Twin Cities Business

How can we get the venture and startup ecosystem in Minnesota to really take off? According to Mary Grove of Bread and Butter Ventures, we need to shift resources from investments in real estate and late-stage private equity into venture capital. Those investments could provide necessary oxygen to innovators that are looking to build and scale their companies and create growth engines for the state for many years to come.    You can view the whole episode of The Twin Cities Business Show, hosted by Charlie Rybak, on our YouTube page: https://lnkd.in/gNh_WQWg

Just a couple years ago, watching sports was simple. Most games aired on cable and over-the-air. But cord-cutting brought a demand for streaming, which begat streaming-only channels, which began to acquire exclusive rights to national and local games. Having an expensive all-in cable or satellite package was not enough and left fans watching Prime or Peacock over Russian Reddit streams. The mess peaked last week, as Timberwolves playoff games disappeared into the streamers’ maw. For sports bars it's especially challenging to maneuver. TCB editor Adam Platt talked with local sports bar owners about how they are uniquely disadvantaged. Read that story below. https://lnkd.in/gTN67R_f

While corn and soybeans are the major crops grown on Minnesota farms, MBOLD, a food and agriculture coalition, is attempting to elevate the value of a lesser-known crop: winter camelina. 🌾 While acknowledging that additional research is needed, a new report from MBOLDmn explores whether winter camelina's "seed meal"—which remains after the cold-hardy crop is processed for oil—could contribute to livestock feeds for beef cattle, dairy cows, swine, and poultry. The report also notes biofuels could provide “a significant demand-pull" for the oil. Alternative feed sources remain "relatively under-researched," the report continues. "However, they add diversity to the landscape and diversify income opportunities for growers." Find TCB senior editor Liz Fedor's full report on our website, linked below. https://lnkd.in/gxMtkg-u

In 2024, TCB recognized CFOs from McKnight Foundation; Diversified Packaging Group, LLC; Bold Orange; Purpose Brands, LLC; nVent; and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, alongside many other outstanding leaders, for their vision and impact. Now, we’re excited to celebrate a new class of Notable CFOs in 2026. Nominations close this week! Learn more and submit a deserving leader at https://lnkd.in/gQerhXs7.

Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold, who has lived atop the The Saint Paul Hotel for 17 years, will now become majority owner of the distinctive hotel built in 1910. Ecolab and Securian Financial are among the downtown St. Paul businesses and local leaders buying the hotel from Travelers Insurance for an undisclosed price. Hotel improvements will begin before the end of this year, to include renovations of all hotel rooms, a reimagined lobby, a modern fitness center, and additional bar and dining experiences. TCB senior editor Liz Fedor explains how the close relationships of three St. Paul civic leaders facilitated the downtown investment deal. https://lnkd.in/gjDJt7i6

20 Washington Avenue, which sits at the intersection of Nicollet and Washington in downtown Minneapolis, will become a brand new hotel project in 2028. Charlie Rybak, TCB's VP of Innovation, got to tour the Yamasaki-designed building recently with developer Chad Tepley. Watch the video below to see what changes are planned including two new restaurants, multiple bars, a pool, and roof deck with a great view of the city on top of the famous columns. 

Minnesota’s ed tech startups are tackling some of the biggest headaches facing teachers and parents ahead of the next school year. From AI-powered school supply shopping and teacher licensing tools to student-wellness gaming platforms and technology designed to curb phone distractions in class, new tech from local companies is reshaping how education works. 📚💻   Meet the Minnesota startups helping schools manage screen time (The Commons), reduce teacher burnout (Proserva), support student mental health (Gwoop), and simplify back-to-school prep (Impacks)—all while scaling nationwide. Read Gene Rebeck's story below. https://lnkd.in/gkiF8qfZ

There are 75 million hourly workers in the United States, and many of them are not eligible for employer sponsored health insurance. In this episode of The Twin Cities Business Show, Kobby Amoah, CEO of Minneapolis-based digital health company River Health, wants to help close that gap. His company is building digital health plans for hourly workers. They work with companies like Taco Bell and Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers to bring new healthcare options to their hourly employees. Standard #health plans in the U.S. can cost upwards of 30% of an hourly employee's salary, which is often unaffordable for #business owners, so River Health is attacking the market for tens of millions of these underinsured or uninsured workers to help bring them better options. Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gDbqv6g3

This week, Sun Country Airlines' merger with Allegiant is planned to close. After that, the Sun Country brand will disappear from the Twin Cities and Terminal 2. TCB editor Adam Platt spoke with Sun Country CEO Jude Bricker about how operations at MSP will change and why Sun Country had to merge. In a Q&A on our website, Bricker shares why the merger "makes a ton of sense."

A lot of people are trying to figure out how to keep up with AI. It's moving fast. It can be hard to separate the stuff that matters from the stuff that doesn't. Are you doing it right? If you're trying to answer that question, and you run or work at a business in the Twin Cities, you should check out our event on May 19th. We'll be hosting a conversation with some of the smartest leaders in town talking about how their companies are using it – from General Mills to Lutheran Social Services, we'll have leaders from organizations of all sizes sharing what they're doing and what they're learning. The pre-panel conversations have been invigorating, and I'm not sure how we're going to fit everything we want to cover into the time we have. You'll also have a chance to meet a handful of other smart people working to tackle to same types of problems that you are. Details and tickets are here: https://lnkd.in/ggZNmDvP