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Bringing healthy, local snacks and lunch options to professionals on the go
 Inside Simpls Grab-and-Go.
After noticing the need for healthier options in the skyway, founders Ryan Rosenthal
and Michael von Fange opened Simpls
Grab-and-Go last September with the goal of making
organic and locally-sourced food readily available for health-conscious professionals
on the go. Simpls combines the format of a convenience store with products that
could be found at a local farmer’s market.
Simpls’ mainstays are homemade and organic grab-and-go sandwiches, soups, salads, and a widespread array of better-for-you snacks. Supporting local, like-minded businesses in Minnesota
is very important to Ryan and Michael, so they carry as many options from local
vendors as possible. Some of the local products they carry are Prohibition Kombucha (on tap), Whole Me, Sift Gluten Free Bakery, and Peace Coffee. Simpls' vendors also
play a big part in their marketing strategy by hosting in-store
sampling events and by sharing retail experience with the new business owners. Although financing was a challenge at first, assistance
from Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) helped Simpls form a loan package with financing
from Highland Bank, the City of Minneapolis, and the Small Business
Administration (SBA).
Ryan and Michael are proud of their business’ positive
reception. As Simpls develops, they continue to seek out new products
and services - local whenever possible.
Immediate ideas on the horizon include: adding the first all-organic
salad bar in the skyway and getting a stall at the downtown Nicollet Mall Farmer’s
Market.
 Rendering of new West Broadway Education and Career Center by Sherman Associates.
A community meeting about the West Broadway Education and
Career Center was held March 31 at the Capri Theater. Presenters explained that the center will be an
innovative collaboration of education and healthcare tenants and will begin
construction in just 90 days! The building is scheduled to open at 800 West
Broadway in North Minneapolis by the spring of 2016 and is being developed by
Sherman Associates.
The anchor tenant of the center will be the North
Minneapolis Workforce Center of the Minnesota Department of Employment and
Economic Development (DEED). At the community meeting in March, Jeremy
Hanson-Willis, Deputy Commissioner of DEED, announced that the center will
“have a fresh look and feel,” a diverse staff, and offer culturally appropriate
information. It will also include a Wellness Room and Teen Zone.
Other major tenants are Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), the
Minneapolis Community & Technical College (MCTC), and NorthPoint Health and
Wellness. Michael Gore, Interim Superintendent of MPS, and Kristie Snyder,
Interim President of MCTC, presented a partnership between the schools that will
offer students the opportunity to complete high school courses while earning
college credits. MPS and MCTC will also partner with the North Minneapolis WorkForce
Center to ensure that students’ education leads to sustainable careers.
Stella Whitney-West, CEO of North Point Health and Wellness
Center, also spoke about the center’s medical clinic that will provide physical,
dental and behavioral health services. In addition to these tenants, a retail
component of the building is also planned, although the tenant has not
been determined.
Sherman Associates will provide more information about bidding and contracting opportunities later this month. Details will be posted on
the City’s website.
 Over 300 people attended the Cedar Riverside and Training Fair.
On Tuesday, March 31, over 300 people attended the Cedar
Riverside Hiring and Training Fair to learn about job openings, free training
programs and employment support. When the doors opened at 10 a.m., 60 people
were already lined up outside the Brian Coyle Community Center, waiting to be
checked in!
After checking in, job counselors matched attendees' career
interests with available activities and exhibitors. In addition, 150 people received
assistance with resume writing and completing online job applications in the computer
lab. There were 22 exhibitors at the event; employers such as Seward Co-Op and
the Minneapolis Police Department promoted over 1,000 job openings, while
organizations including MCTC and HHH Job Corp discussed 25 plus options for
higher learning and free training opportunities for positions such as customer
service and nursing opportunities.
This was the first of two Hiring and Training Fairs sponsored by the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County for the Cedar Riverside Neighborhood. The second job fair is being planned for later this year.
Elevate Your Business Ideas, The 11th Minnesota Cup is Now Accepting Applications!
The 11th Minnesota Cup hosted by the Carlson
School of Management at the University of Minnesota is now accepting
applicants. The competition provides businesses with a platform to take their
ideas to the next level, including the opportunity to win up to $327,000 in
prize money. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is
among the sponsors of the Minnesota Cup.
Researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and small business
owners may apply. The divisions are energy/clean technology/water,
food/agriculture/beverage, general, high tech, health IT, social entrepreneur,
and student. Entries must contain a description of the product or service, an
explanation of the market opportunity, a marketing overview, an operating plan,
and financial projections.
