Fred Haberman and other social entrepreneurs think that it can help. In fact, it has to.

Frustrated by their annual wrangling over health care reimbursement rates, care provider Fairview Health Systems and insurer Medica decided to try something more collaborative. They didn’t know it two years ago, but they were forming

How to look your best whether in the office or at summer events.

The state is a major—and growing—producer of the microchips found in your smart phone, iPad, and other touchscreen devices.

Making it easier to get a patent.

Starbucks’ experience offers tips for turning mistakes into learning opportunities.

Social entrepreneurialism is hard at work as a coalition gears up to provide an additional 100 million meals to needy Minnesotans.

Did Manny Villafaña’s latest IPO get help from high places? It sure could have used some.

Want a jobs program with sustained benefits for the state? Invest in the U.

Bringing in a new chief executive allowed Paddock Labs to grow, and attract a buyer.

Red Wing is using online video to convey “brand authenticity.”

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6 creative ways to enhance cohesion in a company.

How banks and finance managers protect businesses against fraud.

Carmichael Lynch found and tapped the “deep connection” that Subaru owners make with their cars

Health care reform is a moving target, but benefit managers still have some changes to aim at.

Meet three Minnesota med-tech firms pursuing the obstructive sleep market. What opportunity do they see?

The agency turns up the volume on being a Web 3.0 brand by hosting multichannel “Talkinars.”

Someone needs to buy about 60,000 of Pam Turner’s sewing needles. Four years ago, Turner quit her job as a salesperson at Select Comfort to pursue a dream of building a company around her ingenious

In a new initiative from General Mills and Cargill, philanthropy is market building and vice versa.

“A celebration of all that pork can be.”

Consumers have reportedly responded favorably to smaller versions of Dairy Queen Blizzards, which launched last month; the company's chief brand officer says that "consumers are willing to pay a little bit of a premium" for

The first Minnesota Suppliers Showcase will kick off on May 24; it will convene small suppliers and sourcing departments with large corporate and government purchasers in the hopes that the two parties may form partnerships.

Lunds, which has long considered opening a grocery store in downtown Minneapolis, is now moving forward with plans for a 20,000-square-foot supermarket and a 5,639-square-foot liquor store, pending approval from the city.

Murray J. Harpole started the company in 1966 and became its first CEO; 20 years later, after 15 at the helm and another five on its board, Pentair's revenues totaled $1.2 billion and it employed

More than 2,500 state government workers are reportedly expected to retire this year, compared to 2,058 last year.

The lawsuit-which was filed in February-reportedly has Duluth-area hotels worried that the city will become blacklisted from Expedia's Web site.

Once the acquisition closes, Pacific Plastics & Engineering will become an operating subsidiary of Cretex Companies, which already operates several other manufacturing companies.

June 14th marks the 30th anniversary of a tornado that tore through Sound of Music's flagship Roseville store. The company responded with a "tornado sale"-promoted as a "best buy"-and its success prompted a name change

McNamara gave millions to his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, and enjoyed an unconventional career of buying bankrupt or foreclosed small businesses and using borrowed money to resurrect them.

Eden Prairie-based Gelco has agreed to pay the money in connection with a business deal that dates back to 2005; $2.1 million would go to Hecker's bankruptcy trustee on behalf of Hecker's creditors, $1.5 million

Shares of the company's stock fell Tuesday morning after Medtronic announced a 19 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings, largely due to layoff expenses and weak implantable cardioverter defibrillator sales.

Recently released data shows that Minnesota businesses received more than $27 million in 2010 through two federal grant programs-the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

The Minneapolis Fed said that banking conditions in the Midwest remained relatively flat during the first quarter, but Senior Vice President Ron Feldman expects improvement during the rest of the year.

According to the Star Tribune, Rimage CEO Sherman Black wants to reduce the company's dependence on disk duplication by starting an online service for customers.

The Minneapolis-based bank will pay $1.2 million to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with FHA requirements in connection with 27 mortgage loans that resulted in losses of more than $465,000.

A senior analyst with Wells Fargo Securities reported that St. Jude's minority investment in Micell Technologies may signal its entrance into the drug-eluting stent market.

