coordination/collaboration : Innovation + Job News

With rising healthcare costs and growing interest in wellness and options, StayWell Health Management has become a compelling option for many companies.
 
The St. Paul-based firm specializes in providing programs that help to improve employee health. Although that sometimes takes the form of weight loss contests or blood pressure screening, StayWell goes far beyond those occasional events, says Lesley Lesch, the company's director of account management.
 
"We offer a full spectrum of health management services," she says. "What sets us apart is that we do research and use that to design very effective programs."
 
The company evaluates aspects of a client's overall health and wellness environment, including senior management buy-in, prevention delivery models, and follow-up programs, in order to gauge what approaches are needed. A major focus is keeping employees motivated, Lesch says, and that involves staying involved in wellness all year, not just at a one-time health fair.
 
"At this point, employers have seen these programs work," she says. "That's driving growth for us, and helping us to lead the industry."
 
StayWell has about 400 employees, but anticipates a surge of hiring in the year ahead, thanks to the success of its programs. The company will seek a range of professionals, from nurses and dieticians to health educators who can provide individual counseling to employees by phone.
 
"With healthcare reform and more use of incentives by employers, this is a really exciting time for us," Lesch notes.
 
Source: Lesley Lesch, StayWell Health Management
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

The way that churches stay in touch with members and involve them in activities is unique in terms of strategy. Now, a local startup is helping them gain some of the advantages of the business world, without having to use software designed for enterprises.
 
Minneapolis-based Fresh Vine--previously called Nineteen05--provides software that's designed to help churches increase engagement while still staying true to a larger mission.
 
"It's different than typical administration or sales software," says company president Paul Prins. "Their goal is not to convert leads into customers. Their goal is getting the community involved in what they're doing. For that, they need to be more proactive with their members, rather than reactive."
 
Prins got the idea for the software when he was involved in the launch of a new church about seven years ago. He was asked to take a look at their software and what he saw was painful, he says: "I thought that they could be doing such a better job of managing members, events, contributions, everything."
 
Fresh Vine's tool helps to define what a church should be focusing on in the near future, and see its strengths and weaknesses. The software is picking up customers, and Prins hopes to expand his current team of four into a larger group of developers.
 
"I love the tech scene in Minneapolis, so I want to have a development team here that can keep growing and innovating," he says. "As the company gets more traction, I'm looking forward to more sales and expansion."
 
Source: Paul Prins, Fresh Vine
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

"You know that moment when you get home, and it's been a long day, and you just want to sit down and treat yourself a little?" asks Terry Williams, founder of food company BlackOnyx Creations. "Well, that moment is what drives our whole business."
 
Williams and her husband Frank work to develop comfort foods for what they call the "ahh time," when people seek peace and relaxation through a cup of chai or bite of toffee. They produce drinks and snacks like coffee, chai, granola, and candy and market many of them under the label Winter Goddess.
 
The firm started a few years ago after Frank was injured at his job working for the TSA and the couple had to take a leap of faith in search of a new income source. "Our business is the result of dealing with economic difficulties," Williams notes. "We had to look at the world differently, to see opportunities where we hadn't seen them before. Most of all, we had to look at our community in a more interactive way. It's been a wonderful shift."
 
BlackOnyx takes it name from the stone, which is thought to increase regeneration, happiness, and intuition. Williams says it helps to create balance, give strength, and boost self-confidence — qualities that are hugely beneficial when starting a new business and gaining traction in the market.
 
The business began with craft shows and farmers markets, but started to grow after the pair took classes with Kindred Kitchen, the food incubator program in North Minneapolis [see our coverage of the program here]. That, in turn, led to the Minneapolis Homegrown Business Development Center loan program. BlackOnyx became the first loan recipient of the pilot program, and they're using the funding for marketing and a chocolate tempering machine.
 
With a strong start for the company, it looks like more local residents are likely to get that "ahh" moment in the future.
 
Source: Terry and Frank Williams, BlackOnyx Creations
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

In today's technology-driven business arena, mobility is an advantage, and St. Louis Park-based I.T. support firm Backpack Tactics aims to give companies that edge.
 
Founders Joel Barker and Brian Roemen chose the company's name as a nod toward how they both work--carrying their laptops in backpacks--but also as a representation of what they provide, like mobile technology services and cloud computing insight.
 
"It's all about lightweight technology," says Barker. "With current technology, you should be able to carry your business with you anywhere."
 
Before teaming up, the pair had worked as consultants, both independently and together on a few projects. They decided to start a business together in 2010, and the firm has grown through word of mouth since then. Since Barker has worked for nonprofits since 2005, that's one sector that's particularly strong for Backpack Tactics.
 
