This stop on our Silverline Office Tour is a personal favorite — and only because I am 100% biased. Minneapolis is not only my home, but home to a great number of Silverliners, and I’m excited to brag about our city.
This summer the Minneapolis team got together for some team building, volunteering, and of course a little bit of fun.
We met at iFly in Minnetonka and started the day with a real heart-to-heart Q&A session with Lisa Dallenbach, Silverline’s Chief People Officer. She flew in from New York to spend the day better getting to know the satellite employees of the Bold North. Having only been with Silverline for six months, I relished the chance to spend quality time together and was genuinely impressed that our CPO flew out to join us. I asked Lisa what she took away from her time with the team in Minneapolis.
“I would say my biggest ah-ha moment with you guys was learning. I mean, I’m learning every day at Silverline, but when I was with all of you in Minneapolis, I learned more directly how our initiatives are viewed. I could see through your great comments and questions how to think about the People team’s role in a more specific way to help better the journey you are each on,” Lisa said. “You truly helped me think that layer deeper about how our work directly affects you… where we are nailing it, and where we have work to do. Being out sharing directly with people is an enormous gift.”
While sharing time with other Silverliners, we also shared with our local community. Before we each got a chance to brush up on our indoor skydiving skills, we packed birthday party supplies bags for local group St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP). Founded in 1975, STEP serves St. Louis Park, connecting those in the community with resources and assistance in times of need.
“Getting everyone together to focus on something outside of work was a great way to not only help others, but also help our team connect on a different level,” said Eli Mash, Client Solutions AE at Silverline.
For my part, it was exciting to get to know my local teammates a little better. The Minneapolis hub is unique in that we don’t have a physical office space. None of us live too far from one another, and in the summer we certainly get together — but in the winter, we like to hunker down and stay in.
A few weeks after we met up at iFly, I sat down with a couple of my midwestern colleagues to see why we agree that Minnesota is the place to be.
What’s so great about Minneapolis?
David Gaines, Director of Program Effectiveness in Advisory: Minneapolis and St. Paul are ranked second and third in the U.S. for parks. There are 170+ breweries in MN. In the city, a moderate bike ride can get you to a dozen, easily. “Minnesota Nice” has a specific meaning and it doesn’t really mean nice.
Josh Miedema, Solution Architect on the Client Services team: Minneapolis has a strong bike culture, lots of cafes and bistros, chef-driven restaurants, a vibrant arts scene (especially theater and music), and a ton of parks and green spaces. Despite the infamous cold winters and hot, humid summers, Minneapolis remains one of the most active cities in the country. We have a plethora of runners, bikers, walkers, and we’re the home of the Rollerblade™), as well as boasting vibrant ice hockey and cross-country skiing communities in the winter.
Lindsay Lelivelt, Marketing Content Strategist (that’s me): Let’s not forget Prince lived here. We can boast about Bob Dylan and the Juicy Lucy — and Minnesota gifted the world with Target (you’re welcome). But not just Target got its start here. There are a lot of headquarters situated in and around the City of Lakes.
What makes Minneapolis a good spot for Silverline to have a presence?
DG: The Twin Cities is home to 17 HQs of Fortune 500 companies, the largest concentration per capita in the U.S. The economy is diverse and robust across industries.
JM: Minneapolis, and the Twin Cities metro area in general, is home to a lot of companies in the healthcare and health insurance spaces. For example, Medtronic and United Health Group are both headquartered here. Additionally, you’ll find household names like General Mills, Honeywell, and 3M here in the Twin Cities.
DG: And those big names in healthcare all attract and seed a healthy startup and supporting ecosystem. Same goes for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail, Hospitality, Logistics, CPG, and Commercial Farming. Not many places can boast that type of economy. In addition, the Cities have a highly educated workforce.
Outside of biking, business, and (roller)blading, what is there to do here?
DG: I’d say you should experience the Sculpture Garden at the Walker, a play at the Guthrie Theatre, lunch (and beers) at Surly Brewery, Bryant Lake Bowl, Target Field, and Betty Danger’s Country Club.
JM: Anyone visiting Minneapolis should definitely go out to eat at one of our great chef-driven restaurants. A favorite for meat lovers would be Butcher and the Boar. There’s no shortage of food options here from upscale restaurants to fast food. An entire stretch of Nicollet Avenue, colloquially known as “Eat Street” boasts dozens of options for foods from around the world.
While the Mall of America is a national icon, I would instead advise anyone to check out our Chain of Lakes, especially during the warmer months.
LL, your humble narrator: We have a booming music scene and so many great venues to check out — First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry, The Palace Theatre, The Turf Club. And I have to second David and Josh on their excellent food recommendations. In the summer, get thee to the State Fair (where other Silverliners from all over are known to show up).
I gotta say though, if you’re here in winter, don’t sleep on events like The Saint Paul Winter Carnival, frozen Minnehaha Falls (my favorite thing!), or a lovely nightcap at Prohibition in the Foshay Tower downtown. The city looks so nice blanketed in snow.
What’s your favorite part of working for Silverline?
JM: I enjoy the flexibility and the trust that leadership has in me to get things done without being micromanaged. For my role, I love understanding the business context in which our clients use Salesforce and designing new functionality that drives their business goals. At the end of the day, I really like “playing with the toys” Salesforce has to offer and feel most accomplished when I come up with a unique solution that my clients really appreciate and find useful.
Slack reigns supreme at Silverline. What are your favorite channels?
JM: My favorite Slack channel is #solution_architects. A lot of messages in that channel are requests for solutions to interesting challenges. I like thinking about the puzzles presented and trying to address them, or seeing how other SAs solve them.
DG: #social_tattoos
LL: I’m all about #social_cats and #social_dogs. They’re each a constant stream of coworkers’ perfect pets.
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For more office tour fun, be sure to read our posts on Omaha, Chicago, Atlanta, and Orlando.
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