Angeion CEO Philip Smith has resigned in a decision that the company said was "mutual" between Smith and its board of directors.

Troy Chaika was found guilty of charges related to a mortgage fraud scheme, through which he and co-conspirators fraudulently obtained money from more than 100 residential property deals.

Governor Mark Dayton signed the "Surly bill" into law, creating a brewer taproom license that allows the state's beer makers to sell their beer at their breweries.

Co-working firm Coco will open a 16,000-square-foot innovation center at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, which will provide space for tech accelerator Project Skyway.

Alliant Techsystems filed a petition on Monday protesting an $850 million contract that it lost to London-based BAE Systems.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman wants to pay for a Vikings stadium in Minneapolis with a statewide alcohol tax of 2 cents per drink. He also wants to move the state's pro basketball teams from

A total of 70 job cuts will be layoffs, while the remaining 170 positions will go unfilled after employees retire or leave for other reasons.

According to the Star Tribune, recently unsealed search warrants back up allegations that Michael Krzyzaniak used investors' money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

The Star Tribune reported that an increasing number of local companies are experimenting with ways to make work fun for their employees; efforts include everything from reviving company picnics to daily in-house foosball games and

The Nerdery and volunteer Web professionals have already donated $1.5 million worth of free Web sites to nonprofits through the program. Now they're headed to Chicago.

The Austin-based food maker saw a 20 percent jump in second-quarter profit, prompting it to raise its earnings guidance for the fiscal year that ends in October; but the company's stock price decreased almost 5

A study that appeared in the June issue of The Spine Journal found that back surgery patients treated with Medtronic's Infuse product experienced higher rates of sterility; Medtronic and two surgeons involved in the original

Major Minnesota employer Wells Fargo ranked 26th out of the 30 banks on the list, two spots below U.S. Bancorp; meanwhile, M&I Bank, which has 27 Minnesota offices, ranked sixth.

A recent report says that the cost of running a medical device production facility in the Twin Cities is competitive with other domestic locations, and there are a lot of other factors that can attract

The state's banks saw a significant jump in aggregate earnings during the first three months of the year, but much of the growth can be attributed to a drop in provisions for loan losses.

The Edina-based food distribution company hadn't been looking to sell its Hispanic-oriented Avanza stores, but it took Texas-based Lowe's Market up on an unsolicited offer.

A union that represents IBM employees recently reported that the company is reducing its work force across four divisions, including one that has a location in Rochester.

Separately, the retail giant said that it has chosen 105 Canadian sites at which it will build Target stores as part of its planned expansion north of U.S. borders.

Sandra Calkins admitted to falsifying her business records in order to renew a line of bank credit and attract investors.

Cold Spring Brewing Company has plans to modernize its brewhouse and increase its capacity as it takes part in the growing craft beer trend.

Mortenson on Thursday began construction of Carlson's $137.5 million, 500-room Radisson Blu Hotel, which will be connected to the Mall of America by skyway.

William Garfield Sandison, the former CEO of Community National Bank, is one of three executives from the bank who executed a scheme to defraud other financial institutions through the financing of Ramsey Town Center.

Colorado-based Gevo is beginning a $22 million retrofit of the Luverne facility-which will become the world's first commercial-scale bio-based isobutanol plant.

In March, 19 of 20 major metro areas experienced falling year-over-year home prices-led by Minneapolis, which was the only city to post a double-digit decline.

A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that employers plan to hire 19.3 percent more graduates in 2011 than they did in 2010.

Minneapolis marketing agency Echo Creative will give away $250,000 in marketing services to a local small business-and it plans to make the giveaway an annual initiative.

The company said that e-reading opportunities are becoming increasingly important to it-and that it sees business possibilities in the education, library, and automotive sectors.

Adam Vickerman brings back Sunday suppers at Café Levain.

All work and no play can make anybody dull. Invite your favorite VIP clients out for a day of fun and leave the Twin Cities behind.

Samuel Alfred McCloud was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for intentionally concealing at least $595,000 in income when reporting his taxes.

