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KCEO Now you can follow the KCEO Class to see where & who we are visiting throughout the week!

“The real currency of a community is relationships.” — Sara CarlsonWhat does it take to build a strong community? KCEO s...
10/14/2026

“The real currency of a community is relationships.” — Sara Carlson

What does it take to build a strong community? KCEO spent the morning with Sara Carlson at the Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF), learning how WACF brings people together, connects resources, and supports the organizations that make our communities stronger.

Sara shared an important message with our students: Be intentional, earn people’s trust, and follow through on your commitments. These are lessons that reach far beyond business. They’re about building relationships and being someone others can count on.

Sara also took time to teach our young adults how to write a proper thank-you note, reminding them of the importance of showing appreciation and building relationships through simple, thoughtful gestures.

Thank you, Sara and WACF, for a great morning and for all you do to support our communities!

Earlier this week, our KCEO students visited BFirst Industrial and met with Tina Erpenbach to learn more about her role ...
10/10/2026

Earlier this week, our KCEO students visited BFirst Industrial and met with Tina Erpenbach to learn more about her role in the company and how it has evolved since she started as an accounting clerk. She also explained what it means to be an ESOP company, where employees have an ownership stake in the business.

A few takeaways from Tina that our young adults can carry with them:
♦️Learn everything you can about the company you work for.
♦️Make yourself valuable within the company.
♦️Listen to your customers and be flexible to meet their needs.
♦️Look for new ways to make your customers’ lives easier.
♦️Keep growing as a company and stay ahead of trends.
♦️Know your strengths and weaknesses.

Thank you to Tina and BFirst Industrial for welcoming KCEO and sharing your experience and advice with our young adults!

Today, we welcomed Gary Geiger to KCEO! After learning about the CEO program, Gary helped bring it to Kandiyohi County, ...
10/09/2026

Today, we welcomed Gary Geiger to KCEO! After learning about the CEO program, Gary helped bring it to Kandiyohi County, and we are so grateful for the role he played in getting our program started.

Gary shared his entrepreneurial journey and a lifetime of wisdom with our young adults. A few pieces of advice that resonated with the students were:
➡️ Say yes to opportunities. You never know where they may lead!
➡️ Build relationships. Get to know people and make connections.
➡️ Be involved in your community. Find ways to give back and support the place you call home.

Thank you, Gary, for sharing your story and your experience with our students. We appreciate all you’ve done to help make KCEO what it is today!

KCEO is grateful for the opportunity to attend the Willmar Area Community Foundation’s Awards in Philanthropy Celebratio...
10/09/2026

KCEO is grateful for the opportunity to attend the Willmar Area Community Foundation’s Awards in Philanthropy Celebration this evening!

Congratulations to all of tonight’s honorees, and thank you for your leadership, generosity, and commitment to making a difference! Your example reminds us of the power of giving back.

Good manners open doors! 🍽️Earlier this week, our KCEO students spent the morning practicing dinner etiquette with board...
10/07/2026

Good manners open doors! 🍽️

Earlier this week, our KCEO students spent the morning practicing dinner etiquette with board member Jean Geselius and learning how small details can make a big difference in professional and social settings.

Thank you, Jean, for the great morning!

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” — John C. CrosbyA great start to ou...
10/06/2026

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” — John C. Crosby

A great start to our KCEO mentor/mentee mixer this morning! Our young adults met potential mentors, made connections, and learned more about the people who may be part of their KCEO journey this year.

We’re grateful to the local business leaders who took the time to join us and share their experience and encouragement with our young adults!

The KCEO class was back at Nova-Tech Engineering LLC to dive deeper into their CliftonStrengths results and learn more a...
09/30/2026

The KCEO class was back at Nova-Tech Engineering LLC to dive deeper into their CliftonStrengths results and learn more about their Top 5 strengths.

Our young adults explored how their individual talents can be used to accomplish tasks, contribute to a team, and work together toward a common goal. One question they were encouraged to ask themselves was: “What can I do to help the team achieve the goal using my strengths?”

A big thank you to Danielle for leading our young adults through this experience and helping them better understand how their strengths can benefit both themselves and the teams they work with!

70 years of building, growing, and making connections!A morning at Marcus Construction allowed our KCEO class to learn m...
09/29/2026

70 years of building, growing, and making connections!

A morning at Marcus Construction allowed our KCEO class to learn more about the company, its projects, and the people behind its continued success.

As Marcus Construction celebrates 70 years, the team shared some great advice with our young adults:

➡️ Hire good people and surround yourself with a strong team.
➡️ Do quality work and take pride in what you do.
➡️ Build relationships and stay connected to your community.
➡️ Keep learning and stay ahead of the trends.
➡️Shadow as much as you can while you’re in high school and take advantage of opportunities to learn from others.

A big thank you to Taylor, Lane, Sara, & Kayla for welcoming our class, sharing your stories and expertise, and giving our young adults a chance to learn from a company with 70 years of experience in the industry. We appreciate your continued support of KCEO!

Our KCEO students had a great morning at Christianson PLLP in Willmar, learning more about the company, the clients they...
09/25/2026

Our KCEO students had a great morning at Christianson PLLP in Willmar, learning more about the company, the clients they work with, and what it takes to grow and manage a successful business.

A few of the key takeaways they shared with us:
🔹Communication is key; keeping people in the know takes intentional work.
🔹Stay on the front end; Christianson strives to stay ahead of new research and technology.
🔹Find your niche; know what you do well and where you can provide value.
🔹Diversify your revenue; creating different streams can help strengthen a business.
🔹Project management matters; staying organized and managing projects effectively is an important part of running a business.

A big thank you to Sara, Jordan, Libby, & Tanner at Christianson for welcoming our students, sharing your expertise and experience, and giving them a great opportunity to learn from local business leaders!

Recently, KCEO alum and current KCEO board member, Alex Freiberg visited the class! She shared:🎓 Her experience as a KCE...
09/19/2026

Recently, KCEO alum and current KCEO board member, Alex Freiberg visited the class!

She shared:
🎓 Her experience as a KCEO student
💡 The skills she learned through the program
💼 Her experiences as an entrepreneur

She also shared some great advice with our young adults:
🤝 Network
❤️ Build relationships
🏘️ Get involved in your community

We love when KCEO alumni come back to share their experiences and give back to the program! Thanks, Alex, for the great visit and support.

Address

101 4th Avenue W
New London, MN
56273

Telephone

+13205835402

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