Mission-Driven Tech: Building Platforms That Empower Communities
Introduction by Chris Dykstra, CEO and Founder at Warecorp
Meet This Month's Tech Innovator
Chris Dykstra is a serial technology and media entrepreneur, community leader, and practicing artist with over 20 years of experience building and scaling technology companies. He founded Warecorp, a software product development company, in 2004. After 21 years as a trusted software partner for enterprise and impact organizations across healthcare, education, media, and technology sectors, Warecorp was acquired in 2025 by Tarmac.io.
Chris also serves as a General Partner of Brown Venture Group, a Saint Paul-based venture capital firm that invests in undervalued companies using leading-edge technologies. His additional ventures include founding GoodCarts.co (purpose-driven eCommerce network), which sold in 2023), co-founding DrupalSquad, which was re-acquired by Warecorp in 2020, and establishing The UpTake.org, an acclaimed non-profit online video news organization. He has served on the board of the Impact Hub and Social Venture Network, where he is a lifetime member.
He graduated from Augsburg College in 1985 with a degree in Art. He lives in NE Minneapolis with his wife Lynn.
Continue reading to discover why Chris believes entrepreneurship can be a force for liberation.
Throughout my life, I have consistently created two things: Art and businesses. I have kept a visual diary for as long as I can remember. And I started my first business in the eighth grade. It was a custom silk-screened ice scraper business. It failed quickly because there were only two car lots in my hometown, my first lesson in market-sizing.
Years later, while studying art at Augsburg College, I traveled to Mexico and Central America to study Liberation Theology, the belief that God favors the poor and that the Church must advocate for their liberation from oppression. Though not directly about business, the experience left me with burning questions: If religion could stand with the poor, why not business? Could human pain be understood as market demand, and could entrepreneurship rise to meet it?
I have found a career pursuing the answer. Entrepreneurship is the creation of platforms for action in a market, and when those platforms help relieve people from oppression, they are both impactful and liberating. By aligning entrepreneurship with the work of easing human pain, we can empower people, transform markets, and create shared abundance. That's why I do the work I do.
Saint Paul—and Minnesota as a whole—has a rich tradition of civic engagement, making it a natural home for liberation capitalism: creating opportunities that align values with action.
I encourage you to take a step toward engagement this year. Whether through volunteering, mentoring, or collaborating with a local initiative, there are countless ways to make an impact.
Organizations like Brown Venture Group’s Federal Mashup Labs, Bridgemakers, Hmong American Partnership and Hmong Community Center, Impact Hub MSP, and the Social Venture Network are already doing incredible work. And they’re just the beginning—our ecosystem is full of passionate changemakers.
Take a chance. Get involved. You may just find, as I have, that the experience gives back as much as you put in.
October 9 is Saint Paul Day during TCSW
Get ready to dive into the buzz of Twin Cities Startup Week! This week-long festival brings together dreamers, builders, and doers from across the region, and the party is coming right to downtown Saint Paul. Mark your calendars! The sessions will be jam-packed with chances to meet awesome people, spark new ideas, and get inspired by some of the brightest minds in our local startup scene.
Innovation @ The Park
October 9 | 3:30-6:30 PM
Rice Park
Learn about new technologies and innovation resources, explore kid-friendly activities, and enjoy a beer and food (available for purchase) with your neighbors! This is a FREE family-friendly event celebrating technology and innovation with demos, activities, live music, and resources.
Presented by Full Stack Saint Paul and Saint Paul Parks and Recreation
7 presenters, 7 minutes each, real working technology and no slides! Experience firsthand why Minnedemo is a one-of-a-kind, must-attend event, all set in the stunning atmosphere of the Ordway.
Come early and join friends at Rice Park to enjoy food trucks, demos, live music, and more!
Saint Paul Founders Enter for a Chance to Win - 4 Tickets Available!
Could you benefit from growing your network of angel investors? Enter to win a ticket to Groove Pitch Series during Twin Cities Startup Week on October, 8 from 4-6pm at the Luminary Arts Center! This event is focused on gathering investors to watch 4-6 live pitches and evaluate real investment opportunities. (Please note, this is not an invite to pitch at the event.)
The trade-offs of success and balance have been top of mind for Eli Maloley, founder and CEO of Saint Paul, Minnesota-based Vivacity Tech, which has earned the No. 1,485 spot on this year’s Inc. 5000. Finding time for balance wasn’t part of his initial vision for the comÂpany, which provides technology hardware to K-12 schools. Instead, Maloley was determined to make a huge impact on education. Continue reading the article from Inc. Magazine.
We asked Eli about his recent interview with Inc. and here's what he had to say:
“I’m honored that Vivacity has made the Inc. 5000 list for the third consecutive year. This recognition is humbling and reminds me how fortunate I am to continue our company’s growth while pursuing the balance between work, family, and purpose I discussed in my story.
This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our incredible V-Mates who work to ensure schools and our local community are elevated. Thank you to everyone who makes our growth possible every single day.
I'm also extremely grateful to the City of Saint Paul, which has been our home since inception. We’ve enjoyed being part of the city’s community, partnering with local organizations for many of our volunteer and donation efforts. Thank you, Saint Paul, for your love and support over the years.
Looking ahead our team is constantly innovating and building. We remain optimistic that we are well positioned to continue to grow and enhance the tech operations of our school district customers." - Eli Maloley, CEO & Founder, Vivacity Tech PBC
Saint Paul Snapshots
Quick local hits you shouldn't miss.
Ecolab has launched AI-powered KitchenIQ digital platform for restaurants. KitchenIQ is Ecolab’s powerful digital operations platform that combines back-of-house technologies into one cohesive solution for restaurant operators.
Inkit celebrates Grand Opening of new East Metro/Saint Paul office, strengthening Minnesota’s role in GovTech Innovation.
From Honeycrisp to high-tech: How University of Minnesota innovations shape everyday life. See how the University of Minnesota has transformed labs, orchards, and classrooms into launchpads for life-changing inventions.
Apply for gBETA, a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with ties to the University of St. Thomas, by Sunday, September 21. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. For St. Thomas Accepted teams, companies will receive a $10K grant from St. Thomas.
Full Stack Saint Paul is a public-private collaboration leveraging the power of tech and innovation to drive equitable, resilient economic development in Saint Paul.
Powered by the City of Saint Paul and the St Paul Area Chamber
Full Stack Saint Paul, 15 Kellogg Blvd. West, Saint Paul, MN
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