Minneapolis, MN
Yardstik Moves HQ to Downtown Minneapolis | Twin Cities Business
While many companies continue to shed office space, Minnesota startup Yardstik is doubling its workspace.
Last week, the employment screening tech company moved to a new 14,000-square-foot office in downtown Minneapolis. The new space is actually more than double the size of the startup’s previous 6,000-square-foot office at the Pentagon Park development in Edina. Matt Meents, Yardstik’s founder and CEO, said the company needed more space to accommodate its growth.
“We ran out of space” in the old office, Meents said in a Wednesday afternoon interview. “There weren’t enough workspaces if we all came in.”
Today, Yardstik employs around 50 people in total, 30 of which are based in the Twin Cities. The remainder work remotely across the country. Meents estimates that local employees come into the office about three times a week on average.
Meents added that the company’s customer base grew by about 300% last year, and he expects to double it this year. Yardstik, which completed a $12 million raise in fall, sells software designed to automate employment screening. Some of the company’s current customers include Dispatch, Skipcart, and Sylvan Learning Centers.
Though Yardstik hasn’t been at the new office for very long – the company officially moved in April 8 – Meents said it’s been a positive change so far. And employee feedback has been “so far, so good,” he said.
To be sure, changes can be hard for organizations of any size or age. But, for startups, it’s imperative to get comfortable with quick changes. “As a startup, we’re constantly evolving. Our people, because they’re used to startup mentality, are embracing that change,” Meents said.
Yardstik’s new office is on the sixth floor of the 100 Washington Square tower in downtown Minneapolis. The startup has signed a multi-year lease for the space.
Built in the early ‘80s, Washington Square spans 22 floors, nearly all of which are occupied, according to the property’s website. The tower includes parking underneath, along with a fitness center and food hall.
Meents said “downtown has got a lot of good energy, and we want to be part of that as a growing startup.” He believes the new location will make it easier to hold employee gatherings, with easy access to Target Field and other downtown amenities.
“What we’re seeing with this new space,” Meents said, “is a ton of energy. I feel like it’s creating a competitive advantage. We’re moving faster, and we’re seeing a lot of relationships being created between departments.”
Before founding Yardstik, Meents founded and ran another company called Magnet360, a Salesforce consulting firm that was later aqcuired by India-based IT firm Mindtree in 2016.
Minneapolis police are investigating after a mass shooting seriously injured three people and wounded six others outside a nightclub in the Uptown neighborhood early Sunday morning.
According to police, officers responded shortly before 12:30 a.m. to a report of a shooting outside Reign Event Center, which is located on the 2900 block of Hennepin Avenue.
Police from all five precincts were called in to respond due to the number of victims and the crowd outside the club. According to preliminary information, gunfire erupted outside the club following an altercation, police say, with a large crowd present during the shooting.
At the scene, officers found four people suffering injuries. They included a 20-year-old man with potentially life-threatening injuries, and three others with apparent non-life threatening injuries. The latter three were a 21-year-old man and two women, ages 22 and 27.
Police say four additional people arrived at Abbot Northwestern Hospital, including a 21-year-old man with potentially life-threatening injuries. Three other men, ages 20, 21 and 22, had non-life threatening injuries.
According to police, a man whose age has not been released was transferred by ambulance to Hennepin Healthcare with potentially life-threatening injuries.
There have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. Police are looking into whether gunshots were fired from a vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call the police or CrimeStoppers.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota’s Clearest Lake Near Minneapolis Is A Gem With Fishing, Kayaking, And A Quaint Park – Islands
In Minnesota, every season is fishing and lake season. Those who live there will boast that the state actually has over 21,000 lakes, and that the official counter ignores those under 10 acres. Just north of Stillwater, the “birthplace of Minnesota,” is a lake that’s recently been found to have the clearest water in the Twin Cities area, Little Carnelian Lake. Located about 40 minutes away from Minneapolis, data analyzed by Discover the Cities in 2025 has shown that this lake has a water clarity of between 18.7 and 26 feet. That’s really impressive for a lake with an average depth of only 26 feet (its maximum is thought to be closer to 70 feet). Similarly, this lake in the watershed of the St. Croix River has also been found to rank among the cleanest in the Twin Cities Area, only beaten by places such as Bass Lake, Lake Elmo, and Bush Lake.
Little Carnelian Lake is right next to the similarly named Big Carnelian Lake, which was also found to have clean water. When most people go to the area, they choose this lake instead, meaning that visitors to its smaller counterpart will likely encounter fewer people. Your fishing or kayaking experience here, and at its park of the same name, will probably be more private.
Fishing at Little Carnelian Lake
When visiting Little Carnelian Lake, fishing is one of the premier activities. Visitors here are welcome to fish from the shore, from a small boat, or on the ice during the winter. Ice fishing, a seasonal favorite in Minnesota, is reported to be possible on the south end of the lake, while the north end has creeks that lead to cracks in the ice.
Those who visit Little Carnelian Lake will find an abundance of classic Minnesota lakefish species. These include northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, bullhead, and yellow perch, with the state’s Department of Natural Resources reporting that bluegills are most plentiful.
When fishing here, as well as anywhere in Minnesota, one of the most important things to keep in mind is mercury content in fish. Even though Little Carnelian Lake is one of the cleanest in the Twin Cities area, its fish still contain mercury due to environmental pollution.
Little Carnelian Park is great for kayaking, canoeing, and relaxation
Little Carnelian Lake has a quaint park attached to it called Little Carnelian Park, which is maintained by Stillwater, one of America’s most charming river towns and most affordable retirement destinations. It’s from this park that access to the lake is provided for those who want to enjoy it. Although there’s no public boat access, meaning that larger vehicles can’t be brought into the water here, canoes and kayaks can still be launched from the shoreline. To access this shoreline, visitors can follow a small trail that leads to the water’s edge. Those who don’t have their own kayak can first head to Square Lake Park; this popular body of water nearby offers kayak rentals.
Whenever you’re kayaking, canoeing, or fishing here, keep in mind that there’s no lifeguard. Those who want to stay on shore can enjoy benches and places to sit here. There’s also wildlife viewing, as deer have been spotted in the park before.
Limited parking is available at Little Carnelian Park. One should keep in mind before visiting that this park does not allow dogs, alcohol, or motor vehicles on its grounds. There are no amenities beyond a portable toilet. Also, note that there are many private properties along the lakefront; much of the shore is in a residential area, so visitors must be respectful.
Two women were hurt in a shooting under a bridge in south Minneapolis Thursday night, according to police.
An argument escalated into a shooting around 10:40 p.m. near Cedar and 17th avenues, the Minneapolis Police Department said.
A woman in her 50s and another in her 20s both suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and were taken to Hennepin Healthcare.
The suspect left before police arrived and has not been arrested. Police are investigating.
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