2025 REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
WHO WE ARE
We champion our diverse employer community for an economically vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive region.
HOW WE DO THIS WORK
Advocate fiercely on behalf of the business community.
Develop our membership by creating exceptional member value.
Support expansion for small and medium sized business.
Create exclusive opportunities for best-in-class talent and leadership development.
Seek partnerships to expand the region’s tax-base and add jobs.
Develop new ways to meet community needs through nonprofit consulting, community development, and innovative partnerships.
CONNECTING BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY
The St. Paul Area Chamber offers members trusted expertise in creating connections that count and provides tailored services to meet unique needs.
Our 1,900+ members and affiliates reflect our intent to partner with and provide professional services for other mission-aligned organizations.
We are proudly home to the Minnesota Black Chamber, the Minnesota Hmong Chamber, the Oakdale Area Chamber, as well as a growing list of associations and initiatives, including the Rice Larpenteur Alliance, the Grand Avenue Business Association, the Full Stack Saint Paul initiative, Ramsey County’s Inclusive Employer initiative, and the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy.
Looking Back On 2024
Looking Back
2024 was a strong year for the St. Paul Area Chamber. As the state’s oldest, largest, and strongest regional chamber, we continue to lead with purpose and are poised for an even greater 2025.
This past year, we doubled down on the future, driving advocacy, small business innovation, and powerful partnerships that set the stage for long term growth.
At our core, we empower individuals – because one idea, one action, one connection, one initiative can ignite change. When two people come together with a shared purpose, they create a ripple effect that inspires others.
For business owners, we provide resources, networks, and advocacy to amplify your voices. For professionals, we offer opportunities for growth, leadership, and collaboration. A single conversation, handshake, or introduction at a chamber event really can spark lasting impact.
Our greatest strength lies in inspiring and connecting people. When one of you steps forward, another follows - each bringing unique talents and perspectives. Together, these individual efforts converge to create a collective impact far greater than what we can achieve alone.
Thank you for your partnership in 2024. As we move into 2025, let’s continue to harness the power of one – your power – one step, one connection, one person at a time. Together we’re not just shaping the future, we’re transforming it.
Thank you for being an essential part of this journey.
With gratitude and optimism,
B Kyle President and CEO
St. Paul Area Chamber
Jeff DeYoung
Baker Tilly
Board Chair, St. Paul Area Chamber
Advocacy Advocacy
Over the past year, we have proudly advocated for our members and the business community, continually using the collective voice of employers to foster economic vitality throughout the region. We believe this begins with a strong foundation of public safety.
Public Safety Survey:
The Chamber conducted year three of our Public Safety Survey, measuring resident and employee perceptions of crime and public safety in St. Paul. This is what we learned:
Prioritization of crime as a top issue has fallen dramatically since 2022.
The opinions and perceptions of residents who are most concerned about crime remained largely unchanged over time, even while their numbers have decreased.
As a whole, Downtown St. Paul employees who elected to participate in the online surveys continue to be significantly more pessimistic about the state of public safety in St. Paul than are other respondents.
St. Paul residents are increasingly supportive of police, expanding access to social services and mental health to effectively manage public safety.
Public Policy Committee:
The St. Paul Area Chamber is dedicated to fostering a community-focused environment, which is reflected in our policy platform. For a region to thrive economically, it’s essential that people feel safe, have access to employment and housing, and that businesses can grow and succeed in a supportive environment.
Each year, our Public Policy Committee creates a policy platform that outlines our stance on key issues and serves as a framework for evaluating further policy recommendations.
Legislative Victories:
Funding for Ramsey-Washington Recycling and Energy anaerobic digester.
Emergency Services Program received $3.391 million for shelter providers experiencing increased service needs or facing closure.
Electoral Successes:
The St. Paul Area Chamber PAC, a legally separate entity, endorsed eleven candidates for office at the November 2024 general election. Ten out of the eleven candidates won their election.
Local Government Wins:
In partnership with Chamber members, industry stakeholders, and statewide advocacy organizations, we were able to delay the proposed St. Paul drive-thru ban.
Sustained Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of the Minneapolis Labor Standards Board Resolution through member engagement, advocacy, and outreach.
Chamber Events Chamber Events
In 2024, the St. Paul Area Chamber hosted nearly 100 events for our members. We offer a wide variety of programming for numerous audiences, from smaller, more intimate networking and learning events to our biggest signature events of the year that draw hundreds of people. Our goals are always to offer valuable learning and resources to our members, and bring people together to make connections that count.