The trial, which started Tuesday and relates to the 2007 deaths of five workers at a hydroelectric plant in Colorado, marks a rare instance when federal prosecutors have brought criminal charges against a company.

Inc. magazine, which published the list, said that the company's original name-Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company-sounded "robotic and dull," but a nickname coined by the founders was just the ticket.

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to assess the effects of CenterPoint Energy's tiered pricing structure, which charges customers higher rates as their gas usage increases.

In the latest decision in a long legal dispute between two pension funds and the City of Minneapolis, an appellate court agreed with a district court ruling that said the funds miscalculated benefits and overcharged

The government claims in a lawsuit that even after inspections by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a Brooklyn Park-based grocery wholesaler continued to sell unsafe seafood.

There were 259 local construction permits issued in May, more than any other month since May 2010.

Circle Pines-based Northern Technologies International Corporation signed a deal with ITC Limited to jointly develop and commercialize biodegradable products in India.

A new performance space adjacent to City Center will be called "New Century Theatre," and performances might begin as early as September.

Officials from North Dakota are looking for Minnesotans to help fill the state's 17,000 job openings.

A review of PolyMet's financial condition indicates that the company is low on cash-but it's in discussions about receiving early payments related to a previously planned financing deal.

A media representative of the local airline told the Star Tribune that its promotion via deal-of-the-day Web site Groupon "will allow us to reach new travelers who might not have tried Sun Country in the

Local nonprofits are reportedly facing backlash from other organizations that say people could be confused about the similarities in their names.

Among the country's 50 most populous metro areas, Minneapolis and St. Paul together ranked first on the American College of Sports Medicine's list; the ranking is attributed to the area's relatively low smoking rate, above-average

American Medical Systems has settled two separate lawsuits alleging that its board breached its fiduciary duties in connection with the company's $2.9 billion merger agreement with Endo Pharmaceuticals.

New regulations require for-profit schools like Capella University to demonstrate that they prepare students for employment-but they have been altered from an earlier draft to allow colleges multiple chances to improve their performance before losing

Target and Fairweather, Ltd.-which owns 15 Target Apparel stores across Canada-failed to reach a settlement through formal mediation; thus, a federal court trial is scheduled to begin in November 2012.

The retail giant said that May sales were "near the low end" of the company's expected range, and same-store sales failed to meet analyst expectations.

Tennant said that the acquisition will add to its intellectual property portfolio, as well as its existing lineup of environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Best Buy sued Andrew Clayton last year and reached a settlement under which Clayton was required to cease infringing on the Geek Squad trademark-but the electronics retailer took him back to court after discovering continued

My Plan by Medica allows companies to contribute to employees' health plans while offering flexibility on how much coverage employees have and the amount that they will spend out of their own pockets.

The Minneapolis tech accelerator has named 24 finalists that will compete for a chance to participate in the organization's three-month program, which starts in August.

Congressman Erik Paulsen said Thursday that the FDA's pre-market review processes lack "consistency, predictability, and transparency," which is making it difficult for firms to bring their products to market in the United States.

Shares of Best Buy rose and call-option trades quadrupled in the past few weeks as rumors emerged about investor William Ackman buying into the electronics retailer.

Three key changes will now make it easier for companies seeking to participate in the program, which gives a 25 percent tax break to individuals and investment funds that provide seed money to businesses focused

The Minnetonka-based company will use the 450,000-square-foot Eden Prairie complex to house the headquarters of its recently-unified Optum health services businesses-OptumHealth, OptumInsight, and OptumRx.

U.S. Bancorp and TCF Financial Corporation have voiced opposition to proposed federal rules that would limit debit-card swipe fees-but some of Minnesota's small business owners are heading to nation's capitol to give their support.

Roy Malkin sustained serious injuries when his private airplane crashed on Saturday.

IBM will invest $1.5 million in researchers' time that will be spent on exploring ways in which the city can improve services and cut costs; Minneapolis will contribute $150,000 to cover project management and IT

One concrete red ball outside of each Target store was dressed up with fabric and made to look like a beach ball, but concerns about safety prompted the retailer to remove them just a couple

Delta CEO Richard Anderson wrote a letter to employees indicating that despite moving Minnesota jobs to Atlanta, the airline is still committed to its hub at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The National Mediation Board is reportedly planning on-site investigations into whether the airline interfered with a series of elections through which its employees rejected union representation.

