Minnov8

Showcasing Minnesota Technology Innovation

Minnov8 Gang Liveblogs MIMA Summit

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The Minnov8 Gang (Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson) will post LIVE throughout the day on Monday, October 5th at MIMA Summit “MIGRATE ‘09′ and will be covering the event with comments, videos, audio interviews and photos taken throughout the day.

Visit this page on Monday morning (at 8am Central) to watch the day unfold at the MIMA Summit.

MIMA_Liveblogging-post

Going Mobile (Minnov8 + MIMA Movie)

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Our final interview for our friends at MIMA had us heading out to Carlson Marketing. There we had a chance to sit and talk with Doug Rozen, who has a rather all inclusive title…SVP, Global Lead – Creative, Interactive, Media & Mobile. Doug shares a some insight on mobile marketing and trends as well as highlights of his MIMA Summit presentation.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrHI90Icw-o

The MIMA Summit is on October 5th and is sold out. Never fear….the Minnov8 Gang will be there with our tweets, video and photos so you won’t miss a thing. If you can’t make the MIMA Summit, join Minnov8 for the Unsummit at the Hennipen County Central Library on October 10th. There will be plenty to learn and share….and it’s free.

Analytics As a Strategy (Minnov8 + MIMA Movie)

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Here’s another of our ongoing interviews with MIMA Summit presenters. This discussion with Jennifer Veesenmeyer of Stratigent touches on her session at the Summit and the successful integration of analytics into your strategic plan…early on in the process.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo0XxmsZezM

The MIMA Summit is on October 5, 2009. Everybody who’s anybody will be there…Minnov8 will be there as well! Heads up! Registration close on October 1, 2009.

U of M Showcases It’s New Media Research Resources

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inms_logomark_whiteYet another well kept secret in Minnesota tech and media is the Institute for New Media Studies on the campus of the University of Minnesota. In an effort to reveal that secret the Institute annually hosts an event to showcase the many resources available and projects underway at the University.

Held on Friday, September 18th at the Coffman Union, though not standing room only, this year’s program was presented to an interested group and included information on projects addressing journalism, social media, gaming and art, to name a few. It also showcased the institutes facilities including focus group rooms and eye-tracking software used in site design and usability studies, as part of it’s quest to provide the ability to do more applied research.

613_nora_paulI had a chance to talk with Nora Paul, Director of New Media Studies about the goals of the gathering. “I think we’re kind of the ‘Yenta’ (referring to the matchmaking character in Fiddler on the Roof.) for the campus when it comes to new media. We try to make matches.”  she goes on to say that the event “brings together seasoned researchers with students.”

She adds that the Institute doesn’t want students, or others for that matter, to get “caught in silos” when comes to new media thinking. In line with that desire comes the offer of the resources and facilities to not only the campus community, but to the community at large to some extent. The Institute appears more than willing to collaborate with the private and education industries.

To find out more about the institute, interested parties including University faculty, staff, and students as well as professionals in the twin cities community are encouraged to join the New Media Research Network as well as follow along on Twitter, Facebook, Delicio.us and Flickr.

Minnov8 + MIMA = Movies

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As media partner for the upcoming MIMA Summit, Minnov8 has been doing some interviews with some of the presenters at this year’s gathering. Yes, there is some shamelss plugging of the October 5th event and we have a bit of fun getting into them but the topics are right on.

The first in the series of three is with Lee Odden of TopRank Online Marketing. Lee is all about SEO and he spent a bit of time to talk as he was headed out of town.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdfJ0wY8npo

Look for interviews with Jennifer Veesenmeyer of Stratigent and Doug Rozen from Carlson Marketing in the coming days.