Barker says, "Many nonprofits don't understand what tools are out there and how they can be utilized properly, so it's our mission to help them. Essentially, we're trying to put ourselves out of work by providing training and technology, but that's okay because we're really passionate about helping people to help themselves."
 
He adds that training is a strong focus for most clients, and that many small business owners haven't had any technology training in the past. By blending training with tech-purchasing advice, Backpack Tactics can help them to use tech more effectively.
 
"For the future, we'd just love to be able to grow more and reach more clients," says Barker. "We continue to learn about new tools and connect with more people, and that's what we envisioned when we started, so we're on a good path."
 
Source: Joel Barker, Backpack Tactics
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Local IT companies seem to always be in need of more professionals for development work, and now they have new resource that could fill their IT departments in the future.
 
The IT-Ready Apprentice Program is launching in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with an eye toward other cities in the future. The non-profit program covers the cost of recruitment, training, and certification for employees taking on help-desk, call-center, and technical duties.
 
"With unemployment at the level it is, we feel this is important for giving individuals what they need to succeed in what might be a new profession," says Charles Eaton, executive director of the Creating IT Futures Foundation, the group leading the IT-Ready effort.
 
Eaton notes that the manufacturing and construction industries have been hit hard locally, and that skills from those careers are difficult to bring to other fields.
 
The apprenticeship program is unique, Eaton added, because it doesn't involve time off from work in order to attend community college. He says, "There aren't many resources for individuals who need to stay in the workforce. Not everyone can afford to take a couple years off to get a different type of training."
 
Minneapolis-St. Paul was supposed to be just one of five urban areas that would feature the IT-Ready program, but the decision was made to focus on the Twin Cities exclusively for the pilot.
 
Currently, apprentice program staff members are recruiting local companies to join the effort, and Eaton says the results are encouraging. They expect that the first class of apprentices should number about 15 and will start work in July.
 
"We think of ourselves as a startup in some ways," Eaton says. "We're coming in without preconceived notions of how this is going to work, but we're hopeful that it will grow and become an incredibly useful resource."
 
Source: Charles Eaton, IT-Ready Apprentice Program
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

With an impressive growth rate over the last three years--leading to recognition by Inc. magazine multiple times--Jobs2web made for an attractive acquisition target last year. So, it's no shock that business software firm SuccessFactors snapped it up in December.
 
But one pleasant surprise is that the Minneapolis-based firm won't get consumed by its new owner. Instead, Jobs2web is likely to get even stronger, believes chief marketing officer Peter Baskin.
 
"We'll not only remain completely intact, but we may grow even more aggressively," he says. "SuccessFactors wants us to keep on pace and keep expanding, in every way."
 
The firm is currently shopping for larger office space, and plans to increase its 120-employee base. Baskin notes that Jobs2web has been doing very well for the past few years, but it still struggled with "opening doors" at large prospective clients. The acquisition by the well-respected SuccessFactors should help in that regard, he says.
 
But Jobs2web will still keep the major attribute that has contributed to its success: the agility to deliver its interactive recruiting solutions quickly, in a customized format.
 
The firm helps clients draw on digital strategies to streamline recruiting efforts. For example, in addition to traditional employee referrals done by word-of-mouth, Jobs2web can integrate social networks into the mix, and then bring in mobile technology, analytics, and research portals to increase effectiveness.
 
"By linking so much together and bringing in automation, it's created a great degree of success for us," says Baskin. "It's helped us blow the doors off the barn for the past few years."
 
He adds that the addition of SuccessFactors as a strategic partner will keep those doors wide open.
 
Source: Peter Baskin, Jobs2web
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Imagine you run a yoga studio, or a plumbing shop, or a coworking space. How do you link up with other small businesses to build a network, do creative marketing partnerships, or just take advantage of bulk purchasing?
 
Michael Noble believes he's found the answer to that question, and it's called Nitch.
 
While working at the CoCo Minneapolis shared business space, Noble came up with idea of a website that connects small businesses to each other and to sponsors that cater to specific industries.
 
For example, a yoga mat manufacturer could get introduced to all of a city's studios by signing up with Nitch, or could create a private network of existing customers.
 
"Nitch is supposed to be about saving money, connecting with vendors, collaborating with industry peers," says Noble. "What we found in our initial research was that many small businesses spend the majority of their time trying to get new customers, and they're less adept at managing the back office. They don't have time to submit bids, or team up with others for purchasing."
 
The site's pilot industry was restaurants, and Nitch has about 100 on the site now. Noble expects that number to grow, and for other industries to start being represented, like bicycle retailers.
 
