Rise, Incorporated

11/17/2025

It’s National Epilepsy Awareness Month!

Did you know that 3.4 million people in the U.S. are living with epilepsy? This month, we’re joining the call to go by raising awareness and showing our support.

Epilepsy Foundation of America offers resources, free seizure first aid trainings, and simple ways to get involved, because every action counts.

11/15/2025

📣 We are Hiring! 📣

Are you or someone you know looking for your next opportunity? We are always looking for Direct Support Professionals, Employment Consultants, and more!

Visit rise.org/jobs to learn more about Rise and view our open positions.

11/14/2025

Minnesota’s biggest day of giving is coming up on November 20, but you don’t have to wait to make an impact! Early giving is happening NOW, and for every early gift, Rise is entered into a drawing for prize donations from GiveMN.org!

Your support helps us continue empowering people with disabilities and other challenges to discover their strengths, achieve their goals, and live a life filled with purpose.

Visit this link to help us start strong for Give to the Max Day: GiveMN.org/Rise-Incorporated

11/13/2025

Congratulations to Champion of the Mission, Dawn Moder! 🎉

Dawn has been with Rise's Minnesota Employment Center (MEC) for seven years as an Occupational Communication Specialist. In her role she supports people who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing in their career journeys.

Both Dawn and her colleagues agree that her role at MEC is her calling. She has built strong partnerships with local stores, is an advocate for communication access, and brings positivity to every situation.

For Dawn, the reward is seeing lives change. Congratulations, and thank you for bringing passion and dedication to Rise!

11/12/2025

Congratulations to Finley’s on being recognized by Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation - MOHR as an Outstanding Disability Employer!

We were proud to nominate Finley’s for their incredible work creating inclusive employment opportunities for people with disabilities. We’re so excited to see their dedication and impact celebrated! 🎉

Nominated by Rise, Finley’s, a natural dog treat company from Minneapolis, MN, creates opportunities with dignity. Began as a classroom concept to help 10th and 11th-grade students build real-world skills through hands-on learning, Finley’s has created over 200 jobs for people with disabilities across the country, primarily through its public-facing ambassador program. Ambassadors work as teams and go into stores to help promote and educate shoppers about Finley’s products. From communication devices to setup help to cheat sheets to aid memorization, ambassadors have access to the tailored solutions they need to be successful. “It's super fun to watch their confidence come alive,” shared co-founder Angie Gallus, “they work so hard and they love their jobs so much.”
🔗 Read more about the Outstanding Disability Employer Awards https://mohrmn.org/news-events/newsroom.html/article/2025/10/28/meet-the-2025-mohr-outstanding-disability-employer-award-winners

Image ID: A Rise-supported individual works as a Finley's Ambassador

11/12/2025

We’re so excited to announce that we are partnering with Bachman's Floral, Home and Garden (8200 University Ave NE in Fridley) for their Holiday Round Up for a Cause campaign!

Bachman’s Round Up for a Cause is a simple but powerful way to give back to our community this holiday season. Today, November 12th, through December 23rd, by rounding up their purchase, a few cents at a time, Bachman’s shoppers will have the ability to raise money for Rise’s programs and services!

Please join us as we all Round Up this month, and don't forget to round up your next purchase!

Learn more here: https://rise.org/occasion/round-up-bachmans/

11/11/2025

Are you a parent looking to better support your adult child with a disability in their employment journey?

Join us tomorrow at Rise C**n Rapids for an in-person parent support group, hosted in partnership with The Arc Minnesota.

It’s a great opportunity to connect, share experiences, and gain insights from Employment Exploration Specialist Lisa Carlson and The Arc Minnesota team.

We hope to see you there!

11/11/2025

We're so excited to be a sponsor of the 2025 Disability Justice Jamboree Self-Advocacy Conference hosted by ACT - Advocating Change Together!

We’re proud to support ACT and all the amazing work they do for disability justice and inclusion, and we're looking forward to a great event!

