theory behind Thinkers & Makers, a firm founded in 2010 by Emilie Hitch, who started her career as an academic anthropologist.
 
The idea for the company germinated while Hitch was doing field work in Peru. She wondered if she could translate the academic world of anthropology into the business realm of strategy. When she couldn't find a job that fit that idea, she landed at creative agency Olson, and began applying her studies to marketing projects.
 
After two years there, she saw the need to start Thinkers & Makers, to give clients a unique perspective on their organizations, employees, and customers. "I bring a very different view than what you'd get from an MBA or an economist," Hitch says. "Usually, people come to me with a big question, like how they can find revenue leaks, or learn more about their customer, or what they need to relaunch their brand."
 
Most of her business comes through referral, and that strong word-of-mouth marketing has helped Hitch to grow the firm. Looking ahead, she's anticipating more expansion into areas like business development for startups, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability.  "Many times, I see startups that have great ideas and passion, but they don't understand all aspects of how to put their business together," she says. "My perspective can help."
 
Source: Emilie Hitch, Thinkers & Makers
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Sometimes, the decision about whether to "build or buy" can lead to even greater things than a more efficient software system.
 
At least, that's what happened when convention and visitors association Meet Minneapolis began looking for a better database system in 2003. The organization found that a solution didn't exist that was specific to the destination marketing industry. After deciding to build their own, the phones started ringing.
 
"We heard from other convention bureau leaders who told us that if we built a solution, they were interested in buying it," says Mark Lynch, vice president of sales and marketing at iDSS (Internet Destination Sales System), the company that was formed to market the subsequent system.
 
Recently, iDSS noted a significant new enhancement that will provide destination marketing organizations with the ability to measure the economic value of an event, and calculate the return on investment to the local community. In other words, if a city wants to know how much sales tax and lodging tax a certain convention would generate, iDSS could give the answer. Other factors can also be reported, like the anticipated number of jobs created as a result of an event.
 
The advancement comes as part of a technology partnership with Destination Marketing Association International, the trade association for Meet Minneapolis and other convention bureaus. Lynch notes that it should help iDSS get even more traction as it continues to expand.
 
"We're adding new clients every day," he says. "Many organizations have been waiting for the capability that we have to offer. So, we're looking forward to what's ahead."
 
Source: Mark Lynch, iDSS
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

When Kristin Pardue left her high-profile corporate position at Carlson Companies, she envisioned starting a distinctive strategic management firm, but she also considered founding a non-profit that helps teens in North Minneapolis learn digital marketing.
 
Instead of choosing, she established both.
 
"I felt there was a great need in the marketplace for people to understand organizational purpose," she says. "At the same time, we wanted a way to give back and we thought, why wait?"
 
Rêve Consulting was started in 2009, and Pardue's husband, Brad von Bank, joined a year later to help round out the team. Pardue says the combination works well, since they bring different skills to the mix. Together, they offer insight to a range of clients like Capella University, Engine for Social Innovation, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Caribou Coffee.
 
"Clients come to us with questions about how their organizations can grow, and how their systems might be impacting the levels of their employees," says Pardue. "We encourage them to think strategically on every level, about how they're engaging their organizations."
 
The company is going strong, and plans to double the size of its small staff in the next year, she adds. She's especially excited about bringing more jobs to North Minneapolis, where the company's located.
 
For the teens in the area, there's Rêve Academy, an innovative after-school program that prepares students for careers in digital marketing. With an immersive curriculum and potential internships, the program is helping to shape the kind of leaders who could shape the local creative community someday.
 
"We believe this is a true pathway for these kids," says von Bank. "They're learning real-world skills that they can apply now, and at the end of the program, they make a presentation as if they're at an agency. It's very exciting."
 
With Rêve Consulting and Rêve Academy going strong, it's obvious that when it comes to choosing a rêve (the French word for "dream"), sometimes it's possible to go even bigger than planned.
 
Source: Kristin Pardue & Brad von Bank, Rêve Consulting
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

There are plenty of new lunch trucks zipping around the metro, but keep your eyes out for a different kind of fresh food delivery system.
 
Twin Cities Local Food aims to connect farmers with customers in a unique way: by playing middleman. Started by Josh Kelly, who left the corporate world to pursue his dream of providing fresh, healthy food to the local community, the service intends to give people year-round access to locally grown and produced food.
 
