Idea Jam 2 - Minnestar

Season 1 - Idea Jam 2

Spotlight Business: Minnestar https://minnestar.org/

Event Pictures

Event Deck

AI Analysis

Miro Board

Problem Statement: 

Innovate MN focuses on enhancing Minnestar.org's engagement by developing creative event ideas that align with the organization's mission and validate its effectiveness.

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Event Pictures

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Event Deck

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AI Analysis

Innovate MN Idea Jam - Minnestar

General Themes and Trends:

Community Engagement: 

1. A consistent theme is the desire to make volunteering and participation more appealing and rewarding. 

2. The goal is to treat volunteers as leaders and give them ownership, making them feel like an integral part of something larger.

Recognition and Incentivization: 

1. Recognizing volunteers' contributions through awards and public recognition and creating roles like 'Community Advocate' and 'Minnestar Champion' to incentivize deeper involvement.

Sponsorship Strategy: 

1. Engaging sponsors by offering various tiers of involvement and ensuring they have a clear value proposition. 

2. Exploring creative ways to integrate sponsorships, like through games or challenges, to maintain engagement.

Diversity and Inclusion: 

1. Ensuring diversity in participation and leadership, possibly through special events like a diversity career day. 

2. Emphasizing inclusivity and opening opportunities for a wider range of community members.

Safety and Support: 

1. Mentioning the importance of a safety net for volunteers, suggesting a supportive environment is a priority.

Feedback and Iteration: 

1. Collecting feedback from participants to improve events and engagement strategies. 

2. The idea is to allow specific initiatives to 'die' if ineffective, showing a willingness to iterate and discontinue what doesn't work.

Challenges Identified:

The barrier to Entry: 

• Acknowledging that new volunteers might be intimidated or face barriers to entry and looking for ways to lower these barriers.

Understanding Needs: 

• A need for a better understanding of what volunteers and the community want from Minnestar.

Communication and Connection to Mission: 

• Ensuring that Minnestar’s mission and vision are clearly communicated and connected to the engagement strategies.

Validated Ideas:

Events and Opportunities: 

• Hosting round tables, tech talks, and job fairs to unite the community and provide networking opportunities. Ideas for both in-person and virtual engagement, such as virtual classroom visits.

Digital Engagement: 

• Leveraging digital platforms for engagement, like podcasts and social media profiles.

Partnerships: 

• Collaborating with other organizations to extend Minnestar's reach and impact.

Action Items for Minnestar:

1. Implement a tiered recognition system for volunteers to incentivize continuous engagement.

2. Develop a clear, inclusive communication strategy that aligns with Minnestar's mission and vision.

3. Create and promote events that offer participants networking opportunities and tangible benefits.

4. Explore and establish partnerships with other organizations to leverage resources and expand reach.

5. Regularly collect feedback from participants to understand their needs and adapt strategies accordingly.

6. Design and implement a more robust digital engagement plan, including a podcast and enhanced social media presence.

7. Initiate a mentor program to support newcomers in the tech community.

8. Conduct an inclusivity audit of current practices and develop a plan for improvement.

9. Assess the effectiveness of sponsorship engagement and refine the value proposition for different tiers.

10. Consider creating a manifesto or clear set of guiding principles to rally the community and clarify Minnestar's stance and goals.

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Minnestar Miro Board