Artistic Director Hebe Tabachnik Gives Her Top Picks for the 11th Annual Cine Latino Film Festival

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Hebe TabachnikMSP Film Society proudly celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with the 11th Annual Cine Latino Film Festival. The festival highlights the best new Latin American, U.S. Latinx, and Ibero Cinema – and it happens in our neighborhood at The Main Cinema, 115 SE Main Street. Artistic Director Hebe Tabachnik gave us her top picks for the festival. See the full line-up here and purchase tickets here. Daily parties at Pracna, food trucks and visiting filmmakers round out the event.

Please also note that Cine Latino presents ¡Hola Cine! at the Minneapolis Institute of Art's Family Day on Sunday, October 8. See the family-friendly collection of Spanish-language short films for free between 10:30am-2:30pm at Mia, 2400 Third Avenue S.

*  *  *  Hebe’s Picks  *  *  *  

RADICAL - Cine Latino's Opening Night film is based on a true story about an unconventional teacher who resorts to creative methods to inspire in his students a contagious curiosity and love for learning and discovery. A more than healthy dose of laughs and tears is warranted!

GOING VARSITY IN MARIACHI - An unforgettable ode to identity, belonging, and resilience alongside youth Mariachi bands. Please come prepared to leave the theater singing and dancing. Mariachi of all ages are welcome! Filmmaker Daniela Quiroz will be in attendance.

ELIS & TOM - IT HAD TO BE WITH YOU - In 1974, Tom Jobim, one of the creators of Bossa Nova, and Elis Regina, the most popular singer in Brazil at that time, met to record what would be the most iconic album of Brazilian music. One of this year’s Cine Latino's tribute to the powerful musical heritage of this magic region.

THE EXTORTION - High-octane entertainment up in the skies and across the Atlantic with lots of twists and turns with unpredictable consequences makes this a great film for a fun night out with friends and family.

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES - Cine Latino's Closing Night film is definitely one of the best films of the year, Winner of the Best Performance Award at the Berlinale 2023 for the eight-year-old protagonist played by Sofía Otero, 20,000 Species of Bees is an emotional and very satisfying tale about diversity, dialogue, and tolerance. 

POWER ALLEY - SNEAK PREVIEW! - Driven by compelling performances, energetic editing, and a dazzling score, this hopeful and spirited celebration of sisterhood and resistance in the face of Brazilian conservatism is the luminous debut feature of Writer/Director Lillah Halla and the Winner of this year’s FIPRESCI Award at the Cannes Critics' Week.

Meet the Mill City Farmers Market Vendors, Part 2 - Dawn2Dusk Farms

Article by Becky Fillinger

Moses MomanyiA discussion with Moses Momanyi, Owner

Moses Momanyi of Dawn2Dusk Farm believes in bringing others along on his farming and entrepreneurial journey. From Kenyan immigrant in 2004, he now owns farm land in Cambridge and he also runs a non-profit with the goal of fostering emerging immigrant farmers. He does not believe in a zero-sum world. Helping other farmers get established does not diminish his livelihood - in fact, it enhances it. Keep reading, but also visit the Mill City Farmers Market to meet this inspiring farmer and community builder.

Q:  Please tell us about your journey as an immigrant from Kenya to a non-profit leader/mentor to so many farmers just getting started.

A:  I came to this country in 2004. I am originally from a rural village in western Kenya and I grew up tending to cattle and farming seasonally cultivated crops on the family farm. After moving to the U.S., I became interested in having a family and living on a farm again. I saw community gardens one day and became so excited! I went to the city hall and was able to get 3 plots in 2006, and the following year I applied for and received 11 plots, and in 2009 I got 34 plots. That is when I realized I needed to find real mentorship on growing vegetables as a business. I went to Big River Farms in 2009 and 2010 and learned how to grow many crops that I had not grown while I was in Kenya, such as broccoli and zucchini. My wife, Lonah, was involved in learning all about farming, too. After I graduated from Big River Farms, we connected with other farmers who had also gone through their programs and leased farming land from them, too. At this time, we also talked to a USDA Farm Service Agency loan officer to get more information on how we could finance my own land. It is from that point that we realized I needed to keep farming records and put my finances together before we could go back for the loan. We continued to rent land and farm from 2010 to 2014 before going back to the USDA. 

Above, Lonah assists customers with Dawn2Dusk's well stocked variety of vegetables.

We were able to get a beginner farm loan to buy the 20 acres in Cambridge, MN. We continued to sell at farmers markets - Mill City, Kingfield, Fulton and Linden Hills. The murder of George Floyd and the pandemic made us open our land to friends who came to Cambridge in 2019 looking for space for healing and to farm. We decided to give 1/4 acre each to five farmers. By the end of the 2020 season, we had 13 farmers, in 2021 we had 19 farmers, and in 2022 we had grown the program to 28 farmers. We decided to form Kilimo Minnesota – an organic incubator farm with a mission to empower emerging farmers of African descent - and to find a training farmland. In 2020 we found a site in Lino Lakes with 14 acres and the owner agreed to have us there.  All of the farmers, except for two, moved to Lino Lakes from Cambridge. Kilimo also continues to find other farms for collaboration. We give a shout out to Philadelphia Community Farm in Osceola for giving some Kilimo farmers space to farm. We have rented other places in Cocrane, St. Francis and Frogtown. We mentor the farmers for 3-4 years on all aspects of the farming business - production, markets, financial readiness, community building and land access. We have reserved a stall at farmers markets – Mill City and Kingsfield. This year, we have 34 farmers who are actively farming and selling wholesale through food hubs like The Good Acre, to restaurants, schools and directly to individuals. I’m happy to say I can count up to 7 farmers who have acquired their own farm land, and 5 more seeking farmland to purchase.

Q:  Did you always envision yourself as a farmer?

A:  No, I did not see myself as a farmer from the beginning. I loved farming because of the memories I have of farming with my parents in Kenya and selling the extra produce we grew. I wanted to live and raise my kids on a farm. I can happily say that Lonah, I, and our two children now live on our farm in Cambridge – we have twenty acres in certified organic cultivation, plus livestock and two greenhouses.  

Q:  I think I know why your business is called Dawn2Dusk, but can you tell us how you thought of it as the name? 

A:  All along I have seen the farming lifestyle as one of getting up so early and going to bed late after everything else. Some chickens only get into the coop when it gets dark and someone has to lock the door! In Kenya, we would get up at three in the morning to get the oxen yoked up, and we’ll go out and till the land in the wee hours of the morning until about 6 or 7pm...that is to me a "dawn to dusk" affair. I see the same here. We wake at 3am in order to arrive at the market 5:30am.

Q:  What produce are you bringing to the farmers markets this year?

A:  We try to grow all kinds of produce for the market - what can grow outdoors in the Minnesota climate. Spring greens like lettuce mix in early May, to winter squashes in late October.

Q:  Have you ever changed your crops in response to customer demand?

A:  Yes, we test the market for customer preferences - red round radishes vs. French breakfast radishes; fingerling potatoes vs. Yukon gold potatoes vs. regular red potatoes; heirloom tomatoes vs. hybrid tomatoes vs. sungold tomatoes. This is ongoing.

Q:  What do you want our readers to know about your farm?

A:  We are mentoring the future food producers by sharing the skills and all the resources we can muster. Other like-minded farmers are doing the same as we try to connect people to their land and food sources.  We invite your readers to visit a local farm once a year, and volunteer if you can. You will come away with a different perspective on food.

Q:  Are you experiencing any changes to your farming operation as a result of climate change?

A:  Yes. We still struggle with watering crops even though we have an irrigation well. We are transitioning to a no-till approach as we try to grow in less water. We are seeing increased insect pressure due to changing weather. More intense weather events definitely put pressure on farming.

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  Come visit with us at the farmers markets and follow us on Instagram.

Local Business Spotlight: Galois - Scientific R&D in the Mill District

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Did you know that the Mill District is home to a business that takes on the toughest work in technology – creating trustworthiness in critical systems, for clients like NASA and the Space Development Agency? Shpat Morina, Galois' Director of Business Development and IR&D (Internal Research and Development), told us about their very important and impressive work happening at 111 3rd Avenue S. 

Q:  I really like the company’s tagline – software to solve your hardest problems. It makes me believe that at Galois you don’t shy away from difficult business problems. Talk to us some more about that notion.

A:  We definitely don’t shy away from that, quite the opposite.

Our researchers love that they get to tackle questions for which there literally might not be an answer and for which they might fail. We take on work at the bleeding edge, because "What if?" is a compelling question to research scientists. And when we do solve a problem, it's usually very significant. For example, making it cost effective to apply the kind of technology that used to be reserved for expensive space missions to secure everyday encryption software that secures internet traffic. Or, our work at the bleeding edge of human-machine teaming (helping people and AI learn better from each other and work better together) and digital engineering (a kind of digital cartography for complex systems).

But the unifying umbrella, and what universally drives the R&D we do is this notion of creating trustworthiness in critical systems. A critical system is one that simply cannot fail without catastrophic consequences. A plane’s software can’t cause it to just fall from the sky, for example, or the encryption software that protects extremely sensitive data can’t be flawed and exploitable by an adversary. 

