Coalition9 Community News - July 2026
Founder Message
Hi C9 Community + Friends!
I’m going to try to keep this short so we can all get back to summer fun times. 😁
Lots of events coming up that you won’t want to miss! For our C9 Well Walk ‘n’ Talk + Open Pickleball on July 17th, we’ll explore the Lone Lake Community Park and Preserve in Minnetonka. It’s a chance to sneak in a little exercise, enjoy nature, and maybe play some pickleball. Check out the details further down the page.
Then, on August 6th, we’re heading back to CHS Field for our annual C9 Summer Social—an evening of baseball, food, drinks, and relationship building. We’ve opened up Event Partner and Supporter opportunities, so let me know if you're interested. You’ll want to get on this soon, though. These sponsorships always go fast!
Coalition9 is a proud sponsor of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Best Places to Work Awards event, and we have a few tickets we’d like to share with the C9 Community. If you want to join me and C9 Director of Marketing + Communications Brenda Harvieux at the event on August 20th, details on nabbing those tickets are below.
The C9 Gives Foundation is looking for a few more mentees for the Project Ascent Mentorship Program. You don’t have to be a C9 Member to get matched with a mentor either. This is open to everyone, and we have so many generous + talented folks who have signed up to share their expertise as mentors. Request a mentor today! The form is super simple and is linked in the C9 Gives Foundation section in this edition of the C9 Community News.
Happy summer, y’all!
Cheers,
Aaron Eggert
Coalition9 Community Leader + Founder
Member Highlights
MEET SOME OF OUR MEMBERS ON THE POWER OF NINE PODCAST
☀️🎧 Your summer listening, sorted.
The Power of Nine Podcast is on summer break, but the stories are still here whenever you need some inspiration!
Summer is a good time to step back and reflect on your own journey, so we pulled together five conversations that share one thread: coaching, facilitation, and the work of helping people reach their potential.
Ep108: "The Practice of Curiosity" with Phil Ensminger, Chief Technology Officer at Beacon Point Associates
Ep104: "Limitless" with Brent Widman, Partner at Your Limitless Coach
Ep93: "Navigating Change Without Leaving People Behind" with Summer Miller, Founder of SDM Integrative Consulting | Coalition9 Facilitator
Ep92: "Creating Zones of Genius" with Liz Otteson, Founder of co:lab | Community Experience Officer of the FRAK Conference | Coalition9 Facilitator
Ep81: "Untapped Potential" with Laurie Hollinger, Founder of Hollinger & Co | Coalition9 Facilitator
Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:
Spotify for Creators | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts
All of our videos, including podcast episodes, event recordings, and everything C9, are now available on our YouTube Channel.
Check it out—and don't forget to subscribe. We would love a review from you as well! We take great pride in the community we’re building, and your reviews have a huge impact on welcoming new listeners.
MEMBER NEWS
On June 11, two of our Coalition9 groups—The Regulators, facilitated by Laura Cohen, and The Elmas, facilitated by Liz Otteson—came together for a workshop called "Getting Unstuck: What You Do When You Don't Know What To Do." The session was led by another C9 facilitator: Beth Elliott from Tangled Rabbit. We love that Laura and Liz looked within our C9 Community to find the perfect resource for the C9 Members in their groups. It's exactly the kind of collaboration that drives our unrivaled member experience!
We love hearing about how C9ers are spending time outdoors with their groups over the summer! Coalition9's Bold School group hit the water for their June meeting. Facilitator Beth Elliott says that, while there was a slight chill to the air, the group was able to connect over great conversation, music, and spending a carefree day together. Thank you, Tracy Truesdell, for providing the scenic getaway! For those needing a summer pick-me-up, check out Bold School's pontoon playlist on Spotify.
