Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce

We have a couple directions we can go. Option one helps fulfill the vision of NE MN being a national hub for innovation and technology. Option two is a death spiral. We need everyone on board with option one! 1. We have the capacity to have a lot of housing in the downtown and create more of an 18-hour downtown where you’ve got people who are working and then dining and recreating in that same area 2. The alternative is you continue to slowly erode at the number of office workers, at the number of retail stores, and then that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, where it just becomes emptier and emptier. https://lnkd.in/gt8-DfkX

Helium has been added to the critical list joining seven minerals by the U.S. Geological Survey. https://lnkd.in/gXwUbDfg

It was an incredible day of empowerment, learning, and togetherness at the inaugural Draw a Larger Circle: Expanding Inclusion in the Workplace Summit today at the College of St. Scholastica. Attendees began the day with self-reflection about their own identities and perspectives with Jesse Ross and unlocking the power of their own protagonism with Claire Branksy, followed by the Knowing Your Neighbors: Global Perspectives Panel led by Dr. M. Lue from the City of Duluth in which longtime and newly-arrived Duluth residents from countries around the world offered their unique insights as to how Duluth can become a more welcoming community to newcomers. Over the lunch hour, attendees engaged with an interactive discussion about Jodi Pfarr’s book The Urgency of Awareness led by Jaton White of Northside Achievement Zone followed by Raven & Cam from the Transgenda Podcast joining the group to talk about effective allyship. Sara Cole (Chamber Board Member), President & CEO of the Duluth Area Family YMCA, then took us home with a call to action and ideas how to continue this critical inclusion work in our community. Thank you so much to Lake Superior College and the The College of St. Scholastica for their partnership, our fantastic speakers for lending their time and talents, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for the grant funding that supports these events, and the 70+ local leaders and students who joined us today to show their commitment to this work. Our team is excited to offer this Inclusion Summit again in 2026!

The Duluth Chamber is proud to present the?Draw a Larger Circle: Expanding?Inclusion?in the Workplace?Summit?this Thursday, March 13 – Check out some of the amazing speakers we will be featuring! ? There is still time to join us - To register, click here: https://lnkd.in/gAvKdbHx ? Thank you to our sponsors?The College of St. Scholastica?and?Lake Superior College?for their support of?this event.

Join us on March 11th for the first Connect @ Clyde of 2025! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gXJsNCpR Unlocking Opportunity: A Deep Dive into True North Goodwill & Employment Challenges In this interactive session, Dodie Brown, True North Goodwill President and CEO, will share how they are offering more than job placement, but holistic support that empowers people to thrive in the workforce. Thank you to our friend, Chris Tiedeman, and Weber Johnson Public Affairs for sponsoring this event. Thank you our partners at the Clyde Iron Works for hosting the series!

Update, the posting has been closed. Please see the note below. Thank you!

It was a wonderful night at the Duluth NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner! Featured in the first photo left to right is Duluth Chamber Board Chair Dr. Chiamaka Enemuoh, Past Board Chair Jennifer J. Cady, Duluth NAACP President Classie Dudley, with Aubrey J. Hagen, MBA, and Stephanie Williams representing the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce and our Fuse program. The second photo also features Amber M. Lewis, MS, another Fuse Duluth Leadership Council member, who volunteered so much of her time to this event. Thank you to our members Minnesota Power and Lake Superior College for their Empowerment sponsorship of this event, as well as Finden Marketing for their Graphic and Design Sponsorship, and the many additional members and organizations who supported this event! If you are interested in donating to support the NAACP's Ignite Empower Transform's Economic Empowerment Center operating in the Twin Ports, please visit https://lnkd.in/gvawnuD8

The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce isn’t just talking about progress—we’re making it happen. Our bold vision for the region’s future requires strong leadership, strategic storytelling, and a dynamic approach to engagement. That’s why we’re looking for a Director of Marketing and Communications who can amplify our mission, shape our narrative, and help drive real impact. If you're ready to be part of something bigger—something transformational—apply today or share this with someone who should.

Today, I want to take a moment to express gratitude to Daniel Fanning and Leah Kohlts for their dedication, hard work, and contributions to the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce. Their impact has been felt by colleagues, partners, and the broader community, and we are grateful for the time and energy they’ve poured into their roles. As they move on to new opportunities, we wish them nothing but success and fulfillment in the next chapter of their journeys. Thank you, Daniel and Leah, for everything—you will always be part of the Chamber family.

Last week was another incredible Duluth and St. Louis County Days at the Capitol. I had the pleasure of talking to many of our legislators on behalf of the Duluth Airport Authority about the critical need for a new Air Traffic Control Tower. And while there were many productive meetings about that, I am still working to follow up on all of the "other" conversations with friends and colleagues as well. This is such an amazing event. There is nowhere else you can be in the presence of so many LEADERS all at once. Business owners, community leaders, elected officials, and passionate advocates all coming together to promote projects important to the Northland. I only wish I had paused to take a few photos (grateful to Chiamaka Enemuoh for taking this one)! THANK YOU to all of the legislators that took time to meet with our teams. And a HUGE THANK YOU to Kathleen Privette, Matthew Baumgartner, and the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce staff for their attention to every detail in assembling the greatest community lobbying day every year. Here's hoping the work we all did, and will continue to do, will pay off in May! #BusinessAdvocates #StrongerTogether #DuluthDays #StLouisCountyDays