Farmers benefit because they can directly market, sell, and package their own products, and customers can order online weekly and then pick up their food at a location in South Minneapolis. The system has been successful in other states, such as Michigan, but hasn't been tried here before. The first orders went out just last week, and Kelly is excited to see the online marketplace grow as it becomes better known.
 
"This is a different kind of model, but we feel that it's needed," he says. "People are busy, and sometimes they just want the convenience of shopping for good, local food online and picking it up easily."
 
The service includes numerous types of products, including fresh produce, meats and poultry, eggs, honey, syrup, dairy, grains, and preserved foods.
 
Kelly created the company with his wife, Natalie, and he notes that they always knew they'd make great business partners. Twin Cities Local Food is fulfilling that prediction, and they're both eager to keep the orders rolling in.
 
Source: Josh Kelly, Twin Cities Local Food
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

At accounting and advisory firm Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, industry experts advise clients on a range of issues, such as management, taxes, transactions, and international expansion. However, when the industries intersect, things can get even more interesting.
 
That's what's occurring among three to four practice areas within the firm, says John Jackels, Renewable Energy Development and Finance Manager, who notes that the energy group and waste management group are crossing paths with the food and beverage group. The result: huge potential for turning food waste into renewable energy.
 
Baker Tilly recently spoke at the International Cheese Technology Expo, on the topic of cheese waste becoming an energy product. Although it would take an awful lot of cheese to create a major energy source, when you consider the amount of other food waste that results from manufacturing, the impact could be formidable, Jackels believes.
 
"Food and beverage manufacturers all have waste as a result of production," he says. "This is called 'high-strength waste' because it requires more time and energy to process. Right now, manufacturers are paying a surcharge for this service, but what if we can use that by-product for energy? Then it would be prevented from going into the watershed, and we'd have a renewable source of energy."
 
Baker Tilly is looking into tax credits and other federal incentives, and plans to bring together clients from its multiple industry groups to begin working toward more food-to-fuel solutions. Jackels notes that in the near future more treatment facilities could be built to handle the conversion process. Baker Tilly will look at the financial support needed to handle these projects, and play a lead role in shepherding the process.
 
"This type of effort is just going to continue to get larger as people look for more ways to cut down on waste and find renewable energy sources," says Jackels. "As a result, we can drive more jobs and expansion as well."
 
Source: John Jackels, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Most people don't think about the light bulbs that illuminate their homes and offices, but Jennifer Sethre isn't like most people.
 
One of the partners in the new Minnetonka-based venture Lumena, Sethre has been deeply involved with the lighting industry during her career, and is eager to drive more attention and sales to this fresh venture.
 
Started about a year ago, Lumena is an LED lighting manufacturer that already has operations in Miami and Denver, as well as a 700,000-square-foot factory in China. Going up against major competitors, the company is working to replace the traditional lighting used at large facilities like hospitals and factories with eco-friendly LED alternatives.
 
"When starting Lumena, we didn't want to be average," says Sethre. "We didn't want to be one more lighting manufacturer. We want to be great, and we think that takes just a little extra effort."
 
Although the company has barely had its first anniversary, business is already booming, thanks to strategic partnerships, sales and marketing efforts, and a market eager for new products. Sethre believes that the timing is crucial--before now, the LED lighting market wasn't quite ready, she thinks. But now, with the increasing push for environmentally friendly alternatives and a lower price point for products, the time is right.
 
"Our success is due to our innovation, I believe," says Sethre. "It may sound cheesy, but we really do pride ourselves on our products. We're excited to see where we can take this, and we believe that we'll just keep expanding from here."
 
Source: Jennifer Sethre, Lumena
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

"Taxi" is a universal word, the same in nearly every language. So, when entrepreneur Peggy Paul wanted to start a new company that would take off quickly and have cross-cultural resonance, she went with SheTaxi.
 
Paul began the company in 2010 after being laid off from a previous position as an "intrapreneur" who started companies within existing companies. She'd had cancer in 2004 at the age of 34, and she saw the layoff as part of a larger change she'd been making ever since her illness—to lead a life that was non-toxic and spiritually aware.
 
