Minnesota is home to 17 Fortune 500 companies, 570 digital startups and has raised more than $1 billion in venture capital funding the past two years. In other words, we’ve Minnesota-niced our way to becoming the digital innovation leader in the Midwest. I gave this presentation at the University of St. Thomas' Opus School of Business' Master's Pub on March 31st, 2017. It highlights the many instances of digital innovation happening in the Twin Cities and how digital innovation is critical to business growth and brand building. It also outlines what I think you can do to make innovation happen faster.

1. MASTER’S PUB
Digital du Nord: How Minnesota Leads Digital Innovation

2. @CRAIGPLADSON
Strategist & Educator
Digital
River
Colle+
McVoy
General
Mills
GoKart
Labs
Gustavus
B.A. ‘00
UST
M.B.A. ‘10
U of M
Adjunct ’16 -‘17

3. WE STARTED INVENTING SUPER COMPUTERS IN THE 1950’S

5. “THE EXPLORERS OF YESTERDAY CAN GUIDE US INTO THE FUTURE.”

6. We’re home to 17
Fortune 500 companies.

7. We’ve raised $1B in
venture capital funding
the past two years.
Sources: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Star Tribune

8. Sources: Kauffman Foundation, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, TechCrunch
Our 5-year survival rate of
new businesses is 50%.

9. Sources: Kauffman Foundation, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, EverywhereOnce.com
89.3% of the business
funded by our Angel Tax
Credit have succeeded.

10. Sources: Kauffman Foundation, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Star Tribune
We rank among the
top five states in new
patents per capita.

11. Source: MPRNews.com
We are home to
some of the world’s
best inventions.

12. Source: LinkedIn
We have 5,123 people
with ‘digital innovation’
in their LinkedIn profile.

13. Source: Tech.MN, GoKart Labs
We’ve created
560 digital startups.

14. Source: Brandwatch
We tweeted about digital
innovation and marketing
10,000 times in 2016.
:happy: :puzzled:

15. DIGITAL INNOVATION HAPPENING IN THE TWIN CITIES

16. DIGITAL INNOVATION HAPPENING IN THE TWIN CITIES
The Big Know KidizenBest Buy

17. GoKart Labs invented a content marketing startup that’s
raised $4 in venture funding and is changing the way brands
think about engaging with their audiences.

18. THE LEARNING ECONOMY IS REAL

19. Everyone remembers
their favorite teacher.
This is mine
memorable and influential.
TRANSFORMING THE ROLE OF BRAND IN CULTURE
WHO WE’RE WORKING WITH
Everyone loves their favorite teacher.
The Big Know helps brands be that teacher.

20. Powering better marketing
through branded education

21. 79%
PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS
3,000+
DISCUSSIONS PER COURSE
Inspiring deep engagement
through community &
discussion

22. 35%
OF TIME IS SPENT WITH
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Going beyond passive
consumption with strategic
learning exercises

23. Good relationships take time.
The Big Know gets you that time.
56 minAVG. ENGAGEMENT TIME PER LEARNER

24. FREE PASSES: GKL 100OFF

25. DIGITAL INNOVATION HAPPENING IN THE TWIN CITIES
The Big Know KidizenBest Buy

26. “We didn’t die. Check.
Source: Star Tribune, BestBuy.com

27. In my turnaround manual, which I
have, you don't start with strategy.
You start with improving what you
have. Then you work on strategy
later, and that's where we are.
Source: Star Tribune, BestBuy.com
“

28. Source: Star Tribune, BestBuy.com
1. Improving the customer experience
2. Energizing employees
3. Deepening relationships with vendors
4. Increasing ROI through cutting costs
5. Growing sales

29. Source: Star Tribune
1. Made peace with Richard Shulze
2. Reined the store’s global footprint
3. Cut $1 billion in costs
4. Set up mini-shops within stores
5. Overhauled the supply chain

30. ONLY 1% OF VISITORS ACTUALLY BOUGHT SOMETHING
NOVEMBER 2012

31. ONLINE SALES FROM 7% TO 13% OF U.S. REVENUE
2012 - 2016
PRICE MATCH STORE PICKUP

32. 2012 2016
$10
$40
NYSE: BBY

33. DIGITAL INNOVATION HAPPENING IN THE TWIN CITIES
The Big Know KidizenBest Buy

37. We failed many more times from that point three
years ago to now. I believe that women, especially
mothers, are really good at failing because we endure.
We’re built for picking ourselves back up, analyzing
our failure, learning from it, and carrying on. If
something doesn’t work the first ten times, we
continue to seek creative solutions.
“

38. DIGITAL INNOVATION HAPPENING IN THE TWIN CITIES
The Big Know KidizenBest Buy

39. MAKING DIGITAL INNOVATION HAPPEN

40. Get Started

41. Bet The Garden, Not The Farm

42. Less Planning, More Making

43. Act On Complacency

44. Embrace Design Thinking

45. Find Your Side Hustle

46. THANK YOU
Digital du Nord: How Minnesota Leads Digital Innovation
craigpladson.com
craigpladson
craig.pladson@gmail.com