Association for Corporate Growth Minnesota (ACGMN)

The holidays are coming up fast--make sure to add the Women's Holiday Social to your list. Join us as we Mix & Mingle on Thursday, December 5 from 4-6pm for a festive holiday mixology social where we’ll raise our glasses to the season. Learn how to craft two seasonal favorites—a Gingersnap Old Fashioned and a Candy Cane Cosmopolitan—while enjoying a fun, hands-on experience. Make it a cocktail or a mocktail. You’ll also receive a cocktail kit with everything you need to recreate these drinks at home. The event takes place in downtown Minneapolis at the beautiful Legends Lounge. Space is limited, so be sure to register today: https://cvent.me/nelme2 Special thanks to CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) for sponsoring our Women’s programming and to our host sponsor, PNC Business Banking.

Yesterday’s ACG Cup was a fantastic event, featuring two rounds of intense competition, 70 students from eight schools across four states, 15 dedicated sponsors, 21 judges, a networking session for employers and students, and a closing reception. In the second round, the field narrowed to five standout teams. Congratulations to each of our top teams: 5th place: Four Freshmen, University of Minnesota 4th place: Team Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire 3rd place: Team Iowa, Tippie College of Business - University of Iowa 2nd place: Team NESA, University of Minnesota 1st place: Team North Star Advisors - Patrick Lawrence, Jack Roehrich, Greta Liner, Thomas Herrick, and Sage Waymire-Rozman We’re proud of all the participants who embraced the challenge and brought their best to this competition. Well done! This could not have come together without many people contributing - we are so grateful to you all. Thank you to the U of M Carlson School of Mgmt for hosting an amazing day, especially Olivia Starr and Susanna Gibbons, CFA. Thanks as well to our partners: BMO Capital Markets, Cherry Tree & Associates, EisnerAmper, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. Harris Williams, Hennepin Partners, Kroll Capital, Lazard, Medallion Capital, Northborne Partners, Norwest Equity Partners (NEP), NMP Capital, Northstar Capital, Piper Sandler, Quazar, Redpath and Company (Accounting, Tax, Audit, Advisory). Thank you to our judges for lending your expertise and to our awesome volunteers that made the day run smoothly--Ashlee Proulx, DJ Charley, Jr., CPA and Jessica Groves. You all were instrumental in making it a great day. And last but definitely not least, our amazing ACG Cup committee. You all put in a ton of time and energy in pulling this expanded competition off. We at ACG Minnesota are so grateful for you all. The committee is led by Ryan Alberg with members Roxanne Thorelli, Taylor K. Thompson, DJ Charley, Jr., CPA, Christian Barnes, Austin Wilson, Ben Axelrod and Lisa Johnson. (To see all the teams that participated, see our previous post.) LinkedIn only allows 20 photos per post, so we split the post into two.)

The ACG Cup took place yesterday and was hosted at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. For those not familiar with this program, the ACG Cup is a unique case study competition designed to give students from leading undergraduate and MBA programs invaluable insights into mergers & acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity. Student teams are given a real-life case prepared by ACG finance professionals. The case study is on a business issue/problem that the students must analyze and then provide recommendations on valuation, capital markets, and M&A advice to a panel of investment professionals from the Minneapolis area. The purpose of the competition is to give students real-life experience in mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, private equity and strategic alternatives. The competition also gives students a great opportunity to showcase their professional and academic skills. We had twenty teams apply with sixteen competing. Students represented NDSU, UMD, UW-Eau Claire, Macalester, UST, UMD, University of Iowa, and University of Minnesota. Thank you students for all the time and effort in putting together fantastic presentations. Congratulations and well done!

Join us in welcoming our newest members! We look forward to connecting with you at upcoming ACG Minnesota events. - Cooper Eral, Traction Capital - Crawford Jordan, Grey Search + Strategy - Bryn Knatterud, Acts Media - Beth Schroeder Harper, Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A. - Ellie Wodrich (Martini), Goldner Hawn Are you interested in becoming a member? Please reach out to one of our committee members to hear about all of the great benefits of joining! Our committee includes: Tony Rubin, Ryan Stretmater, Robin Oertel, Jacob W., John Lawson, Ashlee Proulx and Lisa Johnson.