Although the site only launched in December, Noble feels that the unique mission and the lack of competitors should make for a strong start.
 
"We're excited to see where this can go," he says.
 
Source: Michael Noble, Nitch
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

In the past year, the economy didn't rebound with as much bounce as anyone would have liked, but a few fascinating things are happening on the way to recovery: the Twin Cities business community seems to be getting closer, more creative, and in some ways, more relaxed. The past year has seemed less like a slog and more like a fresh start.
 
In covering the innovation and jobs beat for The Line, I've spoken to dozens of entrepreneurs, some CEOs of large firms, and quite a few non-profit folks, and the trends are the same across every sector. The recession delivered a blow, certainly, but rather than going right back to business-as-usual, many companies here are seeing success through different measures. They brag about flex time for employees, community-based projects, and buying locally. It's as if the economic storms brought many enterprises under the same roof, and now they've learned that rather than survive independently, they're better off thriving together.

An Incubator Boomlet
 
For example, look toward the business incubator boomlet, and the wealth of services for entrepreneurs, like CoCo, WorkAround, MOJO Minnesota, the Economic Gardening Network, Homegrown Business Development Center, Minnesota High Tech Association, and so many others. The University of Minnesota, in particular, is a powerhouse of advice and skill building. Even the engineering school is teaching its students how to play well together in a business setting. 
 
This level of closeness to each other has created a business community that supports new endeavors so enthusiastically. Look at our recent feature on Kindred Kitchen, an effort in North Minneapolis that supports food entrepreneurs, for just one example, but there are many others. A sampling of companies that got their start this year include Sophia, DogWonderful, BuyerCurious, Pashen, and CRAM.
 
Through strategic hiring and expansion of services and products, many companies are showing a sense of starting anew, even if they've been around for years. For instance, just look at Bulk Reef Supply, an aquarium supplies service that has done such tremendous growth through increased product offerings that it landed on the Inc. 5000 list.

Companies Chillaxin'
 
Finally, there's the relaxation factor. Business can always be a bit of a meat grinder at times, but as companies learned to operate lean and get creative, they started to identify different measures of success, like happiness. As Chris Trifilio, co-founder of Primordial Soup noted, "We don't want to be a 50-person firm. We want to keep going down the path we're on, because it's fun and we love it." That's a sentiment that I heard often this year, leading me to believe that if a company didn't start fresh in terms of operations, then maybe they did in terms of attitude.
 
In the year ahead, I predict that these trends will keep rolling strong, because they contribute to the health of the business community, and make the Twin Cities a strong and vital area. Happy, satisfied entrepreneurs and business owners are creating a business climate that's sweeping away the economic clouds of the recent past with something awfully close to a sunny outlook.

Elizabeth Millard, Innovation and Jobs Editor

The OpenTable reservation system has become a standard online tool for diners who want to check availability and restaurants that want to streamline their reservation efforts.
 
But a London-based contender, EVEVE, is now using Minneapolis as a launching point for a U.S. competitive play—and finding great success as a result.
 
"It's been really exciting for us in the past few months," says Timothy Ryan, director and president of the U.S. operations for EVEVE. "We feel that we're going to be a major challenger to OpenTable in the year ahead."
 
The company has provided reservation systems in Europe since 2007, and has relationships with over a thousand restaurants worldwide. When the time came to look at the U.S. market, executives considered restaurant-laden cities like New York and San Francisco and chose Minneapolis/St. Paul instead.
 
"We thought the Twin Cities would be a perfect test market, because there's a lively culture of dining here, and it's very representative of a top North American city," says Ryan. "If we can prove ourselves here, we can take the model anywhere."
 
EVEVE started its efforts here in July, and the first to switch from OpenTable was Hell's Kitchen, followed by Bar La Grassa, Meritage, and the three Barrio restaurants. Recently, another wave of local restaurants signed on, including Joe's Garage, Fuji Ya, and Jax Cafe.
 
Although Ryan believes that OpenTable is an excellent reservation system, he thinks that EVEVE is more compelling for restaurants, because the service charges a flat rate for use of its system, instead of a per-booking amount like OpenTable.
 
Also, OpenTable tends to market certain restaurants to its users, which can frustrate those restaurants that aren't promoted, Ryan notes. Also, restaurants use EVEVE "invisibly," which means that diners believe they're booking through the eatery itself, instead of an outside site like OpenTable.
 
For the future, EVEVE is confident that the momentum will keep going. The company has eight employees in the Twin Cities area, and anticipates more hiring in the year ahead.
 
"We've been very happy with this test run," says Ryan. "We think we're going to continue to be a major presence here."
 
