THE WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE OF MINNESOTA'S DIGITAL INNOVATION FOR THE NEW DECADE
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
— F E B R UA RY 2 02 0 —
WHO IS STEVE
GROVE? GOOGLE IT
NON-COMPETES
THE WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE OF MINNESOTA’S UNDER FIRE
DIGITAL INNOVATION FOR THE NEW DECADE
Scott Burns
St. Paul startup guru
and mentor
C1.indd 1 1/8/20 2:12 PM
Let’s shape
the future
Successful businesses think ahead—and so do
their law firms. The combination of Lathrop Gage
and Gray Plant Mooty brings you the expanded
services, coast-to-coast locations and bench
depth you need to anticipate trends and plan for
challenges. Working together, we can help you
achieve your vision.
Lathrop GPM LLP | lathropgpm.com
This is an advertisement. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be made based solely upon advertisements. Lathrop GPM LLP,
500 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402. For more information, contact Michael P. Sullivan, Jr. at 612.632.3350.
C2.indd 1 1/7/20 9:39 AM
Build something great.
You want to build community and have a splashtastic time doing it – like the
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, which created the system’s first indoor
swimming facility to empower and engage people of all abilities, backgrounds,
and income levels all year round. To do so, you need enthusiastic leadership,
big ideas, and JLG Architects. Learn how the Phillips Aquatics Center is connecting
with the neighborhood in swim-pressive ways at jlgarchitects.com/PhillipsAquatics.
ENR Mountain States’ Design Firm of the Year
MSN Money’s 50 Most Admired Companies in the U.S.
Inc. Magazine’s Best Places to Work | 100% Employee-Owned ESOP
pg 1.indd 1 1/7/20 9:41 AM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
February 2 0 2 0
14
COMMENTARY
18 22 37 5 | Editor’s Note
Allison Kaplan
It’s time for Minnesota to
innovate on the business
side of health care.
F E AT URE S TRE ND I NG
& SPEC I A L COV E RAGE 12 | Planting Seeds
18 | Q&A: Steve Grove: Minnesota’s Economic Development Czar Rajiv Tandon
The former Google exec explores the challenging realities of growing the state’s 33 | Technology | 24/7 Cyber Defense The path forward in
startup and innovation economy. By Burl Gilyard After entering the digital age, businesses Minnesota for nurturing
need to continuously guard against emerging technologies.
22 | Tech 20 cybersecurity attacks and identify new
The who, what, and where of Minnesota’s digital innovation for the new decade. and better strategies to keep hackers at 14 | Performing
By Tess Allen, Burl Gilyard, Allison Kaplan, Dan Niepow, and Amanda Ostuni bay. By Gene Rebeck Philanthropy
Sarah Lutman
37 | Banking | Building Community Nonprofits are helping
Through Strategic Philanthropy young people learn to
Minnesota banks are targeting grants for code and access good
housing, job training, financial literacy, jobs.
and other pressing needs to make a
STARTERS | 6–10 difference in communities. By Liz Fedor 15 | Working It
Linda L. Holstein
Flush with Controversy | Inside 43 | Education | Educating NextGen Why written performance
Minneapolis’ new 100 Restrooms Health Professionals reviews at work are still a
initiative. Minnesota’s health care education good idea.
programs are evolving to meet changing
The Fine Print | Walker Art Center state- and community-based patient 16 | Plattitudes
reveals the art of nonprofit finance. needs. By Gene Rebeck Adam Platt
A new book chronicles the
Beet to Death | Minnesota’s 2019 sugar heyday and decline of the
beet harvest left scars on more than Twin Cities tavern.
the land.
48 | Open Letter
Backlash Against Non-Competes | Is Vance Opperman
Minnesota getting ready to restrict their The proposed wealth tax
applicability? is prismatically bad from
11 any angle.
Minnesota Orchestra Finances:
Moderato | It’s great at fundraising
for everything except its performance
schedule.
A MPE D UP | 11
Verified | Products and services that
enhance the work and lives of local Bringing Business Success to Market
6
professionals. Two Minneapolis nonprofits created
The New Market, a series of pop-
Networked | Top networking up vendor markets for black-owned cover photo by
opportunities for February. businesses. Travis Anderson
TWIN CITIES BUSINESS, Vol. 27, No. 6 © 2020 MSP Communications. The opinions of columnists are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts or artwork will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Telephone 612-339-7571. Fax 612-339-5806. E-mail: edit@tcbmag.com. TWIN CITIES BUSINESS (ISSN 1072-673X) is published monthly by MSP Communications, 220 S. Sixth St., Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55402-4507.
Subscriptions available for $24.95 per year; foreign subscriptions, $169.00 per year. To subscribe or change address, visit tcbmag.com/subscriptions.aspx. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and at additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (see DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to TWIN CITIES BUSINESS, Subscription Processing, P.O. Box 5846, Harlan, IA 51593.
2 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 2.indd 1 1/8/20 1:02 PM
ar
Ye ice
d
r r v
33 Se
of
Sure Stop Floor Safety
SVP/Owned Media “your fast and dependable solution to any slippery floors and steps”
Publisher
Jayne Haugen Olson
Editor in Chief
call 763 571-1769
Shelly Elmore Allison Kaplan We are your proven solution to
selmore@tcbmag.com akaplan@tcbmag.com
slippery floors, fast and reliable,
period.
www.surestop.com
Executive Editor Adam Platt aplatt@tcbmag.com
Trending Editor Liz Fedor lfedor@tcbmag.com
Associate Editor Tess Allen tallen@tcbmag.com
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Senior Writer Burl Gilyard bgilyard@tcbmag.com
Digital Editor Dan Niepow dniepow@tcbmag.com
Digital Associate Editor Amanda Ostuni aostuni@tcbmag.com
Northern Minnesota Correspondent Gene Rebeck grebeck@tcbmag.com
Copy Editors Judy Arginteanu judarg@gmail.com | Jolene Johnson
Editorial Intern Christopher Lemke clemke@tcbmag.com
FEBRUARY NONPROFIT EVENT CALENDAR
Design Director Chris Winn cwinn@tcbmag.com
Account Director Traci Auger tauger@tcbmag.com, 612-336-9214
Feb. 19 - 23
Senior Account Managers Rian Heaslip rheaslip@tcbmag.com, 612-336-9215
Andrea Shapiro ashapiro@tcbmag.com, 612-336-9211
Marketing Manager Jules Ellis jellis@tcbmag.com, 612-373-9584
Events Coordinator Sami Johnson sjohnson@tcbmag.com, 612-336-9288
Contributing Writers Linda Holstein | Aaron Keller | Sarah Lutman | Rajiv Tandon
Feb. 23
MSP Communications
CEO & General Counsel SVP, MSP-C Deborah Hopp
Vance K. Opperman VP, Content MSP-C Erin Madsen
CFO Charles F. Thell VP, Digital MSP-C Kate Rogers
COO Nathaniel Opperman VP, Finance & Administration
President Gary Johnson John Bienias
SVP, Operations Mary Authier VP, Project Management Frank Sisser
SVP, Owned Media VP, Client Strategy Kevin Dunn
Jayne Haugen Olson
Credit Manager Dave Gschlecht Network Administrator
Senior Accountant Anne McPhillips Steve Swanson
Production Manager Tim Dallum Assistant Network Administrator
Production Supervisor Paul Marihart Graham Meyer
Graphic Designer Joe Mertes Audience Development Director
Digital Prepress Group Bea Jaeger
> Steve Mathewson Fulfillment Coordinator
> Bill Sympson Valerie Asante
Senior Web Developer Creative Services
Ricky Hannigan > Katie Shaw
E-Newsletter Developer > Janice Hamilton
Lauri Loveridge > Joy Wagner
Contact Us
The authoritative voice on special
To subscribe | tcbmag.com/subscribe | tcbservice@tcbmag.com
| 612-339-7571
events throughout the upper Midwest.
