Coalition9 Community News - November 2025
Founder Message
Greetings, C9 Members and friends—
November is here, and I'm still energized from our C9 Gives Foundation volunteer effort at Junior Achievement's BizTown last month. Watching 25 of our C9 Members and C9 Gives Foundation friends mentor middle schoolers as they ran their simulated city was absolutely amazing. The energy was contagious, and I'm so proud of our community for showing up in such a meaningful way. Check out the recap and pics below.
We're launching a new group this month with Ben Nicholas as the facilitator, and have a couple openings still available. We currently have a few spots open in current groups, too. If you've been considering joining Coalition9, now is the perfect time to invest in your growth and development. Email me—let's find the right group for you!
Our November SPARK event, Preparing for 2026, is filling fast! We've extended the deadline to Friday, November 14th, so there's still time to register (if we don’t sell out before then). In December, we're bringing back our popular C9 Well Outdoor Sauna + Cold Plunge event on Friday, December 12th at Sauna Camp Minnesota. We got rave reviews last year, and Members will receive their email invites this Friday. Read on for more details.
We're working diligently on finalizing dates for our 2026 event calendar. The great news is that we've already figured out event topics and have them slated for each month throughout the year! Check our subscribable calendar on our Events page to get real-time updates.
As we move into this season of gratitude, I'm incredibly thankful for this community we've built together. To our Members, Community Supporters, team, and everyone who believes in what we're doing—thank you for making Coalition9 what it is today.
Cheers,
Aaron Eggert
Coalition9 Founder + CVO
Member Highlights
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Episode 98:
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Episode 99
Looking Within
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MEMBER NEWS
The 7th Annual Twin Cities Business Growth Conference, “Frame Up Your Future,” will be held on Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM at the Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom in Golden Valley. Join this growing community of local business leaders and executives to tackle the challenges of economic uncertainty and set your business up for success now and in the future. Attendance is limited to Business Owners, CEOs, Presidents, VPs and C-Suite leaders in organizations with at least 10 employees. The event is organized by Coalition9 Members Jake Irey, Todd Johnson, and Beau Berling along with Community Supporters Gary Braun and Matt Hall from Pivotal Advisors. C9ers can request a discount code by email for 50% off the ticket price. Learn more + register
Member Sterling Lock from XFS Global is competing in The Great World Race on November 15, 2025 running 7 marathons in 7 days across all 7 continents to raise $120,000 for Blending Beauty with Love - Long Live Sasha. This nonprofit guides at-risk youth and young adults with troubled pasts to help them find their purpose. The organization was founded by a mother who lost her daughter to gun violence, and Sterling's challenge aims to turn pain into purpose while providing hope and opportunities for young people who need it most. Support Sterling's mission by donating or sharing his story with your network.
Member Mike Jones announced several events he’s hosting in December:
Annual Planning - A powerful (and free) 4-hour workshop for any business owner who wants to create an actionable vision and plan going into 2026. Two dates available: December 5, 2025 - Learn more + register | December 12, 2025 - Learn more + register
Winter Gathering - Join a fun group of entrepreneurs for sauna, breathwork, and connection in a relaxed environment on December 19, 2025. Learn more + register
C9 facilitator Summer Miller from SDM Integrative Consulting has stepped into the role of Head of Personal Development for How to Be Second. In this role, she helps people explore and own their identity as a Second—someone who thrives when moving ideas and people forward, bridges gaps, creates alignment, and makes sense of complexity. Watch this short introductory video, and if the identity resonates, check out the “Am I a Second?” assessment. Email Summer to learn more or visit the H2B2 website.
Member (and future facilitator!) Nathan Young announced the release of How to be Second’s Professional Development community platform, “Second’s Place,” and you’re invited. Learn more and join the group here. They cooked up some “Early Bird” bonuses for those who sign up before December 31, 2025:
20% Discount code for 1-1 Coaching
"Founding Member" Badge for Second’s Place
Your name (and face if you’d like!) on the "Founding Member" wall on the website
Part of the Founder's Council
C9 Member Garrio Harrison from Forage has launched a new Digital Executive Presence: Foundation package to help leaders build a strong, human digital presence as AI reshapes communication. The new offering is paired with a supporting podcast that helps leaders navigate the evolving marketing landscape and establish their digital foundation. Get the PDF here, and listen to the podcast here.
Member James Olsen from Community Supporter Seiler Law spent the past week in Rome at the Builders AI Forum discussing the intersection of AI and the Catholic faith. His participation was focused on Narrative Storytelling in Media. Obviously, he ate plenty of pizza and gelato while consuming unholy amounts of cappuccinos.
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 Marketing + Communications, at brenda@coalition9.com.