Our work largely focuses on developing tools and approaches to get an ever higher level of assurance of trustworthiness, often via rigorous engineering and mathematical verification, in systems that simply cannot fail. In other words, it is all about ways to make sure that really important systems work so reliably and securely that you could, in theory, bet your business or even matters of national security on their trustworthiness.

Q:  Why does Galois have an office in downtown Minneapolis? Is it driven by your client locations? Could you please tell our readers about the technological innovation happening in our midst?

Shpat MorinaA:  Well, getting a bigger presence in downtown Minneapolis isn't just about moving offices. We acquired Adventium Labs in late 2022, and they were based here. So, the move was primarily driven by the merger and wanting to be intentional about the environment that our team operates in. Our clients are nationwide, so location isn't that big a factor in this case.

As for the tech innovation happening here, it's frankly amazing. For context, as the sheer amount of code that makes up software gets bigger and bigger, and as things like factories, airplanes, power grids are increasingly intertwined with software systems, the result is an environment that can be very complicated and difficult to keep reliable and secure. Adventium Labs was at the forefront of creating tools that help navigate, update, and secure complex cyber-physical systems, and we’ve fused this strength with Galois's historical focus on trustworthiness. It's creating an even more powerful force in the world of mathematically-principled computer security & reliability.

Projects like FRIGATE, RMF, and CAMET, among many others, had their genesis here in Minneapolis. These are tools that aim to do audacious things like making space exploration safer. And that’s a very small taste of the impact we get to make.

Q:  Why the name Galois for the business?

A:  We named our company “Galois” as a nod to the 19th century French Mathematician Évariste Galois. Some of his contributions are now fundamental to computer science and have applications in the work we do. His contributions are even more remarkable when you consider how much he accomplished before his untimely death at 20 in a duel.

His work, specifically his development of Galois theory, hinged on the idea of finding new solutions to problems by changing the way you look at them. We see a direct parallel to our work in computer science. Not to get too nerdy, but a lot of our work involves reworking clients' problems from domains where there is no straightforward solution into alternate but equivalent mathematical domains in which solutions do exist. We like to think that, in our own way, we're carrying on that innovative spirit. Minus the duels.

Fun and obscure fact, the original name of the company was Galois Connections. It turned out to be a little too technical. It turns out that, to a lot of people in the early 2000s, Galois Connections sounded like a dating company :). We eventually shortened it to Galois.

Here's a bit about Evariste if you're interested! https://galois.com/team/evariste-galois/

Q:  So happy you’re not dueling in downtown Minneapolis! Galois does a lot of work for the federal government. Does it ever bog down your research by taking the time to comply with the contractual compliance terms?

A:  Working with the government comes with its own set of requirements, but I wouldn’t say it bogs down our research at all. When you think about the impactful nature of the work, it really is important to get things right, and not just technologically. So, we’ve built a culture of care and of ensuring trustworthiness that isn’t siloed in the technical team alone.

That, plus the level of operational support we have to make sure that all aspects of the work are taken care of, makes the actual R&D work fun.

And after all, if we get to work with NASA to come up with better failure recovery for future manned missions, for example, or get to work with the Space Development Agency to explore better ways to secure information in space, what’s a few additional requirements to meet? :)

Q:  You mention on X that "while most engineers and scientists join Galois to be part of a company that conducts groundbreaking research, for our unique culture of collaboration, or for the great benefits and work-life balance, there’s a lesser-known but equally exciting perk of working at Galois: participating in the creation of spinouts." What’s a spinout?

A:  A spinout is basically when we create a new, independent company to take a technological opportunity that arises from our R&D, and turn into a full-fledged supported product or set of services with its own specialized support and development team. We do this instead of changing our own company focus or trying to juggle various product lines.

Why spinout? Well, it protects the special creative culture and flexibility we need for our core R&D work, which isn't quite the same as the flavor of speed and expertise needed to run a product-focused business. And our clients get to see the R&D they support become more applied and deeply useful to their mission in a different way. Plus, it's exciting! We get to see our breakthroughs making a real-world difference, which is a huge draw for many of our team who moved here from academia.

And let's not forget the financial aspect – since we're employee-owned, we all have a stake in the success of spinouts. Besides, it's a clever way of managing risk, because we only invest what we can afford to lose. It's a win-win-win situation, really, for Galois, our clients, and the new spinout.

P.S. - We love this topic almost as much as we love the scientific work we do.

Q:  Have any Minneapolis spinouts occurred?

A:  Not yet!

Q:  I think the Downtown community would love an ongoing Ted Talk-type event where your engineers tell us about their research and clients' problems solved - in layman’s terms – possible?"

A:  We would like to make that happen. I love that our Minneapolis team is very engaged in the community and is extremely passionate about building community here, whether that be through internships, supporting student-led capstone projects, getting engaged in local events, or participating in and supporting all sorts of tech education organizations. I have no doubt we’ll come up with new ways to do that.

Dr. Kathy Klink on the Zero Waste Program at the Mill City Farmers Market

Article by Becky Fillinger, photo provided

A Discussion with Dr. Kathy Klink, Zero Waste Educator and Volunteer

Mill City Farmers Market has been a zero-waste market since 2009, and was the first zero-waste market in Minnesota. Although zero waste is hard to achieve given current constraints in the world today, it's a definite aspiration of the market (and of other zero-waste businesses and organizations). At MCFM, "zero waste" means the staff works to ensure serviceware from food sales and sampling - such as cups and lids, straws, plates, napkins, and forks - are recyclable or compostable. This has a huge impact on reducing the actual "waste" generated at the market. We wanted to learn more about the program, which led to a discussion with Dr. Kathy Klink, one of the market's fabulous Zero Waste Educators.

Q:  What is the impact of MCFM's Zero Waste initiative? 

A:  Prior to the pandemic, MCFM was able to achieve 93-95% diversion rates for waste generated at the market. That means that of all of the visitor-generated discards, 93-95% were either composted or recycled and only 5-7% was waste that was sent to a landfill or incinerator. Post-2020, the diversion rate has slipped a bit but it's still pretty darn impressive at around 90%. I believe this "slippage" is due at least in part to a general tightening of restrictions on the materials that recycling companies and industrial compost sites will accept. Recyclers can't turn around and sell plastics that have no market (usually that's 3s, 4s, and 6s), and black plastic typically is not accepted because it's difficult to process in automated recycling facilities. Compost facilities such as SMSC and SET only accept BPI-certified compostable packaging and serviceware, and not every item labeled as "compostable" has that certification. If it doesn't, it goes in the trash.

Q:  You have a truly impressive volunteer history in recycling programs – including Hennepin County Recycling Ambassador, Ramsey County Recycling Ambassador and Zero Waste staffing and education at the MCFM. Why is recycling and zero waste important to you? 

A:  Reducing waste is an important way that we as individuals can help to improve the quality of our air, soil, and water, and nobody wants to see garbage strewn around their neighborhood, or floating in a river or lake, or turned into ash to float into the air! Recycling - yes, it does happen - allows us to reuse resources rather than digging for new ones, which also helps to reduce our environmental footprint. Composting turns food waste (among other compostable items) into a nutrient-rich amendment for soils that can supplement or replace the need for synthetic fertilizers. I also have to admit that there's something weirdly satisfying about picking through the recycling, organics, and trash bins at MCFM to make sure that the right things go into the right containers, and then seeing the market staff and vendors' hard work show up in those impressive zero waste counts.

Q:  In addition to your volunteering, you have a Ph.D. in Climatology and teach at the University of Minnesota. Do you have any advice for Minneapolis citizens in terms of practical things we can do to protect our local environment?  

A:  There are lots of ways we can help protect the environment. Reduce-reuse-recycle is near the top of my list, of course, including taking a minute to think before buying or picking up freebies (do I *really* need that item?). If you have any hazardous items (including batteries), it's important to take them to a hazardous waste drop-off site rather than putting them in the trash, which most likely ends up in a landfill or incinerator. And it can be fun to get involved in environmental activities in your community, in ways that make sense for you. That might be attending a neighborhood cleanup event or maybe talking with your elected representatives about environmental issues. These may seem like small things, but if a lot of people do them, they add up to something big.

Q:  How can a person get involved by becoming a Zero Waste Educator at MCFM? 

A:  You can just sign up! The MCFM Zero Waste page includes a link to the sign-up sheet. Training is provided on site and no, you don't actually have to stick your hands into a trash or recycling or organics bin (but you can if you want to - we have gloves!). And if folks would like to go a little deeper into waste reduction, zero waste, and environmental health, I highly recommend the Hennepin County Community Recycling Ambassadors program and the Ramsey County Recycling Ambassador program.

Small Business Spotlight: Innovative Food Upcycler, Netzro

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A Discussion with Founder and President, Sue Marshall

Sue MarshallYou’ve heard of furniture and clothing upcycling. Did you know that food can also be upcycled?

