Tyler Van Eps

Thrilled to share a partnership designed to keep Minnesota’s small businesses locally owned and expand Black economic power: Fetch Strategies x the ASSOCIATION FOR BLACK ECONOMIC POWER (ABEP), Minneapolis. Why now: A historic ownership transition is underway as retiring owners seek successors. Entrepreneurship through acquisition (EtA) can preserve jobs and community anchors, while building intergenerational wealth. 📅 December 3: ABEP is hosting a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) 101 to help seed a scholarship fund for Minnesota “searchers” (entrepreneurs acquiring existing businesses). Banks and nonprofits: learn practical ways to partner for community impact. Get involved: * Donate/Sponsor the scholarship fund: https://bit.ly/47uhwpd * Apply to the EtA Launch Hub (Feb 2026 cohort): https://bit.ly/app-2026 * Join a Q&A session: https://lu.ma/vault * Prefer a DM? I can't wait to hear from you. Thank you to our partners at ABEP for leading on community ownership. #EconomicEmpowerment #CommunityWealth #SmallBusiness #Partnership #Minneapolis #ABEP #EntrepreneurshipThroughAcquisition

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Very excited that the ARRM Openings Portal is now live! This resource was designed with insights from residential providers and case managers who often help clients search for housing options. Our goal is to streamline the "matchmaking" process between providers and searchers - enabling better and more efficient communication about available residential openings, all to more successfully serve Minnesotans with disabilities in finding a home that fits.

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What's so unique about Transformation Ministries? Going DEEP, not wide. Today we launched Kory Lantz episode on The Path Less Traveled Podcast. Kory is the founder and executive director of Transformation Ministries, a nonprofit in South Bend serving hundreds of kids and families through deeply relational programs. 17 years ago, Kory and his wife moved into a neighborhood “for a year or two.” Today, they’re still there, leading with the conviction that every child matters and depth matters more than scale. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: - Transformation takes time: small, faithful steps create generational impact - Leadership is seasonal: name what’s lost, and make room for growth - Invest deeply: one-on-one mentorship changes lives - Rest and clarity are leadership tools: your best impact comes from a clear mind Kory's leadership blends grit, faith, coaching, and courage taking the next right step even when fear is present. A simple reminder: Leadership isn’t fast. It’s intentional. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁: 🔗 Website: thepathlesstraveled.org 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gexfuswR 🍎 Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gRYYXQEe 📺 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gcCHxhff 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀: Senior1Care Cressy Leadership Avero Talent Moser Consulting

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Being a Small Business Owner isn’t for the faint of heart, and Erik Augenbergs of CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) (Indiana) reminds us of this, at our recent Supplier Readiness RoundTable -Indianapolis edition- produced by ProcuraFind® in partnership with Merchants Bank IN . In this profound of truth, Erik Augenbergs recounts moving to a new city as a Professional Consultant and having to build an entirely new book of business. CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), (commonly known as CLA), is a major U.S. professional services firm specializing in accounting, tax, audit, consulting, outsourcing, and wealth advisory. Together we are helping Small Businesses succeed! Learn more about how we are partnering with professional consulting firms at www.ProcuraFind.com #smallbusinesses #suppliers #consultant

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Omaha doesn’t usually make the national headlines in urbanist circles. And yet, some of the most interesting work I see is happening in places like this. Cities that have inherited some deeply unproductive development habits. Cities that have grown fast, spread wide, and now feel the strain. Cities that know something isn’t working and are diligently trying to fix it. That’s what makes them exciting. Some of the worst patterns of postwar development… and some of the greenest green shoots of bottom-up reinvestment. I’m looking forward to joining the Reignite2Unite Omaha Development Symposium in June. Not because Omaha has it all figured out, but because it’s one of those places where the future is still up for grabs.

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Incredible example/case study of business leadership + community building happening live right now in Norfolk, Nebraska: "The idea for the Norfolk Area Childcare Collaborative started in a business owner’s frustration. Tammy Day, chief purpose officer at Daycos, couldn’t find care for her employees’ children. So she started asking what it would take to fix the system. She gathered a steering committee of local employers, nonprofit leaders and education professionals. Together, they met for nearly two years to develop a model where businesses would fund and guarantee child care slots for their employees to help families and strengthen the local economy." Read the whole article.

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The next Revive Black Business Summit: State of Black Business in Omaha is scheduled for this Saturday, March 7th!  Register here: https://lnkd.in/gpD6yuDf Topics: * Data and Trends regarding Black Businesses and Entrepreneurs in Omaha * The State of Finance and Banking for Black Businesses * Opportunities in Growth and Non-traditional Industries * Strengths, Challenges and Needs * Funding, Financing, Resources and Opportunities * 2026 Calendar for Summits, Business Exchanges, Workshops and Tours Brookings Institution reports a 95% increase in Black Businesses with employees in Omaha from 2017-2022. The Revive Black Business Network is committed to working together to double the number of Black Businesses with employees in Omaha in the next five years as part of the Transformation 2030 plan. Building Wealth and Community by Scaling Businesses, Creating Higher Wage Jobs and Advancing Careers.

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Change isn’t easy — but clarity makes it possible. Kara Corches, President and CEO of the Missouri Chamber, shares how leading with purpose and vision helps drive transformation at every level. Listen to this powerful episode of The Chad Carden Podcast — From Doer to Leader: Learning to Let Go. Here's the link: https://lnkd.in/gYS3f_nK #leadershipgrowth #fromdoertoleader #management #womeninleadership #businesstransformation #thechadcardenpodcast #missourichamber

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Put in that work today in Minneapolis with the https://lnkd.in/gQvZCu5J on how to make Racial Equity Standard Operating Procedure within the 188 municipalities of the Twin Cities Region. #LegalDEI #thesystem We discussed our framework of applying systems thinking and leverage points in municipal government systems and internal organization systems who act interdependently to change system behavior and life outcomes for all racial groups. This concept will be shared in my upcoming book titled "The System: America's Last Chance before Racial Inequality is Permanent." The question to ask is are we chasing symptoms or changing systems? if you don't have data all you have is an opinion.

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(Bemidji, MN) – The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is now accepting grant applications from small businesses and nonprofits to invest in existing operations or planned growth. https://lnkd.in/eZMfepBi #minnesota #grant #applications #redlakenationnews

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Minnesota’s latest economic data indicate a 98,000-unit housing deficit, declining affordable home sales, slowing GDP growth, and rent trends driven by weak demand. Families who have access to affordable housing can build stability, participate more fully in the workforce, and contribute to stronger local economic growth. Both public and private sectors have a role to play in expanding housing supply. Housing supply must be treated as core economic infrastructure. The data is clear. The urgency is real, and paying lip service to affordability will not solve the problem. Sources: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (2025 housing supply); Minnesota Chamber of Commerce (2026 Business Benchmarks)

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Over the next two years, Nebraska is expected to lose $216 million in tax dollars due to the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ passed by Congress. Research shows that the Business Innovation Act, passed in 2011, has been an outsized success for the state. Businesses supported by BIA programs have generated almost $16 in revenue for every one dollar of state investment. I agree with Scott Henderson's thoughts in this piece "By halting … BIA awards, today’s state leaders choose to create a future that will have fewer high growth startups". Nebraska Department of Economic Development needs to keep in place the existing prototype grant, the Small Business Innovation Research and Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program and the academic research and development grants, or risk furthering the brain drain and job crisis in the state.

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