Fuse News and In The News

Check out our 2011 College Connection Kickoff Pics in The Woman Today Magazine on page 98!

 

The Fuse Flash: Our Bi-Weekly eNewsletter

The Fuse Flash is your primary source for Fuse events and information.  Stay connected by getting on the e-mail list.  Use the e-mail list signup form in the green box at the bottom right of each page to sign up.  Wanna catch up?  Check out these snippets from previous Fuse Flashes:
 
 
Fuse Flash
 

Dear Fusers,   Lara Wilkinson

 

It's crunch time.

We're forty mentors from our goal for College Connection. Can you help?

We often have many students in the marketing, business, and finance fields, so these are especially great areas of expertise to mentor in. If you can spare a little time, you can make a big impact. Email me for an application now- we'll be pairing mentors and mentees before the next Fuse Flash goes out!

 

Sign up for College Connection this year, and you're invited to our Kickoff Celebration on October 12th at Greysolon Plaza. Join Duluth Mayor Don Ness and others for a short welcome program, and a great evening of delicious hors d'oeuvres. It's a perfect opportunity to have a first meeting with your mentee!

 

There's plenty going in the coming weeks-- read on for all the highlights.

 

 

See you at the next Fuse event! 

Lara Wilkinson Signature

Lara Wilkinson, Director of Fuse Duluth


 
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Save the Date!

College ConnectionCollege Connection Kickoff  

 

October 12

5-7 pm

Greysolon Plaza  

Moorish Room 

2011 Corporate Partners



Essentia logo
 

DBU
  

Lake Superior College

UMD


College of St. Scholastica
 

Maurices
 

Duluth News Tribune
 

MN Power
 

Fuse Lunch Panel

Duluth Heats Up As the Mercury Drops:  

Winter Sports, Activities, and Hot Spots  

TODAY!  

 

Enjoy a fabulous Dubh Linn Pub Irish-style lunch, and create a mile-long to-do list of fall and winter fun with the help of our panel, local experts on all that's new in arts, outdoors, events and more!  

 

September 14th

11:45 - 1:00 pm

Dubh Linn Irish Pub
109 West Superior Street

Click Here to RSVP  

Urban Overtures - A Casual Evening of Cocktails, Conversation and the Classics

Want to know more about the DSSO, while enjoying appetizers and cocktails? Join us at Blackwater, Thursdays before classical concerts.  

 

This Thursday, September 15, from 5:00-6:30 enjoy complimentary appetizers and a cash bar.  Around 5:45 we will be joined by Music Director Candidate Rei Hotoda and guest pianist Katherine Chi. Together they will do a short 20 minute program that introduces you to the program coming this Saturday, September 17th at 8 p.m. at the DECC.  

 

For those attending Urban Overtures you will receive a voucher that you can exchange for a $10 ticket to Saturday night's concert.  Bring your friends and have a great time getting to know some amazing music and musicians and, who knows, maybe the next new Music Director of the DSSO..

 DSSO

Future Urban Overture Programs:  

  • September 29
  • November 17
  • January 19
  • March 22
  • April 26
  • May 17
Fuse Duluth is still seeking Mentors

for the 2011-2012 College Connection Program 

Want to invest in our community and have a real impact, but don't have a lot of time? Be a mentor with Fuse Duluth's College Connection program.


College ConnectionEvery year we pair current college students from our local schools with professionals in our community so they can learn about the world of work and make real-world business connections. We pair you, but you and your mentee build the relationship in whatever way works best to meet your goals and fit your schedule. It's a great experience, and it really makes a difference for college students preparing to enter the job market.  Click for an 2011-2012 Application.   

 

For more info, contact Fuse intern Kelly Cloutier at: fuseintern@duluthchamber.com or College Connection Action Team chair Sara Rolfson at: srolfson@sheratonduluth.com.

 

 new ! FIVE WITH A FUSER

Get to Know a Fuser in Five Questions...

Ben Kaasa

Meet Ben Kaasa 

Attorney at Law, Benjamin Kaasa Law Office, PLLC 

 

What do you enjoy most about participating in Fuse?

I enjoy Fuse because it provides opportunities to network with younger professionals and to meet people that provide professional services that assist me in resolving my cases.

 

Have you lived anywhere besides the Twin Ports? 

Yes, I have lived in places other than the Twin Ports: Lakeland, FL; St. Cloud, MN; Grand Forks, ND; and International Falls, MN. This is my second time in the Twins Ports as I attended UMD from 1999-2002.