November C9 SPARK Event - Preparing for 2026
Preparing for 2026
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Location: Minnesota Vikings Museum in Eagan
EXTENDED DEADLINE! Register by Friday, November 14, 2025, at 12:00 PM
Join us for a panel discussion on preparing for 2026—from the economy to human capital + benefits, and technology to talent—and everything in-between. 😉
Panelists from Tradition Capital Bank, Insperity, Versique, and Wipfli will help guide us into 2026.
A light breakfast will be provided.
C9 Members attend for free and may bring 1 guest (invites were sent via email). General admission tickets are $15 each.
Space is limited to 150 attendees, and we’re close to selling out!
Expert Panelists
Economy - Joe Bauer, Tradition Capital Bank
Human Capital/Benefits - Taylor Johnson, Insperity
Talent - Jenna Estlick, Versique Executive, Professional & Interim Recruiting
Technology - Matt Posey, Wipfli
Event Moderator
Mickayla Rosard, Groove Capital
Event Schedule:
8:30-9:00 AM: Check-In + Relationship Building
9:00-10:30 AM: Breakfast + Panel + Small Group Discussions
10:30-11:00 AM: Relationship Building (optional)
Event Recording By
Thank You To Our Event Partners + Supporters!
EVENT PARTNERS
EVENT SUPPORTERS
EVENT LOCATION PARTNER
SAVE THE DATE - December C9 Well Event
C9 Well Outdoor Sauna + Cold Plunge
Friday, December 12, 2025
Location: Sauna Camp Minnesota in Independence, MN
*Please note that Sauna Camp has moved to a new location.
Join us for our December C9 Well Series Event!
Our Event Partner, Lost Woods Whiskey, will give a brief presentation on their product and sustainability initiatives, and a representative from Sauna Camp Minnesota will discuss the benefits of combining sauna with cold plunge. Then the group will experience the transformative powers of a wood-fired, cedar barrel sauna and a cold plunge in Lake Independence.
Limited to 50 attendees. Exclusive to Coalition9 Members.
Invites will be sent on Friday, November 14, 2025, so watch your inboxes, C9ers!
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 5 PM
EVENT SERIES PARTNER
EVENT PARTNER
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.
C9 Gives Foundation Volunteers Mentor Future Leaders at Junior Achievement’s BizTown
On October 29th, 25 C9 Community Members and friends volunteered to mentor the next generation of business leaders at Junior Achievement's BizTown in St. Paul. The C9 Gives Foundation board was well represented with Aaron Eggert, Becky Lewis, and Laura Cohen joining the volunteer effort.
Our volunteers helped middle school students (ages 10–13) take on the challenge of running a simulated city, managing businesses, making financial decisions, and learning real-world skills in a hands-on environment. Students from South St. Paul took on roles ranging from CEO to laborer, learning essential skills in teamwork, personal finance, and business operations across diverse industries.
"When the kids arrived, I don't think they really knew what they were getting into,” says Aaron Eggert, Coalition9 Founder and Executive Director of the C9 Gives Foundation. “The teachers from their school prepared them with some details and an overview of their roles and responsibilities, but once they got there, I think their minds were a little blown. They couldn’t wait to get their hands a little dirty and work in the business.”
From staff meetings to running payroll, teamwork was prevalent, and the excitement in the whole space was palpable.
Students experienced the full business cycle, working with the bank on personal finances and understanding how different businesses interconnect within BizTown's ecosystem. Junior Achievement's seamless mentorship process created an impactful experience for volunteers and students alike.
Thank you to our incredible C9 Community volunteers who came out for this meaningful opportunity to shape future leaders! We're volunteering again on February 20th, so watch for our next call for volunteers.
October Coalition9 Community Appreciation Event Recap
We had another incredible C9 Community Appreciation Event at LuceLine Orchard 🍎 last month! It was a perfect fall day—the sun was shining, autumn colors were starting to show, and our Community of good people came together to celebrate.
We loved seeing C9 Members, group facilitators, Community Supporters, Event Partners + Supporters, and their guests + families enjoying the orchard, deepening connections, and making new friends.
The C9 hayride was a great way to kick off the day!
The caricature artist from Twin Cities Caricatures was a huge hit—so many smiling faces as people took home their custom portraits.
This event is Coalition9's way of expressing our gratitude to everyone in the C9 Community. We couldn't be prouder of what we've built together—THANK YOU!
A big shout-out to LuceLine Orchard for being fantastic hosts once again. 👏
Check out some pics from the day! 👇
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 and will be launching:
November 2025 - New Group
February 2026 - New Group
If you've been considering joining, this is your moment. Let's find the right group for you!
Contact C9 Founder + CVO 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!
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