‘RAIN Makers’ Event to Attract Angel Investors from Far and Wide

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Members of the largest multi-state network of angel investor groups in the country will gather in Minneapolis for the 6th Annual RAIN Makers Conference (http://www.rainsourcecapital.com/rainmaker/conferenceinfo.cfm) on September 23-24 at the new Hilton in Bloomington. Sponsored by St. Paul-based Rain Source Capital (http://www.rainsourcecapital.com/), this event has been held in other cities throughout the Upper Midwest in previous years. In addition to members of the RAIN funds network of angels, this is the first year that members of the Angel Capital Association (http://www.angelcapitalassociation.org/) are also being invited. RAIN Source Capital is partnering with the ACA, which is dubbing the event a regional meeting for their organization, to encourage networking and sharing of best practices in investing and syndication.
RAIN Source Capital anticipates more than 100 angel investors representing its 23 funds across eight states will be in attendance, along with investors of other angel investment organizations. The company told me they expect a larger representation from the Twin Cities this year, of course, since the event is being held here. Any active or would-be angels (accredited investors) are welcome to register for the event, and RAIN said entrepreneurs may also register, although they will not be allowed to attend the second-day (Thursday) morning sessions.
Minnov8 is a media partner for the RAIN Makers Conference.  Steve Borsch and myself will each be attending portions of the event, and we’ll have a table where we plan to do some audio and video interviews during breaks. (I’m returning from DEMOfall in San Diego late the night of the 23rd, and will attend RAIN Makers the morning of the 24th.)
The first day of the event, actually just the afternoon, will feature sessions devoted to trends in angel investing, due diligence tools and techniques, corporate governance/board service, valuation and deal terms, and patent landscaping, followed by a reception. One the second day, there will be a session in the morning devoted to four companies making presentations, chosen from among RAIN Source’s portfolio companies. The presenting firms have received an investment from at least one RAIN fund (angel network), but are now being syndicated to the rest of the fund network for additional financing.  Those companies are:
• Inovus Solar http://www.inovussolar.com (Boise, ID) — This company has pioneered the next generation of outdoor street and area lighting that reduces dependence on the grid, power bills, maintenance bills, and CO2 pollutants. Its SmartPole™ and Visia™ LED retrofit product lines come from the minds of people who helped build companies like Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft. and CH2M Hill.
• Ntractive http://www.ntractive.com (Grand Forks, ND) — Ntractive launched the latest release of its product, Elements CRM 2.0, on July 21st, 2009. The release of Elements CRM 2.0 has garnered significant attention and recognition from Apple and the Mac market, including the honor of being named an Apple “Staff Pick.” Elements CRM is a Customer Relationship Management solution built on a new “hybrid” platform, which is part desktop and part cloud. Elements CRM is currently available on the Mac and iPhone.
• Pranah Storage Technologies http://www.pranah.com (Stillwater and Mendota Heights, MN) — Pranah designs and manufactures scale-out unified storage systems for the SMB market, in the under $50K market segment, the fastest growing part of the data storage industry. Its hardware and software systems are purpose-built for data storage, designed and built domestically, delivering simple, scalable, and flexible network storage. The efficient design behind the Pranah product makes it the most complete network storage system available in a 1U footprint.
• Recon Robotics http://www.reconrobotics.com (Edina, MN) — The company launched the Recon Scout® throwable reconnaissance robot in the local, county, and state police/SWAT market. Building on that successful start, it continues to design, develop, manufacture, distribute, and support miniature robotic systems. The company’s robots are specifically designed to provide real-time information in hazardous or restricted space areas, for military, police, and commercial markets worldwide. It has now sold more than 500 of its Recon Scout family of robots, has recently won a large military order, and has distributors in 28 countries.
After these companies present, in what’s being called a “Syndication Showcase,” attendees will divide into four breakout groups to discuss due diligence and investment recommendations relating to each of those firms.  The afternoon of day two will feature panels focusing on the topic of exits, including M&A, the current market, and analysis of some of the RAIN Funds network syndicated investments and their exit potential.
Cosponsors for this year’s RAIN Makers Conference include the Blandin Foundation, Cimarron Capital Partners, Development Capital Networks, MN Deptartment of Employment & Economic Development, Oak Ridge Financial, Deloitte, Sage Group, ESD Group, Quazar Capital, Ethicon/J&J, Gray Plant Mooty, Granite Equity, Sofia Angel Fund, and South Metro Investors.
More About RAIN Source Capital
RAIN Source is a multi-state network of investment funds that are made up of angel investors who are interested in supporting growing companies. The company helps bring together like-minded angel investors to form individual RAIN funds, and then provides these funds with a process for due diligence, legal templates, management support, access to deal flow, and other resources.
RAIN funds share expertise, deals, and experience between and among RAIN Source Capital’s multi-state network to support growing companies throughout the area.
RAIN Source Capital works with angel investors in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and other areas, where it expects to form additional RAIN funds in the next year. There are currently 23 RAIN funds located in:
• Minnesota – based in Alexandria, Grand Rapids, Worthington, Willmar, Montevideo, St. Cloud, Mankato, Northfield and Minneapolis.
• Iowa – based in Cedar Falls, Mason City, and Rock Rapids.
• North Dakota – based in Grand Forks, Fargo, and Bismark.
• South Dakota – based in Sioux Falls, Brookings, and Sisseton.
• Idaho – based in Boise.
• Montana – based in Kalispell.
RAIN funds range in size from seven to 61 members, who have pooled anywhere from $500,000 to $2 million for each fund. Each RAIN fund determines what industry(ies) it will focus on, and the type and level of financing to provide, based on the interests and expertise of its members. Each group or fund uses the proven RAIN fund model, with support from RAIN Source Capital’s headquarters staff, for identifying potential deals, performing due diligence, making investment decisions, and monitoring those investments.  The RAIN fund network currently has more than $33 million invested in 55 companies.
For more information about the RAIN Makers Conference, please call Dawn Lundquist at RAIN Source Capital at 651-632-2140, or email her at dlundquist (at) rainsourcecapital (dot) com (dlundquist@rainsourcecapital.com).

