What Twin Cities Professionals Need to Know This Week
The Insider's Guide to The Twin Cities Business Network
👋 Good morning, Twin Cities! Welcome to The Twin Cities Networker, the local newsletter serving 26,249 professionals in the Minneapolis - St. Paul business community.
In today’s issue:
👀 Twin Cities drivers lose 73 hours in traffic
⭐ How a 60-Minute Netwinar Sparked 523 Referrals That Changed Lives
💼 Top Job Postings and Top Job Seekers in the Twin Cities
📈Twin Cities organizations looking for Manager’s Conference Room Remodel Project, Managed Print Services, Administrative Office Space Lease, and more…
✅ Metropolitan Council awards $15.75 million in Livable Communities and TOD grants to 15 projects
🔎 What are the top challenges of doing business in the Twin Cities?
📅 Register for Twin Cities networking events
👨💻 And more …
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COMMUNITY
🍇 The Twin Cities Grapevine
The Business Buzz around Minneapolis-St. Paul
Twin Cities drivers lose 73 hours in traffic (Read)
Two groups suing northern Minnesota city for data center proposal (Read)
Top Twin Cities real estate agent charged with failing to pay nearly $400,000 in taxes (Read)
Target Layoffs Appear to Signal New Direction for the Economy (Read)
Local business owner who benefitted from the MN Promise Act tells others, “apply now!” (Read)
Clearfield’s ClearPass Connector Cleaning Dust Cap Surpasses 2 Million Worldwide (Read)
Ecolab Expands Partnership with The Home Depot to Launch Exclusive Product Line in Canada (Read)
The B Suite hosts Black-owned businesses at the marketplace (Read)
U. S. Steel Powers Minnesota Economy with Jobs, Local Investment, and Community Impact (Read)
CHS Foundation and CoBank Partner to Donate $2 Million to Feeding America Amid Rising Needs at Rural Food Banks (Read)
Minnesota Rusco files for bankruptcy with at least $100M in debt (Read)
STRATEGY
⭐ Deep Dive
How a 60-Minute Netwinar Sparked 523 Referrals That Changed Lives
It might not end up in the Guinness Book of Records (then again, who knows?), but I was thrilled to lead an event that delivered results unlike anything I’d ever seen before.
As the number of participants poured into my Netwinar on Zoom, I became increasingly nervous.
The Zoom waiting room kept ticking up… 37, 45, 56. My excitement suddenly turned to panic. Soon, sixty people were ready to log into my netwinar, and I knew Zoom only allowed 50 Advanced Polls.
This wasn’t your typical Zoom webinar with hundreds of attendees. This was a netwinar (“net winner” = part webinar + part networking) where every participant needed time to speak, connect, and complete their polls for each other.
Needless to say, I was in trouble …
CAREERS
💼 Twin Cities at Work
Workplace Highlights in Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul
Although the region’s overall unemployment remains relatively low, recent layoff notices and warnings show that more than 3,500 jobs have been cut at major employers so far in 2025, particularly in manufacturing and industrial sectors.
🔥 TOP JOB POSTINGS
Business Development Specialist at ICS
💵 $100K/yr–$150K/yr | 📍 Minneapolis, MN (Apply)Business Developer, Education & Workforce Innovation at Dunwoody College Of Technology
💵 $115K/yr–$135K/yr. | 📍 Minneapolis, MN (Apply)
Sr. New Business Development, Insurance Property & Casualty at Longevity Holdings, Inc.
💵 $100K/yr–$115K/yr. | 📍 Minneapolis, MN (Apply)
👀 TOP JOB SEEKERS
Jomari Curtis, Laser Operator, Uber Driver
👉 Actively looking for Work |📍 Minneapolis, MN (Profile)
Viddy Gerard, Human Resource & Talent Acquisition
👉 Currently seeking for entry-level HR position |📍 Minneapolis, MN (Profile)
David Olson, Inside Sales Representative, Relocation
👉 Looking for employment |📍 Minneapolis, MN (Profile)
SALES
📈 Twin Cities Leads
The City of Golden Valley is soliciting quotes for the Manager’s Conference Room Remodel Project (Link)
Managed Print Services needed at Minnesota State University (Link)
Document Destruction, Disposal, and Recycling for the White Earth Health Center (Link)
Seeking Competitive Lease Proposals at the Administrative Office Space in support of Law Enforcement Operations, Ft. Snelling, MN (Link)
Blue Lake Water Resource Recovery Facility in St. Paul, MN needs to remove and dewater sludge and debris from a digester tank (Link)
Master Contracts for Wastewater System Planning Services Contracting with Small Business Goal (Link)
280 Sanitary Sewer Crossing Replacement Project, Construction Services, Heavy (Link)
Pipe-in-Pipe Rehabilitation (Contracting - with Small Business Goal) (Link)
SUPPORT
✅ Twin Cities Resources
Helpful Tools & Positive Developments in Minneapolis-St. Paul
Metropolitan Council awards $15.75 million in Livable Communities and TOD grants to 15 projects (More)
City of Minneapolis “Vibrant Storefronts” Program (More)
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) “PROMISE Act Grant Program” (More)
Grant RFP for the Minnesota Small Business Development Center (MnSBDC) Network (More)
Business Technical Assistance Program (BTAP) (More)
KNOWLEDGE
🔎 Twin Cities Insights
AI-Powered Business Tips & Trends for Twin Cities professionals
What are the top challenges of doing business in the Twin Cities?
1. Rising costs & shrinking demand - Many businesses in the region report higher input costs (labor, materials, insurance, utilities), which are squeezing profit margins.
2. Workforce/talent challenges - Even though the acute “hiring frenzy” of the pandemic has moderated, many firms still say finding qualified workers remains a key obstacle.
3. Regulatory & business‑climate hurdles - Local reports highlight that businesses view regulation and policy uncertainty as a major concern. In the Twin Cities region, “government regulations” was the top challenge cited in one manufacturing‑focused survey.
NETWORKING
📅 Twin Cities Events
Top Business & Networking Events in the Twin Cities
🤝 11/14 Portkey Speed Networking - Open to all Business Owners & Professionals Networking Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 11/18 HOA Leadership Network Bloomington Chapter November 18 | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 11/19 Twin Cities Business Networking Event | Arden Hills, MN (Register)
💻 11/19 Embrace Change Structured Networking for Women of Color Networking Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 11/19 Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce Networking Reception Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 11/20 Minneapolis Business Networking Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 11/23 Youth Networking Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 11/24 Log Off and Link Up - A Networking Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 12/09 Caffeinate Your Business When You Network with NIA Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 12/10 Network with an Amazing Collection of Members to Grow Your Business! Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝 12/11 Network with NIA Elite Members for More Effective Business-Building Networking Event | Minneapolis, MN (Register)
🤝= In Person, 💻 = Virtual
Thank you for being part of our Twin Cities business community!
Have a great weekend!
- Mike
👀 WHERE TO FIND ME
Substack: https://www.thestrategicnetworker.com/