Source: Timothy Ryan, EVEVE
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

When looking for a plumber, electrician or other contractor, most people turn to their network of friends and family for recommendations. Now, they can supplement those efforts with one more powerful resource for finding a pro.
 
Referral Buzz, a Minneapolis-based startup, aims to connect contractors with homeowners and provide feedback and information from individuals in a homeowner's social network.
 
"There are some sites that have comments, but if I'm looking for a referral, I want it from someone I trust," says Referral Buzz co-founder and president Lisa Schneegans. "It's like going on Hotels.com and seeing the feedback there. People might be raving about a place, but if I don't know them, I don't trust it as much as a review from someone I know."
 
The idea for Referral Buzz was sparked when Schneegans and her partner, Klaus Schneegans, sold Praxis Software Solutions in 2006 and decided to renovate old houses as a new career path. Unfortunately, the housing market hadn't quite hit bottom, and the pair ended up losing quite a bit of money, but they came out of the experience with a new business idea.
 
"During that time, we worked with a lot of contractors, and consistently, they told us that they got business through referrals," she says. "But when we asked how they managed those, it turned out that they didn't have a systematic approach. So, we decided to use our technology backgrounds to create a referral-based system."
 
In addition to giving homeowners valuable feedback, Referral Buzz gives contractors a way to formalize their referral systems, which allows for better marketing.
 
Currently, the service has about 100 contractors, which is a strong start, considering the site has only been live for a short time. A notable addition has been Bachman's Landscaping, Schneegans says, which gives Referral Buzz a good boost of credibility.
 
"Like any entrepreneurs, we want everything to go faster," she says, with a laugh. "We want at least 1,000 Twin Cities contractors on the site by the end of next year."
 
Source: Lisa Schneegans, Referral Buzz
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

The traditional method for buying and selling real estate involves realtors, bankers, and appraisal experts, but rarely does it give those most connected to the process the ability to talk directly to each other. For many homebuyers, for example, the first time they ever meet a property's seller is at closing.
 
But now, the paradigm may shift, thanks to a new Minnesota startup, BuyerCurious, that connects buyers and sellers and allows them to negotiate with one another.
 
Put out by DealCurious, the service is in its very early stages, having launched only about a month ago. But already people are registering and there's tremendous potential, believes co-founder Jim Lesinski.
 
"We recognized that real estate is not progressing as fast in the e-commerce realm as other industries," he says. "There have been some strides by innovators like Zillow, and some companies in the valuation process, but not much has been done with respect to actual negotiation and transactions. It felt like there was a real void."
 
BuyerCurious aims to fill that gap with a simple-to-use site that allows buyers to make offers on properties or to contact a seller. Once an offer is made, the prospective seller can respond, and BuyerCurious assists by setting up a "deal room" where they continue negotiations until a binding purchase agreement is signed.
 
Like any software development project, BuyerCurious has run into its share of challenges, particularly because the site needs to be in compliance with real estate laws, but Lesinski says it's built to go nationwide. "We have a very robust platform that will allow us to be compliant in every area of the country," he says.
 
The company is still small right now—Lesinski notes that they've just hired their fourth employee—but it relies on an extensive network of service providers. The team is excited about the chance to create an electronic marketplace for real estate.
 
Just think: if BuyerCurious catches on, your next home purchase could be only a few clicks away.
 
Source: Jim Lesinski, BuyerCurious
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Eagan isn't yet known as a telecommunications hub, but that may change in the near future, when the city builds a major new data center.
 
Known as The Connexion, the colocation facility will be open to all telecom and Internet service providers, as well as local and regional companies that need offsite data storage and disaster recovery.
 
The facility will be developed and owned by Five 9s Digital, a North Carolina firm that's well versed in the complexities of building and running these types of specialized data centers.
 
"This is an effort to protect technology jobs and attract new jobs," says Tom Garrison, the city's communications director and the liaison to the Eagan Technology Working Group, which has been studying the city's broadband needs for the past five years.
 
"The Connexion isn't jobs-intensive on its own, but it will provide the infrastructure for technology companies, and that could bring them to the area," Garrison says. "We think this will go a long way toward establishing Eagan as a top technology location."
 
The Connexion will provide high-connectivity private data suites, route redundancy, and environmental efficiencies. Private investment in the project is estimated at between $75 million and $100 million. The new facility will provide Tier III space, which is important, given the high demand for space at that classification.
 
Look for the facility to get kickstarted soon, with a projected completion of mid-2012.
 
Source: Tom Garrison, City of Eagan
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

In classrooms around the world, Sophia is proving to be a very popular and very smart girl.
 
The online education site went live last March and experienced an overwhelming response, with people logging on from nearly 70 countries in just the first two days.
 