Terms of the deal, which aligns with Imation's recent shift to focus on data storage technology, were not disclosed.

Brandon Tran pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

As negotiations continue about who would pay for $131 million in road construction associated with an Arden Hills stadium, Ted Mondale, who's leading negotiations for the state, reportedly said that the parties involved are "kind

Kal Patel recently left his executive posts at Best Buy to become a partner at VantagePoint Capital Partners-where he will help expand global investments by the venture capital firm and lead initiatives involving "strategic partners,"

Cargill is invested in numerous U.S. businesses that export directly to South Korea, and the trade agreement awaiting ratification "is critical from both an economic and agricultural industry standpoint," according to Cargill Chairman and CEO

U.S. Marshals seized probiotic products from UAS Laboratories last week at the request of the FDA, which is concerned that the company is marketing its products as drugs.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is withholding financial incentives for Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, and J.P Morgan Chase Bank until they improve their efforts in a federal initiative called the Making Home

The utility says it's taking less effort to get customers to enroll in its programs that help them save money by agreeing to use less energy during hot weather.

Northern Oil & Gas reportedly tried to convince shareholders at its annual meeting that it has a business plan to get the company back on track.

A proposal to delay regulations that would put a new cap on debit-card swipe fees that large banks charge merchants fell six votes short in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday; big banks are disappointed, but

Bill de Blasio, who sits on the board of a major Target shareholder-the New York City Employees Retirement System-wants the company to change its policy on political donations; Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel told shareholders that

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits said that the bulk of Minnesota nonprofits that recently lost federal tax-exempt status are defunct; those that are active but failed to meet new reporting requirements can reapply to have

Robert Atkinson has been tight-lipped about details surrounding a multi-channel network that he says is in the works, but ESPN's founding chairman has joined the network's executive team.

The Bloomington-based parts and accessories distributor received one report of a carrier rack bracket breaking while a rider was on a bike-which resulted in minor cuts.

The state is reportedly required to issue severance payments and cash for unused time off to the 36,000 employees that could be laid off under a government shutdown this summer-which will cost the state millions.

British Consul General Robert Chatterton Dickson called 3M's CEO "a leader in the American and Midwestern business community for decades."

The local agency's multi-faceted advertising campaign for Pentair includes a "WaterCam," which displays a live feed of Twins fans-who appear to be under water.

EnXco's Merricourt Wind Project recently received final approval from the North Dakota Public Service Commission-but in order to move forward with the project, the company needs Xcel to settle a lawsuit and resume its contract

Rosene, Haugrud & Staab brings five employees to Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt's practice, including three lawyers who will join the firm's employee benefits group.

U.S. District Judge David Doty said that E-Shops Corporation's lawsuit was missing key information to back up its claims that it lost money as a result of U.S. Bank concealing a breach of its data.

Job resource Web site Monster.com indicated that industries to watch locally include health care (practitioners as well as technical and support workers), business and financial, and information technology (IT).

The St. Paul offices of BeneVento Capital, which analyzes life insurance policies for clients, were reportedly raided on Wednesday by investigators from the Minnesota Commerce Department's insurance fraud division.

Mark Sutton and Joseph Finney each received prison sentences for enticing investors to buy shares in an investment dubbed "Envestclub," which they said offered high returns. But they didn't disclose that they were taking portions

As shareholders prepare to vote on the proposed acquisition of Lawson Software, recent market activity indicates that investors have attempted to profit from the deal in a variety of ways-sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

The electronics retailer reported a decline in first-quarter earnings but outperformed analysts' expectations, sending its stock price up on Tuesday morning. And the company said that it doesn't comment on rumors like one that suggested

The facility under construction will be used to fill cylinders with medical-grade gases, which are growing in demand as the population ages and respiratory therapy is used more often.

Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday and announced a restructuring plan that includes closing 65 U.S. locations, one in Minnesota.

