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Monday, December 31, 2012
[Minnesota Rising Dispatch] December 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
Minnesota Rising Blog: Post Playback x 12
We culled through 268 blog posts this past year to find the ones that capture the essence of 2012 for Minnesota Rising. Through continued collaborative work with Network Partners, bringing new blogger voices to the fore, hosting and co-hosting 18 events to advance the Cascading Conversations Tour, and recognizing emerging leaders' accomplishments and development as they continue to rise, here's how 2012 breaks down:
NETWORK PARTNERS
1. Julia Quanrud of Fourth Generation and Desiree Culpitt of Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT), facilitated a fantastic session at the 2012 Un/Conference entitled, "Mentorship and the Emerging Professional." Check out the insights their panelists offered and consider adding your own tricks of the trade in the comments!
2. The Minnesota Rising 2012 Un/Conference: Leveraging Expansive Leadership for Our Minnesota proudly featured 21 Network Partners. For a quick look back at some of them, check out profiles for FUEL Rochester, The Scene, and Twin Cities Rotaract!
3. The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network - Twin Cities continues to publish a fabulous blog chock full of emerging leader ruminations and tips for living a fulfilling life. This year, Minnesota Rising was fortunate to blog about conversations that count and ponder whether the 2012 elections were the most important in our lifetimes, as well as to weigh in on overcoming information overload!
NEW BLOG VOICES
4. Who cares about Minnesota? Jeffrey Miller does. Read on to find out why.
5. Heidi Smith served as Minnesota Rising's first intern through the Masters of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) at the University of Minnesota - Duluth. While she successfully graduated from the program on Saturday, December 22nd, we're hopeful Heidi will continue her experiential learning relationship with Minnesota Rising. Among other great posts, Heidi thoughtfully captured Jermaine Davis' ideas and energy from the March Torch Community event, "Step Up to Diversity! What I Can Do NOW: Being the Diversity Competent Leader."
6. Kate at Perpetually Nesting shares wise life experience and name-drops Minnesota Rising in her post, "Millennial Families: Reinventing [Home] Life, Generation-Sell Style."
CASCADING CONVERSATIONS TOUR
7. Minnesota Rising hosted an interactive World Cafe at the end of June to explore these questions: What are the unique and timeless traits that characterize our generation and how will we lead in a bold way that remains relevant to how society, technology, and politics are rapidly changing? How we can make sure that the talents and qualities that help us to engage others and accomplish good work are recognized, validated, and valued? Read the recap of "Millennial Leadership: Different By Design World Cafe" to see what we learned, and stay tuned to the Minnesota Rising blog to engage with this ever-evolving conversation!
8. Minnesota Rising blogger, Diane Tran, made two Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) appearances in September. Catch her on the podcasts for "Policy and a Pint: The Looming Intergenerational War" and on Kerri Miller's The Daily Circuit Friday Roundtable on the topic of "Deception on the campaign trail."
9. #mnrising hosted a table at the first annual Minneapolis Communities Connections Conference, "Building Better Communities Through Neighborhoods," posing the question, "What is the boldest, most inspiring vision you hold for Minnesota's future?" We received dozens of diverse responses, reminding us just how much Minnesotans care about the future of our state and that there are many deep values we all hold in common.
MINNESOTA LEADERS ON THE RISE
10. Minnesota Rising posted a notice in late June that the National Urban Fellows were accepting applications for their 2013 cohort of America's Leaders for Change. Tanya Schmitt passed the notice on to then STLF co-worker Irene Fernando, who applied and was accepted into the latest class. Congratulations, Irene, and thank you, Tanya, for helping us to network for what's next!
11. A 2006-2007 Humphrey Policy Fellow, I was delighted to see that several members of last year's cohort launched a book early in the year entitled, LIKE: Seven Rules and 10 Simple Steps for Social Media in Your Campaign (for Politics, Business or Otherwise). Get your own copy of the locally-grown guidebook here!
12. Sarah Burt has made it through her second successful season as the owner extraordinaire of Saucy Burt's. This summer, intrepid Minnesota Rising blogger, Heidi Smith, got Sarah to dish on all of the details about her love of food, the value of a mentor, and how she used her entrepreneurial savvy to rise to this delicious occasion!
NETWORK PARTNERS
1. Julia Quanrud of Fourth Generation and Desiree Culpitt of Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT), facilitated a fantastic session at the 2012 Un/Conference entitled, "Mentorship and the Emerging Professional." Check out the insights their panelists offered and consider adding your own tricks of the trade in the comments!