C9 Members Debbie Stewart and Mike Tonies invite you to join the Carly May Foundation TODAY, July 8, 2026, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at the beautiful OMNI Winery & Taproom in Rosemount for the foundation’s 2nd Annual Impact Social. This evening will showcase the foundation’s mission to uplift and empower those in need, offering a unique opportunity to learn about the incredible work they do and the lives they touch. Attendees will enjoy an open-house style program filled with inspiring stories, delicious food, and the chance to win fabulous raffle prizes. Don’t miss this chance to make a difference while enjoying a night of community and connection—together, we will create lasting impact! Email Mike with questions. Learn more + purchase tickets
C9 group facilitator Nathan Young announced that How to be Second is hosting a Matchmaking Webinar on July 30, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. H2B2 is dedicated to building community for Seconds and matching CEOs to their Right Fit Second. Join us for a deep-dive into what makes Matchmaking different from recruiting and how we are bringing joy back to the hiring process–for BOTH applicants and hiring teams. Questions? Email Kaitlin Strand. Learn more + register
C9 Community Supporter All In One Accounting announced that their Founder and CEO, Heide Olson, will be presenting at The Profit Recipe’s event “Protect Your Assets-Build a Financial System Your Leadership Team Can Trust” on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. During this free virtual event, Heide will discuss how growing companies can protect what they have built. As your company grows, so does the cost of a financial mistake or fraud. Heide covers how strong internal controls, clean numbers, and cyber discipline protect your assets and your decisions, and why wire fraud, CEO impersonation, and compromised emails are stopped by the same controls that keep your books trustworthy. Learn more + register
C9 Member Andy Schornack announced that C9 Community Supporter Security Bank & Trust was honored as the 2026 Twin Cities Business Magazine Best of Business Gold Winner for Business Bank for the second consecutive year. This recognition reflects the trust their clients place in SB&T and the work their team puts in every day across Minnesota. Congratulations to everyone at Security Bank & Trust! Call Andy at 952-239-2086 for more details and read the announcement HERE.
C9 Member Mark Ostrom from Joy Collaborative announced that they saw over 900 guests visit their Joy Zone during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. Thanks for all you do in the community, Joy Collaborative—what a wonderful way to give back! Connect with Mark via email or call 612-245-8453. Learn more
C9 Member Alan Turkus recently acquired Interim HealthCare of the Twin Cities, a Roseville-based home health and hospice provider with approximately 150 employees serving patients and families throughout the greater Twin Cities. He also recently appeared on the Acquiring Minds podcast, where he shared the story of his search for a business, the acquisition process, and why he chose home health and hospice. Listen here: Acquiring Minds: “How to Buy a $20M Business as a First-Timer.”Connect with Alan via email or call 646-734-7724.
Do you have news you want to share? Submit the information through our C9 Member News Form, and we'll be sure to highlight you in future updates! Please note: This is exclusive to C9 Members, facilitators, and Community Supporters. Questions? Contact Brenda Harvieux, C9 Director of Marketing + Communications, at brenda@coalition9.com.
C9 Gives Foundation Project Ascent Mentorship Program
Get Matched with a C9 Gives Foundation Project Ascent Mentor!
Since launching Project Ascent, the C9 Gives Foundation's Mentorship Program, we've been blown away by the response from our community. Now it's time to match them with the entrepreneurs and leaders they're here to support!
If you're an ascending entrepreneur or leader actively building your company, Project Ascent was built for you. Not as a casual coffee connection or an informal arrangement, but as a defined leadership commitment designed to create meaningful progress through focused guidance, accountability, and real-world perspective.
And we know your time is one of your most valuable resources. The entire framework was designed with that in mind:
Each cycle runs for a minimum of 6 months
Your monthly commitment is only about two hours
One 90-minute kickoff session followed by bi-weekly 30-minute check-ins
A structured cadence that keeps momentum going without taking over your calendar. 👍
Project Ascent is run and supported by the C9 Gives Foundation, the philanthropic and community-building arm of Coalition9 dedicated to strengthening entrepreneurs and the broader business ecosystem.
If you're ready to take your leadership to the next level, fill out the Project Ascent Request a Mentor form! Learn more about the program at c9gives.org
Request a C9 Gives Mentor Today!
August C9 SPARK Event - C9 Summer Social at CHS Field
Coalition9 Summer Social at CHS Field
Thursday, August 6, 2026 | 5:30 to 9:30 PM
Location: CHS Field, 360 N Broadway St., St. Paul, MN 55101
Back by popular demand—the C9 Community is going to a St. Paul Saints game for our 2026 C9 Summer Social!
We have reserved the Treasure Island Terrace at CHS Field, which is a private space dedicated to the C9 Community for enjoying hosted food + beverages, baseball, and building relationships with other C9ers and guests.