We have a trailblazer in food upcycling in our midst, Netzro, 817 5th Avenue S, founded by Sue Marshall. Netzro was recently selected by Tyson Ventures (the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods) as one of four national entrepreneurs to receive mentorship and partnership opportunities. We talked to Sue about the importance of food upcycling and what the recognition by Tyson will mean for the company.

Q:  Let's start with a very basic question: What is food upcycling?

A:  NETZRO’s definition of food upcycling is the process of safely capturing and converting food byproducts into new upcycled ingredients at scale. It expands the food economy without growing more food.

Q:  Your LinkedIn profile tells us that you're "partnering with Mother Nature to correct the mistakes of my generation and generations past." Please tell us more about that notion. 

A:  In the U.S. we have taken for granted the resources it takes to grow food, putting pressure on the environment unnecessarily. This might begin at the farm level, but exists all the way through the food supply chain. The biggest opportunity is to create a more equitable, resilient closed loop food system.

Q:  How does Netzro facilitate food upcycling? Do you have a means of measuring the impact of Netzro?

A: Having the opportunity to be a founding and executive board member of Upcycled Food Association has given NETZRO a role of advisor in the food tech space within the industry. We receive calls from food and beverage manufacturers all around the world that have all types of food byproducts that need to be processed, supplying an endless number of leads. Being considered a leading expert has given me the chance for speaking engagements in various food and agriculture ecosystems. Being a supplier of food technology to assist powering food forward at scale is where the impact exists. Using some food byproduct to create a new snack is cute, but taking a problem of tons of food per day that is wasted and upcycling it to higher value is truly solving the problem of food waste while creating new opportunities. In terms of impact, in 2022 the Upcycled Food Association companies recovered a projected 991,681,940 pounds of food from waste - the carbon equivalent of taking 242,000 cars off the road.

Q:  And congratulations for also being a founding member of the Upcycled Food Association, which includes over 260 companies in 20 countries.  

A:  Thank you. It has been heavy lifting, but all worth it. The folks who I have had the opportunity to do this work with are incredibly passionate about making a difference. It has been a very humbling experience to say the least.

Q:  The major recent news is that Netzro was recently chosen as one of four startups at the Tyson Foods Demo Day pitch event. What does this recognition mean for you and the company?

A:  Being selected by Tyson gives NETZRO the chance to work on a level of scale that we are ready for. Their people are some of the brightest scientists and engineers in the world, so to be connected to them is an opportunity of a lifetime. Not to mention the access to resources that very few companies have gives us the chance to accelerate our work even faster.

Q:  What's next for Netzro and you? May individuals invest in Netzro?

A:  The NETZRO team will be expanding, which gives me a chance to focus my skills and passion in the areas that matter most to feed more people, while reducing the effects of climate change. NETZRO was selected for the MN Angel Tax credit program and using it to raise a seed round. For more information, contact cody@netzro.us. Please follow our social channels - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Nonprofit News: World Savvy, Bridgemakers and Youthprise Awarded New Pluralists Grant

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Dana MortensonThree local non-profits were awarded a New Pluralists Healing Starts Here grant to co-create a set of youth-led, intergenerational listening sessions to understand what young people and other community leaders want to see in their schools. We spoke to Dana Mortenson, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of World Savvy to learn more about the unique collaboration, the grant and how it will be rolled out in the coming academic year.

Q:  Congratulations on the grant awarded to World Savvy, Bridgemakers and Youthprise to develop youth-led programs on civil discourse. How did the partnership of the three organizations come about? Did you jointly apply for the grant? 

A:  World Savvy, Youthprise, and Bridgemakers have a long history of collaboration and mutual support. With similar missions to empower students from all backgrounds to succeed, commitment to youth voice and leadership, and a strong belief that we are stronger when we work together, our organizations have been vocal advocates and thoughtful partners for each other. For example, we collaborated in January 2022 on an event in World Savvy’s Changemaker Series on Supporting Youth-Led Systems Change. In addition, all of our organizations are headquartered in Minnesota - a state of great prosperity and also a state that is rapidly shifting demographically and economically and has work to do in creating shared prosperity for all youth. We all have a deep interest in, and commitment to, expanding youth opportunities here locally. 

When the opportunity to seek financial support through a New Pluralists Healing Starts Here grant came about, we knew this could be a perfect fit for our organizations to work collectively. This grant at its core is about expanding “pluralism,” which New Pluralists really sees as people coming together to learn and discover breakthrough solutions to the common challenges we face. With so much division happening in conversations around education, and much of it drowning out the voices of those most impacted - our youth - we knew we wanted to submit an initiative that focused on youth facilitating this work across difference. 

We put together a collaborative team from across our three organizations in the summer of 2022, and developed the project vision and plan called Youth Reimagining Education. We were thrilled when our joint application was accepted in late 2022!

Q:  How will you recruit and train the youth leaders for the programs? 

A:  Fostering youth leadership is an expertise of each of our organizations. Bridgemakers was founded by youth, for youth—to build purpose, prosperity, and power for youth facing adversity. Youthprise has spent over ten years helping organizations across our community to build programs with and for youth and responsive to their needs. World Savvy works nationwide with districts and schools to create schools and classrooms that foster youth voice and leadership.

The facilitation of the work will be carried out by existing Bridgemakers youth leaders, with additional training and support from Youthprise and World Savvy in frameworks and facilitation practices relevant to the project.

Q:  I know these may be early days, but where and when will the programs be offered? 

A:  The Youth Reimagining Education project will host 5-8 youth-led listening sessions, with participants of all ages, across Minnesota in the fall and winter of 2023-24. Youth will then lead the consolidation and synthesis of themes, culminating in a Knowledge to Action Summit next spring, which will bring back together participants from the listening sessions into a day-long design workshop to co-create actionable solutions that can be actively advanced by Minnesota youth. 

Q:  News of your grant award is encouraging to everyone who envisions a more thoughtfully engaged population in Minnesota. I hope the grant will be renewed in future years. How will you measure the success of the programs?   

A: We hope the collaboration will result in changes at the local and state level that have a profound impact on the state of education in Minnesota, so that a great quality education that meets the needs of diverse individuals will be available to all students across the state, regardless of their address, income level, or racial or ethnic identity. However, we also have another equally important goal for the project, which is that youth and other members of the community are empowered by this process to lead inclusive dialogue and find solutions with those who may hold different beliefs in a way that yields returns for our community and democracy.

Q:  How may we follow progress and news of the program?   

A:  The best way is to follow World Savvy, Bridgemakers, and Youthprise on our social media channels - especially LinkedIn and Instagram. You can also check out World Savvy’s blog, or subscribe to our mailing lists on the World Savvy, Bridgemakers and Youthprise websites. 

Rich Wagner Looks Back on a Successful Career at Dunwoody College of Technology

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A Discussion with Rich Wagner, President of Dunwoody College of Technology

Rich WagnerRich Wagner will retire this summer after 13 years at the helm of Dunwoody College of Technology. He led the college through the development and execution of strategic plans, raised $125 Million to fund scholarships and campus renovations and expansion, among many other accomplishments. Wagner started out as an electrical instructor in 1996 and rose to the position of President. We talked to him about the history of Dunwoody (a pioneering institution for technical education, founded in 1913!), innovative programs during his tenure and what’s next for him. 

Q:  During Your tenure as President of Dunwoody College of Technology there were some major unanticipated challenges – the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and the COVID-19 shutdown. How did you keep the College on track? 

A:  One of Dunwoody’s strengths is the people who work here and who believe so strongly in our mission and what we do. Staying focused on that mission during challenging times has been a crucial part of Dunwoody’s continued success – guiding our decisions during times of disruption.

I also believe in being transparent with employees, so they not only understood the challenges we were facing, but how we were addressing those challenges.

Finally, having discipline around our financials has been key to ensuring we lived within our means. As a private, non-profit institution of higher education, that has meant understanding enrollment trends and industry needs. For more than a century, Dunwoody has built a reputation as a leader in hands-on, technical education, educating students for great-paying, in-demand careers. Our graduates continue to be essential to keeping our community and economy thriving, especially during challenging times.

Dunwoody College of Technology is located at 818 Dunwoody Boulevard

Q:  You have always supported technical education for underserved, underrepresented and under-resourced student populations. Why is this important to you? 

A:  For many of our students, Dunwoody provides a pathway to a great-paying career and a secure future. If we are going to address the issues of equity in our communities, access to these pathways is an essential part of the solution. We are faced with a critical skills gap, one that if left unchecked, will prevent industries and the economy from growing. That means that we need to ensure that more people, from all backgrounds, have the option to pursue a technical degree, so we can continue to build the talent pipeline needed to keep industries and the Minnesota economy healthy. 

Q:  You started at Dunwoody as an Electrical Instructor in 1996, rising to the President of the College – congratulations! Did you always have an interest in the administrative aspects of higher education? 

A:  No, but I was always passionate about Career and Technical Education because of how it changed my life. What I saw as I took on the role of program director is I could have a bigger impact on Career and Tech Ed from an administrative side. I could work to create awareness around the pathways that a Dunwoody education provides – and to do that best I felt I would need to be outside the classroom. I love teaching, but I wanted to make this type of education available to as many people as possible.

Q:  You are instrumental in forming partnerships in the Twin Cities that further opportunities for Dunwoody students. Could you tell us more about your thinking around partnerships and how they’ve benefited students, the College, and the Twin Cities? 

A:  There is no organization that can go it alone. There is so much to be gained by reaching out and understanding all of the different partnerships available. From non-profits, to businesses, K-12 and higher education, we can do more together. Those organizations are eager to partner with us. If we capitalize on that, everyone benefits – students, agencies, and business. The industries in Minnesota and the Twin Cities have been wonderful to work with. They help inform our curriculum, they provide state-of-the-industry equipment and software for our labs, shops, and studios, and they employ our students when they graduate.

Q:  Dunwoody makes great use of social media – I love the Tik Tok channel. Are you involved in the social media messaging?

A:  Our social media presence has always been a reflection of the great things that are happening at Dunwoody. We are fortunate to have an internal team committed to sharing the Dunwoody story. 

Q:  What is Pathways to Careers?   

A:  The Pathways to Careers (P2C) Program is focused on preparing underserved and under-represented people for success at Dunwoody, immediate jobs, and great careers. The program works with community organizations and industry partners to support students through scholarships, mentoring, and academic support.

P2C works directly with community partners to create greater awareness and access to a Dunwoody education to meet the growing workforce needs of business and industry. This program is a critical part of our strategic plan as we work to interrupt disparity gaps in college retention, graduation, and job placement rates.

Q:  You’ve been instrumental in promoting Dunwoody as an educational option to women. Please tell us about Women in Technical Careers. 

A:  The Women in Technical Careers program is another essential part of our strategic plan. WITC works to raise awareness and break down barriers for more women to pursue careers typically considered non-traditional.

Similar to P2C, students enrolling in WITC receive tuition assistance, childcare support, intensive academic advising, access to internships and part-time employment; and, upon graduation, support in securing full-time work with family-supporting wages. They also benefit from a mentor program, monthly cohort meetings, field trips, and other professional development activities to promote their success in male-dominated education and work environments.

Both P2C and WITC are programs Dunwoody has implemented to address disparity gaps in our community, and we know more work needs to be done. This spring the College held a Community Summit with close to 100 representatives from industry, education, and non-profit organizations to discuss ways we as a community can tackle these issues.

Q:  Will you mentor your replacement?    

A:  Yes, and while that is up to the Board of Trustees, I plan on being available to help provide continuity in our relationships and our strategic initiatives, and to ensure the institutional memory is captured.

Q:  Congratulations on a meaningful and impactful career! What’s next for you in 2024?    

A: My wife and I are still trying to figure that out. There will certainly be some transitional work when the new President is hired, along with travel, golf, and time with grandkids - and then we’ll figure out what’s next.

Red Lake Nation College Opens New Educational Site in Downtown Minneapolis

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Have you seen the new campus of the Red Lake Nation College at 900 S 3rd Street? We were curious about the opening date for the college, curriculum offered and if tours would be available. Kayla Duane, Communications Director, had the answers for us. "Boozhoo!" to our new neighbors!

Kayla DuaneQ:  Please tell us the history of Red Lake Nation College and the new location in downtown Minneapolis.

A:  Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) is a two-year tribal college located on the beautiful shores of Red Lake in Northern Minnesota. Its state-of-the-art facilities, combined with Ojibwe language and culture, and globally-relevant courses, offer a unique combination of Native innovation and tradition that prepares students of all backgrounds for the twenty-first century job market. RLNC is accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. In 2021, RLNC took the step of securing a location in downtown Minneapolis for its distance education site, dedicated to serving the large and growing Indigenous population in the Twin Cities metro area. 

Q:  What courses of study and degrees will the college offer at the Minneapolis site?

A:  Our Minneapolis site offers an Associate of Liberal Arts degree, a two-year degree designed intentionally as an exploration of, and exposure to, many disciplines in order to develop a wide breadth of understanding of liberal education and to prepare for transfer to a four-year institution. This Degree Program is infused with culturally-relevant material with the intent of exposing students to the Ojibwe language and allowing them the opportunity to understand Anishinaabe values and how these values can provide a foundation for lifelong learning and community involvement. The credits earned at RLNC are designed to transfer for continuing education in a baccalaureate program.

Artist rendering of the aerial view of the building site

Q:  How do you incorporate Ojibwe culture into your curriculum?

A:  Red Lake Nation College utilizes the most effective learning methods available depending on the subject area and instructional activity. We develop course offerings that are grounded in Anishinaabe values and culture, and specifically use the seven Ojibwe Grandfather Teachings of Humility, Bravery, Honesty, Wisdom, Truth, Respect and Love to form the basis of our learning outcomes. All course offerings evolve from this cultural basis.

Q:  How will you pursue students to enroll in the new location? Do you have plans to do outreach to the local Native and non-Native communities?

A:  Red Lake Nation College looks to where students are. For example, we pursue students to enroll at our Minneapolis site by having a presence at a number of different events across the Twin Cities Metro, and are currently offering different modalities of learning. RLNC currently offers in-person classes, Hy-Flex classes and asynchronous classes to cater to different learning styles. Our typical students demand flexibility in their learning to accommodate busy lives, so we strive to provide opportunities that meet those needs to help our students achieve their educational goals and provide them with a great first start on their education journey.

Q:  May we tour the facility?

A:  Currently our educational space is under renovation. We anticipate opening our space to all guests for tours in February 2024 when we plan on having our grand opening. However, we are currently leasing a building at 1001 S Washington Avenue. If you would like a tour, you can reach out to Rachel King (rachel.king@rlnc.edu) who is the Director of Student Success at our Minneapolis Office.

Q:  How may we stay up to date with the college's plans and events?

A:  You can stay up to date with the college’s plans and events by visiting our website and on our Facebook page, where we upload all of our upcoming events. 

Small Business Spotlight: Jayded AF, a New Line of Ready-to-Serve Gin Martinis

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos providedAlexa Jayde Fitzpatrick

A Discussion with Alexa Jayde Fitzpatrick, CEO

August is Black Business Month, and before the month slips away, we wanted to highlight a local black female entrepreneur. Meet Alexa Jayde Fitzpatrick, the imaginative creator and CEO behind Jayded AF ready-to-serve gin martinis. The name Jayded AF came from Alexa’s middle name, Jayde; and the AF stands for Alexa Fitzpatrick. We talked to Alexa about the inspiration for her line of ready to serve, delicious and high-quality cocktails and where to find them.  

Q:  What was the inspiration that led you to create Jayded AF Cocktails?

A:  Anyone who knows me knows I am a Lemon Drop girl. No matter the entree: chicken, steak, fish, or tacos, I am having a lemon drop martini! I was at home one evening and my significant other asked me if I wanted something from the liquor store that he was on his way to. At that moment I realized it would be great to have a sophisticated cocktail from an upscale bar, in the comfort of home. Unfortunately, that did not exist. Nothing ready-to-drink on the shelf met the standards that the art of this cocktail demands (to my knowledge). I didn't have the skill to create one from scratch either. From that, a spark was lit, and I immediately felt that I had to rectify the situation and create a product not just for myself but others.

Q:  Your brand seeks to permanently reconfigure liquor sales. Talk to us about this very unique niche you’ve discovered.

A:  Honestly, I know there are numerous ready-to-drink options out there. However, I never felt personally marketed to. Trends come and go, be it ciders or the current craze of seltzers. Besides wine, I just have not seen a premium, cost-effective, effortless, and flavorful option that simply hits on all cylinders. I find that discovery is made more difficult by the bombardment of different variations of the same thing. I thought, rather than attempt to recreate the wheel, why not focus on a new spin of an old classic? Martinis are a staple - elegant and satisfying. The obvious limitation is access and know-how. I chose to solve it.

Q:  Was Jayded AF part of a local business incubator program?

A:  I launched 3 months ago and went full tilt with marketing. I created social media handles, promo videos on YouTube and Instagram, as well as displays on multiple buses and digital screens in Minneapolis. We have been picked up by a few magazines and have had segments on a couple of shows. If you have heard of us, I am truly glad our efforts are paying off. 

To answer your question, however, no. We are not part of an incubator program. This is simply my brainchild, two years in the making with the dividends of sweat equity hopefully paying off.

Lemon Drop

Laxly Cucumber

Q:  What products do you offer? Where will we find your products?

A:  A line of sinfully edgy, incredibly chic, and effortlessly cool ready-to-serve, gin-based martinis in 3 flavors and 2 sizes. Our flavors are Lemon Drop, Lavender, and Laxly Cucumber. 

We are at a handful of independents including: 

• Underground Leaf and Vine in the North Loop
• Zipps Liquor in the Seward neighborhood
• Central Avenue Liquors in NE and Princeton’s Liquor in Maple Grove
• We are also in the Maple Grove and Minnetonka Total Wine locations, and coming to all Kowalski’s Wine Shop locations.

We are working diligently to get to a location near you and have a big desire and initiative underway for consumers to find us at your local concert venues such as the Armory and First Avenue. Another goal is to enjoy the martinis while you attend your next sporting event. (Yes, we have an eager eye on our beautiful local stadiums.) So, fingers crossed!