2. The Minnesota Rising 2012 Un/Conference: Leveraging Expansive Leadership for Our Minnesota proudly featured 21 Network Partners. For a quick look back at some of them, check out profiles for FUEL Rochester, The Scene, and Twin Cities Rotaract!
3. The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network - Twin Cities continues to publish a fabulous blog chock full of emerging leader ruminations and tips for living a fulfilling life. This year, Minnesota Rising was fortunate to blog about conversations that count and ponder whether the 2012 elections were the most important in our lifetimes, as well as to weigh in on overcoming information overload!
NEW BLOG VOICES
4. Who cares about Minnesota? Jeffrey Miller does. Read on to find out why.
5. Heidi Smith served as Minnesota Rising's first intern through the Masters of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) at the University of Minnesota - Duluth. While she successfully graduated from the program on Saturday, December 22nd, we're hopeful Heidi will continue her experiential learning relationship with Minnesota Rising. Among other great posts, Heidi thoughtfully captured Jermaine Davis' ideas and energy from the March Torch Community event, "Step Up to Diversity! What I Can Do NOW: Being the Diversity Competent Leader."
CASCADING CONVERSATIONS TOUR
7. Minnesota Rising hosted an interactive World Cafe at the end of June to explore these questions: What are the unique and timeless traits that characterize our generation and how will we lead in a bold way that remains relevant to how society, technology, and politics are rapidly changing? How we can make sure that the talents and qualities that help us to engage others and accomplish good work are recognized, validated, and valued? Read the recap of "Millennial Leadership: Different By Design World Cafe" to see what we learned, and stay tuned to the Minnesota Rising blog to engage with this ever-evolving conversation!
8. Minnesota Rising blogger, Diane Tran, made two Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) appearances in September. Catch her on the podcasts for "Policy and a Pint: The Looming Intergenerational War" and on Kerri Miller's The Daily Circuit Friday Roundtable on the topic of "Deception on the campaign trail."
9. #mnrising hosted a table at the first annual Minneapolis Communities Connections Conference, "Building Better Communities Through Neighborhoods," posing the question, "What is the boldest, most inspiring vision you hold for Minnesota's future?" We received dozens of diverse responses, reminding us just how much Minnesotans care about the future of our state and that there are many deep values we all hold in common.
MINNESOTA LEADERS ON THE RISE
10. Minnesota Rising posted a notice in late June that the National Urban Fellows were accepting applications for their 2013 cohort of America's Leaders for Change. Tanya Schmitt passed the notice on to then STLF co-worker Irene Fernando, who applied and was accepted into the latest class. Congratulations, Irene, and thank you, Tanya, for helping us to network for what's next!
11. A 2006-2007 Humphrey Policy Fellow, I was delighted to see that several members of last year's cohort launched a book early in the year entitled, LIKE: Seven Rules and 10 Simple Steps for Social Media in Your Campaign (for Politics, Business or Otherwise). Get your own copy of the locally-grown guidebook here!
12. Sarah Burt has made it through her second successful season as the owner extraordinaire of Saucy Burt's. This summer, intrepid Minnesota Rising blogger, Heidi Smith, got Sarah to dish on all of the details about her love of food, the value of a mentor, and how she used her entrepreneurial savvy to rise to this delicious occasion!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
MPR = @MinnesotaRising Perspective on Radio
As 2012 draws to a close, it's fun to reflect on all that Minnesota Rising and its network have been fortunate to be a part of this year. In September alone, there were two instances of working with Minnesota Public Radio; including my getting to serve as a guest on Policy and a Pint as well as offering some input on The Daily Circuit's Friday Roundtable. See below for the conversation descriptions and links to the podcasts focusing on some of the key issues rising to the fore in 2012.
Policy and a Pint: The Looming Intergenerational War
Friday Roundtable: Deception on the campaign trail
This week on the Friday Roundtable, our panel will discuss deception on the campaign trail. When so much of what we hear in political ads (and from the candidates themselves) is factually questionable, what's a voter to do?
Policy and a Pint: The Looming Intergenerational War
St. Paul, Minn. — If we're to believe the wave of recent articles in magazines and newspapers, there's a new inter-generational conflict brewing. The Baby Boomers are sticking it to the Gen X-ers and Millennials: they ran up the debt and blew up the economy, yet they'll still get all the entitlements they expect as seniors - while the younger masses inherit the mess and a much bleaker personal future for themselves.
But is it really that simple? We investigated these questions at another edition of Policy and a Pint, presented by 89.3 The Current and The Citizens League on Monday, September 10th.