Now, just seven months later, Sophia has grown from start-up to robust enterprise, expanding from six to 13 full-time employees, plus approximately 25 contractors and consultants. Founder and CEO Don Smithmier, whom we profiled in February, anticipates more hiring in the coming year, as Sophia ramps up even more.
 
"We're now executing a plan that we'd put forth at the beginning, the goal of bringing Sophia to the world," he says. "We're getting traction, and seeing growth as a result."
 
Sophia is a free social learning community, focused solely on education. The service brings together teachers and students from around the world. Utilizing "learning packets" that combine text, video, and graphics, teachers can create educational units that can be viewed by everyone, or just a select group of students.
 
Smithmier notes that the approach falls into a growing new category of academics called "social education," in which access to learning is increased. He says, "We're talking about flipping the student-to-teacher ratio. So, instead of 30 students for every teacher, what you'll have are 30 teachers for every student."
 
The strategy can be particularly effective, he adds, because people tend to "click" with some teachers but not others. Exposing students to so many teachers and different teaching styles keeps those relationships clicking.
 
As Sophia keeps expanding, in both employees and reach, Smithmier anticipates that the company will be doing more work on its learning programs and refining its offerings. "We want to make Sophia nationally known, and eventually globally known," he says, then laughs. "I guess we just want to be world famous."
 
Source: Don Smithmier, Sophia
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Quick: think about a still-sour economy, layoffs, lost clients, and financial difficulties.
 
Although those are the types of thoughts that many business leaders try to avoid, many entrepreneurs still focus on those negatives, and end up falling short of their potential, believes business consultant Laura Goodrich.
 
In her work with organizations over the past 17 years, Goodrich has developed a program, "Seeing Red Cars," that applies these principles of unconscious attraction. She named the program after an analogy, in which someone might not think about cars of a certain color until he or she buys a red car, and then, suddenly, begins to notice red cars everywhere. Changing one's focus and attitude about an enterprise can feel exactly like that, she notes.
 
"Seeing Red Cars is a transformation process, it's about being intentional and about the nature of change," says Goodrich. "When we talk about the unconscious focus that people have, we begin to see the outcome that they're seeking. If you have an unconscious pull toward negative outcomes, that's what you'll get."
 
Along with a business partner, Goodrich owns On Impact Productions, a content company that specializes in producing videos, coaching, and consulting. She's produced a full-length film that brings together all of her views on how executives can create a more positive environment for themselves and employees.
 
Goodrich is hoping that as her business grows, so will the reach of her message: that getting stuck in a rut is all too common, and that it takes a new perspective to climb out of that ditch.
 
"I've worked with executives who don't know they have an unconscious focus on the negative, and yet they're sucking the energy out of their employees," she says. "They're putting a pin in every balloon. At this moment, what we all need is dynamic change, and that's what I want to help provide."
 
Source: Laura Goodrich, Seeing Red Cars
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

In the crowded healthy-bar space--think Larabar, Clif Bar, Luna, and dozens of others--a new competitor has sprouted from local roots.
 
Pashen, created by siblings Wendy Sorquist, Pol Sorquist, and Lisa Wilson, aims to bring superfood-level nutrition into the marketplace, and give consumers a taste of delicious, raw, sprouted ingredients.
 
The small food company was started when Wilson, a health and wellness counselor, came up with a recipe for the bar while teaching raw food classes. The response was overwhelming, and the trio decided to see if they could make them on a commercial scale.
 
They rented space at Kindred Kitchen, a food incubator in North Minneapolis that's geared toward food entrepreneurs. Within a month, they'd figured out how to make the bars in a cost-effective, efficient way, and ended up selling some to Seward Co-op and Golden Fig, as well as four other locations.
 
The bars are unique because they incorporate sprouted ingredients that are easier to digest than other raw foods, says Wendy Sorquist. They use items like buckwheat and pumpkin seed and soak them so that key nutrients are maintained, she notes. That helps to promote good bacteria in the digestive system. It doesn't hurt that the bars are also very tasty, too.
 
The siblings decided on the phonetic spelling of "passion" as a name because of their enthusiasm about the venture, and they're still motivated for what they see ahead: larger sales opportunities, their own commercial kitchen, and eventually, national distribution and expanding the team.
 
"We're really excited to be spreading the word, and getting these out to stores," says Sorquist. "We want to branch into other categories, maybe do trail mixes, and more flavors. We don't think our product is a good fit for really big supermarkets, but with so many stores focusing on whole food and healthy options, we think we're a great fit for those, and that we have a great start."
 
Source: Wendy Sorquist, Pashen
Writer: Elizabeth Millard