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  Check out our website jaydedaf.com. There you can enter your zip code in our interactive map to see the locations where we currently are on shelves and keep up to date as we add more. You can also find us on social media! Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Small Business Spotlight: Rise Bagel Co.

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Kate Lloyd

Rise Bagel Co. is on a mission to elevate the bagel experience one organic bagel at a time. Rise debuted at the Fulton Farmers Market in 2014, and opened up shop in the North Loop at 530 N Third Street in 2017. We talked to founder/owner Kate Lloyd about the bagel business, their partnerships and why their bagels are just so good!

Q:  Please tell us about this ode I saw on your website: 

The sun will RISE in the morning.

Wheat will RISE from the Earth.

Dough will RISE to bake.

You will RISE from your slumber.

Together, we RISE to the occasion.

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A:  We celebrate the power of the word RISE. It’s a bold name that inspires and evokes a positive emotional connection. I wrote the ode with these thoughts in mind.

Q:  Rise Bagel Co. partners with Northern Waters Smokehaus for your Smoked Salmon Bagel. You have frequent collaborations with merchants such as Allbirds and Madewell. What’s your philosophy on business partnerships? Any collaborations on the horizon that you can tell us about at this time?

A:  We believe in protecting planet Earth, cultivating community, and supporting brands and causes that share our values. We are specifically drawn to partnerships focused on food and the environment—two things closely related to Rise and the work we do.

We have some exciting collaborations in the works with Madewell and Stigma Cannabis Co. Stay tuned!

Q:  We certainly will stay tuned – be sure to let us know when the announcement is ready. What makes Rise bagels so delicious?

A:  Our bagels are organic and made from scratch with a short list of simple ingredients.

We took inspiration from the two bagel meccas (New York and Montreal) to create a one-of-a-kind bagel. Our bagels are proper and far from imposters - not those “rolls with holes” that weigh you down all day. Boiled and baked, they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Made here in Minneapolis, just the way we like them.

Q:  How often are seasonal products added to the menu? 

A:  Our business continues to grow year over year. Our menu is intentionally small and focused. This helps us keep up with demand and maintain quality when it comes to our product and customer experience.

The Artisan

Catering Spread

Q:  What will autumn bring to Rise bagels? 

A:  Summer is still here! Our house-made Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese is officially back on the menu for summer. Salted Maple Cream Cheese will return this fall.

Q:  Congratulations on your wholesale partnerships which make Rise bagels so easy to find! Do you bake all of your bagels at the North Loop location?

A:  Thank you! Our organic bagels are baked fresh every morning at our North Loop shop.

Our bagels naturally have a one-day shelf life. That's because we don't add unnecessary ingredients like preservatives.

Our bagels are found in the freezer aisle in many local stores, including Lakewinds Co-op, Wedge Co-op, Eastside Co-op, Linden Hills Co-op, Mississippi Market and Windside. Freezing is nature’s best preservative and maintains the integrity of our product. Minnesota bagels freeze nice! Our bagels reheat wonderfully, enabling a freshly baked bagel experience at home.

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  Social media - Facebook and Instagram - are the best way to stay up-to-date on all-things Rise. Come visit us in the North Loop.

Utepils Brewing, Silver Award Winner at the World Beer Cup 2023

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

World Beer Cup 2023 Winners! Brewers Association President & CEO Bob Pease presents Eric Harper and Dan Justesen of Utepils Brewing with their Silver Award for Helles

Eric Harper, Utepils' Brewmaster, enjoying a giant pretzel at Oktoberfest in MunichTo win a Silver Medal at the World Beer Cup Competition is a major accomplishment. That’s just what happened for Utepils Brewing this year with their entry in the Helles competition. We talked to Eric Harper, Master Brewer, about Helles beer, his start in the beer brewing business and the brewery taproom offerings at 225 Thomas Ave N (in the Harrison Neighborhood). Keep reading – you also learn a new Norwegian word.

Q:  Congratulations to you and Utepils for winning the silver medal at the World Beer Cup Competition in Nashville earlier this year. Your winning entry was Helles, a Munich-style Helles beer. Could you tell us more about Helles and Munich-style Helles beer?

A:  Munich-style Helles is a pale, golden lager. It's slightly sweeter and fuller bodied than a Pilsner. The style was first created in Munich, Germany in the late 1800's as a response to Czech Pilsner's rising popularity. I'd say it's the beer most commonly associated with the famous beer halls and beer gardens of Bavaria. For our Helles, we import malted barley from a family maltster in Bamberg, Germany, and use just a touch of hops from Germany's Hallertau region to try and create the most authentic version of the style as we can.

A perfectly poured glass of Utepils Brewing's award winning Munich-style HellesQ:  Please tell us about your experience at the competition. Is this your first time competing?

A:  We've entered beers into the competition twice before, but never won. This year there were over 10,000 entries from 51 different countries in the competition. We had to ship our entries back in March. They were then judged by an international panel over multiple days. The awards were announced May 10th in Nashville at the conclusion of the Craft Brewers' Conference, the largest educational brewing conference and tradeshow in the U.S. It was super exciting to be in a giant convention hall, full of brewers, and hear your name get called! I'm extremely proud of my team and the work they put into brewing our beers, and am really happy to share this award with them.

Q:  How may we experience your Helles beer?

A:  Our Helles beer is available at retailers across the state in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and 12 packs of 12 oz. cans. It's also on draft at a number of local bars and restaurants, and of course is available in our taproom. We have a neat beer finder on the website that will let you search for locations serving our beer, as well as filter results by beer style.

Q:  The beer finder tool is awesome! When and how did your interest in brewing beer come about?

A:  I started home brewing when I was in high school. A friend's parents had all of the equipment, and they thought it would be a fun hobby for us to try out. I kept brewing during college, but really just became more and more interested in the huge variety of beer and breweries that exist. At some point I decided I wanted to pursue a career in beer, so I started taking courses that seemed applicable. After finishing my undergrad degree, I went on to a dedicated brewing program at UC-Davis.

Q:  What does the word Utepils mean?

A:  Utepils is a Norwegian word that translated literally means "outside beer." The Norwegians might use it any time they talk about enjoying a beer outside, but we like to say, "Utepils means the first beer enjoyed outside after a long, dark winter."

Utepils Brewing's inviting taproom, located on the banks of Bassett Creek in Minneapolis

Q:  What do you recommend we try when we visit your taproom?

A:  The Helles, of course, but my other favorite beers are our Czech-style Pils and Ewald the Golden, a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen. If you're looking for something hoppier, Hoppestokk is a dry hopped lager beer that's also really excellent.

Q:  The best of luck with future competitions. How may we follow your news? 

A:  Thanks! Social media is probably the best way to keep up with what's happening at the brewery. We're always posting news and events to Facebook and Instagram. For more general info, and where to find our beers, the website is the best bet.

Discover a Local Music Gem: Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

A discussion with Allison Eklund, President and Lon Hendricks, Director

Mandolins were first introduced to the United States by Italian immigrants and have a long history in Minnesota. The Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra (MMO) was established in 1991 and you can catch their performances at many local venues. We spoke to Allison Eklund, President, and Lon Hendricks, Director, to learn more about the history of mandolin orchestras and where we might learn to play the instrument.

Allison Eklund

Q:  What is a mandolin orchestra?  

Allison:  A mandolin orchestra is an ensemble of plucked instruments in the mandolin family. They are played with a plectrum (pick) rather than a bow, and generally correspond to the instruments in a string orchestra: the mandolin, mandola, mandocello and mandobass are strung for tuning equivalent to the violin, viola, cello, and bass violin. Because mandolins are played with a plectrum instead of a bow, they have an additional string for each note and may achieve a sustained sound using "tremolo" plectrum technique. A mandolin orchestra typically includes guitars and may include fretted instrument variations such as an octave mandolin (tuned like a mandolin but playing notes an octave lower) and liuto cantabile (or liuto moderno), a five-note stringed instrument combining a mandocello with an octave mandolin. Bass mandolins are fairly rare these days, so many mandolin orchestras include acoustic bass guitar and/or double bass violins. Additional information can be found at the web site for the Classical Mandolin Society of America, which has a close relationship with MMO and many of its members. Specifically, see this article on score notation for mandolin orchestra.

Twin Cities Mandolin Club circa 1900

Q:  Please give us a brief history of mandolin orchestras in Minneapolis and St. Paul in the “golden age of mandolins.” 

Allison:  I could not explain any better than Minnesota History magazine in its wonderful article about the history of mandolin playing in the Twin Cities, available in their archives. I find it particularly amusing that, from 1890 to 1920 during the "golden age of mandolins," some people reportedly would carry mandolin cases around just to "appear stylish." We were evidently the epitome of cool, to use then-unknown parlance. Mandolin ensembles were highly popular in a variety of settings, long before bluegrass music became associated with the sound of a mandolin in America.

Q:  Why do you think so many ethnic groups formed mandolin orchestras or clubs?   

