Build Me Up

In this episode, Lisa and Laurisa chat with the awesome folks from the  HealthPartners  Clinical Simulation Program. The group dives into the different procedures they practice, as well as discusses the lab's interesting features. Learn how the team uses this tool to boost the skills, both hard and soft, of the healthcare workers to make the patient experience even better. Discover the importance...

Director of Parks  and Recreation for the City of New Brighton Jennifer Fink , Parks Superintendent for the City of Eagan Chris Fleck, and Eric Quam , a project manager in Kraus-Anderson's Government sector join this week's episode of "Build Me Up." We chat about the impact parks have in our lives (e specially post-COVID) , the many "hats" Jennifer and Chris wear in their jobs,   how fulfilling a...

In this episode, we'll discuss all things artificial intelligence (AI) with Justin Grammens – a local educator and AI expert. With much discussion surrounding ChatGPT , Bard, and other AI-related tools,  we 're div ing in to find out what its impacts are and will be on our lives – both at home and at work. What is it? Where does it get its information? How reliable is it, and how is it being used?...

In t his episode, we 'll discuss the 2019 White Bear Lake referendum experience with Kraus-Anderson's retired director of K-12 project planning and development, Tony Sjolander , and Tim Wald from the White Bear Lake School District. While work is in full swing and the new high school is being built, we wanted to hear from Tony and Tim as they reflect on the referendum experience . We discussed the...

In this episode, we're joined by Northfield Hospital + Clinics ' Director of Facilities, Scott Norman, Kraus-Anderson's Director of Facilities Assessment, Tim Kittila , and Kraus-Anderson's Director of Project Planning and Development (Healthcare Group), Mike Stark . The group chats about Scott's experience with KA's facility assessment team— how it's impacted the hospital and assisted with long-t...

In this episode, Modist Brewing 's Daniel Wellendorf and Perkins&Will 's Jennifer Christiaansen join us at the brewery in Minneapolis' North Loop to discuss Modist's new event space opening in September! We talk about what went into the design of the space, differentiating Modist from other breweries in the area, how they name their beers, and more!

We're back from break!! In this episode, Sherman Associates ' Director of Commercial Operations Ben Kepple joins us to talk about the development and reimagining of downtown Minneapolis , why Minneapolis is worth investing in, trends in commercial real estate, and what a developer looks for in a tenant. We also discuss our favorite Skyway lunch go-tos, what it's like to live and work in downtown,...

In this episode, we're joined by  On Site Companies ' CEO Molly Leonard and Director of Sales and Marketing Mike Kinney. Beginning as a sanitation and portable restroom rental company, Molly and Mike discuss the company's growth and how they've expanded to offer services and solutions to make your experiences at parks, concerts, and on construction job sites more clean and comfortable. We also cha...

In this episode, Melissa and Kingsley Gobourne join us to talk about their new business venture with Artemis Provisions and Cheese ! While the business has been selling products online for a few years, a new storefront and restaurant are coming to Mount Horeb 's main street. We chat about the highs and lows of owning and operating a small business, lessons learned, some of their favorite products,...

In this episode, we're joined by Achieve Twin Cities ' CEO Danielle Grant and Kraus-Anderson 's director of professional development Mike Smoczyk. We chat about Achieve's programming, how their work serves the St. Paul and Minneapolis education systems, student success stories, and more.

In this episode, we're joined by New Ulm School Superintendent Jeff Bertrang and Kraus-Anderson Construction Executive Jason Rentmeester . We talk about New Ulm's Career Technical Education program, the need for industry and community buy-in to address the workforce shortage, presenting students with opportunities, and more.

In this episode, Dan Leingang and Alicia Uhde join us to talk about Bismarck State College 's designation as a polytechnic university , as well as its new polytechnic facility , how the college approaches learning, how the University plays a role in building a strong and skilled workforce, and more!

In this episode, Pope Design Group 's Vice President, Erica Larson , joins us to discuss workplace design. We pull from personal experience and chat about the factors that play a role in an office layout, the importance of employee participation in design decisions, how to build an adaptable workplace for the future, and more!

ARC Minnesota 's Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson and ARC's Value Village Greg Rue join us to discuss ARC and its impactful work with people with disabilities. We discuss their services, how the Value Village thrift store is utilized as a revenue source for ARC Minnesota, favorite thrift store finds, and what makes Value Village " Minnesota's Best Thrift Store " (2021, 2022). This was a fun conversation...

Communities in Schools Twin Cities CEO and President Amanda Sappa and Program Director Colby Owens join "Build Me Up." We chat with the pair about the Communities in Schools program, its importance in the lives of youth, how organizations and individuals can get involved, and more.

Hunt Electric 's Chief Operating Officer Keith Colvard joins "Build Me Up" this week to chat about the new facility in Hudson, Wisconsin, how the organization maintains a cohesive culture throughout its various offices, the company's plans for the future, and more.

In this episode, Dani and Laurisa join Chanti Miller and David O'Neil , co-founders of the Mosaic Venue in downtown Minneapolis, to discuss their new event space. They explain the story that led to their unique business plan, the design elements that make for a more inclusive venue, what they hope to see for the future of their business, and more.

In this episode, we're talking about health and wellness. A slight stray from our typical discussion topics, we look at one example of employee health and happiness through the eyes of Kraus-Anderson 's Anne Grubish and former Profile employee Jasmine Nelson as we chat about Anne's health and weight loss experience. Recognizing that each individual is on his or her own health journey, we discuss h...

Welcome back, Build Me Up  listeners! We hope you had a relaxing holiday season and a great start to 2023. We're excited to kick off Season 5 with reoccurring guests Jay Bowman of FMI and Rich Jacobson of Kraus-Anderson. Together, we briefly discuss how 2022 played out for Kraus-Anderson, as well as the rest of the construction industry. Then, we jump into a "2023 Look Ahead" to talk about the pos...

It's the Season 4 Finale, so Laurisa and Dani chat about their favorite moments from the past 20 episodes and share their plans for the holiday season! Thank you to all the guests who participated in Season 4, as well as to our listeners. It's fun to have a platform where inspiring stories that build up the community can be shared. See you in the New Year!

Project managers Rachael Oelke and Megan Geiser, as well as Kathy Kuepers of Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County and Joni Olson of Gundersen Tri-County Hospital , join this episode of "Build Me Up." We chat with the group about their current hospital projects and how their collaboration benefits both teams and builds. We also discuss patient experience, building in rural versus urban settings, h...

National Adoption Day (November 19th, 2022) is this week, and Kraus-Anderson 's very own Kevin Magstadt and his wife, Kris, are recent recipients of the Angels in Adoption award . The two join the episode to share their inspiring story about the adoption of their two grandchildren, Kaiden and Michaela. Jaia Lent, the deputy executive director at Generations United , also joins the podcast. She sha...

This episode, we're joined by Tiffany Orth of Move Minneapolis and Ben Shardlow of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District . Tiffany and Ben, as well as their teams, are passionate about the city of Minneapolis and work hard to make the downtown experience a positive one for all. We chat about sustainable transportation practices, how their work plays a role in the revitalization of downtown...

Heather Hoffman , President of Commercial Drywall , joins this week's episode. In recognition of Construction Inclusion Week , we chat with Heather about her approach to a few of the week's designated topics: commitment and accountability, belonging, supplier diversity, and workplace culture. Heather details the events that led to the take-over of her father's subcontracting company and what she h...

The Landmark by the Rivers project team joins this episode of "Build Me Up" to talk about the completed apartment and retail complex. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, provides downtown La Crosse with modern, luxurious living while maintaining its rich history. We chat with the team about the building's background, what to consider during historical...