"After getting sick, I'd go on well-being sites and read blogs about different topics, like meditation," she says. "But alongside that content were ads for liposuction and celebrity gossip. I wanted a place where women could go and talk about real stuff in their lives, without being bombarded by that kind of junk."
 
SheTaxi became a personal development site that brought together insight on balance and well-being. Paul and others also provide coaching and training services as well as events like "Bringing Your Type A Life into Balance."
 
The site is geared toward working women, and Paul envisions an annual retreat where women can come together and connect to learn from each other. She's currently in the process of fundraising, and once some funding comes in, she plans to hire employees to keep the growth going.
 
"We're in an early stage right now, but I think it's very exciting to see how it's all coming together," she says.
 
Source: Peggy Paul, SheTaxi
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

As a registered dietician, Tamara Brown is used to counseling people about healthy food choices. Now, she can just take their order instead.
 
Brown had been leading classes and cooking on her own, but a few months ago she decided to take a leap of professional faith and go from advisor to purveyor. Her new venture, Sassy Spoon, will be rolling out at the beginning of May.
 
The food truck, with its distinctive logo and bright pink hue, stands out visually but also provides a unique culinary experience: gluten-free, high quality, low-glycemic food on the go.
 
"I felt like it would be such a fun idea to pair my nutrition background with a food truck," she says. "I've always wanted to have my own business, but never had an idea that really felt like a fit until now."
 
Brown will be basing her dishes around foods used to regulate insulin, which can help balance moods and energy levels. She's focusing on vegetable-oriented carbohydrates, to prevent the type of energy crashes that come from eating refined carbs.
 
Most of all, she aims to make the choices delicious. Her menu picks include braised beef, sweet potato hash, ginger-garlic coleslaw, and wild rice salad with black beans. Who says eating healthy has to taste boring?
 
She sees the venture as exhilarating, but also terrifying. "This is the scariest thing I've ever done," she says. "It's been a huge personal challenge, but I've always been drawn to women who have their own businesses, who put themselves out there. I respect them so much, and now I have the chance to be one of those women."
 
Source: Tamara Brown, Sassy Spoon
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Many brides have fond memories their wedding days, but Meghan Phillips has an unusual recollection: the power of the photo booth.
 
She and her husband Jacob (founder of RoadTab, which was previously covered in The Line) had a photo booth at their nuptials, since she's always had an affinity for the quirky kiosks, and the French film Amélie just deepened that love.
 
In November 2011, they decided to create a side business, to help other wedding parties and guests, as well as corporate workshop attendees. VP Booths was born, and Phillips says it's taken off nicely.
 
"I've been surprised at how many people want booths at their events," she says. "We'll be busy for quite some time."
 
In order to accommodate more people in the booths, she and Jacob designed a kiosk that would be larger inside, and have a partition rather than a curtain. Because she missed having video clips from her own wedding, Phillips made sure that users could record short video messages as well as opt for traditional photo strips.
 
In terms of growth, Phillips has been talking with relatives in other states, as well as an entrepreneur in Canada, but nothing has been decided yet about possible expansion.
 
"Right now, we're just having fun with it, and enjoying creating the business together," says Phillips, then she laughs. "We now have a one-year-old, so working on VP Booths is like date night."
 
Source: Meghan Phillips, VP Booths
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Google Workshop: Get Your Business Online
 
May 3
Rasmussen College
3500 Federal Drive, Eagan
10am - 11:30am
free
 
Create and publish a website for your business in less than an hour. Presenters will also teach attendees how to customize their Google Places online listing, and how to optimize their new websites. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops. For more insight, stick around for the afternoon, when another free workshop, "Grow Your Business Online" will be presented.
 
International Conference on Robotics and Automation
 
May 14 - 18
RiverCentre, St. Paul
Rates vary; visit conference website for more info
 
The theme for this year's ICRA conference is "Robots and Automation: Innovation for Tomorrow's Needs." Some of the top researchers and entrepreneurs in the field will gather for numerous discussions on topics like nanorobotics and bio-integrated robotics. There will also be six "robot challenges" in which teams compete to solve problems in areas like integrated perception.
 
RailsBridge

May 20 & 21
Guthrie Theater, 8th floor classrooms
free
 
RailsBridge workshops were started about three years ago as a way to create more female Ruby developers in San Francisco. Now the organization will bring its expertise to Minneapolis, giving attendees a chance to look at every step involved in deploying a Ruby on Rails application.
 
