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Friday, May 30, 2014
[Minnesota Rising Dispatch] May 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
You're Invited | Sandbox Cooperative: First Season Events
If you're looking for fun activities to get you outdoors into the sunshine and warmer weather, look no further than Sandbox Cooperative's first set of events during this summer's growing season. From a nature walk on farmland, "weed dating," and a workshop on natural dyes, the experiences should be varied and very fun! See below for event descriptions and registration details.
Local farm business incubator, Sandbox Cooperative, released details of their first available events to this year's growing season. Three individual events make up the schedule for June. These events include a naturalist walk on the Sandbox farmland, an evening of weed dating, and a natural dye workshop.
A Nature Walk and Guided Tour at Sandbox Farm, takes place on Friday, June 13th, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Naturalist and Educator, Courtney Dowell, will lead an interactive tour of Sandbox farmland, providing an opportunity to learn about the plants, wildlife, and history of the land while walking the beautiful acreage. Farm beverages will also be available. Tickets for sale are $12.00 per participant and are available via the Sandbox Cooperative Eventbrite page.
Weed Dating at Sandbox Farm, happens on Wednesday, June 18th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Much like speed dating, participants rotate during the event to meet everyone. The twist is that participants get to help out, weeding rows of plants our farmers are growing. Farm beverages will also be served at this event. Tickets for sale are $12.00 per participant and are available via the Sandbox Cooperative Eventbrite page.
Bring Your Own T-Shirt - A Natural Dye Workshop is June 28th, from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. Libby London is the co-founder of Born and Dyed in MN, a local dye farm, and member of Sandbox Cooperative. She will teach a workshop leading participants through the process of growing plants to create dyes and transform plain natural fabrics into vibrant colors! Participants may bring one piece of natural fibre cloth, up to 5 ounces. Tickets for sale are $30.00 per participant and are available via the Sandbox Cooperative Eventbrite page.
These events are the first offerings of the season at Sandbox Cooperative. Sandbox is a social change hub that incubates and empowers young people as they launch regenerative agriculture businesses. Sandbox Cooperative is just North of the Twin Cities metro area. Located at 16501 Buchanan Street Northeast Ham Lake, MN 55304.
All tickets are available through the Sandbox Cooperative page and may be found through the Sandbox Cooperative facebook page and monthly newsletter. For more information please visit the Sandbox Cooperative facebook page and subscribe to their monthly newsletter. Connect with us further on twitter @sandboxcoop.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
You're Invited | Class Dismissed: Unlearning Our Notions About Higher Ed
It's that exciting time of year when graduation caps are tossed and school lets out! To honor the occasion, the Citizens League invites you to participate in the upcoming Policy and a Pint: Class Dismissed: Unlearning Our Notions About Higher Ed, which will explore the role and purpose of higher education. You may not qualify for extra credit but if you come early, you can probably snag a seat in the back of the classroom!
Class Dismissed: Unlearning Our Notions About Higher Ed
Thursday, May 29
5:30 doors | 6:00 program
As students graduate and the school year comes to a close, it's worth asking: what if most of our assumptions about "higher education" are wrong? Our notions of who needs higher education, what types of skills are needed, and how this learning should be provided are becoming outdated. In the midst of this unprecedented change, are students truly being prepared for what Minnesota needs in the future? Those are the questions we'll be asking at our next Policy and a Pint, in the next installment in our State of the State series, looking at where Minnesota is headed in the next quarter century.
Host Steve Seel will be joined by guests Rassoul Dastmost, President of St. Paul College, Dr. Deborah Bushway, Chief Academic Officer at Cappella University, and Stephen Smith, Executive Editor and Host of American RadioWorks.
Follow Policy and a Pint on Twitter: #PolicyPint
 
The 2013-14 Policy and a Pint series is generously sponsored by Target with additional support from the Minnesota Credit Union Network.
