Open Source North

OSN Appreciation & Kickoff Happy Hour

Join us for a complimentary happy hour on Thursday, November 16, at Brookview in Golden Valley.

In appreciation of past support and to kickoff #osn2024, please join us for a complimentary happy hour on Thursday, November 16. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Space is limited. Drinks and appetizers provided.

 

OSN Appreciation & Kickoff Happy Hour

Brookview (Basset Creek Room), Golden Valley

5:00 Welcome & Networking

6:00 – 6:30 Panel Discussion, “Employee Engagement in the Post-Covid World

7:30 Wrap up

 

Employee Engagement in the Post-Covid World

As part of the happy hour, OSN will have a 30-minute panel discussion. The panelists are:

  • Jessica Troy, CH Robinson
  • Katie Friesema, Best Buy
  • Dave Elliston, SPS Commerce
  • Jeff Einhorn, Thrivent

 

Jessica Troy

Manager – Software Engineering, C.H. Robinson

Jess is currently the Manager of Software Engineering teams dedicated to C.H. Robinson’s Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) business line. She has been with CHR for 13 years and has held various roles across a number of teams. Her career has taken her many places, including Cork, Ireland for two years to open a new office and hire over 20 software engineers specializing in CI/CD pipelines.  Leveraging her experience as a software engineer to foster high performing teams, Jess loves getting to know people and find ways they can love their jobs and build amazing software.

Katie Friesema

Associate Director, Digital Transformation & Planning, Best Buy

Katie Friesema has years of experience in employee engagement and communications for technology teams as well as technical recruiting. Katie supports the Digital, Analytics, and Technology (DAT) team at Best Buy, currently leading the DAT Engagement & Events team. She is responsible for creating and implementing strategies that foster an engaged and impactful work environment for the DAT team.

Katie is passionate about engagement and inclusion. Katie is a co-founder of the Women in Tech group at Best Buy and a leader in the Women’s ERG. She enjoys creating relationships with local organizations to build a stronger tech community. Katie also focuses on learning and development and is always looking for new ways to enhance the skills and capabilities of her team and the DAT community. Katie transformed the way DAT employees engaged with each other during the pandemic by bringing to life many tools and communications that lessened the void felt when teams went remote.

Dave Elliston

Tech Evangilest / Tech Recruiter, SPS Commerce

Dave is a self-professed geek and enthusiastic fan of the technology startup ecosystem. With more than a decade of experience connecting tech professionals with rewarding career opportunities he has developed a deep understanding of the changing employment landscape. He currently serves as a tech recruiter for SPS Commerce, a Minneapolis based software company leading the way in retail EDI that takes great pride in delivering a challenging yet rewarding workplace where their employees feel inspired, motivated and most importantly, valued.

Jeff Einhorn

Senior Vice President, Digital, Integration & Engineering Productivity, Thrivent

Jeff Einhorn is Senior Vice President, Digital, Integration & Engineering Productivity, at Thrivent, a Fortune 500 diversified financial services organization with $162 billion in assets under management and advisement and a total revenue of $8.5 billion.*

In his role, Einhorn oversees all Digital Engineering, Integration, and Developer Productivity for the Enterprise. His focus is on creating thoughtful interactions and financial clarity for our clients by building unique experiences.  Einhorn does this by empowering teams, delivering platforms/services, and establishing engineering practices for Thrivent. His aim is to create a digital-first philosophy, which means an integrated, user-friendly, cross-form factor experience that supports an entire client lifecycle helping people get their jobs done.  In addition, Jeff is helping spearhead the adoption of the product model across Thrivent as the company transforms into an agile organization capable of delivering value constantly for our clients.

Einhorn joined Thrivent in 2021 with more than two decades of leadership experience that covers a spectrum of industries including financial services, retail, healthcare and weather forecasting. Most recently, Einhorn served in a progression of leadership roles at Twin Cities-based TCF Bank and Target Corporation.

He has a Master of Science degree in Security Analysis and Portfolio Management from Creighton University, a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of North Dakota and a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantitative Methods in Computer Science from the University of St. Thomas. 

Registration is now open!

Attendance is free, but registration is required. Space is limited.