 

What do you like to do in your spare time?  

I spend my spare time with my wife and three year old daughter, golfing, and reffing ice hockey at the youth and high school levels.

 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to find a job in our area?

Do not embellish your employment history. I have read too many stories about attorneys in other areas who have taken too many liberties on their resumes and suffered terrible consequences as a result. Employers want employees that can be trusted in all circumstances.

 

Is it possible to sue Mother Nature for theft of summer? If so, will you represent us in this pursuit? It would be a unique endeavor to make Mother Nature a civil defendant.  Regrettably only individual, business entities or governmental bodies may be sued in a court of law; non-humans generally cannot be sued. But do not rule out mediation as a potential way to achieve relief!

 

Lara on Almanac North again. The topic: Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community Study & implications for young professionals.

 

Check it out at the link.

 

 

Fuse Director Lara Wilkinson talks about census results on Almanac North. 
 

Watch online:

 
 
 
 

Fuse Duluth College Connection program featured on MPR:

 
"We’ve all read about the need for better integration of the education and business world.

Looks like Duluth is addressing that, at least from one angle.

FUSE Duluth’s “College Connection” program, now in its fourth year, pairs 100 college students — from the University of Minnesota Duluth, College of St. Scholastica, Lake Superior College and Duluth Business University — with mentors from about 80 Duluth-area businesses....."

(read more at the link:)

 
 
Northland News Center covers Rooftop Blues

An annual gathering high atop a downtown Duluth building helped unofficially kick off this year's Bayfront Blues Festival.

Tuesday evening, guests celebrated the blues on the roof of The Inn on Lake Superior in Canal Park accompanied by live music. The event was put on by Fuse, an organization that offers networking opportunities for young people in the community. Event organizers say the point of the roof top blues is to help people open their eyes to the local arts and music.

"It's an event a lot of people come to when they don't typically come to other events because it's on a roof. It's unique, it's fun and in Duluth we don't get a lot of nights to be out on a roof," said Breanne DeFoe with Fuse Duluth.

 

The Bayfront Blues Fest kicks off this Friday.

September 9th, 2009

Dear Fusers,
Summer is ending and it's time to get back in the game! Many of you have told me you haven't been to a Fuse event in a long time. What are you waiting for? The next event is tomorrow at 5pm and it's a big one. Check out the details on this Underground Happy Hour below.

Breanne DeFoe
Director of Fuse Duluth

August 26th, 2009

Dear Fusers,

 

Save the date:
October 22nd
Fuse Duluth Topics on Tap: Dinky Town in D-Town
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Dubh Linn Pub

Panelists include:
Tony Cuneo, City Councilor
Alex Brown, UMD Student
and more...

When asked about students in our community and zoning, Tony had this to share; "College students are a huge part of our city, a bigger percentage of the population than most people realize. Most of the discussion we have about students in Duluth tends to focus on what problems they are a part of, not what we can do to fully embrace them in our community. I get that some students lifestyles don't mesh with traditional neighborhoods very well. It is time we as a city do more to plan for this reality in a positive, proactive way. Finding ways of encouraging more students to live near our entertainment, arts, and music venues would prove beneficial for everyone who shares Duluth as a home."

Join us for this discussion on the proposed student zoning area.

Breanne DeFoe
Director of Fuse Duluth

August 19th, 2009

Dear Fusers,

We are still looking for College Connection Mentors!! We need 80 mentors to sign up in the next two weeks. Please see the Civic Engagement Opportunities section below for more details. Please e-mail me if you have any questions on this program.

Also, for those of you that attended Rooftop Blues on August 4th and took a goodie bag home, you received a coupon for $2 off a $20 purchase at Electric Fetus. That coupon expires on August 31st. Thank you again to Carrie Brown and the Electric Fetus staff for sponsoring Rooftop Blues.

Breanne DeFoe
Director of Fuse Duluth

August 12th, 2009

Dear Fusers,

It has been an Extreme week for many Twin Ports residents who volunteered to build a home for the Extreme Makeover Home Edition television show. On Monday, the Huber family of South Range, WI were the lucky recipients of a beautiful new home. What you don't see on the television show is the amount of hours of coordination and the Extreme donations required to pull off a project like this. For pictures, press releases and information on this project go to www.extremebuilderscommonwealth.com. I am proud to be a part of this great community! Way to go everyone!!