 
Citizens League
213 E 4th Street, Suite 425 | St. Paul, MN 55101
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014
You're Invited: Psycho Suzi's on May 29 with MINN
Spring has sprung, and the Minnesota International NGO Network (MINN) invites you to toast with tiki drinks! Join them at Psycho Suzi's this Thursday to connect with other international practitioners. Don't forget to bring your sunglasses and business cards!
Welcome Summer at Psycho Suzi's (5/29)
Back by popular demand, meet your international practitioner friends at Psycho Suzi's and get your tiki drinks on! Let's all greet summer. Thursday May 29, 4pm – 6pm at Psycho Suzi's, Marshall Street Northeast, Minneapolis, MN. See you there and bring your business cards!
Copyright © 2014 Minnesota International NGO Network, All rights reserved.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Ability to change our lives
“I believe that we have the ability to change our lives using our imaginations. Imagination is a muscle—the more you use it, the stronger it gets.”
-Rodman Philbrick
|| Join us at the Minnesota Rising Imagine Lab: New Paradigms, New Possibilities at The Center for Changing Lives on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 from 5:15pm - 8:00pm. ||
|| Join us at the Minnesota Rising Imagine Lab: New Paradigms, New Possibilities at The Center for Changing Lives on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 from 5:15pm - 8:00pm. ||
Friday, May 23, 2014
You're Invited: Dreaming On - NAVIGATE Gala 2014
NAVIGATE invites you to dream on with them at their 2014 Gala! Hear from keynote speaker, Sandy Vargas; Colombian guitarist, Ruben Dario Gomez, and of course; some of the students who are going to college with the help of the MN Dream/Prosperity Act. Celebrate the one-year anniversary of the law's passage and support an organization that is helping to bring the dream to life for so many!
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NAVIGATE MN | 4137 Bloomington Ave South | Minneapolis | MN | 55407 |
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Why Minnesota Rising Matters [to]: Lynette Dumalag
Minnesota Rising is excited to celebrate 5 years in May 2014! To commemorate the occasion and the amazing folks who have crossed our paths, we're featuring several blog testimonials throughout the month on "Why Minnesota Rising Matters."
Lynette is an Associate at Nelson, Tietz & Hoye, Inc. a commercial real estate consultant group. Lynette assists clients with strategic site planning, site selection, and lease negotiations. Lynette is involved with Aeon (Executive Committee & Boardmember), Torch Community (Past Partnership Director), Minneapolis Downtown Council, Minneapolis Foundation Fourth Generation, and CornerHouse. Her family emigrated from the Philippines and settled in the Twin Cities. She grew up thinking everyone had rice at every meal.
Lynette is an Associate at Nelson, Tietz & Hoye, Inc. a commercial real estate consultant group. Lynette assists clients with strategic site planning, site selection, and lease negotiations. Lynette is involved with Aeon (Executive Committee & Boardmember), Torch Community (Past Partnership Director), Minneapolis Downtown Council, Minneapolis Foundation Fourth Generation, and CornerHouse. Her family emigrated from the Philippines and settled in the Twin Cities. She grew up thinking everyone had rice at every meal.
Minnesota Rising is an important resource for engaged citizens in our community. Our community has a wonderful history of philanthropy, civic engagement and individuals who simply want their town to be a wonderful place to live. Minnesota Rising is a great example of this. This is an organization that is a platform for young leaders in our community to share ideas and work towards a greater vision for Minnesota. I have met many wonderful and passionate people through this organization.
I had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion "Meaningful Engagement: Choosing and Getting Involved with a Nonprofit" at the 2012 Un/Conference. In this session we shared why nonprofits are looking for younger volunteers and donors; how to choose a nonprofit based on your values, area of interest, and skills; and how involvement enhances your personal and professional life. The attendees asked thoughtful questions and prompted a conversation about a meaningful contributions (in money and volunteer hours) while starting and building a career.
