Entrepreneurs House
Tackling new challenges. Determined. Keeping your eyes on the prize.
These "take charge" traits also apply to Habitat homebuyers. That's what John Bergstrom, a co-founder of Entrepreneurs House, noticed when he first volunteered with Habitat. And that's how "E-House", as we affectionately call it, got started in 2003.
This year will be the 21st Year of the Entrepreneurs House. The house is located at 1079 Humboldt Ave, in West St. Paul.
Our group is seeking to involve 20 or more companies to volunteer on site as well as raise $200,000 for the project. Each volunteering company brings a team of employees to work on the house for one full day during the summer.
This year will be the 21st Year of the Entrepreneurs House. The house is located at The house is located at 1079 Humboldt Ave, in West St. Paul. Our group is seeking to involve 20 or more companies to volunteer on site as well as raise $200,000 for the project. Each volunteering company brings a team of employees to work on the house for one full day (9 am to 3 pm) during the summer.
>> 2023 Twin Cities Entrepreneurs House Pledge Form
Twin Cities Entrepreneurs House Steering Committee: Tom Goodmanson | Mik Gusenius | John Bergstrom | Clarke Porter | Josh Thelemann
Twin Cities Entrepreneurs House is a community service project where mid-tier companies make a big difference. With 40 or 50 businesses joining together, we can build a whole Habitat house for a family - for a lasting social contribution.
The Entrepreneurs House project has been a growing success since 2003. The generosity and dedication of the people of Minnesota to issues of affordable housing is one reason the Twin Cities is a leader in business, culture, and quality of life in general. Below are our completed Entrepreneurs Houses.
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Project Details
An all-volunteer steering committee of Twin Cities entrepreneurial leaders recruits companies, raises funds, and schedules volunteers.
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Volunteer
We involve 600+ employees from an average of 50 companies and aim to raise $150,000 each year. Volunteering companies bring a team to work on the house for one full day (8:30AM to 3:30PM).
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History
The Entrepreneurs House project has been a growing success since 2003. That first year, we started with 125 volunteers who committed to 10 days. Since then, involvement has increased five-fold, as more and more companies have blended their financial support and volunteer labor to build one Entrepreneurs House each year.
A decade after Entrepreneurs House laid its foundation in the Twin Cities, its supporters have raised over $1 million to support local affordable housing.
Co-Founder Wayne Atkins' Legacy
Entrepreneurs House co-founder Wayne Atkins passed away on March 11, 2014, after a long battle with cancer. Wayne was an extraordinary leader who also served on Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s board of directors and finance committee, among other civic contributions. Entrepreneurs House was very dear to Wayne as he watched it grow from inception to a program that has raised more than $1 million for Habitat for Humanity.
In memory of Wayne, the eHouse Steering Committee and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has dedicated the 2014 entrepreneurs house.
In the United States 95 million people, 1/3 of the nation, have housing problems including lack of affordability, overcrowding, unsafe conditions, and homelessness.
In the Twin Cities metro area alone, over half a million people, or more than 20% of the population, are having to spend too much of their income on their housing — not leaving enough for other necessities like good nutrition, health care, transportation, advancing education or saving for the future. And the problem is growing faster in Minnesota than in any other state. This creates tremendous instability in our families, weakens our economy, and even impacts our health and educational success.
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The Families
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There were more than 100 homes sold to Habitat families in 2019.
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More than 1,300 families have purchased Habitat homes in the Twin Cities.
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The primary program in the Twin Cities area sells homes to families who earn 30% – 60% of area median income.
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The median Habitat family income is $44,000.
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On average, a Habitat family has 5-6 members in the household.
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The Homes
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Habitat homes include single-family homes, twin homes, and multiple-family homes.
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The typical Habitat home is 1,400 square feet with three bedrooms.
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The Volunteers
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Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity engages over 20,000 volunteers a year.
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On any given day during our peak construction period, over 270 volunteers are working on up to 20 homes.
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The Donors
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Over 7,000 donors provided in excess of $14M in 2019
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Nearly 300 corporations
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Over 300 faith-based groups
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Approximately 2,500 In-Kind donations
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Check out these great photos from E-House builds over the years. Make sure to add your own to show off all the incredible work you've done!
Contact Information
Mik Gusenius
Cherry Tree Companies
952.253.6005
mgusenius@cherrytree.com
Carol Erickson-Clark
Volunteer Coordinator
carolericksonclark@yahoo.com
Steering Committee
Mik Gusenius
Cherry Tree Companies
John Bergstrom
Mairs & Power Venture Capital
Clarke Porter
Pathways Investments
Josh Thelemann
Proserva
Special thanks to the companies listed below who helped make this year's Entrepreneurs House successful.
BDO
Blackbaud
Calabrio
Carpathian
Cedar Labs
Cherry Tree Companies
CIT
Deluxe
Ergodyne
GovDocs
GTT
Hays Companies
Holmes Corporation
Horizontal Integration
ID Insight
IdeaS
Insperity
JobDig/LinkUp
Mairs & Power
MetaFarms
Oppidan
Pathways Investments
Pearson
Perforce Software
Proprietors Capitol Holdings
Punch & Associates
RSM
Silicon Valley Bank
Sunrise Banks
The Hive
Token of Trust
TurnSignl
Western Bank
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Past Participants & Sponsors
Ahmann Martin
Airtex Design
API Outsourcing Inc.
Associated Bank
Baker Tilly
Capella Education Co.
Carlson Ventures Enterprise
Carpathian Capital
CEO Roundtable
Come Up Capital
Designs for Learning
DLS, Inc.
Ergodyne
Faegre Baker Daniels
Field Solutions
Four51
Fredrikson & Byron
Global Traffic Technologies
Gokart Labs
GovDocs
Granicus
Hays
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Holmes Corp.
ID Insight
Ideas
Insperity
JobDig
Lake Street Capital
LFE CapitalLife Floor
Magenic
Mairs & Power
Michael & Elizabeth Gorman
Modern Survey
Oak Ridge Financial
Oppidan
PCM Companies
Pearson
Peoplenet Communications
Pieper Whitaker & Bjork
Platinum Group
Private Equity Alliance of Minnesota
Punch & Associates
Reeher
Riveron
RiverPoint Investments
Roost Real Estate
RSM
Shared Ventures
Silicon Valley Bank
Somerset Asset Management
Split Rock Partners
Summer Snow Publications
Sunrise banks
Tecmark LLC
Tonkawa
Vaco
Venture Bank
Warner Tool Products
This is not a solicitation to sell securities. Any contributions should be made directly to Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity which is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation.