There’s a cool event in the Twin Cities called Solutions. Think of it like a local TED Talk with short, fast-paced presentations from a variety of fields. Last summer, I met one of the guys who runs the event and told him he should really bring the show to the northside. Several months later, they’d booked the Capri Theater for a March event. I wasn’t the only influence to them bringing the event north, but I was happy to see...

This one is pretty simple: The internet provides a huge marketing opportunity for small businesses with little to no cost, but many don’t know how to access these options. Helping community businesses stake their claim in the internet landscape allows local residents to find them and helps encourage a thriving local economy. Partnering with a local business association, a simple, streamlined process to gather basic store information from...

Many urban city center’s are plagued by something called a “Food Desert” which basically refers to a lack of access to health food options. Much of north Minneapolis fits into this category because, though Cub Foods is not too far away, lack of adequate transportation and winter weather makes it a difficult location to get to. My idea is to create a “Grocery Buddies” project where neighbors with vehicles buddy-up...

Last week, I wrote about creating a community calendar with a couple of unique elements, this week I’d like to share some ideas for using that collective calendar to reach more of the community. The initial concept was to create a community calendar that was collaborative, meaning multiple people would help maintain it, and collectively-owned, meaning it could be used and posted anywhere one would like. So far though, the calendar exist...

In January of this year I caught wind of this contest. Pepsi was trying a new marketing tactic, under the guise of social do-gooder. They are giving away over a million dollars each month to grant ideas submitted by individuals or organizations and voted on in an online contest. You recognize right away this is just a marketing tactic to appeal to the socially conscience crowd. At the same time, it’s a lot of available money for good...

As someone who is passionate about my community, it no surprise that more and more of my work is focused within my neighborhood. Earlier this year I was hired as a community reporter by a collaborative of non-profits on the northside. Initially, I wasn’t sure what my role would be, but what has developed is something I’m quite excited about. I currently have the opportunity to write stories, capture videos, and basically highlight...