While Minnesota Rising is a resource for young leaders located in our great state, it an organization that established professionals are noticing. A few months ago, GREATER MSP, a regional economic development organization, hosted a panel about attracting and retaining Millennials to our region. Diane, our fearless leader at Minnesota Rising was there as a panelist. To many in the business community, the strength of the next generation of leaders is important in order to grow and sustain the economic vitality of our region. Many veteran business leaders were in the room and took notice of this growing and powerful group called Minnesota Rising.
Happy Anniversary, Minnesota Rising! I look forward to the next five years!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
You’re Invited: International Young Governors’ Summit 2014
The second annual International Young Governors' Summit will be making the first of many future stops this year in Minneapolis! Fiona Burgess, a member of the 2014 Coordination Team shares event details and background below, including a discounted rate for young leaders. Read on and register to attend this exciting event!
Minneapolis is at the centre of debate on the hot topic of governance this June as the chosen destination of the 2nd Annual International Young Governors' Summit. The International Young Governors' Summit (IYGS) is an independent, cross-disciplinary forum for young people, aged 35 and under, to come together to discuss fresh perspectives in corporate and non-profit governance. Register online today to join this great learning and networking opportunity!
2nd Annual International Young Governors' Summit
June 19-21, 2014
Millennium Hotel, 1313 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
This year, in Minneapolis, we will be asking important questions on the topics of board effectiveness, ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement, as well as governance in the context of entrepreneurship and small businesses and non-profits. We will also be discussing diversity in the boardroom and hearing from young people involved in governance and their experiences on boards.
We are delighted to be attracting participants from around the world many of whom are looking forward to visiting Minneapolis for the first time and we hope many people from the Minneapolis area will join us. The International Young Governors' Summit is available at the subsidized rate of $150 which includes all three days of workshops, lunches and a dinner cruise on the Mississippi River!
Photo from IYGS 2013 in Toronto
More information about the International Young Governors' Summit can be found at www.younggovernorssummit.com.
Follow us on Twitter for updates! @YoungGovSummit
For any further information, feel free to contact the IYGS Coordination Team at: iygscoordination@gmail.com.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
[Blog Buddies] "Becoming Leaderly" by Elizabeth Fei
I'm thrilled to be a part of the team helping to steward the development of the innovative and co-created EPIP-MN and YNPN Twin Cities Leadership Institute! Our kick-off retreat took place in mid-April and was filled with great people, ideas, and energy. See below for a blog post recap from Leadership Institute participant, Elizabeth Fei!
Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 7:59AM
Becoming Leaderly
Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 7:59AM
Elizabeth Fei is a participant in the new Leadership Institute put on by YNPN-TC and EPIP-MN, which launched in April 2014.
On night one of the inaugural EPIP-YNPN Leadership Institute kick-off retreat, we experienced a World Café discussion, where I offered to play table host (mostly so that I wouldn’t have to switch tables). After hearing the amazing thoughts of my fellow cohort members, I was so humbled and weighed-down with the immense responsibility of capturing, then harvesting their oh-so-insightful nuggets. When it came time to share, I turned to my tablemates, silently asking their permission.
I was met with nods back:
“Go ahead.”
Even now, I feel this immense responsibility to “say it right” and fully capture the gratifying two-day experience. As I’ve learned through my work at the Minnesota Humanities Center: words matter. However, I’m going to imagine all of my new friends nodding at me and try to do justice to all of our experiences.
Also, for the record, I know leaderly isn’t a word. Sue me.
I’ll admit, on my way from work to the first evening of the Leadership Institute retreat, I was nervous. I’ve never been one for traditional networking events. Smiling at each other in stuffy suits, handing out business cards, regurgitating your perfectly-crafted (yet somehow never professional-sounding enough) elevator speech over and over has never really fit my introverted style. And, while in my experience nonprofit-y, philanthropy-y, civic-minded, socially responsible folks really do tend to have their passions for what they do shine through any situation, I still feel myself often falling into the trap of the smile-shake-hands-nod-a-lot-and-move-on waltz.