RAINmakers-logoMembers of the largest multi-state network of angel investor groups in the country will gather in Minneapolis for the 6th Annual RAIN Makers Conference on September 23-24 at the new Hilton in Bloomington. Sponsored by St. Paul-based Rain Source Capital, this event has been held in other cities throughout the Upper Midwest in previous years. In addition to members of the RAIN funds network of angels, this is the first year that members of the Angel Capital Association are also being invited. RAIN Source Capital is partnering with the ACA, which is dubbing the event a regional meeting for their organization, to encourage networking and sharing of best practices in investing and syndication.

RAIN Source Capital anticipates more than 100 angel investors representing its 23 funds across six states will be in attendance, along with investors of other angel investment organizations. The company told me they expect a larger representation from the Twin Cities this year, of course, since the event is being held here. Any active or would-be angels (accredited investors) are welcome to register for the event, and RAIN said entrepreneurs may also register, although they will not be allowed to attend the second-day (Thursday) morning sessions. RAINsource-logo

Minnov8 is a media partner for the RAIN Makers Conference.  Steve Borsch and myself will each be attending portions of the event, and we’ll have a table where we plan to do some audio and video interviews during breaks.  ACA-logo(I’m returning from DEMOfall in San Diego late the night of the 23rd, and will attend RAIN Makers the morning of the 24th.)

The first day of the event will feature sessions devoted to trends in angel investing, due diligence tools and techniques, corporate governance/board service, valuation and deal terms, and patent landscaping, followed by a reception. One the second day, there will be a session in the morning devoted to four companies making presentations, chosen from among RAIN Source’s portfolio companies. The presenting firms have each received an investment from at least one RAIN fund (angel network), but are now being syndicated to the rest of the fund network for additional financing.  Those companies are: …  [Read More…]

Minnov8 Gang Podcast #50: A Chat with MNCup’s Dan Mallin

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danmallinThe Minnesota Cup is an effort to identify, reward and kickstart Minnesota entrepreneurial effort and the Gang is pleased to have its co-founder, Dan Mallin, on the podcast. Dan gives us an overview of what transpired last night (the event at the U of MN where the finalists were announced) and it was quite enlightening.