It was a packed house today for a dynamic discussion on 'Creating a Growth Culture.' We were grateful to have an outstanding panel, including Amy Kiefer, CEO of Salon Innovations; Chris Heim, MBA, CEO of Atomic Data; Priscilla Koeckeritz, President of Brin Glass Company; and Brian Roers, Co-Founder of Roers Company, with Damon Lee of Mercer as moderator. Thank you for lending your expertise and invaluable insights! A special thanks to our Annual Sponsors for their continued support: Diamond Sponsor: Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. Platinum Sponsors: Ballard Spahr LLP, BDO, Bridgewater Bank, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Twin Cities Business, Evercore Wealth Management, LLC, Highland Bank, Oxbow Industries, LLC, PNC Commercial, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Wipfli Gold Sponsors: Bremer Bank, Forte Real Estate Partners, LLC, Old National Bank, RSM US LLP, Stinson LLP, Wintrust Financial Corporation, Passkey Technology Thanks to our luncheon committee led by Amber Akemann and supported by Craig Siiro, Derrick Johnson, Benjamin Doran, with Rob Kress running lead this month--teamed with Kory Boyer. What a top-notch program today! Thank you too to our greeters this month. We were happy to have Erin Mickels (Henseler), CPA and Megan Pye (Moore) of CLA, Lynn Roth of Bridgewater Bank and Jessica Groves of St Thomas University on hand to greet the attendees. We also appreciated our partners at the The Minneapolis Club, interim GM Wally Smith and Meghan Foley--and the great staff there. Hope to see you all back next month. Registration opens next week--topic is Strategic Growth Insights from Minority, Women, and Veteran Businesses! #growthculture #leadership #acgluncheons #networking

Don't forget to register for our upcoming Young Professionals: Annual Sporting Clays Event. It takes place on Tuesday, November 12 from 2-6pm at the Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club. Join us for a memorable afternoon of sporting clays at the renowned Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club. Whether you're a seasoned shooter or a first-time participant, this event offers a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow young professionals in a relaxed, outdoor setting. We'll provide everything you need, including gun rentals, shells, ear and eye protection—just bring your enthusiasm. Afterward, enjoy beverages and appetizers at our networking reception. REGISTER TODAY: https://cvent.me/EVZvdo Member: $110 | Non-Member: $155 All are welcome. “Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind.” — Samuel Ullman Thank you to RSM US LLP for your support of our Young Professional programs. Any questions about this event? Reach out to our amazing committee led by Cameron Wood with Christian Rekow, DJ Charley, Jr., CPA, Eric Harrison, Lindsey Mortinson, CPA, Don Raleigh III, and Lisa Johnson. #youngprofessionals #networking #networkingevents #acgminnesota

Part of why ACG Minnesota continues to be a vibrant and successful organization is because of the contributions of its members. We are grateful to those that give their time. Today we want to highlight one of our amazing members, Tony Rubin. Tony has been an ACG Minnesota Member for 10 years and has served on the ACG Minnesota Board of Directors since 2019 where he serves as our Membership Chairperson. If you haven’t met Tony, we would be surprised and suggest you do! He has deep connections in our community and is a joy to work with. Make sure to introduce yourself next time you attend an ACG event. Thank you, Tony, for all your contributions in making ACG Minnesota a vibrant networking community. Bio: Tony Rubin, Financial Advisor, First Vice President – Investments, PIM® Portfolio Manager, Rudin & Rubin Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors Private Client Group. He provides comprehensive, consultative investment planning and wealth management services to affluent individuals and families, as well as business owners and executives. Investment and Insurance Products: Not FDIC Insured / No Bank Guarantee / May Lose Value. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us at tonight's ACG Minnesota Social. We’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from our amazing sponsors. Interested in learning more about how you can align your brand with ACG Minnesota and reach a dynamic network of professionals? Connect with our sponsorship team, led by Stephen O'Hara, alongside Rian Heaslip and Jay Gould. Or, simply email Shelley at shelley@acgmn.org. We’re ready to customize sponsorship opportunities to match your unique marketing goals.

Waiting for the guests to arrive on this gorgeous day. See you soon at our Sponsor Appreciation Social! We appreciate all that you do for ACG Minnesota.

We’re just one week away from our October luncheon! Join local middle-market executives on Tuesday, October 22, for a dynamic discussion on "Creating a Growth Culture." Moderated by Damon Lee, Principal at Mercer, this panel of leaders will share strategies and insights from diverse industries: * Amy Kiefer, CEO, Salon Innovations * Chris Heim, MBA, CEO, Atomic Data * Priscilla Koeckeritz, President, Brin Glass Company * Brian Roers, Owner and Co-Founder, Roers Company They'll dive into practical approaches to fostering growth-oriented cultures while addressing common pitfalls to avoid. Don’t miss the chance to connect with fellow leaders and gain actionable insights for your organization. October Luncheon: Creating a Growth Culture Tuesday, October 22, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM The Minneapolis Club Register today: https://cvent.me/wmWz5m $75 members | $99 non-members A special thanks to our Annual Sponsors for their continued support: Diamond Sponsor: Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. Platinum Sponsors: Ballard Spahr LLP, BDO, Bridgewater Bank, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Twin Cities Business, Evercore Wealth Management, LLC, Highland Bank, Oxbow Industries, LLC, PNC Business Banking, Wipfli Gold Sponsors: Bremer Bank, Forte Real Estate Partners, LLC, Old National Bank, RSM US LLP, Stinson LLP, Wintrust Financial Corporation, Passkey Technology Thanks to our luncheon committee led by Amber Akemann and supported by Craig Siiro, Derrick Johnson, Benjamin Doran, Kory Boyer, and Rob Kress for bringing us top-notch programming!