Instead of this typical dog and pony show, we were asked to bring in something that represented our leadership journey. We circled up and shared our stories. Desralynn shared her red lipstick—a reminder to herself to always be bold. Andy shared a socket wrench, through which he shared the metaphor that for him, leadership means always having the “right tool” the job. In an unforgettable moment, Eleonore “bared it all” and shared her tattoo of a bicycle, commemorating the first day she learned to ride a bike (just 3 years ago!), and her subsequent drive to keep pushing forward.
When it came turn to share my item, I shared my green, blue, and purple hair—a symbol for my desire to bring my authentic self to my leadership journey. Hearing people’s stories was inspiring, humbling, and eye-opening; truly a testament to the fact that there is no one way of approaching leadership.
The second day was spent with higher level visioning both of the program itself and, in my view, some great forward thinking about the future of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. We spent some time in small groups, first envisioning the future of our sectors (but backwards!) and then with our mentoring circles who will be our go-to groups for more intimate connections and support.
We spent our afternoon in open space discussions tackling some of our big questions and concepts including: Power Dynamics, Who Am I as a Leader?, Bringing Your Self to Work, Building Culturally-Competent Teams, and How to Turn Ideas Into Action. The thought that these big ideas were the things we’d be wrestling with during our 10 months together was both daunting and exhilarating.
As we wrapped up the day, I was spent. As an introvert, two days of deep thinking, broad visioning and relationship had me feeling like I needed some kitty snuggles and a long nap. We ended the experience as we began: in a circle.
I think that working in the sector that I work in, with competing priorities and aims and goals coupled with an innate drive to do good in my little corner of the universe, it’s easy to get caught up in the impossibility of it all. There are always emails to be answered. There is always one more meeting to plan. There are people out there whose voices aren’t heard. There are systems in place that seem impossible to repair or rebuild.
Sometimes even the trip to the microwave to heat up my questionable Lean Cuisine seems like too much.
Looking around the circle, I became overcome with this sense of pride and excitement. More than that though, in that moment, it felt accomplishable: this group of young, motivated, smart, savvy, and impassioned individuals can actually do this. We are leaders that will repair those entrenched systems and amplify the good work in communities. And, maybe that email inbox will get below 1,000.
“Go ahead.”
All right guys, I will.
Monday, May 19, 2014
More important than knowledge
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
-Albert Einstein
|| Join us at the Minnesota Rising Imagine Lab: New Paradigms, New Possibilities at The Center for Changing Lives on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 from 5:15pm - 8:00pm. ||
Friday, May 16, 2014
You're Invited: Both/And Communications
Looking to engage with others more deeply and across class and other lines? Join Class Action for, "Both/And Communications," a participatory workshop building on insights from the book, Missing Class: Strengthening Social Movement Groups by Seeing Class Cultures. See below for more details and to register!
Both/And CommunicationsClass ActionTuesday, May 20, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (CDT)Minneapolis, MN |
How do diverse movement traditions and class cultures solve common group problems such as low turnout, inactive members or internal conflicts?
Join us for this engaging participatory workshop presented by Class Action.
Building on insights from the groundbreaking new book Missing Class: Strengthening Social Movement Groups by Seeing Class Cultures, this participatory workshop, created by activists for activists, enables participants to look through a class lens at their own social justice work, and offers tools to draw on the strengths of all class cultures and build cross-class alliances for social change.
Building on insights from the groundbreaking new book Missing Class: Strengthening Social Movement Groups by Seeing Class Cultures, this participatory workshop, created by activists for activists, enables participants to look through a class lens at their own social justice work, and offers tools to draw on the strengths of all class cultures and build cross-class alliances for social change.
Refreshments at 5:30pm
Workshop 6:00-8:30pm
Workshop 6:00-8:30pm
If you have questions, or wish to make a non-credit card donation, email at info@classism.org or contact us by phone at (617) 477-8635.
This workshop is made possible by support from Jewish Community Action and Line Break Media. If your organization is interested in co-sponsoring, please contact us at info@classism.org or use the co-sponsor option below.