To change an address or renew | tcbmag.com/myaccount
| tcbservice@tcbmag.com | 612-339-7571 www.ilea-msp.org | info@ilea-msp.org
For reprints, PDFs | jellis@tcbmag.com | 612-373-9584
For permission to copy | akaplan@tcbmag.com | 612-336-9299
To make event reservations | sjohnson@tcbmag.com | 612-336-9288
To advertise | see account executive listings or contact jellis@tcbmag.com
| 612-373-9584
To submit a press release | edit@tcbmag.com
To pitch a story | see editorial staff listings or contact akaplan@tcbmag.com
| 612-336-9299
Twin Cities Business is a publication of MSP Communications
220 S. 6th St., Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55402-4507 Photos: Jeannine Marie Photography, Lauren B Photography
612-339-7571, fax 612-336-9220
FEBRUARY 2020 | TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 3
pg 3.indd 1 1/7/20 9:41 AM
BEYOND THE PAGES tc b m a g .co m
Top Reads
{1}
Blue Plate Restaurant Group Sued Over
“Employee Wellness Surcharge”
{2}
Anytime Fitness Marks Coolest Achievement:
A Club in Antarctica
{3}
Urban Outfitters Space in Uptown Listed for Lease
{4 }
JBS USA to Buy J&B’s Pipestone Meat Plant
{5}
Life Time Inc. Opens Mall Anchor Location at Southdale
Person of the Year
“We are proud but humble,” Target chair-
man and CEO Brian Cornell told the crowd
in December at Orchestra Hall, when he was
celebrated as TCB’s Person of the Year. The
event drew more than 400 business lead-
ers, including many from our TCB 100 list
of people to know in 2020. See the list at
tcbmag.com/tcb100-2020.
Polls now open through
February 28, 2020
tcbmag.com/votebestbiz
Homi CEO Philip Xiao
(left) and Cry Baby
Craig’s Craig Kaiser
Upsie founder
Clarence
Bethea (left)
talks to Ren-
dersi CEO Jim
D’Aquila
@TCBmag facebook.com/twincitiesbusiness @TCBmag
tcbmagvideos linkedin.com/company/twin-cities-business
4 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 4.indd 1 1/7/20 2:17 PM
EDITOR’S NOTE
The Health ur Tech 20 list for 2020
includes a local startup that
services in the same way that Netflix and Amazon have
transformed entertainment and retail.”
of Tech can produce human neurons
in a week, and another that
The special seminar is open to elite undergradu-
ate Aquinas Scholars—most of whom aren’t premed.
has created a blood test to “These students are going to go on to be movers and
Now is the time for Minnesota
identify an individual’s specific shakers in all fields,” McVea says. “We want them to
to innovate on the business side
causes of obesity—the sorts know that health care is an exciting, vital field where
of health care.
of breakthroughs that boggle the you can have a dramatic impact for the greater good.”
By Allison Kaplan mind (of this non-techie, at least) The class will include entrepreneurial guest lectur-
and reaffirm Minnesota’s standing as a leader in med ers like Manova CEO Mark Addicks, and case studies
tech. But perhaps even more encouraging for our local of local companies such as Minneapolis-based Carrot
market (often considered narrowly focused on medical Health, a software platform that uses data to improve
device production) are developments related to the health outcomes.
business of health care, such as Verata, a new platform “We might feel like we’ve spent an inordinate
that uses artificial intelligence to cut through the red amount of time working on health care. But the
tape of health insurance authorization. (Turn to page focus has been on health insurance,” McVea says.
22 for the complete Tech 20 list.) “People are hungry for real progress.”
The health care business has been slower to inno- Minnesota has all the necessary players,
vate than other industries such as finance. Maybe that’s McLaughlin says, listing off Mayo Clinic, United
because the focus is on lifesaving treatments (a good Health Group (the largest U.S. health insurer), pio-
thing, to be sure) or because of the complexities of in- neering companies such as Medtronic, and initiatives
surance and data privacy. There’s a growing sense among like Destination Medical Center, which is pumping
entrepreneurs that the business side of health care is ripe $5.6 billion into making Rochester a world-class city
for disruption. Minnesota’s role in that evolution could for health-related innovation. And, of course, there’s
strengthen our broader influence in the startup world. Medical Alley, the organizing force for health-related
That drive to keep Minnesota an epicenter of businesses in Minnesota.
medical innovation is at the heart of the Manova “What health care employers are really challenged
Global Health Summit. The second annual conference with is workforce,” McLaughlin says. “It’s not that we
last fall emphasized trends in wellness, aging, and busi- don’t have the talent or great companies, it’s that we
ness. I had the privilege of moderating the conversa- need more skilled labor.” That’s a sentiment we heard
tion “What’s the ‘Venmo’ of Health?” Revel Health repeatedly while reporting this issue’s features. “Minne-
CEO Jeff Fritz and U.S. Bank’s executive vice president sota is fighting with every other state for their work-
and chief innova- force of the future (and of now),” says Chris Schad,
tion officer Dominic director of business development for Destination
These students are going to go on to be movers Venturo discussed Medical Center’s Discovery Square, a new business hub
opportunities for for health innovation. “The state can be an attractor to
and shakers in all fields. We want them to know that innovation around land those folks by emphasizing quality of life and cost
medical forms and of living, as well as the density of tech firms here that
health care is an exciting, vital field where you can secure data, as well as offer a ‘safety net’ of sorts.” In our Q&A feature (page
new online tools that 18), Steve Grove, director of the state’s Department of
have a dramatic impact for the greater good. could be used for Employment and Economic Development (DEED),
diagnosis, and how talks about creative solutions to the labor shortage.
