Thank you to everyone who attended the business forum on May 17, at the Wells Fargo Campus in Downtown East.  We had over 50 members at this event.  Thank you to our great line up of guest speakers who shared invaluable information with us about upcoming events and activities taking place in The Commons, the work of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation and the status of The Falls Initiative.

Dan Collison’s Intro slides and Announcements 

Commons Park Programming Spotlight

Beth Shogren, Executive Director, Green Minneapolis 

The Commons Programming presentation

Featured Speakers

Bruce Chamberlain, Parks Fellow, Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Janette Law, Director – Communications & Strategic Partnerships, Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Minneapolis Parks Foundation presentation

Kjersti Monson, Manager, The Falls Initiative

The Falls Initiative presentation

Please help us welcome our new Social Media Intern Ben Kvale.  Ben is a student at North Central University, majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.  He will be helping grow the East Town Business Partnership’s social media presence.  He will be updating our Facebook and Twitter accounts, and providing material for Website posts.  Ben will be doing some profiling of our members, so don’t be surprised if you get an email from him. He will also be attending some of our upcoming business forums and happy hour networking events, as well as be out and about in the East Town Business District at summer events and activities. For more info about Ben, please check out his LinkedIn profile.  He can be reached at benkvale@gmail.com.

The East Town Business Partnership held it’s annual meeting on Thursday, April 19, at the Normandy Inn.  The event included an overview of this past year’s business forums, and a look ahead to the 2018-2019 season.  ETBP President, Paul Mellblom reviewed the organization’s strategic plan and facilitated elections to the board of directors.  Congratulations to the following board members who were re-elected for a 3-year term:

• Daniel Gumnit: People Serving People
• Jeff Hahn: Day Block Brewing Company/Internet Exposure
• Paul Mellblom: MSR Design
• Carina Aleckson: Catholic Charities
• Phil Huebner: Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC
• Jackie Barrett: Sherwin Williams
• John Campobasso: Kraus-Anderson

The event also included a performance by members of the Theater of Public Policy.  They helped celebrate the “Bold North” and the development booming East Town with a bit of humor.

The annual meeting presentation is available here.

2018-2019 Business Forum Series Brochure

2018
September | Celebrating the East End Development!
A joint business forum with the mpls downtown council celebrating the transformative
East End mixed-use project bringing new housing, hotel, expanded commercial space,
and a Trader Joe’s grocery store, the first of its kind in downtown!

October | The Joys and Burdens of Starting and Building a Business in Minneapolis
This forum will explore the contours, threats and opportunities of entrepreneurialism in the
City of Minneapolis through the unfolding experience of a premier and growing business in
East Town. Jeff Sommers, Co-owner of Izzie’s Ice Cream, will be the feature presenter.

November | What is the Difference Between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?
A panel of economic, social enterprise, and policy leaders will be discussing the
important field of investment in the growth of human capital at all levels of business.

December | Downtown Demographics: Who Are We Becoming?
The downtown residential population continues to surge year over year. This shared
forum with the mpls downtown council will feature the State of Minnesota Demographer
and residential development professionals exploring who we are becoming together.

2019
January | Car Lanes, Bus Lanes, Bike Lanes—Oh My!
Figuratively speaking it seems that modes of transportation do not always get along.
This forum will feature a panel of transportation design experts talking frankly about
downtown street design, emerging trends in multimodalism and potential disruptive
technologies such as autonomous vehicles.

February | Ways the Social Determinants of Health are Transforming Institutions
The World Health Organization defines the social determinants of health as “the
conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.” In this forum East Town
and Hennepin Healthcare’s Upstream Health Innovation Team will discuss cutting edge
research, measurements, and health care programs that are changing the very nature of
health care itself.

March | The Economic Opportunities of Engaging Homelessness
Downtown Minneapolis is home to nationally recognized thinkers and organizations that
work to end homelessness. This joint forum with the mpls downtown council will feature
People Serving People CEO Daniel Gumnit moderating a panel focusing on where
economic innovations meet human need.

April (Annual Meeting) | Advancing Arts and Entertainment in East Town
East Town is known for the Guthrie Theater, MacPhail Center for Music, and the US
Bank Stadium. Are you also familiar with Gamut Gallery, Good Arts Collective, Armory
Event Center, and neighborhood art venues? This season’s Annual Meeting will feature
our growing arts and entertainment scene!

May | Crime and Safety, Sentencing and Restorative Justice
This forum will feature a candid panel conversation about the intersection of downtown
crime, modern policing, sentencing, incarceration, and restorative justice.

June | Toward an Inclusive Downtown
This joint forum with the mpls downtown council will unveil the results from the yearlong
“Inclusive Downtown Think Tank” co-sponsored with the YMCA that set out to cast a
bold new vision for an increasingly welcoming downtown.

B-TAP General Training flyer (PDF)

For GENERAL SMALL BUSINESSES

The Business Legal Series “10 Things You Should Know “– A series of workshops that covers specific legal issues and offers advice to help protect and grow your business. “10 Things You Should Know” – To protect your finances, Before signing a lease, and for Managing people. (more info)

General Business Technical Assistance for Small Business – One-on-one training and business plan classes to Minneapolis businesses. The City has contracted with 21 service providers to support businesses in difference stages: feasibility, start-up, retention or growth. (more info)

For ARTISTS
Business Skills Development for Entrepreneurial Artists – Training sessions to help Minneapolis-based artists to improve their business skills. Topics range from pricing, marketing, trademarks, sales and business plan writing. (more info)

For CO-OPS
Co-op Feasibility Class – A class for groups interested in creating a cooperative. The class will equip the participants with tools to evaluate their co-op idea and/or to refine their model for those that are already in the process of incorporation. (more info)

For CONSTRUCTION BUSINESSES
Developing Capabilities Statements for DBE Construction Businesses Workshop – Participants DBE or CERT businesses will gain the ability to market their products and services to private and public buyers, through developing a capability statement. (more info)

For GROWING BUSINESSES
Branding Workshop for Small Businesses with High Growth Potential – A workshop for small businesses with high potential to grow. Participants will develop a communications plan, messaging template, communications feedback, and up to two hours of post-workshop follow-up with the trainers. (more info)

For SMALL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS
Small Real Estate Developers Training 101 and 102 Series- Trainings to promote the development of women and minority-owned real estate developers. These introductory courses will provide participants with the basic tools used to consider a real estate development project. (more info)

For NON-PROFITS AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
Creating Successful Social Enterprises – Trainings to assists nonprofits in successfully launching a social enterprise, with the long-term goal of building sustainability to further their missions. (more info)

For more opportunities and business resources visit:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cped/B-TAP or email btap@minneapolismn.gov