Facilitators
Betsy Leondar-Wright - Betsy is the author of the new book Missing Class: Strengthening Social Change Groups by Seeing Class Cultures. She grew up in an upper-middle-class family in a mixed-class New Jersey suburb. A long-time activist for economic justice, she was the Communications Director for nine years at United for a Fair Economy,where she co-authored The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the US Racial Wealth Divide (2006). Since writing the book Class Matters: Cross-Class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists (2005), Betsy has led more than 100 workshops all over the US on classism, cross-class alliance building, and economic inequality. In addition to teaching sociology courses about social inequalities, social change movements and education, Betsy is also the Program Director at Class Action.
Adj Marshall - was the first person in her family to attend and graduate from college, earning her B.A. while supporting her brothers’ pursuits of their associate degrees. Her experience of growing up as a member of a chronically poor, and often homeless, single-parent family contributed immensely to her work as a service-learning educator and advocate for educational socioeconomic justice. Adj has piloted college success initiatives for low-income first-generation students with College Visions and Class Action.She currently lives in Minneapolis and coordinates volunteers for Saint Paul’s Community Action Partnership, giving voice to the issues of low-income communities. As an artist, Adj brings a creative mindset to her facilitation style. Her graduate studies at Brown University in Public Humanities focused on the role of arts in social-justice change-making movements and education.
Christopher McMullen - Christopher is a seasoned facilitator, educator, and consultant with over fifteen years experience working on group development, cross-group collaboration, and social justice. Building on a core of anti-oppression and empowerment approaches, Christopher has worked with youth and adults from different class, ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds across North America, Ireland, and South Asia. Christopher currently teaches mediation to graduate and undergraduate students in New York City.Thursday, May 15, 2014
Why Minnesota Rising Matters [to]: Alex Tsatsoulis
Minnesota Rising is excited to celebrate 5 years in May 2014! To commemorate the occasion and the amazing folks who have crossed our paths, we're featuring several blog testimonials throughout the month on "Why Minnesota Rising Matters."
Alex is a professional fundraiser based in Minneapolis with a passion for helping nonprofits of all sizes grow their capacity to achieve their missions. Alex has worked as a fundraiser for a number of local non-profits, and is currently the Development Director at the Minnesota AIDS Project.
Alex is a professional fundraiser based in Minneapolis with a passion for helping nonprofits of all sizes grow their capacity to achieve their missions. Alex has worked as a fundraiser for a number of local non-profits, and is currently the Development Director at the Minnesota AIDS Project.
I often see (and you probably have as well) news stories or read blog posts about how difficult the job market is for folks entering in it now, but it took my participation in the Un/Conference this past year to really understand what that meant for people graduating or stuck in unpaid internships now.
When I initially pitched the idea for an Un/Conference session talking about overcoming generational bias for young graduates looking to launch their career, I had no idea the depth of the issue, or how many people I knew whom it affected. After digging deeper, the statistics were startling - youth unemployment was 16.3% (not to mention underemployment!), and the traditional college-job-retirement pipeline folks were used to didn't exist for many. Most of the hands in the room I was presenting in shot up when I asked about feeling stuck in unpaid internships, temp jobs that never turned permanent, and constant part-time underemployment. This was their new norm.
Working through that session at the Un/Conference and talking one on one with young people affected by the economy taught me a lot about the unconventional career paths people were taking, and how for many people, that was the new norm. It showed me how I could embrace the change, and how we could as a group work through the changes in the economy to still be successful in our careers and professional lives. People were excited to tackle the challenge and find ways forward, and to work together as a group to make sure we all had what we needed to succeed and do good.
Whether it was in how I volunteer and network, or in looking for my own next big opportunity, the Un/Conference and Minnesota Rising have had a great impact on me, and I look forward to seeing what the next five years of Minnesota Rising bring!
When I initially pitched the idea for an Un/Conference session talking about overcoming generational bias for young graduates looking to launch their career, I had no idea the depth of the issue, or how many people I knew whom it affected. After digging deeper, the statistics were startling - youth unemployment was 16.3% (not to mention underemployment!), and the traditional college-job-retirement pipeline folks were used to didn't exist for many. Most of the hands in the room I was presenting in shot up when I asked about feeling stuck in unpaid internships, temp jobs that never turned permanent, and constant part-time underemployment. This was their new norm.