—John McVea, associate professor, University of St. Thomas tech can promote We hope a list like the Tech 20 is one more way to
healthy living. highlight for the next generation of innovators, pro-
This month, grammers, clinicians, and scientists how many exciting
the University of St. Thomas will debut a new class on developments are taking shape in Minnesota. That’s
the digital transformation of health care. Don’t think especially true in the health sector.
“robot doctors,” says John McVea, an associate profes- McVea says it best: “We’ve got to make sure our
sor at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, who is brightest and best see health care as an exciting op-
co-teaching with Daniel McLaughlin, director of the portunity where you can have a fulfilling career as an
Center for Innovation in the Business of Health Care at innovator rather than a place to be in public adminis-
the Opus College of Business. “It’s about using technol- tration. We need to make it an aspirational sector for
ogy to transform the way patients consume health future influencers.”
FEBRUARY 2020 | TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 5
pg 5.indd 1 1/7/20 9:51 AM
02•2020 Edited by Adam Platt
Flush with Controversy
Inside Minneapolis’ new 100 Restrooms initiative.
E
veryone has to businesses, asking them relatively simple,” says
use the bath- to open their bathrooms John Sweeney, owner of
room. And as to noncustomers. Hennepin Avenue’s Brave
homelessness The initiative, though New Workshop Comedy
has increased in the region, designed to serve visi- Theatre. “I grew up on a
so has public urination. tors as well, has been dairy farm, and if some-
In October, following an controversial, since the thing needs to be done
annual downtown cleanli- downtown denizens with and there’s a way to do it, experiences of customers involved, says Ben
ness and safety percep- the least access to a bath- you get it done.” who may have to wait to Shardlow, director of
tion survey, which ranked room are homeless. Sweeney has opened use it. urban design for DID and
public urination a top issue, “My basic premise his restrooms to the pub- But Sweeney believes the Downtown Council.
the Minneapolis Downtown is that there are people lic and allowed the city to the only way to find a “We’re using this as an
Improvement District (DID) who need to go to the put a portable outside his solution to any problem opportunity to have a
and the city introduced a bathroom, which is back door. is to experiment. “I don’t dialogue that we feel has
new multiyear initiative to Sweeney understands have the answer to the been missing about the
address the lack of acces- that businesses have homeless problem or the topic, and we love hearing
sible public restrooms. concerns about liability. bathroom problem or the people’s concerns.”
Called 100 Restrooms Anything that happens crime problem, but I do At 2019’s end, the
and similar to projects in in the restroom is the know that if we just con- DID did not have a solid
cities like Austin, Texas, responsibility of the busi- tinue to only talk about it, count of the number of
the city is installing porta- ness owner. Then there’s nothing is ever going to toilets open to the public
ble restrooms throughout the additional cost of get done.” downtown.
downtown; it also calls for cleaning and stocking the It’s a learning ex- —Tess Allen
collaboration with private bathroom, as well as the perience for everyone
THE FINE PRINT
The Art of
Nonprofit Finance
W alker Art Center takes its role as a nonprofit seriously. In December, WAC released fi-
nancials for its 2018–2019 fiscal year. Bottom line? Revenue and expenses were both
$21 million, with a net profit of a mere $16,350—very close to no profit at all.
SOURCE: WALKER ART CENTER ANNUAL REPORT
Donations, WAC’s endowment draw, and its annual Avant Garden Gala fundraiser ac-
counted for $16.2 million, 77 percent of all revenue. Less than 25 percent comes from muse-
um admissions and
Walker Art Center revenue | July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019 events like Rock the
Garden and Mini
Contributions $8,348,664 (40 percent)
Golf (counted under
Endowment draw $6,624,500 (31 percent) “program earned
Program earned income $2,583,158 (12 percent) income”). But not
Museum admissions/shop/food/facility rental/other $2,226,975 (11 percent) to worry: WAC’s
endowment stands
Avant Garden Gala $1,219,859 (6 percent)
at $224 million.
Total $21,003,156 —Burl Gilyard
6 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 6-10.indd 1 1/7/20 9:53 AM
Backlash Against
Non-Competes
Is Minnesota getting ready to restrict
their applicability?
P eople don’t need to be economists to recog-
nize that employees have more power to secure
higher-paying jobs during a workforce shortage. But the
widespread use of non-compete agreements is prevent-
ing many Minnesota workers from moving to better
positions with new employers.
Employment law attorneys say there’s been a
major increase in use of non-compete agreements, and
they argue it’s simply wrong to prevent many catego-
ries of workers, such as fast-food employees, from
switching employers. “I’m not interested in hearing
about the proprietary nature of how an employee puts
the cheese on the lettuce,” quips Steven Andrew Smith,
Beet to Death
Minnesota’s 2019 sugar beet harvest
an attorney with Nichols Kaster who has represented
employees for 24 years.
“It is in the interest of an employer to keep an em-
left scars on more than the land. ployee who will not have any option except to work for
this employer,” says Avner Ben-Ner, a professor in the
department of work and organizations at the University
M ike Metzger has worked for the
Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative
for nearly 20 years, and he’s never
of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. But “it
is in the interest of the employer to have a mobile labor
workforce in general, so they can get the employees
seen a sugar beet harvest quite as they need.”
bad as 2019’s. When companies need to hire workers, it’s a major
Each year, farmers in the Red Riv- complication when they are covered by non-compete
er Valley along the Minnesota–North agreements. V. John Ella, an attorney with Trepanier
Dakota border typically harvest about Minnesota. All three major sugar beet MacGillis Battina, says the overuse of non-compete
28 tons of sugar beets per acre. In the producers in Minnesota faced severe agreements has spawned an “incipient reform move-
most recent harvest, however, they weather-related issues, Minn-Dak ment.” Minnesota lacks a statute on non-competes,
averaged about 22 tons per acre. For Farmers Cooperative and American but Ella says the state Legislature could tackle non-
perspective, that means farmers lost Crystal Sugar Co., both in the Red compete legislation this session. California, for one, has
about a third of their crop. River Valley, and Renville-based largely outlawed them.
Sugar beet farming is big busi- Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Co- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along
ness in the Red River Valley, so a poor operative (SMBSC). with 18 other attorneys general, urged the Federal
crop can be devastating for the local “I would say 2019 was the most Trade Commission in November to use its power to
economy. A 2012 study said the sugar challenging harvest we’ve ever had “classify abusive worker non-compete clauses as an
beet industry is responsible for nearly at this co-op,” says Todd Geselius, unfair method of competition.” Bipartisan legislation
19,000 jobs in the area, along with SMBSC’s vice president of agriculture. was introduced in the U.S. Senate in October that aims
more than $1 billion in direct eco- He estimates that farmers in his co- to reduce the use of non-competes, which now affect
nomic impact each year, according to op harvested about 23 tons per acre about 20 percent of American workers.