Amy Klobuchar, Erik Paulsen, and two other Congressional leaders have created a bipartisan caucus that will help employers find the most effective ways to support health among their employees.

Christopher Pettengill faces up to 20 years in prison on three separate charges related to a fraudulent foreign currency investment program that he sold to investors.

Investment funds that together lost $165 million in Tom Petters' massive fraud scheme sought repayment of their losses, but the Supreme Court rejected an appeal that challenged a federal judge's order denying restitution.

Two manufacturers-one in Canada and another in China-were separately ordered to pay 3M Company a combined $72,950 in damages for infringing on its patents; the Chinese company has appealed.

If a government shutdown occurs at the end of this month, Canterbury may be forced to suspend substantially all operations-a move that would cost it more than $1 million per week in lost sales.

Jeremey Parker was sentenced to two years in prison for hacking in to the computer networks of a subsidiary of Digital River and transferring about $275,000 to his bank account.

Attorney Louis Freeh on Tuesday announced that neither former Senator Norm Coleman nor businessman Nasser Kazeminy-who was accused of funneling $75,000 to Coleman-will face charges, as the Justice Department has concluded its investigation.

Workers at a Target store in New York will vote Friday to decide whether to join the largest retail union in the country, which could reportedly have ramifications for Target Corporation and the retail industry.

The new Y-which will be called the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities-will be able to better serve member needs and expand into new service areas, the organizations said.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) gave the U of M a $51 million grant, which will support medical programs that aim to get treatments, therapies, and clinical trial outcomes to patients faster.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Tuesday rejected UnitedHealth Group's protest of a federal decision to rescind a contract that was originally awarded to it.

A recent survey of 50 local real estate professionals showed signs of optimism about the commercial real estate market during the next two years, despite an anticipated increase in land prices and building materials.

Governor Dayton released his recommendations about which state agencies should continue offering services with limited staff during a government shutdown; MnSCU was spared, but many others were not.

The leaders of Coborn's, Chamilia, and Minnesota Wire were among this year's Entrepreneur of the Year award winners for the Upper Midwest.

The unemployment rate climbed slightly in May to 6.6 percent-marking the first time this year that it has increased-but it still remains well below the national rate of 9.1 percent.

As Johnson & Johnson prepares to stop manufacturing drug-coated stents, competitors like Medtronic and Boston Scientific could see a boost in sales. Surmodics, however, a supplier to Johnson & Johnson, said that it is "disappointed"

Roughly 40 percent of patients implanted with cardiac resynchronization therapy devices may not reap benefits from the expensive treatment, according to a new study. But med-tech giants Medtronic and St. Jude disagree, stating that current

According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Pillsbury "A" Mill Complex in Minneapolis was foreclosed on late last year, and local residents fear that the site will be broken up for development.

A 10 percent tax on the sale of pro sports memorabilia is being pitched to help pay for the state's share of the Vikings' stadium, but other local sports teams are reportedly less than thrilled

The recreational vehicle manufacturer said that some employees are being offered jobs at locations where work is being transferred-including Wyoming, Minnesota; Spirit Lake, Iowa; and office locations in the Twin Cities.

The downtown Minneapolis office building, which is currently 85 percent occupied, is being offered for sale without an asking price, according to a listing by CB Richard Ellis.

If a merger agreement is reached, Multiband said that the acquisition of Pennsylvania-based WPCS International would add more than $100 million in revenue and between $5 million and $8 million in earnings annually.

The airline's new "soaring" campaign couples a 76-foot-tall replica of the Washington monument with a billboard and features ads on light-rail trains and other mediums.

W.B. Builders improved its efforts to connect with prospects and clients and boosted its revenue by 20 percent over the past year as it participated in a marketing lab offered by Deluxe.

Starting August 1, Welsh Companies' brokerage and property management divisions will begin operating under the Colliers International organization-marking Colliers' reentrance into the Twin Cities market.

According to a new real estate report, Red Wing is the most expensive Minnesota housing market, and Owatonna is the least expensive; with an average listing price of $329,782 for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, St.