Allison:  I cannot speculate on the attractiveness of mandolins to any particular ethnic group, but when the world-famous mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital came to Minnesota for a Schubert Club performance a few years ago, he came to visit MMO at one of our rehearsals. He explained that the popularity of mandolins in his native Israel began with efforts to encourage Jewish resettlement. The violin was widely played, he said, but community leaders worried that at a certain level of virtuosity, players might leave to pursue fame and fortune. To encourage sustainable communities, they introduced the mandolin as a "violin anyone can play" because its frets and plectrum technique made playing the instrument accessible to new players at any age. Avital's presentation resonates. The mandolin can be learned at a basic level relatively quickly, and even playing simple chords can be a rewarding way to enjoy participation in music-making. It can be played as a solo instrument, and also blends well with other instruments. It has wide appeal across age and experience levels and genres of music.

Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra performing at the Lake Harriet Bandshell

Q:  From the inception of mandolin clubs in the late 19th century and early 20th century in North America, there was a philanthropic, service, and social aspect to those groups. They raised money for those in need and they met socially to improve the spirits of the club members and to engage with their communities. Is this viewpoint still part of the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra?

A:  Yes. The Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra has a charitable mission and purpose, to foster the enjoyment of mandolin music. The group started in 1991 and became a 501c3 charitable nonprofit corporation in 2018. We do not charge admission for our concerts (though sometimes our venues do), and we hope to gain wider awareness and appreciation of our sound and the breadth of music genres performed by finding opportunities to play in diverse communities. We have some standing relationships with outdoor venues such as Como Dockside Pavilion in St. Paul and Centennial Lakes Park in Edina, and in winter we often perform at the invitation of senior living and indoor park facilities. We enjoy bringing the sound of mandolin orchestra music to new venues and listeners of all ages and backgrounds.

Lon HendricksQ:  Mandolin orchestras are back in a big way – please tell us about the resurgence of mandolin clubs.  

Lon:  I'm not aware of any recently formed mandolin groups in Minnesota. The Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra was founded by Jack El-Hai in 1991. A lot of players have come and gone between then and now, but we still carry on as the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra. There are quite a few mandolin orchestras around the United States, and you can see a list of the groups recognized by the Classical Mandolin Society of America here.

Q:  Where and how may a beginner learn the mandolin?  

A:  Players who come from a violin or guitar background usually find the transition to mandolin to be relatively easy, and many are self-taught. Mandolinists looking for instruction could contact the Homestead Pickin' Parlor, MacPhail Center for Music, Jim Plattes, or Karen Mueller. There is also plenty of instructional material on YouTube. David Benedict and Magnus are good teachers.

Q:  Where may we hear the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra?  

Lon:  The next public concert is Monday, August 28, 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Como Lakeside Pavilion at the Dock & Paddle, 1360 Lexington Pkwy N, Saint Paul. Future concerts will be posted here.

Q:  How may we stay current on your news?  

Lon:  Check out our website and Facebook.

Porzana and Flora Room - What We Know So Far

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Chef Daniel del PradoMpls.St.Paul Magazine says he is transforming the Twin Cities food scene. He was Minnesota Monthly’s 2022 Chef of the Year. Twin Cities Business calls his culinary hot spots a growing empire. Of course we’re talking about Chef Daniel del Prado. His partner in the new North Loop establishments is by no means a lightweight – it’s restaurateur and visionary Ryan Burnet! Porzana will be a first-floor restaurant, with cocktail bar Flora Room occupying the lower level.

Ryan BurnetWe are all waiting for their new joint project to open in the North Loop at 200 First Street S, and we’ve snooped around to share the following news and with our readers:

• Porzana will serve the top 3% of beef (prime) which comes from the highest-grade domestic cattle (never antibiotic, all natural). A product has been developed exclusively for Porzana -  prime beef graded 100% grass-fed beef, never grain, which is extremely rare.

• Beef steaks will range from $21 for a prime hanger steak to an extravagant 4-pound Wagyu tomahawk steak for indulging and sharing.

• In addition to the beef entrees, Porzana’s extensive menu will have many seafood, vegetable and Argentinean pasta choices.

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• Porzana’s goal is to be the best restaurant in their portfolio! (Quite the goal considering their portfolio – Martina, Colita, Rosalia, Macanda, Bar La Grassa, Burch Steak, Barrio, Eastside, etc.)

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• Patio dining will be available in the space between what were The Bachelor Farmer and Askov Finlayson.

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• The first floor will have a large bar for walk-in seating. Downstairs in the Flora Room, you’ll find an upscale cocktail bar.

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• You can visit three times within the same week and have three different experiences (patio, dining room, Flora Room downstairs)!

Red Rabbit Included in FSR Magazine's America's Top 50 Independent Restaurants for 2023

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

The July issue of FSR Magazine announced their America's Top 50 Independent Restaurants for 2023. We’re extremely lucky to have three of these culinary destinations nearby – Young Joni, Spoon and Stable and Red Rabbit. We wanted to learn more about these restaurants and started by speaking with Michael Giacomini, Director of Finance for Red Rabbit. We learned about the secrets of their success and must-try choices on your next visit to their restaurant in the North Loop at 201 Washington Avenue N.

Michael Giacomini

Q:  Did you know Red Rabbit was in contention for the award? 

A:  This was a total surprise for us! It was so rewarding to see this happen without us knowing we were in contention.

Q:  How were you notified? 

A:  We were not specifically notified. We follow FSR Magazine and we saw we were in it!

Q:  The award calls our Red Rabbit’s authentic Italian dishes and craft cocktails. How do you differentiate the dining experience at Red Rabbit versus other Minneapolis Italian restaurants? 

A:  We differentiate ourselves by being an uncomplicated authentic Italian restaurant. We focus on the authentic flavors of traditional Italian dishes while staying affordable and approachable. Our 72-hour aged pizza dough really sets us apart from some other Italian restaurants. You can come to us and get oysters, pizza, spaghetti & meatballs, lasagna or our famous Chicken Parmesan. We believe beverage is such an integral part of the dining experience. That is why we focus on creating an elevated experience around craft cocktails, fine wines stored and chilled at the right temperatures, and our 20 taps of Craft beer. Focusing on all three components of beverage allows us to be able to provide something for everyone to enjoy with their meal. Our beverage director Ian Lowther hand selects and creates the wines and cocktails available at Red Rabbit.

Q:  Will the award prompt the management team to consider opening additional Red Rabbit locations in the state? 

A:  We are always looking for the opportunity for a great location where we believe the neighborhood will enjoy the experience, and we can positively impact that community.

Pepperoni PizzaQ:  What are dishes do you recommend we try when we next visit Red Rabbit? We won’t limit ourselves to one, but would you also recommend a cocktail we should try? 

A:  To start, you have to get the burrata. For pastas, you cannot go wrong with the Cavatelli or Mostaccioli. For pizzas, we are known for our spicy salami pizza or margherita pizza. Make sure to get our Chicken Parmesan for the table to split, and for dessert our sticky toffee cake is an absolute must! For beverages, please try the espresso martini.

Q:  Any sneak peeks at fall menu items?  

A:  We are working with our chefs and beverage director to change some items over from spring/summer to fall/winter. Most of our menu stays the same but we do stay on trend with some seasonal items. I can’t report any advance info right now!

Mostaccioli

Espresso Martini

Charcuterie Board

Q:  Congrats to you for also sponsoring and hosting the QUEERSPACE Pride Block Party – last year and again in 2023. How did the partnership come about?   

A:  We love it! One of their board members is a longtime family friend, neighbor, and regular at our Red Cow Uptown Location. She reached out to us a couple years ago to partner with QUEERSPACE Collective and do something big during pride month. We then also partnered with Indeed Brewing Company, and the three of us put our heads together on how we can raise money and have a good time all at once! Our staff has really come to love and support QUEERSPACE Collective as well. It is just a really fun partnership that also raises money for a great cause!

Q: What role does social media play in your marketing strategy? How may we follow your news?

A: Social media plays a big role in our Marketing Strategy. Mainly, we use social media to define our brand, create and build brand awareness and promote all that we offer as a company. Our social media accounts have allowed us to create relationships with people who might not otherwise know or interact with our brand. Additionally, social media is an information resource for us to see what others in the industry are doing. It also allows us to showcase menu items (current & new), beverages, and our staff!  Not only is social media free to use, it’s an amazing tool to drive users to other areas of the business (sales, website traffic, events, ads, etc).

Our social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the best options when looking for current, relevant happenings within our company! Also check out our website.

Mississippi River History Cruise - A Discussion with Professor Bill Green

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

History classes are not always taught in classrooms – sometimes you might be lucky enough to learn on a riverboat! Join the National Park Service and the Mississippi Park Connection in a program led by special guest, Professor Bill Green, on the Mississippi River. We talked to Professor Green about the topic for the cruise - stories of Black Minnesotans whose lives took place along the Mississippi River in the 19th Century. The event takes place on August 10 – register here.

Professor GreenQ:  The promotional materials for your History Cruise note that you’ll cover “remarkable Black Minnesotans whose lives unfolded along the landscape of the Mississippi River.” Will you cover individuals (like Isabel Wilkerson did in her Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Warmth of Other Suns) or will you cover groups of Black people who lived near the river? If individuals, can you give us a teaser of who we’ll learn about?