North Dakota State University. in 2019. That compares to an average In particular, Ellison says non-competes often cover
Heavier-than-average rainfall of about 26 in a typical year. baristas, engineers, journalists, home health aides,
hit the region in fall, which delayed Area businesses felt the squeeze physicians, and sandwich makers.
harvesting. Freezing temps followed quickly, Metzger says. “Farmers didn’t Ella and Smith predict that the quickest reform may
soon after, forcing many farmers to spend the money they would [have] be to exempt low-income workers from non-competes.
leave crops in the ground. in a normal year.” They also note that it makes more sense to use non-
“This was hands-down the worst There have been wider effects on disclosure agreements to protect intellectual property
year we’ve had,” says Metzger, vice the nation’s economy, too. In the U.S., and financial data, instead of requiring a broad swath
president of agriculture and research about half of domestic sugar comes of employees to sign non-compete agreements. “There
for Minn-Dak. from beets. Thus, last year, the coun- are better ways to protect information than putting
The past year’s weather was try imported more sugar than it has somebody who was a mid-level sales manager on the
unprecedented, says Mohamed Khan, in nearly four decades. —Dan Niepow shelf for two years,” Smith says. —Liz Fedor
a professor and sugar beet special-
ist with NDSU and the University of
FEBRUARY 2020 | TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 7
pg 6-10.indd 2 1/7/20 9:53 AM
Minnesota Orchestra
Finances: Moderato
It’s great at fundraising for everything except its performance schedule.
T he Minnesota
Orchestra just
wrapped up a
$60 million capital cam-
paign, topping its goal by
steep 27 percent falloff.
What happened?
The capital campaign
called for $40 million to
go to operations. But
Orchestra spokes-
woman Gwen Pappas
says that donors typi-
cally want to support
something specific. Still, the underlying Orchestra is working on
$10 million. In April the despite the $60 million Operating revenue picture is that orchestra plans to broaden its base
orchestra finished paying haul, only $20 million for fiscal 2019 was operations run substan- of philanthropic support.
off revenue bonds that of contributions were $9.6 million, a drop of tially in the red, good year “Developing sig-
financed the $52 million so designated. “It may $2.1 million from the pre- or bad. nificant new streams
renovation of Orchestra seem counterintuitive, vious year. The decline The national trends of either earned or
Hall. So far, so good. but fiscal 2019 was a very was anticipated because are favorable for many contributive revenue
But for the fiscal strong year for orches- the orchestra did not orchestras. “The propor- will take planning, and,
year ending Aug. 31, the tra fundraising, with our make a major tour in tion of orchestras report- fortunately, the orchestra
orchestra saw revenue of total philanthropic giving fiscal 2019. Venue rental ing deficits has lowered has a strong financial
$26.7 million against ex- reaching $26.3 million,” fees had been up signifi- since the 2009 Great position, with a high net
penses of $35.5 million; says Michelle Miller Burns, cantly in fiscal 2018 due Recession, as orchestra asset base and low debt
the $8.8 million deficit president and CEO. to Super Bowl-related finances generally follow position, that allows us
is its highest ever. Call it “Our year-end result is events. Pappas adds that macro-economic trends,” the time needed to ramp
financial dissonance. Ze- reflective of the fact that the orchestra had no big says Jesse Rosen, presi- up these new opportuni-
roing in on the numbers, the majority of those names like Yo-Yo Ma or dent and CEO of the ties.” —Burl Gilyard
the orchestra’s annual dollars were designated Joshua Bell on the 2019 New York-based League
report shows a $9.8 mil- for the endowment over calendar, as it had in of American Orchestras.
lion drop in revenue—a operations.” previous years. Miller Burns says the
Products and services
that enhance the
work and lives of local
professionals.
Oregano Oil. “I have
no time to let anything
slow me down—like a
cold—which is why I
always carry oregano
oil. I take it at the first
sign of any illness
as a surefire way to The Wardrobe Refinery.
proactively tackle viral This Minneapolis-based
Orange Theory Fitness. It makes the best infection. Be warned: styling service builds ward-
“happy hour” for my coworkers and it tastes awful, but robes out of thrifted finds.
me at the end of a long week! works awesome!” “We both hate shopping but
We show up and cheer each —Summer Kath, exec- love what these women are
Self-Care other on. The instructors (like Jay utive vice president of doing to address sustainabil-
in Edina) are great. It’s high energy business development, ity in the apparel industry!”
and great stress relief.” Cambria USA thewardroberefinery.com
orangetheoryfitness.com —Lynn Hoffman and Kate
—Erin Procko, president and bank- Davenport, co-presidents,
ing director, Bell Bank Twin Cities Eureka Recycling
8 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 6-10.indd 3 1/7/20 9:53 AMBETSY HALL PHOTOGRAPHY
Proven
legacy.
QEcolab (St. Paul)
merged its upstream
Unlimited
energy business with
Houston-based Apergy
Corp. in a debt and stock
swap. The merged unit
potential.
will exist as a wholly
owned subsidiary of
Apergy.
QBrightHealth
(Mpls.) raised $635 mil- On January 1, 2020, Briggs joined forces with
lion in an oversubscribed and is now Taft. We united our firms to
Series D campaign. expand our expertise and serve our clients
It's the largest single and our people better than ever. Find out
fundraise in the state
in a decade and puts
how we’re redefining service excellence and
the company above $1 continuing to raise expectations.
billion in total fundrais-
ing. The current round is
primarily for hiring.
QFaegre Baker
Daniels (Mpls.) an-
nounced plans to merge
with Philadelphia-based
Drinker Biddle & Reath TaftLaw.com
on Feb. 1. No headquar-
ters was designated for
the combined firm, but
it’s expected to be a top
50 U.S. law firm in size.
FEBRUARY 2020 | TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 9
pg 6-10.indd 4 1/7/20 9:53 AMNETWORKED
February 27
Saint Paul Chamber
February 18 Annual Meeting
Women Entrepreneurs’ Event Chamber members, city
WomenVenture will host an informational session for officials, and community
women who want to start or expand a for-profit business. leaders are expected
The nonprofit will explain the services it has available for to gather for the Saint
entrepreneurs. Noon, free, Minneapolis Central Library, Paul Area Chamber’s
300 Nicollet Mall, 612-224-9540, womenventure.org annual meeting. Travis
February 4 McCready, president and
Carlson February 26 CEO of Massachusetts
1st Tuesday Food as Medicine Life Sciences Center, will
Joan T.A. Gabel, Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, chief medical officer be the keynote speaker.
president of the and founder of Step One Foods, will 5 p.m., $125 to $150,
University of Minnesota, will deliver the discuss her medical work and how it Saint Paul RiverCentre,
monthly 1st Tuesday speech, a program of motivated her to start a food company 651-223-5000,
the Carlson School of Management. She that emphasizes health improvements saintpaulchamber.com
was inaugurated as the U’s 17th president through dietary changes. 11:30 a.m.,
in September. 11:30 a.m., $35 to $40, $35 to $55, Golden Valley Country Club,
McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis, 952-525-2236, teamwomenmn.org
612-626-7442, carlsonschool.umn.edu
$50 MILLION
LENDING LIMIT
PER BORROWER 1
"/" ,$+&7"1%16,2/02 "00Ǿ&0,2/02 "00ǽ%104%64", "/
#2))02&1",# ++ &)0,)21&,+0!"0&$+"!1,%")-6,2*+$"+!
