Each year we recognize three outstanding community partners as employers of the year. The awards are given to businesses who go above and beyond in the support of our mission. Whether a long-time partner who has worked with us for decades, or a new business relationship, all the honors are recognized for providing valuable job experience, coaching, skills testing and more to the people we support. This year’s honorees are:

BIX Produce

Our relationship with BIX Produce began in 2021 when we worked with them to staff a supported employment team. It has continued to grow, and we now have three teams supporting 11 people. The jobs at BIX are unique and allow people to build new skills working directly with food packaging and assembly in a refrigerated environment. We also employ a janitorial team in the BIX offices.

ThinkSelf

ThinkSelf is the official partner of Rise’s Minnesota Employment Center (MEC). As a Deaf-led organization, our ThinkSelf partners provide the MEC team with valuable guidance, which ensures we are focusing our career exploration and employment efforts in the right areas. The ThinkSelf team are pillars in the communities they serve, and we are happy to be able to partner with them to provide comprehensive support.

Wyoming Machine

Our partnership with Wyoming Machine began three years ago with a supported employment cleaning crew. In addition to the cleaning team, three of the company’s employees are now independent hires. Lori Tapani and Traci Tapani treat crew members respectfully and, because of their open, positive, and supportive work environment, we have seen people grow and advance in their jobs. We are welcomed as a part of their team.