Steve Seel was joined by two special guests, economist Chris Farrell from MPR News and Diane Tran from the young professionals group Minnesota Rising, for "Policy and a Pint: The Looming Inter-generational War" at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis.
Friday Roundtable: Deception on the campaign trail
This week on the Friday Roundtable, our panel will discuss deception on the campaign trail. When so much of what we hear in political ads (and from the candidates themselves) is factually questionable, what's a voter to do?
Guests
- Kathleen Hall-Jamieson: Professorof communication and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania
- Catherine Squires: John and Elizabeth Bates Cowles professor of journalism, diversity and equalityat the University of Minnesota
- Diane Tran: Project manager at Grassroots Solutions, a consulting firm
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Accepting Applications: Hmong Women's Leadership Institute
Hmong Women Achieving Together (HWAT) is accepting applications through the end of the year for their Hmong Women's Leadership Institute. Targeted to emerging Hmong women leaders, twelve women will be selected to further explore leadership on personal, family/clan, organizational/community, and global levels. From January 2013 through May 2013, participants will develop their leadership skills in a supportive, nurturing environment intended to support HWAT's mission of creating lasting cultural, institutional, and social changes. Learn more below and share the opportunity with your networks!
About (HWAT)
HWAT has always strived to mobilize Hmong women and girls to actively engage and participate in their families and communities to elevate the status of Hmong women and to shape their own lives. HWAT does not work directly with individuals, but selects projects that cast a wide net towards the community to change in ways that will be more inclusive of Hmong women at the decision making tables, and to inform others about the plight of Hmong women and improve opportunities for their voices to be sought out, heard, and their issues, championed. More»
Hmong Women’s Leadership Institute
Purpose of the Program:
Hmong Women’s Leadership Institute provides emerging Hmong women leaders with the
opportunity to develop their leadership in a supportive, nurturing environment. Twelve (12) women will be selected to participate in culturally appropriate leadership development training from January 2013 through May 2013. Participants will learn how to use and practice their leadership in a way that creates lasting change on a personal, family, organizational, and global level. They will participate in a total of 1 orientation and team building weekend and 9 class sessions and will conduct a community action project with the Hmong community to build sustainable, systemic wide changes around social change, particularly gender issues.
Curriculum
The curriculum and program emphasizes HWAT’s mission, which is to create lasting cultural, institutional, and social changes. The program is a combination of education, training, and community building. It combines personal leadership skill development, group discussions, case studies, group coaching, reflection, community action projects, and others. This year, we will implement a new cultural component to the leadership institute, which will compose of intentional learning activities about traditional practices, history of the Hmong people, and the Hmong language. Participants will also create personal leadership development portfolios that meet personal and professional goals. Guest speakers and facilitators in leadership will be an essential part of the HWLI workshops.
Curriculum is based on four levels of leadership:
- Personal Leadership: developing leadership understanding on a personal level
- Family/Clan Leadership: developing leadership within a family/clan system
- Organizational/Community Leadership: developing leadership to work within
- organizations and communities
- Global leadership: developing leadership to effectively address global issues
Applicant Selection Process
The program is limited to 12 participants who identify as Hmong women.
- All interested individuals will be expected to send in a completed application (with the non-refundable application fee of $50) by Friday December 31, 2012.
- During the weeks of January 1st the selection committee will contact applicants for a personal interview, to get a better sense of the applicants’ interest and goals for HWLI.
- Selection and notification of all final participants will be done during the week of January 7th, 2013.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
A conspiracy of love
Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos
"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
-Hamilton Wright Mabie
Monday, December 24, 2012
A higher plateau
"Every generation has the obligation to free men's minds for a look at new worlds . . . to look out from a higher plateau than the last generation."
-Ellison S. Onizuka
Friday, December 21, 2012
Recommended Reading: Locking Down Your Dream Career
For many, today is the last day before a holiday break from work. To aid your transition into downshift mode, and to begin engaging in the hope and magic associated with this season, I offer LinkedIn's Dream Jobs infographic for your viewing pleasure. While not everyone can be astronauts or mermaids, it's a good reminder that sharing the breadth of our stories can help to distinguish us amidst all of the other fish in the sea!
LinkedIn announced some fascinating stats about cool careers this morning and it reminded me of a conversation I once had with someone about their dream job. When I worked at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, my very first client told me that he dreamed of being a pilot. Being legally blind he knew that flying a plane wasn’t in the cards for him, but after exploring what about being a pilot was so exciting and interesting to him, we were able to find other options that spoke to both his passions and talents. He ultimately landed a job as a project manager for a prominent business where his skills at encouraging different departments to work cooperatively and his great instincts for priority led to a successful career.
