CONvergence belongs to a much larger community and seeks to establish partnerships within that community to share news, resources and creativity. If your organization is interested in becoming a CONvergence Community Partner, contact the CONvergence Board of Directors.
Partnerships
CONvergence is proud to partner with a variety of local organizations!
2D Con
2D Con is an inclusive event featuring three days of non-stop gaming. From retro arcade games and pinball all the way to the newest titles, 2D Con has it all. Thousands of games, all free to play. Alongside video game offerings, 2D Con also hosts a variety of panels and concerts, highlights indie creators, and features a large tabletop gaming area. 2D Con is put on by an amazing team of dedicated volunteers, and raises money for charity. Casual or competitive, new or old, 2D Con offers something for everyone! 2D Con has brought their digital arcade to CONvergence Gaming.
Autism Society of Minnesota
The mission of the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) is to enhance the lives of individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. AuSM serves Minnesotans, throughout their lives, with a fundamental commitment to advocacy, education, support, collaboration, and community building. AuSM has consulted on and helped facilitate CONvergence’s Sensory Break Room.
USS Nokomis Star Trek Club
Active in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, science fiction community for more than 30 years. USS Nokomis is a starting point to launch friendships. Members take their common interest in Star Trek and optimism in our future and apply it to the world. Whether it’s attending regular meetings, participating in a community service project, attending local conventions, or socializing at one of our parties or campouts, the USS Nokomis can be as much as you want to make it. USS Nokomis has partnered with the American Red Cross for over 20 years to facilitate the CONvergence Blood Drive.
Level Up Games
Level Up Games is a gaming store in the Twin Cities, MN area featuring Tabletop Games, Comics, Graphic Novels, Magic: the Gathering, RPGs, Videogames, Warhammer, and Pokemon trading card games. Their location at the corner of 15th avenue and LaSalle is just a short stroll from the Hyatt Minneapolis! Level Up Games has made a significant donation to CONvergence’s board game library.
Velasquez Family Coffee
Velasquez Family Coffee has added CONvergence to its fundraiser coffees! Now, when you purchase your small-batch, Minnesota-roasted coffee beans, a portion of the proceeds can benefit CONvergence. Importing coffee to Minnesota helps ensure the Velasquez family in Honduras a livable income and supports their efforts to protect and enhance the precious cloud forest where they farm. The Velasquez Family name is guarantee that the coffee you serve your family is high quality and sustainably produced.
Anime Twin Cities/Anime Detour
Anime Twin Cities is a non-profit established to conduct educational, charitable and social activities related to the promotion and study of Japanese culture, specifically animated movies and television programs (“anime”) and graphic novels (“manga”) as well as the study of the Japanese language as it is used in anime and manga.
Fearless Comedy Productions
Founded in July of 2012, Fearless Comedy Productions consists of 12 founding members and 8 partner companies, including such CONvergence favorites as The Dregs, Geeks Without God, and Vilification Tennis. As the connecting hub for a variety of different partner companies, Fearless is able to produce comedy in many different genres, including internet content, podcasts, music, video, and theater. The company strives to produce comedy without limits and to help each performer and producer find their unique voice.
Geek Partnership Society (GPS)
Founded in 1998 as MiSFiTS (the Minnesota Society for the Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy), the Geek Partnership Society has established a tradition of year-round programs by and for local geeks. GPS is an all volunteer organization dedicated to expanding science education and reaching out to our community to add more programs and more resources all the time.
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center is an 87-year old, African American nonprofit social service agency that comes out of the Settlement House movement. The mission of Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Inc is to improve the quality of life in our community by providing access to critical human services, fostering and promoting personal growth, and developing community leadership in five core areas: Early Childhood Education, Youth Enrichment, Basic Needs, Seniors and Multiservice Hub Center. A primary element is the introduction and integration of a geeky focus into the Youth Enrichment and Basic Needs areas. HQB utilizes its program Project Superhero to engage at-risk youth with finding positive paths in life and all youth in literacy and civic engagement. Comic book clubs, personal hero development classes and the major theme of “Be A Hero in the Fight Against Hunger” that includes Hallie’s Heroes, League of Hunger Villains, and HungerCon. Patterned after events like CONvergence and Comic Con, HungerCon is a half-day event for everyone involved in the March Campaign or interested in hunger relief while being fans of Superheroes, Science Fiction and Fantasy in all media.
KFAI
KFAI is a volunteer-based community radio station that exists to broadcast information, arts and entertainment programming for an audience of diverse racial, social and economic backgrounds. By providing a voice for people ignored or misrepresented by mainstream media, KFAI increases understanding between peoples and communities, while fostering the values of democracy and social justice.
Maximum Verbosity
Now in its thirteenth season, Maximum Verbosity (spearheaded by playwright, poet, and storyteller phillip andrew bennett low, along with many collaborators) continues to produce work in a wide variety of mediums including books, plays, and storytelling, and genres including comedy, drama, and general audience discomfort. Maximum Verbosity productions are marked with a special focus on the intersection of language (big words), mythology (Sun Wu-Kong, Dionysos, and JLA kinda stuff), and parentheses (and parentheses within parentheses (where necessary)).
Open Cities Health Center
Open Cities Health Center is a nonprofit community health center that has been serving thousands of people since 1967. The mission of Open Cities Health Center is to provide culturally competent primary and preventive health care and related services to all people throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The goal is to improve the health and well-being of high risk and vulnerable populations through the provision of affordable medical and dental care and related services.
Twin Cities Geek
Twin Cities Geek is an online culture magazine for the self-identifying geek community in Minnesota, particularly focused around the areas of Minneapolis, MN and Saint Paul, MN. It is the goal of Twin Cities Geek to provide online spaces where topics important to members of Minnesota’s geek communities can be discussed in fun, constructive, responsible, and impactful ways.
Vilification Tennis
What’s funnier than watching other people sling coarse insults at each other? Nothing, except maybe your mom. That’s right, Vilification Tennis is not ashamed of “going there”. Come see Vilification Tennis perform at CONvergence or sometime at the Bryant Lake Bowl.
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