The Disability Justice Jamboree is just 7 days away! We hope to see everyone on November 17th-18th at the Delta Marriott Hotel in Northeast Minneapolis!

There will be nearly 30 workshops hosted throughout the event from all across the state. Topics vary from meditation classes - hosted by Nate Clark from Mankato, to Creative Expression and Disability art classes - hosted by Prince Cole of Disability Motivational Network in Blaine. There are even classes about engaging with college and higher education as someone who may not have had equitable access to classes in the past - hosted by Katie P. at ICI. There will be tons of opportunities to learn about so many topics! Many of the workshops will run twice in case you miss it the first time!


Registration for the event is LIVE! Get signed up here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2025-disability-justice-jamboree

We are accepting partnerships for vendors at the event! All information available on our website!

We are looking forward to making this event special, see you in a couple weeks!

All information here: https://www.selfadvocacy.org/act-state-self-advocacy-conference

11/10/2025

Last Thursday, we hosted our Inclusive Employment Luncheon at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony!

Employers, partners, and community advocates came together to network, learn, and advance inclusive hiring practices.

A huge thank-you to our keynote speaker, Joalyn Torgerson from Kwik Trip, for sharing inspiring words about the positive impact of people with disabilities in their workforce. We’re also grateful to Amanda Lorenz for sharing her journey and the meaningful work she’s doing in her role at Cardinal Health, with support from Rise.

We were also thrilled to recognize Finley’s and MT-RSR as our Community Partners of the Year — congratulations! 🎉

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to all who continue working to build more inclusive workplaces.

11/08/2025

Do you save or invest with Thrivent? You can make gifts to Rise from your Thrivent dollars!

For Thrivent clients, you direct Thrivent to distribute their Choice Dollars to Rise.

Find the Thrivent Choice box on our website to learn more: https://rise.org/get-involved/give/

11/07/2025

Meet Sherita Thomas, one of our 2025 Rise’ing Star Award recipients!

For more than 25 years, Sherita has been supported by Rise’s Minnesota Employment Center (MEC) and now works in the State of Minnesota’s Newborn Screening department in St. Paul. In her role, she helps process vital paperwork and organize materials that support the health of newborns across the state.

Over the past seven years, Sherita has shown incredible growth in her confidence, communication, and coping skills.

With her strong work ethic and dedication to personal growth, Sherita truly embodies what it means to be a Rise’ing Star. 🌟

Visit this link to read more about Sherita and our other 2025 Rise'ing Stars: https://rise.org/meet-our-2025-riseing-stars/

11/06/2025

There was plenty to celebrate at Rise C**n Rapids as four people proudly graduated from our 12-week Sewing Club! ✨🧵

With the guidance of Katie Schlotfeldt, Rise DSP and sewing club instructor, the group spent weeks learning new techniques, helping each other problem-solve, and finding joy in creating something new. “Even though some weeks were harder than others, it was a great experience,” said Michael Ankerfelt.

Throughout the course, participants worked on projects like hand puppets, coasters, and even a cape. “The cape was my favorite,” one participant shared, and he proudly wore it as his Halloween costume.

Katie noted how rewarding it was to see their growth: “Getting to teach them has been so fun. I don’t work with them every day, so getting to know them better and seeing how they supported each other has been a big joy. They’ve learned a lot about teamwork and organization, and I’ve learned from them too.”

For the four who completed the program, the celebration was made even more special when each received their very own sewing machine, thanks to Rise’s Advancing Lives Fund.

Lindsay hopes to sew dresses and bags for her craft business, while Michael and Cassie plan to use theirs for fun sewing projects and to mend things around the house.

Katie said it best: “It means a lot to me that they’ve developed the same appreciation for sewing that I have.”

We’re so proud of this group for all they’ve accomplished, and we can’t wait to see where their creativity and hard work take them next! 🧡