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'Studio/E' Aims To Guide Entrepreneurs In Right Direction

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- St. Paul's James J. Hill Reference Library is old. A massive library seems antiquated these days, but some of the newest ideas in the Twin Cities are coming to life there.

Studio/E was founded by former Target executive Nate Garvis and his friend, attorney Tom Wiese.

"It's an experiential leadership program based on the entrepreneur's mindset," Wiese said. "Take action instead of planning and doing. It's doing and then learning."

They think they can teach anyone to do it. Their eighth class, which they call a "cohort," finished up in November of 2014. They've been holding cohorts for three years now. Their latest group included people from a wide range of backgrounds.

There's an account strategist, the commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, the president of a nonprofit for Native American community development, a surgeon and even WCCO anchorman Jason DeRusha.

So how do you get the message across to such a diverse group? You start by telling a story. Wiese and Garvis incorporate a video of the movie "Shackleton," featuring Kenneth Branagh.

Ernest Shackleton had a plan to be the first man to cross the Antarctic. A disaster derailed that idea, and his new plan was to simply get his crew home alive.

Shackleton had to navigate the unknown. It's a theme Wiese and Garvis emphasize as well.

Everyone at Studio/E uses a "compass" to push an idea into action.

"When most people want to try something new, the first thing they ask is, 'What do I need?' -- which is code for 'How much money do I need,'" Garvis said. "Serial entrepreneurs ask a very different set of questions. They ask, 'What do I have right now that can put me into action right now?'"

It's a strategy they learned at Babson College, a Massachusetts institute that did the research that makes up the curriculum for Studio/E.

Access to that kind of information comes with a tuition price tag of $6,500.

"Babson is the number-one entrepreneurial college in the world, and they basically are the epicenter of teaching entrepreneurial thought in action," Wiese said.

But can you re-train a career-corporate employee to act differently? Tiffany Snyder has been at Cargill for more than 20 years.

"I think Studio/E is phenomenal," Snyder said. "I don't care what level you're at in a corporation. You constantly have to be learning and adjusting and stepping into spaces that aren't always comfortable for you personally or as a leader."

Shackleton couldn't wait for the perfect conditions. He had to take action just to survive. Wiese and Garvis think you should do the same.

"This isn't about getting it right," Wiese said. "This is about getting it out there."

Snyder says Studio/E is a very powerful program.

"I hope more leaders in the Twin Cities will consider what Studio/E has to offer," Snyder said.

She actually launched her new idea at Cargill recently, and it's working well.

The next class in February is already full, but they are launching another session in July.

The program is four one-day sessions over the course of a year.

Click here for more information.

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