Build Me Up

This episode, we're joined by Laurie Schneider, founder of the Pollinator Friendly Alliance, as well as Tonya Kostick and Brendan Ward, Kraus-Anderson employees and the keepers of our KA bees. We talk about various types of pollinators, the important role they play in our ecosystem, and how KA started beekeeping. Our guests also suggest ways in which all individuals can do their parts to help preserve pollinators. The conversation wraps with some fun bee facts.

"Take Action" List: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/623c9365af01026ca2eb4c15/t/62587b89efb6b16e6c2897d9/1649965969709/action+list.pdf

Webinars & Videos: https://www.pollinatorfriendly.org/videos-and-talks

In this week's "Build Me Up" episode, Sara Wilkins, of Kraus-Anderson Insurance, joins Dani and Laurisa to talk about ergonomics and its benefits to both employees and their employers. They talk through some common workplace / work-from-home problem areas, and Sara explains a few easy changes that will make a positive, long-term impact. This conversation causes our hosts to self-examine and implement the helpful tips in their own daily practices. Maybe you will, too?

Chad Ronchetti, Charity Johnson, and Beth Peppersack joined this week's podcast to discuss their varied involvement in STARBASE, a nonprofit that introduces students to the world of STEM. We discussed the students' day-to-day activities on base, the needs the organization is addressing, how businesses/individuals can get involved, and a lot more.

Use the links below to access STARBASE's free kits and curriculum—

To order kits: https://www.starbasemn.org/stemkits/

To access curriculum: www.starbasemn.org/virtual

(Password: schools)

Career development and community retention are hot topics concerning Minnesota's Iron Range. Paul Noll, Morgan Seopa, and Willie Spelts joined "Build Me Up" to discuss the design and build of Rock Ridge High School, a designated Career Academy, and how the school and its programs hope to have a lasting impact on the community.

Career development and community retention are hot topics concerning Minnesota's Iron Range. We were joined by Paul Noll, Morgan Seopa, and Willie Spelts to discuss the building of Rock Ridge High School, a designated Career Academy, and how the school and its programs hope to have a lasting impact on the community.

We last spoke to Kraus-Anderson's Rich Jacobson and FMI Corporation's Jay Bowman in February of 2020, about a month before COVID-19 struck the United States.

We're sitting down with them again, two years later, to chat about the construction industry's emerging trends and how the pandemic may have modified some of their responses.

When Semih Ayhan and Tuncay Ozdenak moved to the U.S. from Turkey, they brought their passion for Mediterranean cuisine. When they met in 2014, they decided to bring their family recipes together and opened their first food truck. Med Box Grill quickly became a staple across Minnesota, and lines would be long and winding no matter where they parked the food truck.

As demand grew, they decided they were ready to open their first Med Box Grill restaurant, moving to Market Street Station in Chanhassen. But the COVID-19 pandemic complicated things, with widespread lockdowns beginning just weeks after signing their lease and starting construction.

As the restaurant industry faced unprecedented challenges, Med Box Grill opened its doors in October and has found great success. It was voted Best Mediterranean Restaurant in Minnesota by the Star Tribune. To discuss how Med Box Grill came to be amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we are talking to Founders Semih Ayhan and Tuncay Ozdenak; and KA Realty's Vice President of Properties Cindy MacDonald.

Affordable housing continues to be a challenge for communities across the country. Construction costs continue to rise and developers are facing complicated funding and zoning restrictions, among other challenges. Access to housing is crucial for a healthy community, and the City of Duluth, Minnesota, is working to support people experiencing homelessness through several affordable housing projects.

Center City Housing Corporation, based in Duluth, develops affordable housing and offers a wide range of services for those looking to get back on their feet, such as help with finding a job, transportation, taking care of taxes and other paperwork, and support for alcoholism and other addiction. Its latest development in Duluth, Birchwood Apartments, provides permanent supportive housing for 30 adults struggling with homelessness and behavioral health issues.

To discuss how the City of Duluth and St. Louis County are working to develop more affordable and supportive housing, we are talking to Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, St. Louis County Commissioner Patrick Boyle, Center City Housing's Executive Director Nancy Cashman, and Board President Pete Johnson.

According to CREW Network's 2020 Benchmark Study Report, women make up just under 37 percent of the commercial real estate industry. This number has not changed much over the past 15 years. While the number of young women joining the industry is growing, commercial real estate still has a ways to go in terms of inclusion and diversity.

CREW, or Commercial Real Estate Women, is a network of professionals dedicated to transforming the commercial real estate industry by advancing women globally. With over 12,000 members worldwide, CREW Network connects through business networking, leadership development, industry research and career outreach.

Mary Jo Kelly, Vice President of Kraus-Anderson's Financial Services Group, has built her career in commercial real estate at KA since 1976. She worked her way up from an administration role and has become a leader in the industry, serving as the 2016 president of CREW's Minnesota chapter.

Claire Roberts, Vice President at Colliers International, is also heavily involved with MNCREW, serving as the 2014 president, a former CREW Network global board member, and will serve as the 2022 chair of the CREW Network Foundation.

Mary Jo and Claire discuss how they have paved such successful careers in a male-dominated industry, how CREW has been a resource, and the future of commercial real estate.