Working through that session at the Un/Conference and talking one on one with young people affected by the economy taught me a lot about the unconventional career paths people were taking, and how for many people, that was the new norm. It showed me how I could embrace the change, and how we could as a group work through the changes in the economy to still be successful in our careers and professional lives. People were excited to tackle the challenge and find ways forward, and to work together as a group to make sure we all had what we needed to succeed and do good.
Whether it was in how I volunteer and network, or in looking for my own next big opportunity, the Un/Conference and Minnesota Rising have had a great impact on me, and I look forward to seeing what the next five years of Minnesota Rising bring!
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
You're Invited: Matt Musel's Free Fundraising Training Event #4
Matt Musel, Manager of the Major Gifts team at the Minnesota Historical Society, has been hosting a series of free training sessions on fundraising, and you're invited to the fourth and final session this weekend. See below for event details and information, and RSVP today to save your seat!
Matt Musel: Free Fundraising Training Events
Meredith "Matt" Musel is a fund development officer and political organizer focused on public access to educational institutions. He is currently Manager of the Major Gifts team at the Minnesota Historical Society, using the power of history to transform lives.
In addition to his work at the Minnesota Historical Society, Matt serves as a volunteer consultant for Square One Consulting, LLC where he does fundraising education and political campaign management. His clients have included local electoral campaigns - Alondra Cano and Linea Palmisano for Minneapolis City Council - and non-profit organizations - Kibera Girls Soccer Academy and African Development Solutions (Adeso) in Nairobi, Kenya. (See below to read complete biography.)
The Details
Session 4- Sunday, May 18
3:00p.m. – 5:00p.m.
Asking – understanding when to ask and when to say no
Thanking – Celebrating your donors
Franklin Library
Friends of Franklin Community Room (lower-level)
1314 E Franklin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Free street parking is available on-site, and light drinks and refreshments will be provided. Please rsvp to the event coordinator at jeffrey.erbland@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!
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About Matt
Meredith "Matt" Musel is a fund development officer and political organizer focused on public access to educational institutions. He is currently Manager of the Major Gifts team at the Minnesota Historical Society, using the power of history to transform lives.
In addition to his work at the Minnesota Historical Society, Matt serves as a volunteer consultant for Square One Consulting, LLC where he does fundraising education and political campaign management. His clients have included local electoral campaigns - Alondra Cano and Linea Palmisano for Minneapolis City Council - and non-profit organizations - Kibera Girls Soccer Academy and African Development Solutions (Adeso) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Mr. Musel worked for twelve years in fundraising for education institutions. During his five years as Chief Development officer for the University of Minnesota Extension, he solicited gifts to support the outreach programs in agricultural, natural resources, community vitality and family development. Prior to this he raised funds to promote education access for the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and Bethlehem Academy, a Catholic high school in Faribault, Minnesota.
In 2012, Matt served as political director for OutFront Minnesota political action committee, the state's leading organization for LGBT equality. The effort helped elect 15 new members of the Minnesota legislature from across the state through raising $60,000 and recruiting over 60 volunteers. In 2009-2010, Mr. Musel volunteered as Executive Director for NAVIGATE, a leadership development organization for immigrant young adults to access education, jobs and legal status. He was a founder of the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, the state's lobby for college access for immigrant students, and served on the Citizens League's study committee on immigration and higher education.
Additional political work experience includes the transition team and in the Citizen's Outreach department of the Office of the Governor Jesse Ventura. He has worked for TakeAction Minnesota, the Montana Democratic Party and as a community organizer with AmeriCorps VISTA.
Matt was educated at the University of Minnesota, where he was student body president, and the University of Saint Thomas, where he received a Master's degree in adult education. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Masters of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) at the University of Minnesota – Duluth.
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