TECHdotMN: News about Minnesota Startups

By Dave Berggren, Kare11

“Young minds were insprired by one of the world’s most successful companies Saturday. A team from Google stopped by to pass along skills to high school students in Minneapolis.  “With this training, I’m learning more about technology than I ever did before,” said Claire McKitrick, a high school student at Roosevelt. “The more I learn, the more it will help me.”

Seventy-five students from the city’s Step Up program took part in the all-day seminar. The students, all of which are soon-to-be summer interns at companies across the Twin Cities, heard from Google executives about various internet platforms and how to reach customers using technology. The training is a new initiative by Google.”

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By John Reinan, MinnPost

“Brad von Bank and Kristin Pardue envision an army of schoolchildren fanning out across north Minneapolis to build websites for local businesses. With the money they earn, they open an online T-shirt shop. The earnings from the shop go toward bringing along the next group of kids.

It’s an inspirational vision. And this husband-and-wife team appear to have the business chops to pull it off.”

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A lucky few out of the fifteen Twin Cities youth in the current BRIDGEdotMN class recently took a break from the norm and spent an afternoon finding inspiration from local software firm Clockwork Active Media Systems and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD).

Program Coordinator Ben Estes describes the experience:

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Via News Release

“MINNEAPOLIS/SAINT PAUL, MINN. – May 2, 2012 – GiveMN announced today that it has surpassed $50 million in donations processed through its website, GiveMN.org. Since GiveMN was launched in November 2009, the online fundraising website has processed online donations for more than 6,200 nonprofit organizations. Those donations came from more than 154,000 individuals.”

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By Julio Ojeda-Zapata, St.Paul Pioneer Press

“Phil Brandt is not the kind to burden his friends and family members with his problems. So when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, he figured he and wife, Rollie, would deal with the situation largely in private.

Think again, said his daughter, Heidi Panelli. “You’re getting a CaringBridge site,” Brandt recalls being told.”

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After over 24 hours of nonstop hacking, The 2012 Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge came to an exciting yet exhausting halt minutes ago.

Now in its fifth year, the volunteer-driven event brings together 200+/- nerds on 18 teams and matches them with Minnesota nonprofits in need of a website and/or upgrade.

“Every year, the teams and collective talent just get better and better,” said The Nerdery’s Mark Malmberg, who estimates that over 4,000 hours of professional services are donated throughout the experience.

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This past Friday,  hundreds from across the Minnesota nonprofit spectrum gathered at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis for the 5th annual Nonprofit Technology & Communications Conference.

Presented by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) & MAP for Nonprofits, the event is a full day experience dedicated to the convergence of nonprofits and technology.

30 breakout sessions, a keynote by John Moe from American Public Media’s Marketplace Tech Report, various vendor exhibits, and ample networking made for an abundance of timely, high value content and instruction available from various industry practitioners who operate in technology industry and/or the nonprofit sector.

While the overarching emphasis was on website design, content strategy, and online engagement — more technical tracks covered mobile, cloud, database, QR, and WordPress.

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Via KSAX / ABC

“ALEXANDRIA, Minn- (KSAX) Minnesota’s nonprofit organization, PCs for People, plans on giving up to 100 computers away for free.  The organization made a stop at the Alexandria Technical College this week, hoping these PCs will find a happy home.

This is how it works, the group outreaches to the community and accepts donations from local businesses, including used PCs. Then, computer technicians refurbish the barely used computers and gets them up and running for those who may not be able to afford the high tech gadgets.”

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Via News Release

“CaringBridge, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that brings family and friends together during any type of health event, received its largest gift to date for the purpose of establishing an endowment fund.

The Roger and Hazel Perkins Endowed Fund, established by the late Roger and Hazel Perkins of Edina, Minn., supports the CaringBridge mission to amplify the love, hope and compassion in the world, making each health journey easier.”

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