MEET THE TEAM
BRANDON WITZEL - OWNER
My team and I stumbled upon FLOCK when searching for a building that could be converted into a showroom/office space. Unbeknownst to us, it was already a coworking space!
We walked in, fell in love with the building’s architecture, and with our goal of purchasing and restoring historic buildings in the metro area, it was the perfect fit for us.
Currently, we’re rehabbing a building in the Mill District to convert into a neighborhood wine bar that stays true to the historic nature of the building while making it more modern.
Separately, I own a design firm, “Quinn Design,” which specializes in residential remodels and new builds but also works with architects on commercial properties.
EMMA STEILER - DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
I graduated from UW-Eau Claire in May of 2021 with my Bachelor's of Business Administration having majored in Business Management with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and minored in creative writing.
A little shell-shocked by all the newfound possibilities and not yet ready for my entrepreneurial dreams to come to fruition, I moved to Minneapolis because of my love for the city’s diversity and art scene.
With FLOCK being geared towards creatives and solopreneurs, I thought it’d be a great space to network and explore an array of careers unknown to me in an inspiration-filled environment.
My mission here at FLOCK is to lend a hand in helping the space thrive — assisting members, implementing systems to make the space more functional and better serve our members, and growing my knowledge while organizing community meals, paint nights, partnerships with neighboring businesses, and charity fundings.
MEMBERS
GREEN CARD VOICES
Green Card Voices is a non-profit organization dedicated to building inclusive and integrated communities between immigrants and their neighbors through multimedia storytelling.
"Our 2 years of staying at FLOCK as a small organization have been so welcoming and inclusive. I enjoy their monthly community lunches and the option of having my dog, Ginger, visit when I come into the space. Everyone is friendly and it's amazing to hear what the other folks renting the space do."
DEBORAH CARVER
Deborah is the writer and publisher of The Content Technologist. When she’s not compiling the weekly newsletter, she’s a digital strategy consultant helping publishers and marketers at the intersection of technology and content. She loves helping content professionals navigate the technical ins and outs of algorithms, automations, and analytics — so they can free up more brain space for creativity.
“FLOCK is such a wonderful, inspiring space. It's professional and laid back at the same time, and it's been super accommodating for the changing circumstances of 2020/2021.”
KATIE VAGNINO
Katie is Senior Marketing Writer for Perforce Software. She manages content marketing and social media on the OpenLogic brand team. Katie is also a poet who published her first book, Imitation Crab, in February of 2021. She is on the Board of Directors of Saint Paul Almanac, serving as chair of the marketing committee. Currently, Katie lives in South Minneapolis with her husband and their perfect cat son, George Muffins.
“I love FLOCK because it doesn't feel like a soulless/sterile co-working space; it feels more like a cozy, hip coffee shop. The flexibility of the different membership plans is also a big plus since I don't need to come in every day. There is a good balance of communal working areas and more quiet, private spaces you can reserve when needed. And the patio is lovely — great to work out there when the weather is nice (and there's even an outlet)! Love the neighborhood, too — lots of spots to grab lunch. I also appreciate the monthly community lunches where I have gotten to know some of my fellow Flockers.”
SCOTT WOLF
Scott is the U.S. operations manager for Ethiopia Reads, a non-profit agency that promotes children's literacy, book distribution, and the establishment of libraries in Ethiopia. Scott is charged with taking care of the finances, databases, and other day-to-day aspects of the U.S. side of the agency.
"Ethiopia Reads joined FLOCK one month after it opened in 2016 and has been here ever since. It's a great place for small non-profits like us and meets our needs to operate efficiently. The interactions with other Flockers are a lot of fun and often lead to collaborating and sharing ideas. Plus, the FREE coffee!"
RAYMOND FAUST
Ray works at Resonate, a consumer insights technology company based in Washington, D.C. as GM of Sales overseeing their Media & Entertainment business. His clients include Disney, A&E Networks, ViacomCBS, DISH/Sling, and local news media companies (Star Tribune, 10+ different companies all over the U.S.). He lives in St. Paul with his wife, 3 kids and their pandemic puppy… fortunately working from home also means working at FLOCK.
“I appreciate FLOCK’s quiet space, creative atmosphere, and flexible arrangements that allow me to be there 1-2 days a week. The amenities are awesome and so is the neighborhood!”
WESLEY NOBLE
Wesley is a user experience designer at Best Buy. There he works with customers and product owners to design intuitive web experiences. When not at FLOCK, he enjoys biking along the Mississippi while listening to podcasts. If you ask him about Swedish Fika he will get really excited.
“FLOCK has been an oasis of productivity for me. It’s the perfect blend of people, plants, and pastries. I’m grateful for this small but mighty creative community.”
TRACY KING
For more than 20 years she has dedicated her career to designing and delivering transformational learning experiences. She is a master learning designer, professional development consultant, and founder of InspirEd, an instructional design agency. Tracy is the award-winning author of Competitive Advantage: Create Continuing Education that is Profitable, Sustainable, and Impactful, and chapter author of the Routledge text Microlearning in the Digital Age. Her work synthesizing how brains learn into a model for crafting transformational experiences has been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX, Forbes and hundreds of nationally syndicated television, newspaper, and magazine outlets.
As an intuitive channel and transformational teacher, Tracy hosts the Gritty Mystic® podcast offering tips, tools and techniques for becoming the most powerful and authentic You
“From the moment I first visited FLOCK it was love at first sight. I love the creative and welcoming space and opportunities to interact with truly brilliant people. While free coffee is definitely a bonus, I also appreciate the variety of meeting spaces, mail service, and amazing location. What's not to love about working in the Whittier neighborhood steps from Yess Yoga, Spyhouse and tons of restaurants!”
Pictured left to right: Andrew Haeg, Melody Hoffmann, Charlie Rybak
SOUTHWEST VOICES
Southwest Voices is a news and information service for Southwest Minneapolis. We believe this quadrant of the city deserves a news source that both celebrates its strengths and reveals its shortcomings so it can become a more welcoming and caring community. We absolutely love Southwest Minneapolis, the vibrant local businesses, and neighbors that each have their own story to tell. Southwest Voices was founded by Andrew Haeg and Charlie Rybak. Melody Hoffmann is the founding editor.
“FLOCK has been such a great meeting spot for us. We all work from our homes and it is nice to gather in a spot that isn't a coffee shop. We prefer working in the basement. Melody dreams of recording a SW Voices podcast in the podcast booth one day. Our favorite routine is to grab lunch on Eat Street and bring it back to FLOCK as we work together on tasks and engage in meandering conversations that just don't happen on Zoom.”
DOUG CHOI
Doug is a designer, home cook, and occasional podcaster. He works as the Creative Director for Happy Medium, a digital agency based in Des Moines, Iowa. He is a recent transplant to Minneapolis and is always happy to receive recommendations on where to go and what to eat. He will also show you photos and videos of Cecilia, the new kitten he adopted with his wife Shelby.
“While I’m new to FLOCK, everyone has been so welcoming. The space has a nice balance of character and utility and I’m grateful to have a great alternative to working from home every day.”
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @FLOCKMPLS