It never hurts to dream big and sometimes they really do come true: nearly one in three LinkedIn members say that they either currently have their childhood dream job or work in a related field. But if your childhood fantasy was to become a professional swimmer or an Olympic athlete (the top choice for U.S. men surveyed) chances are you may need to have backup plan. However, if you think about what it is that you love about competition—either in the pool or on dry land— you might find exactly what you’re looking for in the career you already have. And if your dream career is within sight, but you just need a little help bringing it into focus, LinkedIn can help. Here’s how.
Do some digging. Make a list of the people who are working in your dream career and then hit up their LinkedIn Profiles or their employers’ LinkedIn Company Pages. What was their trajectory? What skill sets do they have? Armed with this information, think about what transferable skills and experiences you can bring to your own job that will make your existing career more enjoyable. Are there volunteer experiences that you can add to your career repertoire? If you have a limitation (degree, age, etc.) that prevents you from getting the job done, take a look at what these people did before and after. This may awaken you to other options out there.
Reach out. Once you’ve tracked these people down, they’re the quickest way into your dream career, so connect with them ASAP. Odds are they’ll be happy to help you out—people who are working in their dream careers generally love what they do and are delighted to talk about it. In fact, more than 70 percent of those surveyed said that “taking pleasure in your work” was the most important characteristic of a dream job. Ask educated questions about how to build the experiences and skill sets you need to break into the career, including whether it’s really worth it (we often have fantasies that don’t always reflect the reality of the job). This is the person to ask about the day-to-day ups and downs.
Talk it up. If you’ve had a dream career (and remember that it may be someone elses’ dream job even if it isn’t yours) make sure to add it to your profile. One of the misnomers about LinkedIn is that it’s only for people with traditional careers. With 150 astronauts and 30,000 wine and beer specialists on the list we can safely say that if you’ve done it, we want to hear about it! Did you join the circus to pay for college or start your career as a quarterback before becoming a businessman? Include it! After all, there are very few people in the world who can claim that they are legitimately a, “Living Logo – Mermaid at Atlantis Resort, Bahamas” who “creates her own functional yet highly exquisite artistic mermaid tails.” The career experiences that you’ve had make you unique and they may be the very things that differentiate you from your competition.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Accepting Applications: Join the Solutions Forum Host Committee
Ashoka Twin Cities invites you to join their Solutions Forum Host Committee, which is working to plan a February 28 event focused on the topic of "Engaging All Generations of Changemakers." Got some time in the new year to connect with problem-solvers and social entrepreneurs? Got some ideas for planning an interactive and intergenerational event with pizzazz? See below for more details and a staff contact to see if being a host with the most is a fit for you in 2013!
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"Ashoka has been an unparalleled connector. Ashoka's Twin Cities team was instrumental in helping me scale my work in Minnesota by introducing me to partners such as Twin Cities Healthy Start and a number of other local changemaking organizations" Kathryn Hall-Trujillo
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
You're Invited: MCN's Signature Kick-off to the 2013 Legislative Session!
The 2012 elections are finally over, and as the dust settles around us to create a new foundation from which to govern, MCN invites you to their signature kick-off to the legislative session: Session Line up 2013! The Governor and legislative leaders have been invited to preview the presumptive battles and issues critical to Minnesota in the coming year. Join Minnesota's nonprofit community in naming your concerns and requests, helping to advocate solutions to the most pressing challenges you encounter in your work!
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
You're Invited: Governing as Ideology Roundtable
In the final Inter-Generational Roundtable of 2012, the Citizens League Emerging Leaders Committee aims to assist with the transition from the politicking of this past election year to the governance required for the upcoming legislative session in 2013. With help from Tom Horner and Representative Kate Knuth, the discussion will tackle the topic of Governing as Ideology. Join in to offer your take on how we can develop common ground for the common good!
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Monday, December 17, 2012
Ordinary people
"Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people."
-Henry Emerson Fosdick
Friday, December 14, 2012
[Blog Buddies] YNPN-TC Blog: The most important election of our lifetime?
I guest blogged for the YNPN-Twin Cities blog again the other week, engaging in some light 2012 election analysis. Did you vote, knock on doors, make phone calls, or talk to your friends and family? What say you about whether this was the most important election of our lifetime? Comments most welcome below!