This Week’s Show Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott and Graeme Thickins (Phil Wilson is on assignment shooting video for the upcoming MIMA Summit).

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 49:54 — 28.8MB)

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Discussed during the show:

+ The winners in each category at the Minnesota Cup:
– Bio: Pursuit Vascular
– Green: Packet Power
– Social: Rural Renewable Energy Alliance
– HiTech: Alvenda
– General: Drazil Juice
– Student: ManCave

+ Minnesota Cup Review Board mentioned on the podcast is here

+ Graeme’s Flickr photoset from the MNCup event

+ RAIN Makers Conference, 9/23-24

+ MIMA Summit, October 5th

TED Hits Town, Throngs Converge

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TED Hits Town, Throngs Converge
And a lot more Minnesotans were wishing they could have gotten this hot ticket, it turned out.  Screw the Fair, this was the place to be in St. Paul last night.  There was nothing on a stick — in fact, no eats or drinks at all that I ever saw (more on that later).  But it was the first time any TED event had ever hit town — and it was freeee! — so it was a no-brainer that demand for seats would far exceed supply.
TEDxTC http://tedxtc.com/, an “independently organized TED event,” as they labeled it, was held last evening at the Science Museum of Minnesota in downtown St. Paul, from 7:00 till something approaching 10:00, I suspect. (I bailed early.)  The very nice theater-style auditorium could only hold about 280, and it was indeed maxed out. Those of us who saw the somewhat obscure promotion for this event back in mid-August, and signed up, even got a special followup email on August 26, begging us to please let them know if we could not attend, because the waiting list was already up to 221!  That was a sure-fire way, of course, to get everyone registered to be certain to show up, knowing they had something so many others wanted. And they got that ticket for absolutely nothing, just by responding to an email. Such a deal.
TED originally stood for “Tech, Entertainment, and Design” when the conference series was launched in the 1980s. But, several years ago, the organization began positioning its events (including the pricey national conferences) with the tagline, “Ideas Worth Spreading.”  How’s that for a broad-reaching mission, huh?  And now they’ve essentially gone worldwide by letting local volunteers and sponsors roll their own mini TED events. (Quite the franchise, this TED thing.)  Sponsors for our local event were Worrell (official design partner), Boston Scientific, and the Science Museum of Minnesota. The host and MC was Chadburn Blomquist of the Science Museum. (By the way, Chad, smart idea to cosponsor — great way to show off your employer’s wonderful facility.)
The presentations, in order, were:
– Dan Buettner, speaking about his study of longevity related to his Blue Zones venture.  http://www.bluezones.com/  This was the high point of the evening for me (followed closely by the next speaker).  Fascinating research, and well presented.  Great stories about the healthy old-timers he met all around the world in the longevity zones his organization  identified.
– Benjamin Zander, a classical musician and conductor, speaking about music and passion. (Presentation via video, as recorded at a TED event in February 2008 – here’s the link. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html) The man exudes a passion and love for music, and all “possibilities,” which is extremely catching!)
– Ed Driscoll, an entrepreneur (he cofounded local firm WAMnet in the ’90s), talking about our energy future and his new company, Rational Energies. http://rationalbioenergy.com/
– Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroscientist, who spoke about her experience suffering a debilitating stroke and her slow recovery. (Presentation via video, as recorded at a TED event in Feb 2008 – here’s the link.http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
– Matthew Stanford, a parapalegic, who spoke on mind-body integration. (Here’s a video about him on YouTube, produced several months ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpmbzAwL5ws)
No word at this point if the three live presentations are available yet as videos to view online, but they’re sure to show up on the TEDxTC Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Minneapolis-St-Paul-MN/TEDxTC/63321962217?ref=ts
(currently at 389 fans)
The TEDxTC people say that, in addition to their Twitter feed http://twitter.com/TEDxTC
(what, only 167 following? tells us something about the TED demographic maybe…), that Facebook page linked above is the best source to get information post-event (videos, photos, etc) — and it’s also where you can learn about future TEDxTC programs.
And, of course, to read the play-by-play, just search twitter using the hashtag “TECxTC” and you’ll see a huge amount of tweets posted by audience members — and those who were wishing they were.  I tweeted extensively myself last night www.twitter.com/graemethickins , till I finally had to bail about 8:45, starving. (Note to organizers: next time, either hold the event in the afternoon, before din-din, or at least throw us some crackers, cheese, wine — somethin’! — beforehand, so we can get through the 2+ hours. I later heard a reception was held afterwards, which no one mentioned beforehand, but I was long home with my head in the refrigerator by then.)
Photos by me, from my Flickr set http://www.flickr.com/photos/graemethickins/sets/72157622101518813/ — a somewhat abbreviated set for me, because I was so busy tweeting, and there wasn’t a whole lot to shoot since we were all in a darkened room most of the evening.