-/,1" 16,2/ 20&+"00ǽ /,* ,**"/ &) /"!&1 /!21,0,-%&01& 1"!
0%*+$"*"+1 - &)&1&"0Ǿ4"/"2+&.2")6".2&--"!1,*""1
6,2/+""!0Ǿ+,4+!&+1%"#212/"ǽ
LOCAL PARTNERS. LIMITLESS POTENTIAL.
952.936.7800 | MNBankandTrust.com
1
2 '" 11, /"!&1--/,3)+!+,/*)2+!"/4/&1&+$$2&!")&+"0ǽ2,/*)2+!"/4/&1&+$$2&!")&+"0
--)6ǽ "" +("/#,/!"1&)0ǽ/"!&1 /!0/"&002"!+!0"/3& "! 6"4"5& ,+(/201!
/! "/3& "0ǽ 0003-20
10 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 6-10.indd 5 1/7/20 9:53 AM02•2020 By Tess Allen
Bringing Business Success to Market
Two Minneapolis nonprofits created The New Market,
a series of pop-up vendor markets for black-owned businesses.
N ationwide, African
American buying
power has reached
$1.2 trillion, a Nielsen study
found. Yet, only two cents of
uses food as a way to build
health, community, economic,
and social change. Both have
been working for years, often
in collaboration, on a variety of
Entrepreneurs (top)
Kenny Jordan of Come
and Get It Food Trailer
and (bottom) Mykela
Jackson of Keiko’s
every dollar a black American projects that support and raise Kitchen participate in
spends goes to black-owned awareness of black-owned busi- The New Market.
businesses. It’s even worse in nesses in North Minneapolis.
Minnesota: The latest avail- Katie Myhre, Appetite for
able data from the Minnesota Change’s former food busi- businesses.” They even help
Department of Employment ness development manager, each other prep for pop-ups,
and Economic Development in came up with the idea for she says.
2012 reports that the state had The New Market. That’s exactly the type of
fewer than 20,000 black-owned “It’s really hard for any experience Myhre hoped the
businesses in the entire state. new business to launch into venture would promote.
The New Market is a market, regardless of who Myhre herself is no
working to keep dollars they are or where they come longer closely involved with
circulating in the black com- from,” Myhre says. Resources The New Market project; she’s
munity. The organization and networks for entrepre- kets featuring black-owned vendors at a discounted rate, participating in the Finnova-
holds pop-up markets selling neurs are often fairly exclusive businesses and facilitates a NEON coaches the businesses tion Lab startup accelerator
goods of all kinds in various and difficult to break into, network of black entrepre- in finance, marketing, and with her other startup. Mean-
locations around the city. she adds. For minorities and neurs, and she wondered if other business topics. while, Appetite for Change is
The New Market comprises certain communities, it can be something similar might work “[NEON] is really at the planning to hire Alysha Price,
only black-owned businesses, even tougher. for North Minneapolis. heart of this work, supporting a black woman and nonprofit
most of which are from North Currently, North Min- So last spring, Myhre ap- those business owners and get- founder. “[Price] reflects the
Minneapolis, a neighbor- neapolis early-stage businesses plied for a grant from the City ting them ready for the market community a lot more than I
hood with a nearly 50 percent and/or those without brick- of Minneapolis’ Great Streets and beyond,” Myhre says. do,” says Myhre, who is white.
African American population. and-mortar locations have to Program. Great Streets gives If this is about community,
Yet, the neighborhood itself take their businesses outside money to nonprofits work- If you build it... she says, then having someone
has few independent vendor the neighborhood in order to ing to revitalize areas through Julia Moturi has partici- from the community in the
markets; of the 29 farmers’ sell. That’s daunting, Myhre business development. pated in two The New Market role is important.
markets in Minneapolis, for says, and not always possible. The city granted $10,000 events so far. She credits The Appetite for Change
example, only two are in Plus, it takes the dollars out of for The New Market concept. NEON with helping her get team hopes that The New
North Minneapolis. the community. As of mid-December, her health food business, Market can eventually have
The New Market is a col- “North Minneapolis has The New Market had already NYUM Plant Kitchen, off a more permanent physical
laboration between the North- great businesses,” Myhre adds, held three successful mar- the ground by training her in space. The group conducted a
side Economic Opportunity “but they’re just not getting kets and was planning more. business. But what she’s get- feasibility study and is work-
Network (NEON), a nonprofit the same opportunities as Participating vendors offer ting out of The New Market ing on a budget.
working to expand economic other businesses in other everything from food to art, itself is, perhaps, even greater. “But we have to prove the
development opportunities and neighborhoods.” fashion to body products. “The sense of commu- concept first,” says Appetite
build wealth among low- to While Appetite for nity among all the different for Change co-founder and
moderate-income minority Southern inspiration Change helps facilitate the businesses has just been really executive director Michelle
entrepreneurs in North Minne- Myhre heard about the Village physical markets and offers beautiful,” Moturi says. “I Horovitz. “We have to prove
apolis, and Appetite for Change, Market in Atlanta, which its commercial kitchen space feel like we’re all supporting that if you build it, people
a Minneapolis nonprofit that curates huge vendor mar- in North Minneapolis to food each other to have successful will come.”
FEBRUARY 2020 | TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 11
pg 11.indd 1 1/7/20 9:54 AMPLANTING SEEDS
Next Technology Act
SOLID STATE: MINNESOTA’S HIGH TECH HISTORY | SEAGATE
The path forward in Minnesota for nurturing emerging technologies.
