News and Media

Red Wing, MN, is one of the country’s premier river towns. While the mighty Mississippi River and its surrounding beautiful limestone bluffs garner much of the attention, a significant contributing factor to Red Wing’s attraction is its historic downtown. The charming buildings and streets contain a diverse range of smal...Continue Reading

It's nearly 2023, and people are working remotely most of the time now, which wasn't the case just a couple of years ago! It's a fascinating time, which brings its own pros and cons to the table, especially for leaders looking to build a remote sales team. It can be challenging...Continue Reading

When was the last time you paused? When was the last time you deliberately created space between waking up and immediately reaching for the phone, or feeling hurt and instantly reacting with anger, or leaving a job and leapfrogging into the next?  Click here to read the full article. Continue Reading

Leaving home to work at a coffeehouse sounds refreshing in theory, but finding an available seat can be a challenge these days, even after the morning rush. Coffeehouses are packed—beyond pre-pandemic levels, in some cases—and with more people than ever working remotely, the average customer tends to warm their sea...Continue Reading

If you give any leader the opportunity to increase their talent pool of potential employees by 15% — with all these new hires belonging to an underrepresented minority — they'd jump at the chance, especially given tight labor markets and CEO desires to increase headcount. Yet too few leaders realiz...Continue Reading

Of the nearly 8 billion people that exist in the world, only 3.32 billion (43%) of those people are actively a part of the workforce. If we go just a few steps further and filter out children, and even account for those individuals who have retired, there is still a significan...Continue Reading

GATHERING THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE ON DEI Recently, the Minnesota Chamber Foundation, in partnership with local and regional chambers, conducted a series of six focus groups in Willmar, Austin, Shakopee, Brainerd, Duluth and Saint Paul. Business and community leaders, as well as chamber leaders, were asked to discuss their views on th...Continue Reading

St. Paul – Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) launched the Growth Loan Fund as part of the recently announced $97 million through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This new program provides direct loans from DEED t...Continue Reading

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) held a roundtable discussion Monday to talk about the need to attract more workers to the manufacturing sector. The worker shortage is prompting the industry to make changes, not just in how it operates, but also how manufacturers market themselves.   Read her...Continue Reading

The United States was founded on the idea that its elected officials are the voice of the people; however, dissatisfied with the polarized political divisiveness and the near gridlock in Congress, the people are looking towards other forms of representation — their employers. It has become increasingly common for employee...Continue Reading

Summer 2022 — a season marked by historic heat waves, widespread drought, and torrential rains — ranks among the hottest on record, according to data from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here to read the full article. Continue Reading

With engineering and construction making up more than 11 percent of global domestic product, there is a growing focus on how the building industry conducts business. What started as a movement among institutional investors and their financial partners has expanded across almost all sectors, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG...Continue Reading

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland convened on June 20, 2022, where the pair championed a new era of “friend-shoring” as a way to transform global supply chains in the post-pandemic world. In contrast to the predominant curren...Continue Reading

If you’ve been in the business world for a while, especially in manufacturing or engineering, you’ve probably encountered the concept of “KISS” solutions. As a young employee who just joined the production floor for Lockheed Martin back in the early 1980s, I had no idea what a program manager wa...Continue Reading

St. Paul – The Minnesota Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced the results of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to host SBDC regional centers throughout Minnesota. A total of nine regional hosts were selected, including seven returning SBDC regional host...Continue Reading

THE STATE OF MANUFACTURING IN THE U.S. Recently, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce celebrated Manufacturing Month with its annual Manufacturers’ Summit. Manufacturing leaders from across the state heard from renowned speakers like Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, and Michael Happe, President and CEO of Winnebag...Continue Reading

Anyone whose eye is on international news today can easily see how all aspects of a community are impacted when energy is scarce, unreliable, or unaffordable. Yet even under optimal conditions and ideal circumstances, successful economic development organizations fully understand why utility companies are invaluable working partners. Read here for th...Continue Reading

If you’re considering taking the leap from employment to self-employment, you’ll feel a mix of excitement and uncertainly. Starting a new business from scratch is a scary prospect for many, holding various unknowns. A better way is to make a plan based on your current situation. Start where you ar...Continue Reading

A few years ago, in a pre-pandemic time when congregating with masses of handshake-wielding professionals wasn't reckless endangerment, I sat in the audience at a Collision Conference session in New Orleans. I listened as Ana Kasparian interviewed panelists and dot-com-era tech pundits Naveen Jain and Robert Scoble. Kasparian's series o...Continue Reading

Today the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced $1,189,500 in Launch Minnesota Innovation Grant awards to startups across the state. The grants were awarded to 43 startups, over half of which are led by entrepreneurs of color, veterans, women, or located in Greater Minnesota. Launch Minnesota Innovation Grant...Continue Reading

The Rural Leadership and Success training series, announced by UMC on Oct. 11, is a series of professional development classes intended for working adults.   Read here for the full article. Continue Reading

Ken Chenault, Chairman and Managing Director, General Catalyst and Penny Pritzker, Founder and Chairman, PSP Partners; Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce share their insights on the economic and business outlook for 2023, and share where they’re placing bets now. Click here to read the full article. Continue Reading

The path to success as an entrepreneur can take many different forms, and no matter what path you choose, difficulties will always exist. It's easy to become a bit of a skeptic when it comes to doing business. The truth is, it's not easy — and it's not for everyone...Continue Reading

Goal setting is one of those things that seems like it would be fundamental to success. If you’ve read any books or articles about getting ahead in your career or life, you’ve probably come across tips on setting goals (like SMART goal setting) so that you can successfully meet them...Continue Reading