As we approached June and the end of the second quarter, we had two events happen, one that excited us and the other was a disappointing surprise.

The one that excites us is the final draft and presentation of the regional workforce study we have been working on. On June 18, 2015 the five non-profit partners and Theories in Practice (TIP) Strategies will present the final results and have a CALL TO ACTION for the community to help address the workforce shortage that is slowing our economy.

The disappointing news is that our co-working partner/operator CoCo from Minneapolis announced they were closing the co-working space effective June 1, 2015. After only 9 months, CoCo decided that their model did not work in the Fargo Moorhead area.

The EDC had financially supported Fargo's CoCo's operation and were privy to their ongoing financial situation. We had discussed numerous ways they might stem the tide. CoCo's management felt it was imperative to maintain the same pricing and policies as their Minneapolis/St Paul locations which didn't transfer well to a much smaller metropolitan area.

Sometimes in failure rises the phoenix, and in this case, that is exactly what is occurring. Our partners at Emerging Prairie have determined that it was the model and not the concept that failed so they will reopen the co-working space with a new name and mission in early July.

The "Prairie Den" will be a co-working, collaborative and meeting space for businesses of all shapes and sizes. From startups to large businesses that would like to have a separate work space for project teams or special meeting venues. It will all be in the new Prairie Den and at more reasonable prices.

In the end it's really two wins, a great co-working space and an excellent workforce study that will help drive our community efforts in addressing one of our region's biggest challenges.  

Packet Digital's efficient drone hardware creates the most

Seven area teachers and two professors began their internships at area companies in early June. Through the internships, educators  make stronger connections between education and industry. 
 

Companies hosting teachers include: Microsoft, Sanford Health, John Deere Electronic Solutions, Doosan-Bobcat Company, Ulteig, Caterpillar, Moore Engineering and KLJ.  
 

By working with employees at their respective company, each educator gains more in-depth knowledge of teamwork, collaboration, communication and other critical skills needed to be successful in the work environment. Every teacher will gain the knowledge to develop curriculum materials and lesson plans that create project-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities in the classroom. The teachers will strengthen their ability to make curriculum content more relevant and applicable. 
 

The internships started June 2nd and will run through June 26th. The teachers spend Monday through Thursday at their respective companies and then meet Fridays to reflect on their experiences.
 

Each teacher receives a $2000 stipend and continuing education credit. The ND Department of Commerce will reimburse companies for half the stipend. This is the first year of state funding for the program.
 

The internship program is in its fifth year. The program was started as a pilot project in 2011 by the Greater Fargo Moorhead EDC, NDSU and West Fargo Schools. The first teacher was placed at John Deere Electronic Solutions. The internship program is now open to K-12 teachers in both Cass and Clay Counties. 

If someone poked their head into the large conference room at CoCo recently, they would have heard lingo like this: "We did a feature test in Cucumber. You guys on Ruby?"
 

To the untrained ear it sounds like gibberish about gourds and jewels. But the attendees gathered in that room for the debut Tech Problem-Solvers lunch knew exactly what they were talking about.
 

The luncheon was organized by John Machacek, SVP of Finance & Entrepreneurial Development at Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, in the hopes of connecting the various people he interacts with within the tech field.

"I wanted to bring together several tech companies to talk with each other and have a dialogue about solving tech problems," Machacek said. "I thought if I could at least get them together, even if they have met, they could better understand each other and to ask each other questions." 

Full Story

A spotlight on our programs...

Here at the GFMEDC, we work many collaborative initiatives, support community efforts and manage some sizable projects of our own. Please take a look at what we have going on here. You can see the complete list in an online booklet on our website under What We Do.  

Fargo Moorhead Images Magazine 
 

The GFMEDC partners with Livability to develop a yearly magazine that highlights the businesses and quality of life aspects of the region.  

The GFMEDC manages several social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and Pinterest. Through our social media efforts, we provide information and connect with potential businesses and residents.

The GFMEDC facilitates conversations with industry and education leaders to discuss synergies, opportunities and

workforce readiness. The EDC is responsible for and follows up on the deliverables from these action summits. The EDC forms committees and facilitates conversations between groups to identify trends, opportunities, challenges for the upcoming year. The GFMEDC hosted an IT sector summit 3rd quarter of 2014. 

GFMEDC manages the GIF revolving loan pool for expanding primary-sector businesses. The GIF continues to explore potential new funding programs to aid in

financing gaps. 

Startup Drinks Tuesday, June 16

5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

More info 

1 Million Cups 

Every Wednesday 9:15

FMCT The Stage

http://fargo.sites.1millioncups.com/   

TEDxFargo - Wonder

Thursday, July 23

Fargo Civic Center

All Day

http://www.tedxfargo.com/ 

Tickets