The game starts at 7:07 PM, but join us starting at 5:30 PM for a meal and good company. This is a C9 Member + 1 guest event. 21+
The first 100 attendees will receive a Community Supporter Gift Bag!
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM
This event sells out every year, so register early! Limited to 200 attendees.
C9 Members: The email invite was sent on July 7, 2026.
EVENT PARTNER + SUPPORTER OPPORTUNITIES
Amplify your brand to our fiercely loyal Members and followers! We have opened Event Partner + Supporter opportunities for our August C9 SPARK Event. Here’s what’s still available:
Event Partners: 2 of 3 available for $1,500 each
Event Supporters: 4 of 4 available for $500 each
The deadline to become an Event Partner or Supporter is Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Sign up soon—Partner and Supporter spots for this event are always in high demand.
Contact Aaron Eggert at aaron@coalition9.com today!
Thanks for your consideration and continued support of our community!
July C9 Well Event - Walk ‘n’ Talk + Open Pickleball
C9 Well - Walk ‘n’ Talk + Open Pickleball
Friday, July 17, 2026 | 8:30 to 10:30 AM
Location: Lone Lake Park in Minnetonka
Come together with other C9ers to enjoy a summer morning in nature in Minnetonka—all while building some new relationships.
We'll meet near the lower main parking lot (by the playground equipment) and split into small groups for walking, talking, and making new friends at 8:45 AM sharp. Take a self-guided tour of the beautiful 146-acre Lone Lake Community Park and Preserve, which features views of Lone Lake from the shore and dock, expansive open space, and nearly two miles of formal trails—including a 1.2-mile loop from the lower main parking lot with scenic views of the park's diverse ecological areas: wetlands, woodlands, and prairies.
Prefer a little friendly competition? Start your day with pickleball instead! The park has 8 courts available on a first-come, first-served basis—just bring your own equipment.
C9 Members: Email invites were sent on June 17th + 30th.
NEW DATES CONFIRMED! C9 Annual Signature Experience - Capitol Reef National Park Hiking + Canyoneering
May 4-7, 2027 | Boulder, UT
We are so excited to be partnering with Four Corners Exploration and Coalition9 facilitator Matt Norman on our first ever C9 Annual Signature Experience!
Join us in May 2027 as we explore Boulder, UT! This is more than just a trip; it's a foundational journey to strengthen our community, deepen our purpose, and create an unforgettable experience for the C9 Community.
This unique desert hiking adventure through Capitol Reef National Park is a purposeful journey into one of America's most stunning and secluded landscapes. You'll traverse challenging terrain (hiking difficulty level: moderate), travel overland through surreal rock formations, and summit a peak for panoramic views, all in the company of the C9 Community.
Limited to 10 participants. A $1,000 nonrefundable deposit is due to reserve your spot.
Registration closes September 30, 2026.
Connect with our C9 Signature Experience Partner, Four Corners Exploration, to be added to the priority registration list:
Tickets for the MSP Business Journal’s Best Places to Work Event
Coalition9 is a proud sponsor of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Best Places to Work Awards Event!
Event Details:
Thursday, August 20, 2026 | 2:30 to 5:30 PM
CHS Field in St. Paul
We have 8 tickets available for C9 Members, facilitators, and Community Supporters who want to join us at the event.
Interested in attending? Email Brenda Harvieux, Coalition9 Director of Marketing + Communications, by Friday, July 31, 2026. Please include your preferred company name and email. We will use SquadUp to transfer the ticket to you. You must accept the ticket to complete the ticket transfer. *First come, first served.
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The Best Places to Work Awards recognize local employers that have gone above and beyond to create an outstanding workplace culture. The rankings are based on confidential surveys of employees that measure success in team dynamics, trust in leadership, communication and more, with only the top-scoring companies in the region earning the coveted right to be named one of the Best Places to Work.
Coalition9 Subscribable Events Calendar
Stay up-to-date on all of our events + gatherings! Our events calendar is powered by AddEvent and supports all major calendar platforms, including Apple, Google, Outlook, Outlook.com (online), Office 365 (online), and Yahoo.
When you subscribe, all Coalition9 events will be synced to your preferred calendar (may take up to 24 hours to populate). You can find directions on how to subscribe on our Events Page.