There will be a first selection round in June, semifinals in
July, and a final division selection in August. The final awards event is on Sept.
9, when judges will announce the winner of the $50,000 grand prize. Last year’s
winner, Deepinder Singh of 75F, stated that “since winning the Cup, my company
has gone from strength to strength, earning industry recognition and generating
substantial capital. It’s been a tremendous experience all around."
Website
 Rendering provided by Hargreaves Associates.
On Wednesday, April 8, the City of Minneapolis, in
partnership with Hargreaves Associates, presented draft alternative approaches for
the Downtown East Commons. The presentation took place at a public meeting held at the Mill City Museum, with over 200 people in attendance .
The draft alternative approaches presented a range of options for the future
Commons, which will be a transformative open space in Downtown
Minneapolis. Combining feedback from a public meeting in February
and 2,500 survey responses, the
design team developed four alternative approaches that responded to priorities
identified through this public process. Rather than selecting one scheme
presented, the alternative approaches were intended to elicit feedback on key design elements such as the character of the open space, programmable
spaces, a potential café, a potential water feature, etc. Public disccusion of the four
options will help the City and design team better understand the strengths of
each approach and will help shape the development of a preferred scheme.
Following the presentation, attendees
broke into small groups to discuss the alternative approaches. Groups summarized the positives and negatives of each approach and selected a
spokesperson to report their thoughts to the full meeting. Boards illustrating
the four alternative approaches were located around the room and a physical
model with inserts of each option also allowed opportunities for discussion and
feedback throughout the evening.
The next public meeting planned for this project is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2015, to
present the preferred approach. If you would like to submit a survey to provide your own feedback about the four proposed draft alternative concepts for Downtown East Commons, visit the project's website.
Over 280 people attended the Trades Hiring Expo hosted by
the Minnesota Construction Crew on April 6 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
This is the largest construction hiring event in the state, and with an expected 20
percent increased need for construction workers from 2012-2022, it was a
great opportunity for those seeking a career in the construction industry to
complete applications and meet with 45 contractors and seven unions.
At the event, exhibitors promoted up to 200 positions in industries
such as carpentry, roofing, cement masonry, and bricklaying. Union halls
were present to answer questions about specific trades. In addition, attendees
had the opportunity to register for Construction Hiring Connection, an online
database for hiring opportunities and job leads.
The Minnesota Construction Crew Trades Hiring Expo was
produced by a volunteer committee comprised of contractors and organizations
such as JeDunn Construction, Ramsey County, and the Minnesota Department of
Labor and Industry. Additional support for the event came from the City of
Minneapolis and Hennepin County.
 In January 2015, EMERGE Community Development launched an adapted
curriculum for a new audience at the Brian Coyle Center in Cedar-Riverside. The
New Beginnings at Coyle prepares people facing language and cultural barriers
to enter the job market.
According to Jama Omar, EMERGE workforce coach based at the Coyle
Center, New Beginnings does not ask participants to change their culture.
Instead, it teaches them to become aware of it and to communicate about it to
potential employers.
One job-seeker had worked with Jama for over a month, attending many
interviews, but never getting called back. He attended the week-long New
Beginnings class where he learned how to tell his story and practiced
interviewing. He completed the workshop,
got called for another interview, and was hired. Said Jama, “I’m excited about
seeing these changes and grateful for an opportunity to help the community.”
The New Beginnings program is supported by City of Minneapolis Employment and Training.
Find out more about New Beginnings
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- Minnesota job vacancies rose to 88,900, a 47
percent increase from the same period a year earlier.
- 55.4 percent of the vacancies (49,300) were in
the seven-county Twin Cities.
- Vacancies were up 48.6 percent from a year
earlier in the Twin Cities.
- The Twin Cities now has a 1-to-1 ratio of
unemployed workers to job vacancies.
- Greater Minnesota has 1.2 unemployed workers for
every job vacancy.
- Health care and social assistance led all
sectors with 21 percent of the openings.
- Accommodation and food services had 13.4 percent
of the job vacancies, followed by retail trade (12.6 percent), manufacturing
(11.1 percent) and educational services (6 percent).
- 40 percent of job vacancies were for
part-time employment.
- 39 percent of vacancies required some
level of post-secondary education or training beyond a high school diploma.
- The median wage offer for all job vacancies was
$13.29 per hour. On average, the more education and experience required, the
higher the wage offer.
This data is from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Job Vacancy Survey. To see more details in the fourth quarter report, please click here.
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