Highlights:
One new event we launched last year was the Small Business Summit, which drew 300 people in its first year, including about 50 exhibitors. Other highlights for the year included our InterCity Leadership Visit going international, to Toronto.
Recurring Events & Series
Lunch With Leaders
The Equity Leadership Series
Chamber Connect/Strengthen the Strong
Roseville Business Council AS NEEDED Young Professionals Network
Government Affairs Issues Roundtables
Calendar Of Recurring Events & Series shows which month the events above are scheduled to occur.
2024 Events Recap
We continue to partner with other organizations to maximize our members’ time and networks. In 2025, we plan to add a Regional Business Priorities event in partnership with Greater MSP and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber.
Annual Signature Events
TalentBusinessDevelopment and Talent Development
We operationalized our Twin Cities Talent Hub - training, hiring events, resources, all in partnership with industry, training organizations, and local school districts. This program pilot is funded by a $800K DEED Drive for 5 grant awarded to the St. Paul Area and Minneapolis Regional chambers.
The team was also awarded $112,000 in grant funds from the Greater Twin Cities United Way. This funding will support 22 students in healthcare and construction trades exploration with paid work experience. This grant is in partnership with Health Partners/ Regions Hospital and MN Trades Academy. Students in the trades experience will have the opportunity to earn OSHA certification and work to obtain their driver’s license.
The inaugural Small Business Summit/Expo was kicked off with smashing success. The sold out event was put on in partnership with the MN Black Chamber and MN Hmong Chamber.
Twin Cities Talent Hub
Charitable Foundation Charitable Foundation
St. Paul Area Chamber Charitable Foundation continues to grow a network of diverse, connected, supportive leaders who invest in, educate, support, and build a strong and vibrant community. We facilitate professional growth opportunities, expose leaders to a wide range of ideas and industries, support organizations, big and small, and encourage ownership and pride in our community. In addition to supporting the Chamber’s Workforce Initiatives and facilitating Fiscal Sponsored Entities, the Foundation successfully ran our 44th year of Leadership St. Paul. This included 54 leaders in the cohort who connected with other leaders—both in the class and the speakers—with a shared commitment to community in addition to building a diverse, long-term network and promoting the organization they represent. The cohort was able to learn about and partner with seven nonprofits as part of our Nonprofit Engagement Program. We’re grateful to the following organizations for their partnership: Art From The Inside, Cornerstone, Junior Achievement North, Majority in the Middle, Rice & Larpenteur Alliance, Union Gospel Mission & Women’s Advocates.
Equity Leadership Equity Leadership Series
The 2024 series focused on equity leadership, offering a blend of relevant workshops, presentations, and immersive experiences with cultural communities in the metro area.
Addressing inequities in organizations requires leadership commitment and a deep understanding of those around you.
The St. Paul Area Chamber emphasizes the importance of promoting diversity of thought, culture, personal identity, lived experience, and perspective to create a vibrant, economically successful future for the region.
DEI Collaborative
In 2024, the DEI Collaborative Cohort program offered an opportunity for participants to understand how their own experiences shape their actions and beliefs, allowing them to translate those realizations to their leadership skills while examining how they can bring more positive change to their own organizations. Highlights: We completed two cohorts in 2024 where we focused on personal narratives, how those informed leadership style, their own organizational challenges in securing equity and belonging and ended with action planning. Nonprofit, for-profit and higher-ed sectors were represented in the groups with our first cohort focusing on HR leadership. Cohort members experienced a recognition of their gaps in understanding of equity and belonging and demonstrated an awareness of the work their respective organizations still had ahead.
Highlights:
Completed two cohorts in 2024 where we focused on personal narratives, how those informed leadership style, their own organizational challenges in securing equity and belonging and ended with action planning.
Nonprofit, for-profit and higher-ed sectors were represented in the groups with our first cohort focusing on HR leadership.
Cohort members experienced a recognition of their gaps in understanding of equity and belonging and demonstrated an awareness of the work their respective organizations still had ahead.
WorkStream WorkStream
WorkStream specializes in professional support services, offering trusted expertise to create connections that count - in business and community. We see our clients as partners and deliver personalized services designed to meet their specific needs.
Why WorkStream?
We provide high quality, capacity-building consulting services to enable clients to grow their organizations, execute their missions and advance their vision.
We believe in the power of business and community coming together to achieve what cannot be achieved alone.
We convene, administer and grow your organization, so your volunteers and members can focus on the work of growing their business.
We put SPAC’s vast network and expertise to work for your organization.
WorkStream Partners:
Find out more about WorkStream