Friday, November 30, 2012 at 8:00AM
The most important election of our lifetime?
Friday, November 30, 2012 at 8:00AM
The turn of phrase comes as regularly as election cycles, but was this last election really the most important in our lifetime? Youth voter turnout, while high, was not record-setting in 2012; and although much has been made of older Americans lamenting the low civic engagement and voting patterns of Millennials, it turns out that today’s youth are voting at the same rate the Baby Boomers did when they were our age. Clichéd expression and middling benchmarks aside, here are three key observations from the recent election that reflect the transformation of the rising generation’s role in politics and change-making.
1. Politics is a pathway; not an end in and of itself.
Pundits forewarned of a so-called “enthusiasm gap” in advance of Election Day, citing that President Obama was not receiving the level of dedication and enthusiasm among his supporters that he saw during his first presidential campaign. However, he handily achieved reelection with 60% of the youth vote this year. While Obama’s first election spoke to more of a movement mentality, engaging cause-driven activists to put their hopes in a specific person, his reelection race was a distinctly political campaign. Much less quixotic in nature, it acknowledged the increasing recognition of this generation that creating the world you want doesn’t culminate in electing a single individual. To create a sustaining vision for the future, Millennials were reminded that our work is still just beginning and includes how we engage daily as active citizens in our workplaces, among friends and families, and in our communities.
2. This generation is growing smarter, better organized, more effective. Online and offline.
In a speech thanking his young staffers, the President asserted, “It’s not that you guys actually remind me of myself -- it's the fact that you are so much better than I was. In so many ways. You're smarter, you're better organized, and you're more effective. I’m absolutely confident that all of you are going to do just amazing things in your lives." This election saw micro-targeting at its finest, narwhals and ORCAsconducting battle, and a secret weapon of conversations reach across an entire state to defeat a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. The burgeoning wave of technological tools to reach the most specifically targeted demographics, meshed with old-school storytelling to discover our neighbor’s values, exemplifies a Millennial narrative that leverages sophisticated tools of connectivity to build and advance meaningful community relationships. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and are charged to use well what we’ve been given to lift our democracy and each other up.
3. The (starting and) lasting impression of political engagement: Campaigns as capacity-building.
Sean Kershaw, Executive Director of the Citizens League, posted the day before the election, “To Minnesotans United For All Families: We will look back in 10 and 15 years and see the next generation of political leaders who began their work here, or excelled in their work here. Their success in organizing so many thousands of Minnesotans, and in assembling such a phenomenal group of leaders from all ideologies, is inspiring and amazing.”
I know a high school freshman who made countless phone calls volunteering for the Vote No effort. I know a young campaign veteran who served as Get-Out-the-Vote Director for the East Metro during the final three weeks of the campaign. While worlds apart in organizing and political experience, each was deeply impacted by the opportunity to engage on an issue they found core to their beliefs and to contribute using (and honing) their organizing, people, strategy, and leadership skills. Regardless of which side of the aisle or issue, opportunities to engage in respectful conversations and to vote their consciences earlier this month have strengthened the capacity of young Minnesotans to tackle big challenges and make momentous decisions alongside each other.
In my analysis, this last election was critical not just because of changing demographics or historic results, but for the same reason why every citizen movement is important – because of the growth and development of the individual people who, through the process of making powerful change in their communities, are challenged to cultivate ever greater capacity to dramatically improve the future of our world. This is the legacy of the 2012 elections, and astonishingly, it’s only the foundation for elections to come. The most important election of our lifetime? It certainly was for some of us. And that will continue to make a big difference for all of us.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
You're Invited | SMBMSP #52: Jumping Tracks - Tales of Radical Career Shifts
We hear talk of career shifters, who started in one industry, sector, or trade, and then leapt elsewhere with minimal connection or relevance. SMBMSP #52: Jumping Tracks - Tales of Radical Career Shifts offers a deeper look inside these stories. If you're passionate about too many things to count or consider yourself a Jack-of-All-Trades, join an inspirational panel that can provide insight about the career path(s) you may already be on yourself!
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Amber L. Carter (
Angie Davis is the designer and maker behind '
Michael Maupin (
After more than 15 years in corporate America, Tracy hungrily embraced full-time entrepreneurship in 2008. Throughout her career, the common denominator in Tracy's roles and experiences has been starting, improving and growing businesses. Whether launching from scratch, adding new lines of business, or making improvements to existing operations, Tracy's creative intuition and laser-focused insights have helped organizations plan, assess, and find their own way forward.