Breanne DeFoe

Director of Fuse Duluth
 
August 5th, 2009

 

Dear Fusers,

 

Interns for hire, and looking to hire interns. Melissa and Alex are finishing up their terms at the Chamber. It will be sad to see them go. They both will be graduating in the spring of 2010 and are currently looking for internship and job leads.

This makes two internships available at the Chamber. One for Fuse specifically and one for the Chamber. If you know of someone who is interested in interning at the Chamber and would like more information, please have them contact me at bdefoe@duluthchamber.com.

 Breanne DeFoe
Director of Fuse Duluth

July 29th, 2009

Dear Fusers,

The August 13th Topics on Tap event has been rescheduled to October 22nd. The topic? DNKY Town in D-Town. We will be discussing prosposed student zoning areas within our city. Students and Fusers are invited to attend.
Also, we are looking for a sponsor for this event. For $350 you will recieve your logo and link on the Fuse News for 2 weeks, time to address the crowd with your marketing message at the event and much more.
Contact me if you have questions about Fuse events or sponsorships.
 
Breanne DeFoe
Director of Fuse Duluth
218.740.3758
 
July 22nd 2009
Dear Fusers,

Rooftop Blues is only two weeks away! Now that it's summer - or should be summer - it's the perfect time to spend an evening outdoors listening to live music. On the evening of August 4, I predict the clouds will part, the sun will shine, and we will have an amazing night for the blues on the roof of a building. Here are the top 5 reasons you might want to be there:
 
5. Last year, over 100 people attended. Join us to mingle with friends and meet new people.
4. Have you ever eaten food from Savories catering? Don't miss out on fruit kebabs, mini-sandwiches and more.
3. Paul Newberg and Andy Hauswirth on guitar. You may have heard them live, but you've never heard them do blues like this.
2. Electric Fetus is going to make sure no one goes home empty handed - goody bags for all!
1. This Fuse Duluth event only happens once a year. 364 days is a long time to wait for next year's Rooftop Blues.
 
Click roof to rsvp. See you on the roof!
 
Breanne DeFoe
Director of Fuse Duluth
 
July 15th 2009
 
Dear Fusers,
mentor - noun
1: A close, trusted, and experienced counselor or guide

Join me in helping college students advance their careers, enhance their education, and build their networks. Wouldn't you want that guy named Webster to define you as a close, trusted, and experienced counselor or guide? I know I would.

For three years while I was obtaining my degree from UMD, I was fortunate enough to have the guidance of business mentors through the College Connection Program. These individuals were influential in molding my career path and my decision to stay in Duluth following college. The relationships that I forged with my mentors go well beyond helping me with my resume and interviews. I consider each one of them a friend. This year it is my privilege to be chair of the College Connection Action Team within Fuse Duluth and help college students connect with the community and develop into the leaders of tomorrow.

Click here to learn more about College Connection and how you can become a mentor.

Thank you,

Mike Malone
College Connection Chair
 
July 8th 2009
 
Dear Fusers,
Two weeks ago Fuse Duluth gathered for the third ever Topics on Tap. The Topic on Tap was "The Economics of Healthcare."

As a young professional in the Duluth area I learned more about what healthcare providers are changing in the clinics and hospitals to help alleviate some of the costs to the patient. If you want to know more about this and other eye opening information about local and national healthcare, click here to listen to a full length podcast of the event. I'd like to again thank our sponsor Thrivent Financial.

Melissa Sather
Fuse Duluth Intern

July 1st 2009

Dear Fusers,

Every few months a new Fuse Duluth desktop design is made available to you. You can pick up this downloadable design by checking out my blogs on www.fuseduluth.com.

To save you some time, here are the links to the first two released designs as well as the brand new Fuse Duluth desktop design. Special thanks to Martin Sawinski of 3FIVE Designs, Inc. who created the Fuse Duluth logo, website and the desktop images. A creative genius indeed:)



Design 4 = will be released in the 4th quarter of 2009. Keep checking the blogs for its release!

Breanne DeFoe
Director of Fuse Duluth

 

In The News:

Fuse Track Jackets!

The new Fuse Track Jackets are now available! Show your Fused spirit with our new track jackets. The jackets are made from 100% cotton. They are in sizes XS-2XL and will be available at all Fuse events as well as at the Duluth Chamber. The cost is $25 for Fuse Members and $30 for Non-Members.

To order click here!

Business North Covers Fuse Duluth

Business North wrote an article about Fuse Duluth; "Fuse Duluth: Reaching Out to the Next Generation of Movers, Shakers" by Beth Bily.  To read click here.