Tech.2012
 
May 22
The Metropolitan
5418 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley
$25 for members of The Collaborative, $75 for non-members; rates increase after May 11
 
As part of The Collaborative's Vanguard Series for this year, the Tech.2012 event features a series of conversational sessions, breakfast, and networking opportunities. Speakers will focus on areas like cloud computing and how it's changing business, the app economy, and changing Minnesota business models. Scheduled to participate in panels are entrepreneurs and established business leaders from companies like Code 42 Software, UnitedHealth Group, and Split Rock Partners.

In a January opinion piece in TechCrunch, entrepreneur Jon Bischke suggested the most successful urban leaders are those who view cities like startups. CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders dedicated to creating next-generation cities, will examine that premise at its 2012 Spring National Meeting: The City As a Startup--Creating Demand, Attracting Talent, Taking Risks, and Going to Scale.

The meeting is set for May 17-18 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and is made possible with support from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. Former AOL Chairman and CEO Steve Case will deliver the morning keynote and also sit on a panel conversation about Startup America.

CEOs for Cities will also release its latest City Vitals report, a framework for measuring the success of cities. Other panels include considering Songdo, South Korea as the planet's smartest city and using the collective-impact approach to catalyze social change. There will also be opportunities to tour Cincinnati attractions and examples of success.

Register here. View a draft agenda here.

Issue Media Group, the parent company of The Line, partners with CEOs for Cities in exploring new options for urban growth.

About 13 years ago, business partners Cameron Henkel and Dave Gooden were both looking for lake property and shared their war stories about going through newspaper listings and calling multiple realtors.
 
"We wondered why there wasn't a one-stop shop for that kind of thing," says Henkel. "So, we decided to create it for ourselves." The pair had been selling computer equipment online, and began adding cabin rentals on their site as well. About a year later, they had about 600 realtors and thousands of properties on their site, LakePlace.com.
 
They decided to expand in 2006 and become a real estate brokerage. That meant giving up their classified-ad revenue and taking a big chance. Henkel says, "We had to make a bet that being a brokerage would be better. It was hard to make that gamble, but it paid off."
 
They added another site to the lineup, LandBin.com, and opened offices in Brainerd, Hayward, and Wayzata. They employ 30 real estate agents and LakePlace.com has become the second most visited site in the Midwest, with 1.5 million visitors a year.
 
"We're growing every day, I'm not kidding," says Gooden. "Hopefully, we'll be making some exciting announcements this year. We have a solid roadmap of where to go."
 
The founders, who've been friends since kindergarten, foresee abundant growth through acquisitions and hiring. And for site visitors, there's finally a place to shop for cabins and land without resorting to the classifieds.
 
Source: Cameron Henkel, Dave Gooden, LakePlace.com
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Discarded potato waste, manure from dairy cows, and piles of old onions: could these be the ingredients for a renewable fuel source?
 
Those at Novus Energy think so, and they're working to take "low-value" products such as these and turn them into high-value energy.
 
Started about seven years ago, the Minneapolis company based its name on the Latin word for "novel, new, fresh." The three founders saw the effects of the ethanol boom and thought that there would be an even better way to achieve energy independence.
 
"Our chemistry is very innovative, and makes us different than traditional approaches," says CEO Joseph Burke. "We create energy from waste, taking items that might be discarded and turning them into biomethane and liquid fertilizer."
 
The startup faces challenges in terms of funding and adoption of its technology, Burke says. In the case of its fertilizer, the liquid organic emulsion it produces isn't yet in high demand since it's not as utilized in the agriculture market.
 
However, with growing interest in organic farming, and a social trend toward more sustainable products, Burke is confident that Novus will be the fresh approach the market needs.
 
Currently, the firm employs four people, and plans to grow at a manageable rate. Burke notes that the company is structured to bring in partners in order to have a smaller staff, so it can remain a nimble startup. In terms of market growth, though, the opportunities seem endless.
 
"Wherever there's a combination of low-value feedstock and food processing, we'll have a market," says Burke.
 
Source: Joseph Burke, Novus Energy
Writer: Elizabeth Millard