TEDxTC-signIt was a mob scene, but a lot more Minnesotans were wishing they could have gotten this hot ticket, it turned out.  Screw the Fair, this was the place to be in St. Paul last night.  There was nothing on a stick — in fact, no eats or drinks at all that I ever saw (more on that later). But it was the first time any TED event had graced our town — and it was freeee! — so it was a no-brainer that demand for seats would exceed supply.

TEDxTC, organized by local sponsors, was held last evening at the Science Museum of Minnesota in downtown St. Paul, from 7:00 till something approaching 10:00, I suspect. (I bailed early.)  The very nice theater-style auditorium could only hold about 280, and it was indeed maxed out. Those of us who saw the somewhat obscure promotion for this event back in mid-August, and signed up, even got a special followup email on August 26, begging us to please let them know if we could not attend, because the waiting list was already up to 221!  That was a sure-fire way, of course, to get everyone registered to be certain to show up, knowing they had something so many others wanted. And they got that ticket for absolutely nothing, just by responding to an email. Such a deal. TEDxTC-audienceview

TED originally stood for “Tech, Entertainment, and Design” when the conference series was launched in the 1980s. But, several years ago, the organization began positioning its events (including the pricey national conferences) with the tagline, “Ideas Worth Spreading.”  How’s that for a broad-reaching mission, huh?  And now they’ve essentially gone worldwide by letting local volunteers and sponsors roll their own mini TED events. (Quite the franchise, this TED thing.)  Sponsors for our local event were Worrell (official design partner), Boston Scientific, and the Science Museum of Minnesota. The host and MC was Chadburn Blomquist, who identified himself only as “Curator” of TEDxTC.…  [Read More…]

Web Design Workshop/Seminar for Creatives

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tenseven If you’re a designer creating websites, web applications are someone working with a developer on a project or initiative, then this workshop and seminar will empower you with the things you should know before you design your first website; what the content management system Drupal can do for you and your clients; and simple project management for design projects using the wildly popular web application called Basecamp.

If you are a person who will somehow be interacting in the process of creating a website, but won’t actually be doing the coding or development of it, and are a copywriter, graphic designer, illustrator, art director, creative director, or project manager, then you’ll find the $149 fee for this full day session incredibly beneficial.

I interviewed Ivan so you can hear him describe the day and also so you can gain some insight in to the strategic reasons why you must pay attention to what’s happening on the web, and how this session would enable you to learn in ways you might not expect.

Listen to the interview with Ivan by hovering over the ‘speaker’ icon on the left, or download it as an mp3. (Note: The Drupal 7 user interface project mentioned is here: http://www.d7ux.org).


Podcast: Download (10.9MB)

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