Tech{dot}MN

“Live Life with Grace.”

These are the words that now hang above the new Upsie workspace in Osborn370 in downtown Saint Paul. These words, attributed to founder Clarence Bethea, seemed to be the ethos of an evening dedicated to christening the company’s new home. The Upsie ribbon cutting and fireside chat event was well attended by those who have supported Upsie and Bethea along the way. There were members of community groups such as Engineer Africa, Graveti, and Techquity which have all been invited to use the new space for upcoming community gatherings. Bethea’s vision is for this office space to be used regularly to foster networking, learning, and engagement in tech for those who have traditionally been underrepresented.

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25 | The Rise of Total Expert with CEO and Founder Joe Welu

Find this podcast episode on Apple, Google, and Spotify.

On Episode 25 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital, and Jac Stark, Community Manager for tech.mn, welcome Joe Welu, CEO and Founder of Total Expert, to talk about the rise of Total Expert.

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Happy Friday and Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re spending some quality time with a significant other or just have plans to hang out with your cat later tonight (coughMEcough), we have an idea that’s sure to make it special. Light some candles, open a bottle of wine, and let our latest episode of The tech.mn Podcast provide the perfect soundtrack to a lovely evening.

Have a good weekend!

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Medtronic has announced the acquisition of London-based Digital Surgery, a “pioneer in surgical artificial intelligence, data and analytics, and digital education and training.” Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed, but it was described as “immaterial” to Medtronic’s fiscal health for 2020.

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General Mills has hired Jaime Montemayor as chief digital & technology officer. The new role was created to increase the company’s digital and data capabilities and will see Montemayor overseeing the IT and Technology Solutions teams.

“Customers and consumers set the pace in today’s hyper-connected world – and they’re moving fast…” Jeff Harmening, chairman and chief executive officer, said in a release. “At the heart of this transformation is the unprecedented availability of data. Jaime has impressive credentials in this space and will help us deepen our connection with consumers through data and ultimately help us win in the marketplace. I’m very excited to add his expertise to my leadership team and our entire enterprise.”

Montemayor previously served as chief technology officer of 7-Eleven and senior vice president and chief information officer, digital innovation, data and analytics for PepsiCo (part of his 21-year stretch with the company).

Montemayor’s role will begin on February, 24, 2020.

Photo: PRNewsfoto/Northwestern Mutual

As I write this, it “feels like” it’s -16 degrees Fahrenheit outside. That kind of temperature will make even the most diehard Minnesotan shiver. For Casey Shultz, however, it might actually conjure some nostalgic warmth. After all, she did grow up in Alaska. But her journey from freezing cold to sun-soaked warmth to, well, more freezing cold has led to her latest undertaking in the startup world.

And also backyard chickens.

This is A Workday With Casey Shultz, executive director of BETA.

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After closing a very successful sale of a company in California’s sunny central coast, Matt Ouska was searching for his next adventure. Ultimately, the siren song of the Midwest was too strong to deny. Now, Ouska is back in the state where he cut his teeth in the software and startup world, and he’s sporting a new job to boot — CFO of on-demand delivery software company Dispatch. We chatted with Ouska about what brought him to the role, what he’s bringing to the Dispatch team, and how it feels to be back home.

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Six Southern Minnesota coworking spaces are joining forces to offer the “Greater Minnesota Coworking Passport” program. Participants in the program will be able to work in any of the six spaces including Mogwai Collaborative in Mankato, Launch Coworking Space in Austin, Collider Coworking in Rochester, Pi-Co.Works in Pine Island, Red Wing Ignite in Red Wing, and The Garage Cowork Space in Winona.

“We’ve been wanting to create a collaborative program like this in our region for a while now, and are thrilled to finally announce it!” Stephanie Braun of Mogwai Collaborative said in a release. “I think it’s an important gesture that we coworking directors come together to collaborate like this – to not only offer our entrepreneurs productive and professional working environments in a number of locations, but to also inspire more collaboration between the entrepreneurs themselves, and help jumpstart our region’s innovations in the process.”

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24 |  A Chat with Liz Giorgi, Emmy Award Winner, Asker of Questions, and Co-founder of soona

Find this podcast episode on Apple, Google, and Spotify.

On Episode 24 Kevin McArdle, owner of SureSwift Capital and Jac Stark, Community Manager for tech.mn, welcome Liz Giorgi, co-founder and CEO of soona, to chat about what a difference a year can make. Read More »