By Rajiv Tandon
S t. Paul-based Engineer-
ing Research Associates
helped create the modern
computer industry after WWII. It
preceded an explosion of innova-
views and recordings documenting
this period. The region’s “Medical
Alley” stands alongside Silicon Valley
as part of the Smithsonian National
Museum of American History’s
tive companies in Minnesota. Their “Places of Invention.” Yet, because
impact around the world provided medical devices were lumped with
our solid economic foundation after pharmaceuticals, our region was
World War II. shortchanged well-deserved recogni-
Much of the work done here tion in the broader tech community.
was highly classified during the Cold Besides computing and medical Globally, businesses of all sizes in our DNA. What we need is a broad
War, so no one knew about it. Today, devices, Minnesota is also the birth- are facing, or about to face, major cadre of personnel to be exposed
most Minnesotans look to Silicon place of innovations that created en- disruptions due to automation. An to and develop dexterity in these
Valley as the only home of innovation tirely new industries and changed the industry expert panel identified seven emerging technologies. Schools can
and are blissfully ignorant that the world. These include food processing, emerging technologies. They are: ar- broaden their STEM programs. Uni-
Bay Area was merely building basic retail, health care delivery, educationaltificial intelligence (AI), 3-D printing, versities must offer quick certificate
components when our state was the augmented reality, programs, on the model of software
epicenter of high tech. blockchain, Internet bootcamps, to train people in these
Local organizations want to cor- Our future rides on emerging of Things, smart specific technologies; we cannot wait
rect this perception. The Lawshe robots, and intel- for comprehensive courses that are
Memorial Museum (part of the technologies and a new generation ligent vehicles. Other outdated by the time they appear in
Dakota County Historical Society) sources have added college catalogs.
and the Charles Babbage Institute at of pioneers to exploit them. deep learning, digital We presently have a multitude
the University of Minnesota are re- wallets, next-gener- of regional and statewide organiza-
positories of the history of computer technologies, and now 3-D printing. ation DNA sequencing, and CRISPR tions involved—with no single point
technology in Minnesota. Recently, I urge TPT to create comprehen- for human therapeutics. of ownership. While this diversity is
the Minnesota High Tech Association, sive documentaries about these other We need a concerted effort to a source of strength, we need better
in alliance with Twin Cities Public native innovations. We need more create an ecosystem that nurtures coordination if we are to advance in
Television, released a one-hour docu- hoopla, in schools and other forums, seeds in these specific areas and these technologies.
mentary that chronicles the history to motivate the next generation to grows them into seedlings. As we find Unlike Silicon Valley, we are not a
of Minnesota’s computer industry. It inspired leadership. No need to be opportunities/ideas at the intersec- one-industry town—never were. Our
highlights Minnesota’s leading role modest; as Walt Whitman said, “If tion/permutation/combination of very broad set of competencies in a
in the industry and its status as the you done it, it ain’t bragging.” these technologies, they can lead to range of industries has been a source of
birthplace of the high-speed, large- Our future rides on emerging even more radically new opportuni- pride and vitality for the region. This is
scale electronic digital computer. technologies and a new generation of ties. This provides the strategy for a our strength and can be our ongoing
Minnesota was also the birth- pioneers to exploit them. The devel- continued explosion of innovative edge. Seeds sprouted here can grow to
place of the implantable cardiac pace- opment or practical applications of companies and rejuvenation of our a global reach. This is the vision for the
maker, invented in the 1950s. That these technologies are still unrealized. economic engine. future of technology in Minnesota.
invention spawned the world’s great- They are emerging from obscurity This need has prompted the
est concentration of leading health and can be a driver capable of chang- state’s Department of Employment Rajiv Tandon is executive director of
technology companies beyond medi- ing the status quo. and Economic Development and the Institute for Innovators and
cal devices into biopharmaceutical, In 2018’s Milken State Technol- Gov. Tim Walz to commit to startups Entrepreneurs and an advocate for
diagnostics, and digital health. The ogy and Science Index, Minnesota focused on a selected set of these the future of entrepreneurship in
Bakken Museum and the Minnesota slipped one spot to No. 8. It rated us technologies (see Q&A, p. 18). Minnesota. He facilitates peer groups
Historical Society 21st, though, in risk captial and entre- The real power of our legacy is of Minnesota CEOs. He can be reached
have preserved inter- preneurshial infrastructure. that we already have the technology at rajiv@mn-iie.org.
12 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 12.indd 1 1/7/20 10:02 AMGoodness is growing
because goodness pays.
Celebrating
ten years with
these partners:
Ten years. 19,000 guests. $321,000 to charities. It’s a can’t miss for good
leaders who expect great results. Get your tickets now for the most
VLJQLFDQWOHDGHUVKLSGHYHORSPHQWEUHDNIDVWLQWKH%ROG1RUWK
Discover new success habits from these
good leaders who create great results.
35,9$7((17(535,6( PRO SPORTS 62&,$/(17(535,6( CORPORATE GROWTH
February 21 , 2020 March 20, 2020 April 17, 2020 May 15, 2020
Charles Antis John Thomas Gloria Perez Brian Cornell
(*4&SYNX7TTSLFSI ;5TK'FXPJYGFQQ (*4PERFORMING PHILANTHROPY
Entering the Tech Pipeline young people to learn to code: basic
digital literacy. As a society we now
realize that digital trickery allows
Nonprofits are helping young people learn to code and access hucksters, crooks, and foreign gov-
good-paying jobs in the private sector. ernments to fool us with fake news,
altered images, and phishing schemes.
By Sarah Lutman One of the best ways to foil these 21st
century ways of ripping us off is to
become ever more literate about how
M ost people can’t get
through a day without
interacting with numer-
ous computing devices, whether
they’re working, shopping, entertain-
workforce preparation skills training
for youths. Because it’s likely that
the young people you know are not
learning to code in school (with a few
exceptions), you will probably have
development also are paying atten-
tion to the need to build a robust tech
workforce in the state, and they are
providing programs to help give Min-
nesota’s youth the skills to participate
digital devices work and how we can
be manipulated by them.
Nonprofits are rising to the oc-
casion on the digital literacy front as
well. A good place to start is the local
ing themselves, tracking their health to seek out extracurricular experi- in this growing employment sector. public library—many libraries offer
and fitness, or going to class. ences to be sure these skills are in your For example, Advance IT Minnesota free training, in structured classes or
All of our devices—and the student’s tool kit. and Creating IT Futures are both through online assistance from their
worlds they unlock—have something The Minnesota High Tech working to build career pathways staff. The Saint Paul Neighborhood
in common. It takes software to Network (SPNN) is an excellent
run them. Someone builds the resource for media literacy and
software, maintains it, and works training, not only through links
on keeping our machines run- to the resources of other non-
ning smoothly. And that means profits that are detailed on its
that there are increasing numbers website, but also through a drop-
of jobs in the tech sector. in media lab, courses in media
In fact, Minnesota added just production, and opportunities
over 4,800 tech workers between for young people to create media
2017 and 2018, according to projects for area nonprofits.