June Event Recap - C9 Gives Jam Session: The Technology Optimization Playbook
Last month's C9 Gives Jam Session was one for the books. 📖❤️
The C9 Gives Foundation and Coalition9 brought together business professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs at Loffler Companies for the C9 Gives Jam Session: The Technology Optimization Playbook—Foundations, Governance, Legacy Systems, and Marketing ROI!
Attendees chose two of four expert-led breakout sessions covering a range of critical technology topics:
AI Is Already in Your Business. Now What? – Loffler Companies
Future-Proofing What You Already Own: Strategies to Extend the Life and Value of Older Systems – Code Pros
AI Heard It Through the Grapevine: Why Your Team's Helpful AI Might Be Misleading You – MyTech Partners
Give Your Marketing Team Superpowers: How to Use AI to Turn Sales Insight Into Revenue – Forage
One theme kept surfacing: AI is only as powerful as the humans guiding it. The data behind it, the judgment applied to it, and the guardrails built around it all matter enormously. And for businesses wrestling with aging software, the question isn't just "save or swap?" It's about understanding the true cost of doing nothing. Our expert guides didn't just talk theory—they helped attendees think through what this actually looks like inside their own businesses.
Thank you to every attendee who showed up ready to learn and share!
The C9 Gives Foundation's mission is to leverage the Coalition9 Community as a force multiplier to mobilize the progress, growth, and sustainability of emerging businesses, and mornings like this one are that mission in action.
This event was free for everyone, and that doesn't happen without partners who genuinely care about the Minnesota business community. We’re so grateful to our breakout session guides, Event Partners + Supporters, and C9 Community Supporters who helped make this C9 Gives Foundation event possible:
Event Partners:
Loffler Companies | Guides: Spencer Anderson, Jennica Astleford
MyTech Partners | Guides: Corey Falls, Nina Adams, Zach Lange
Event Supporters:
Code Pros | Guide: John Eckhardt
Forage | Guide: Garrio Harrison
Event Location Partner:
Loffler Companies
You can connect with our C9 Community Supporters below in the 2026 C9 Community Supporters section. Having these folks as part of our community makes all the difference for the people and businesses we exist to support through Coalition9 and the C9 Gives Foundation.
Check out some pics from the event! 📸 👇
EVENT PARTNERS
EVENT SUPPORTERS
EVENT LOCATION PARTNER
ICYMI - PQ: Positive Intelligence + Coalition9 Partnership
In Case You Missed It…
Last September, our C9 Well event, Saboteur to Sage: Mastering Your Mindset, was led by Sarah Henning, founder of Shiftive Coaching & Consulting, and Dr. Caroline Cochran, PCC, founder of TransformAble Coaching and Consulting LLC and ARISE Women’s Leadership Collective.
They are partnering with us and offering special pricing to C9 Members and Community Supporters for a few different PQ (Positive Intelligence) programs for individuals and teams.
Watch their YouTube video for more details, and check out their offers by downloading the PDF.
Become a Coalition9 Member!
Now is the perfect time to invest in your growth and development. We're continually building a community of Members who are serious about growth, committed to showing up, and willing to invest in one another for the long term. That's how deep, transformational relationships are built. That's how real evolution happens.
Current Openings + New Groups
We have a few openings in current groups. If you've been considering joining, this is your moment. Let's find the right group for you!
Contact C9 Founder + Community Leader Aaron Eggert at aaron@coalition9.com to learn more about the C9 Member experience and apply online for C9 Membership.
About Coalition9 Membership
Do you want to connect with others who share your mindset? Coalition9 isn't a networking group—it's a business community focused on building long-term relationships with good people like you.
We provide a community where a diversity of experiences in business and life is celebrated. You'll build lasting relationships with fellow Members through authentic conversations and a focus on leading with intentionality. Our memberships are designed to promote interactive learning regardless of what stage you’re at on your journey while connecting you to the resources and people that will help you be your best.
Leadership is lonely. But it doesn't have to be. Build your tribe in the Coalition9 Community!
2026 C9 Community Supporters
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Cece: Coalition9's Concierge Service
Cece is Coalition9's concierge service. C9 Members can text Cece with questions, current needs, and connection requests, and Cece will take it from there.
Want to learn more about this revolutionary new way to engage with our Members? Visit our Cece page or send us a message. We're saving Cece for Members and Supporters 😉.
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