A:  Wilkerson's powerful book is about a different time and, in a sense, place. My talk will focus on the stories of 19th century Blacks who escaped Southern slavery, to arrive in a place that was governed by powerful white men who were progressive in principle, but paternalistic in practice. Unlike those who Wilkerson examines who came North and formed large communities, my subjects came to very small communities of black Minnesotans who realized that there was a cost to being too noticeable, recognizing that in order to advance their rights, found guidance in the adage - two steps forward, one step backwards - making certain demands while avoiding seeming ungrateful. Theirs were lives that had to be experienced on a tightrope.

One example is Maurice Jernigan, who arrived in the 1850s from the South, a fugitive slave who used his skills as a barber to secure protection from white customers who tolerated slave catchers walking the streets of St. Paul. Another example is Robert Hickman, also a fugitive, who arrived in St. Paul in 1864. He and his group were met at the dock by a hostile gang of white laborers who repulsed their landing. Finally coming ashore at Fort Snelling, they came back to St. Paul to start a black church that exists to this day. William Taylor, another black barber, was "conductor" of the Underground Railroad that came to Minnesota via the Mississippi. A fourth person is Eliza Winston who was brought to Minnesota as one of several enslaved persons forced to accompany their enslavers who came as tourists. That kind of tourism thrived in Minnesota in the wake of the Dred Scott decision. These stories come from my books - Degrees of Freedom, The Origins of Civil Rights in Minnesota, 1865–1912 and The Children of Lincoln: White Paternalism and the Limits of Black Opportunity in Minnesota, 1860-1876 (2018), both of which received the Hognander-Minneapolis Book Awards. The Mississippi River, in each case, was crucial for these four African Americans to begin their respective Minnesota story.

Q:  I’m so excited for this new programming – history aboard a river cruise! Will your remarks be of interest to all age groups?

A: I think my remarks will be of interest to a wide range of listeners. 

Q: I think this is going to be a major hit – do you envision a follow-up cruise for the history buffs in the area?

A: I can imagine follow-up cruises to St. Anthony/Minneapolis and Stillwater.

In addition to learning about the lesser-known stories of the Mississippi, participants will enjoy wildlife and scenic sunset views. The cost is $20 for members, $25 for non-members. There will be a cash bar. Boarding begins at 6:45pm; boat leaves promptly at 7. Dieparture location is Watergate Marina, 2500 Crosby Farm Road, St. Paul, MN 55116

Learn more about becoming a member of the Mississippi Park Connection here.

Meet the Mill City Farmers Market Vendors Part 1: Der's Farm

Article by Becky Fillinger

Jeffrey Thao

We’ve focused on several team members at the Mill City Farmers Market this season and now turn our attention to some of the farmers. First up is Jeffrey Thao, the owner's son and farmer’s market representative for Der’s Farm. He spoke to us about the genesis of the farm and the wonderful flowers he brings to us all season long.

Q:  Please tell us the history of Der’s Farm. Where is your farm located? 

A:  Der's farm started in the early 1990's by Yeng Lee (my mom, Mrs. Der Thao) a few years after they arrived in the US as refugees from Laos in 1986 after the Vietnam war ended. My father worked as a bus driver and my mom worked all kinds of jobs, whatever she could to get some money to raise a big family. She worked two shifts and money in the household was still very tight – plus she had trouble finding childcare working so many hours.

L to R, Jeffrey Thao's parents, Der Thao and Yeng Lee, at the farm.

So, my mom started farming - planting vegetables with her sister-in-law. Once she started farming, she figured out that she was able to make money from selling the produce and could babysit her kids at the same time too. That became a thing for my mom and what she launched continues year after year. My mom passed in 2014, but her husband Der Thao and kids are still farming

The farm is located on 20 acres on two plots in Rosemount and Hampton.

Q:  Why does Der's Farm grow flowers? Do you also still grow and sell vegetables?

A:  Der's farm started to grow flowers because from one of my mom’s previous jobs, she loved working in a flower wholesale place. She loved flowers and making bouquets at her job. So she decided to plant flowers and started to invest in perennial flowers such as lilies and peonies. As years go by, she planted new flowers every year and the flower farm just ‘blossomed’ from there on. She was one of the first Hmong farmers to grow flowers in Minnesota. We still grow vegetables but far less than the flowers. The vegetables that we plant are mainly Brussels sprouts, asparagus, tomatoes, peas, and little bit of sweet corn.

Above and below, shoppers line up for Der's Farm flowers and produce.

Q:  How many employees work for the farm?

A:  There are no employees, it’s just family here. We have three adult family members who work at the farm.

Q:  What flowers do you grow and sell? 

A:  Oh, so many. Gladiolus, Lilies (Asiatic and oriental), Asters, Blue Salvia, Dahlias, Snapdragons, Lisianthus, Statice, Babies Breath, Globe Thistle, Peonies, Zinnias, Baptisia, Gomphrena, Celosia and many more. 

Q:  What's the first and last flowers of the season?

A:  Our first flower of the season is Baptisia and Peonies. The last flowers of the seasons are usually Dahlias and Ornamental Kale.

Q:  May visitors come to your farm? 

A: We’re really not set up for visitors to the farm. We are a working farm, always planting and cutting flowers to sell. People will usually think that "wow your fields must be so pretty with all the flowers blooming." But actually, since we are always harvesting the flowers there are not that many blooms in the fields. But we do let our customer pick up orders or check out what flowers we have at the farm by contacting us first. 

Q:  How may we stay current with your news?

A:  The best way is to follow our Der's Farm Facebook page to see when we will have certain flowers and what flowers will be coming in season. We also post what flowers we’re bringing to the Mill City Farmers Market week by week.

Small Business Spotlight: Ono Hawaiian Plates

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

If Major League Baseball teams have given their (unofficial) seal of approval to Ono Hawaiian Plates, maybe it’s time for you to drop by the North Loop restaurant for a plate of goodness. We talked to co-owner Jess Kelley about the delicious offerings, and to hear her suggestions for those new to Hawaiian cuisine.

Q: “Ono” means delicious in the Hawaiian language. You’ve proved your concept many times over. What makes your food so sumptuous?

A: I think it's because of the mana. We cook with heart and purpose. These dishes we serve are ones we grew up eating. This is local Hawaiian comfort food, food that our mom and grandma used to make.

Q:  For a newcomer to your business, what dishes should we try to get the true nature of the Hawaiian culinary aloha?

A:  I think if I could pick four dishes for a newcomer to try, it would be: Luau Bowl, Loco Moco, Garlic Shrimp & Kalbi Shortribs and Katsu & Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. Or, you can start at the top of the menu and work your way down the next time you come in!

Loco Moco

Garlic Shrimp

Chicken Katsu

SPAM Mususbi

Q:  What are the most popular dishes on the menu?

A:  Our Chicken Katsu & Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Kahuku Garlic Shrimp & Kalbi Short Ribs, Loco Moco and our Ahi Poke bowls and SPAM Mususbi. A newcomer is our Sesame Chicken Bowl that we can't keep in stock due to the demand, haha!

Q:  What a great problem to have – too much demand. It’s not just local residents who love your food - Major League Baseball teams crave it, too. Your website features foods ordered by the Yankees, Nationals and Astros. How did you become, and stay, so popular with the Twins and visiting teams? Are you also catering for the St. Paul Saints?

A:  So, we started catering food for the St. Paul Saints when a friend of ours was their starting shortstop. He has ties to Hawaii and we would bring food for him. The rest of the team took interest, and then we started bringing food for the whole team and press box from time to time. We officially got on the St. Paul Saints catering roster the next season. 

We opened our North Loop location in December, 2019 and being in such close proximity to Target Field, we started catering for the visiting MLB teams. The MN Twins saw the food we were bringing and also took interest. Soon we were catering for both the MN Twins and their opponents. So far, we have catered for: 

Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, MN Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. Most of these teams - multiple times.

Q:  How may we stay current on your news, pop up events, etc.?

A:  All of our events are posted on our social media. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and at onohawaiianplates on TikTok. We also keep our website updated with our current goings-on. Come visit us at the North Loop Galley in the The Nordic, 729 Washington Avenue N.

Next Up at the Guthrie: Shane

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Blake RobisonA discussion with Director, Blake Robison

When this Guthrie season was announced, I was so excited to see Shane on the list! We had many questions for Director Blake Robison. He told us about interpreting the vastness of the West on the stage, multicultural and multiracial casting and how fun the play is to direct and watch. Get your tickets for Shane, which runs from July 21 to August 27.

Q:  When I think of Shane, I envision the wide-open vistas of the West, vast ranch lands, horses, cattle, frontier towns and homesteader cabins. How challenging is it to interpret or portray those elements on a theatrical stage?

A:  Putting a western on stage holds a unique set of challenges. We didn’t want to recreate the film onstage, so elements such as horses and wagons had to go! Our scenic environment tries to capture a sense of vastness with a series of wooden ramps evoking western hills on the horizon. Iconic elements appear and disappear – a kitchen table, a saloon bar, a farm cultivator – to stir the audience’s imagination. The entire stage is framed by a wooden portal, feeling like the Old West, especially at the top of the show when the audience arrives to see an enormous period map of the Wyoming territory circa 1889 when the story is set.