Cyberstates 2019, a state-by-state SPNN also sponsors CTEP,
look at tech employment. Tech the Community Technol-
jobs now account for 8.2 percent ogy Empowerment Project.
of Minnesota employment. The Its staff teaches digital literacy
same report details the 73 percent skills in neighborhood centers
increase in the number of jobs and workforce development
in emerging technologies like programs through funding from
drones, artificial intelligence, AmeriCorps.
Team Computer Glitz celebrated being in the top senior
virtual and augmented reality, If you’ve been curious
division at Technovation [MN]’s annual Appapalooza
and blockchain. According to the about how a young person in
event in May. The team moved on to the semi-final round
Minnesota High Tech Associa- your life, or how your company,
of the global Technovation Girls Competition.
tion’s website, growth areas include can be part of the solution to our
computer system and cyberse- state’s need for a next-generation
curity analysts, software and web workforce of diverse, creative
developers, and network architects, Association has a helpful listing of for students in tech occupations, tech workers, nonprofits can help.
administrators, and support special- youth opportunities in the educate including programs collaborating Whether you want to offer a child
ists. Further, the median wage for tech section of its website. There you can with area employers who help provide who likes to tinker the opportunity
occupations is $79,924, or 75 percent find links to organizations such as the introduction to real-world tech to try new skills or you’re looking
higher than the median wage for other CoderDojo Twin Cities, Technovation careers. Genesys Works places high for ways to build the pipeline of tech
state occupations. [MN], and Code Savvy. All three of school seniors as interns in Minnesota workers for your business, ideas and
What are nonprofits doing to these nonprofits recruit young people companies. Specifically designed for resources are just a click away.
help prepare young people for tech- of color and girls to their program- underserved youth, Genesys’ track
sector jobs? They’re offering an array ming, helping to ensure that the new record includes an impressive 100 Sarah Lutman is a St. Paul-based
of recreational computing experienc- generation of software developers is as percent success rate for its graduates independent consultant and writer
es, software develop- diverse as possible. entry into college. for clients in the cultural, media, and
ment classes, and Nonprofits addressing workforce There is another reason for philanthropic sectors.
14 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 14.indd 1 1/7/20 10:01 AMWORKING IT
How Am I Doing? to make differen-
tial pay decisions
without being
Why written performance reviews at work are still a good idea.
tied to assigned
(“forced”) ratings.
By Linda L. Holstein
Employees
themselves re-
portedly prefer, by
UPI/ALAMY LIVE NEWS
L t. Col. Alexander Vindman,
a decorated Army officer
now famous for testifying
in the Trump impeachment inquiry,
probably never guessed how impor-
He had a bombshell document
hidden beneath his medals.
When it was President Trump’s
party’s turn to question, Rep. Jim
Jordan, R-Ohio, kindly thanked Col.
a large margin, to
be called “average”
than to be rated
a 3 on a 5-point
scale, thus proving
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman
tant his most recent job performance Vindman for his service and sacrifice, that they abhor
review would be for his reputation then pounced: any forced rating
outside the workplace. “Mr. Morrison, in his deposi- got the “idea,” if they hadn’t already system and resent the encouragement
As the leading expert on Ukraine tion said, ‘I had concerns about Col. noticed the full military dress Vind- of internal competition.
assigned to the National Security Vindman’s judgment…Fiona Hill had man chose to wear that day. Fiona One of the more traditional
Council (NSC), Vindman was on the raised concerns about Alex’s judgment.’ Hill’s later explanation under oath companies that adopted a no-written-
July 25 phone call between President [Morrison was asked] Did anyone ever confirmed that she found Vindman to evaluation model is GE. Perhaps it was a
Trump and Ukrainian President bring concerns to you that they believe be an excellent employee and that she reaction to their former CEO, Jack Welch,
Volodymyr Zelensky, which Trump Col. Vindman may have leaked some- had simply told her successor, Mor- who saw only three types of employ-
characterized as the “perfect phone thing, Mr. Morrison replied, ‘yes.’ ” rison, that Vindman’s slant was prob- ees— outstanding, OK, and out the door.
call” heard around the world. Jordan again summarized the ably more “military than political,” as His legacy, frightening to some
Vindman testified at a closed “poor judgment” and “leaker” labels, opposed to lacking in judgment. (though not to his investors), encour-
deposition before members of three asking the witness, “Any idea why they Performance appraisals are aged a system where top talent was
House of Representatives committees, have those impressions, Col. Vindman?” taking a beating in the American visibly and consistently rewarded, and
then again at a public House hear- The witness pulled out his 2019 workplace. The entire review process, struggling performers could see their
ing in late November, recalling every performance evaluation from his described as a “rite of corporate kabu- “numbers” as a clarion call to exit.
excruciating detail surrounding that then-supervisor, Fiona Hill. Hill’s ki” by The Washington Post, has been Defenders of traditional perfor-
phone call and, more generally, criticized on various fronts, starting mance management, more nuanced
his service in the White House. with the problem of time. According than Welch’s, argue that abandoning
Vindman had reported to Dr. Performance to research service CEB (now a part of the review process alienates top talent.
Fiona Hill, senior director for Rus- Gartner, Inc., a global business advi- Worse, an August survey by Gartner
sia and Europe at the NSC for over appraisals are taking sory service), the average manager in found that employee engagement and
a year, until she left in mid-2019. a 10,000-employee company reported intent to stay actually declines when
She was succeeded by fellow NSC a beating in the American spending about 210 hours—close to employees “doubt that pay is differen-
staffer Tim Morrison, who held five weeks of work time—doing ap- tiated by merit.” Even Welch, quoted
the job for three months. workplace. praisals each year. in The Wall Street Journal several years
Hill and Morrison also Beyond the time-suck, crit- ago, said that “as a manager, you owe
gave closed-door depositions ics claim that reviewing individual candor to your people.”
and subsequent public testimony. written description of her subordi- performance from an employee’s past Constant assessment and con-
After Morrison was subpoenaed, nate is of the sort rarely found in the employment year (“tracking account- sistent feedback after the completion
he privately testified that “some” at employment world: “Alex is a top ability”) ignores the nature of the 21st of every project is what “non-review”
the NSC had questioned Vindman’s 1 percent military officer and the best century workplace, particularly for companies claim they can do for their
“judgment,” as well as speculating that Army officer I have worked with in knowledge workers. employees. That’s a lot of talking for
the colonel may have known about or my 15 years of government service. Traditional performance man- some managers. Col. Vindman, for one,
been responsible for “leaks.” Morri- He is brilliant, unflappable, and agement, in other words, does not ac- was lucky his manager put it in writing.
son’s deposition was released less than exercises excellent judgment…exem- count for an employee’s comfort with
a week prior to Vindman’s televised plary.” After reading the description, rapid innovation, the need for agility, Linda L. Holstein is a Minneapo-
House testimony in November, but Vindman paused, looked up over and the ability to foresee and accept lis writer, trial lawyer, and veteran
Vindman was ready. his glasses at Rep. Jordan, and calmly change. Finally, some companies that employment law attorney. Holstein also
noted, “I think you get the idea.” have abandoned formal reviews claim mediates employment and business law
Those watching the live hearing that managers now have the freedom disputes (holsteinmediation.com).