Karen ZacariasQ:  Playwright Karen Zacarías, a Mexican American, has reimagined Shane’s world from the 1954 movie in which all actors were Caucasian. In Karen’s play, the actors who play the main characters are Black and Latino. Her approach is historically accurate for 1899 Wyoming – one quarter of the cowboys were Mexican and one quarter were Black. How was this fresh perspective to Shane received in its world premiere at the Cincy Playhouse in the Park earlier this summer?

A:  Audiences have responded to Karen’s version of the story enthusiastically! The original novella doesn’t contain many details about the characters’ backgrounds. This version gives everyone a unique and culturally specific backstory and identity. It is more accurate to the real demographics of the American West. Additionally, Karen has created a Native character to give voice to the Indigenous perspective. Our audiences have shown great appreciation for all of these story elements.

Q:  Playwright Zacarías also has said “an engaged audience is the final character in the play.”  Were your Cincinnati audiences engaged?

A:  Very much so. There’s a lot of fun tension as the inevitable confrontation between Shane and Fletcher heats up. People are on the edge of their seats for the big saloon fight and the final shootout. There are some laughs along the way, too. It’s great fun.

Q:  One of the central themes of Shane is the notion of what it means to be a man. In this version of Shane, the title character is the son of a Cuban slave. Is the theme of manliness, and the traits that make a man, even more vital than in original version of the work?

A:  I think Karen captured this theme from the book and amplified it in her own theatrical way. Eleven year old Bobby has two role models: his dad Joe and the mysterious guest Shane. They are positive role models – masculine figures who hold similar values but express them in different ways. In today’s culture of “toxic masculinity” it’s an important discussion to have. The story demonstrates that there is a time to turn the other cheek and a time to stand up.

Q:   One final question – was it fun directing Shane for the stage?

A:  Oh my gosh, yes! The best part has been the collaboration with Karen, the actors, the designers, and our amazingly creative movement experts. I grew up watching all the classic westerns, and I still enjoy the newer ones like The Harder They Fall. To reimagine this cinematic genre for the stage has been a huge and gratifying challenge.

Small Business Spotlight: Afro Deli

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Abdirahman KahinA Discussion with CEO and Founder, Abdirahman Kahin

Abdirahman Kahin is the brainchild behind Afro Deli. As CEO and Founder, he was recently awarded 2023 SBA National Small Business Person of the Year. We talked to him about the future growth of Afro Deli, emphasis on community and how he puts together a winning approach for employee satisfaction.

Q:  Congratulations on winning 2023 SBA National Small Business Person of the Year! Will Afro Deli expand outside of the Twin Cities with your recent win on the national stage?

A:  Thank you! We’re very honored and grateful for the award. We will expand throughout the state of Minnesota in the next five years. We are talking with potential partners who can assist us with putting together a framework that can be replicated – items such as menu, training, customer service, operating systems, culture, etc. – so that the wider launch can take place. We need to create a franchise agreement, too – it protects us and the potential franchisee. So, there are many things to do to grow larger, but we are on the path.

Kahin with Vice President Kamala Harris at the 2023 SBA National Small Business Person of the Year event.

Q:  You've said that your hobby is creating jobs. I applaud you for this wonderful focus! How many employees do you currently have between your four Afro Deli locations in the Twin Cities and Grab N’ Go at the airport?

A:  We currently employ between 70 – 80 people. 

Q:  Your website states Afro Deli is a fusion restaurant that weaves together business, community, and culture. Why did you choose this language? How do you weave the community and culture into the business model?

A: Our restaurants are community spaces where people can come together. We have always opened our doors to the communities where we operate – and we have always supported our communities. Afro Deli directly supports initiatives and organizations that do good locally and across the world. We started on the West Bank and this community-based approach is our goal for all of our locations. Of course, we want to succeed financially in the business but we also want to be a friendly welcoming space. I want to point out that 95% of our customers are not Africans. We are a main stream restaurant serving a wide range of customers. Just as Chipotle does not only serve Mexicans, we do not just serve Africans. Our food is universal, as well as being fast, fresh and delicious.

Q: In an earlier interview you say that you work hard to make sure everybody is able to come to work tomorrow with joy. How do you do that and how will you keep that employee-focus if Afro Deli becomes a national brand?

A:  If we are successful in the future, it will be due to our employees. We have always taken good care of our employees, without mandates to do so. We have paid above the minimum wage for the past 10 years. We also have vacation and sick pay as benefits. We hire family members – it is not uncommon to see husbands and wives, twins, daughters and Dads and cousins all working together. If we can maintain the employee-focused nature of Afro Deli, there will be joy at the workplace.

Q:  You have a degree in Film and Media Production. Has that education been helpful in the success of Afro Deli?

A:  Absolutely it has! Film school taught me how to tell a story and how to promote and market the story. Film makers are creative people and I believe that you need creativity if you are going to successfully break into the food industry. My filmmaker background allows me to always mix it up a bit and keep selling the underlying business.

Q:  How may we follow your news?  

A:  Please follow us on social media - Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Please visit one of our locations and give us feedback – we love to hear from our customers.

Small Business Spotlight: Backstory Coffee Roasters

Article by Becky Fillinger, photo credit Andrew Reiland, Superwell Co-Creative

A Discussion with Kristina Oak, Retail Manager

We’re coffee-obsessed here in Minneapolis. A 2022 survey found that Minneapolis ranked 27th out of 100 U.S. cities for coffee-loving citizenry. Here’s an establishment you must try – Backstory Coffee Roasters. We spoke to Kristina Oak, Retail Manager of BCR in The Duffey, 528 Washington Avenue N. You’ll find a friendly space, hand-crafted drinks, delicious baked goods and many satisfied repeat customers.   

Q:  You’ve been open for 7 months now in your North Loop location in the street level of The Duffey. How is it going for the business?

A:  We’ve had an amazing first 7+ months in the North Loop. The community here is vibrant and lively, and very focused on supporting the local businesses in our neighborhood. Our space is filled every day with folks working on their laptops, holding business meetings, connecting with friends. It’s a dog-friendly lobby, which allows folks to bring the whole family when they visit us! Sharing our space with the Duffey Lofts apartments has been great- they’ve transformed this historic ironworks building into a truly special space, and we’re very happy to be here.

Q:  Could you tell us about your signature coffee drinks? Do you have seasonal drinks and food options?

A:  Seasonal food and beverages are a key aspect of what we do here at BCR. Our Summer Seasonal Specialties include a Peaches & Cream Latte, Pina Colada Cold Brew with coconut rum cold foam, and an herbal tea latte, the Summer Tiger Matcha. This season’s menu is all about the bright, fruity flavors of summer, while our spring menu leaned more into the floral, and our fall and winter menus also highlight the produce and flavors of those seasons. We offer a seasonal selection of pastries from local bakeries Vikings & Goddesses Pie Company and Sift Gluten Free. In addition to our seasonal menus, we offer frequent holiday weekend specials, and a State Fair-inspired menu at the end of every summer.

From our roastery, you’ll find fresh seasonal coffees coming in every month or so. Look for a perennial favorite, the fruity and bright Summer Break Blend, on our offerings list through August!

Q:  Please tell our readers about your coffee subscription services.

A:  It’s a beautiful thing when freshly roasted coffee appears on your doorstep without a second thought - and that’s what our coffee subscriptions do! Subscriptions are available in various sizes and at various frequencies, with your choice of coffee. Purchase one for yourself, or give one as a gift! We roast our coffee in Saint Paul, at our West Side roastery and coffee bar, and orders are packed and shipped immediately after roasting.

Q:  What makes Backstory Coffee Roasters unique?

A:  At BCR, we seek to make specialty coffee approachable and welcoming. Our staff is committed to our values of passion, seeking excellence, care for people and care for planet, and you’ll see the evidence in everything we do. We source coffees largely through direct-buying relationships with farms and mills around the world. We choose them for their quality and flavor, but also for the use of sustainable growing practices and supportive working conditions for the folks growing and processing the fruit. At our coffee bars, you’ll meet baristas with roots in our local communities, who are passionate about their craft and about connecting with our neighbors. Whether you’re looking for a single-origin espresso or a well-done classic mocha, we’ve got something for you!

Q:  Do you hold events in your shop? 

A:  We’re still assessing plans for events in our North Loop space. As of now, expect occasional sampling events of new seasonal coffees, as well as weekend beverage specials! Keep an eye on our social media pages for other BCR events held at our West Side-STP coffee bar, where we have a large yard and abundant parking! Private event inquiries for our North Loop-MPLS space are managed in partnership with the Duffey Flats, and can be sent to me at kristina@backstory.coffee.

Q:  How may we follow your news?

A:  The best ways to keep up with us are to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and join our email lists! You can sign up for coffee bar newsletters by joining our rewards program at the end of your transaction at one of our coffee bars. To sign up for roastery/seasonal coffee release newsletters, join that mailing list by visiting our website.