FEBRUARY 2020 | TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 15
pg 15.indd 1 1/7/20 10:03 AMPLATTITUDES
Last Call
A new book chronicles the heyday and decline
of the Twin Cities tavern.
By Adam Platt
Successful growth is the product of
I
leadership, engineering, marketing, didn’t grow up in a family many long gone, a few still alive.
design, and product management. Twin that frequented bars, so my Their new book, Closing Time, is a
image of a watering hole was compendium of a few dozen short
Cities Business brings together leaders the bar that Archie Bunker patron- histories of those watering holes,
from start-up, small business, and middle ized in All in the Family. If you’re from Moby Dick’s to the legendary
of a similar vintage, you might Matt’s Bar in south Minneapolis to
market companies to share growth also reference the one run by Sam the obscure Spot Bar on Randolph
strategies that have guided Malone on the sitcom Cheers. in St. Paul.
Kelsey’s, the neighborhood A bar is theoretically a good
their businesses through periods tap Archie Bunker frequented, business. Alcohol is a commodity
of expansion and innovation. epitomized an urban tavern of with a high retail markup, rarely
the post-Prohibition era. To me, are expensive renovations or
Cheers was too bright, too con- reconcepting something custom-
Tuesday, March 24 vivial, too much brass, too many ers demand, and staffing require-
Metropolitan Ballroom faux-Tiffany lamps. Too 1980s. ments are modest. Food is an
I’d like to tell you I outgrew afterthought (except at Matt’s).
my upbringing and became a But recent decades have not been
AGENDA tavern connoisseur, but that kind to the neighborhood tap as
would be a lie. The notori- an institution. Lindeke describes
2:45 pm | Registration ous Moby Dick’s in downtown them as marginal businesses.
Minneapolis was a favorite of White flight and the move-
3:00 pm | Panel Discussion my early colleagues at the Twin ment of industrial jobs out of the
Cities Reader, but as a newly legal core cities dealt a death blow to
4:30 pm | Networking Reception drinker, I found it so frightening bars like Kelsey’s and many old-
I didn’t enter a second time. I also line taverns in the 1960s and ’70s.
6:00 pm | Event Concludes hated cigarette smoke, so I mostly Those that survived have had to
avoided bars until smoking was contend with places like Cheers
banned in them nearly two de- and now, the proprietary tap-
Register Today! cades ago. At that
point my peak bar
tcbmag.com/events years were past. The book doesn’t pander
Some were
made of stronger to the tiresome trend of aging
stuff—perhaps the
SILVER SPONSOR folks at the Min- icons of the upper middle
nesota Historical
Society, who asked class who use their occasional
local authors Bill
Lindeke and Andy patronage of Liquor Lyle’s or
Sturdevant to tell
the stories of some the CC Club to signal to their
of the region’s
legendary bars, social media followers they’re
cool and still youthful.
16 TWIN CITIES BUSINESS | FEBRUARY 2020
pg 16-17.indd 1 1/8/20 1:03 PMSHUTTERSTOCK / GRACE WOOLSLAYER
places,” says
Sturdevant,
especially
neighbor- Don’t miss your chance to network more than 800 local
hood and
leaders at TCB’s annual Women in Leadership event.
3.2 bars.
“Like [for] Best Buy’s trailblazing new CEO Corie Barry joins us for a
record conversation about seating more women in executive offices
stores and and on corporate boards. Are we making enough progress?
bookstores,
the con- This is your opportunity to strategize, connect and
veyor belt enjoy lunch with industry peers.
room—bright, loud, serving only of history has moved on.”
house beers at a generous profit Some have characterized
margin. Eats are outsourced to the book as a veneration of the
food trucks. And don’t forget the dive bar, which it is not. It doesn’t
mixology trend, a labor-intensive pander to the tiresome trend of
approach to drinking that vener- aging icons of the upper middle
ates the new and fashionable at class who use their occasional
the expense of the tried and true. patronage of Liquor Lyle’s or the
St. Paul stalwart O’Gara’s CC Club to signal to their social
closed so a residential develop- media followers they’re cool and
ment could be built on its site, but still youthful. Most such spots did
then declined to reopen, citing the not merit a mention.
city’s $15 minimum wage, general “The dive concept is a mod-
consumer trends, and the difficulty ern conception,” Lindeke says, “a
competing with taprooms that created mythology,” Sturdevant
make their own product rather notes, a place people use to as-
FEATURED SPEAKER
than buying it from a distributor. sociate themselves with a façade
There’s the decline of men
congregating at bars as an evening
they’re trying to present to the
world.
CORIE BARRY
pastime. Imagine getting up from The authors say St. Paul was CEO of Best Buy
the dinner table and walking always a friendlier town to bars; in
to the neighborhood tap for a the late 19th century, Minneapolis
couple hours while your spouse Mayor George Pillsbury’s war on Thursday, April 23
does the dishes and puts the kids intemperance and the restrictive Minneapolis Marriott City Center
to bed. zoning codes he championed
“There was a huge density of made it a tough place to run a Register Today!
bars in town as late as the 1970s,” tap. The city’s “liquor patrol”
explains Lindeke. “Lake Street had boundaries placed large swaths tcbmag.com/events
[what seemed like] hundreds, and of residential neighborhoods off-
now there are, what, five?” limits to bars, concentrating them
Pre-1980, the neighborhood near downtown or in tiny clusters, PRESENTING PARTNER
bar was a place where age, class, such as Seward’s “hub of hell,”
and even races mixed. “All walks which is why there are huge tracts
of life, really. You had a good of south Minneapolis without a
chance to talk to someone you’d single place to drink.
never otherwise meet,” Lindeke The book is rich in vintage
says. “Today that doesn’t much photos and surprisingly dense PLATINUM SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS
exist. In a brewery you never with text—it’s for readers, rather
talk to someone not like you. It than a coffee table tome. Like a
reinforces a lot of the trends of neighborhood bar, it’s modest and
compartmentalization in our unpretentious, and it leaves you
culture.” wondering: What price, progress?
One of the things that at- SILVER SPONSOR
tracted the authors to the project Adam Platt is TCB’s
was the opportunity to document executive editor.
a cultural era. “There’s an endan-
gered quality to most of these
FEBRUARY 2020 | TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 17
pg 16-17.indd 2 1/8/20 1:03 PMYou can also read
