We Empower Entrepreneurs To Be Successful Sooner.
Our Mission
We Invest In You provides support to smaller, Greater Minneapolis Metro companies that otherwise don't have access to reasonably priced financing but have a viable business plan. We are a business funding and coaching nonprofit, providing below market financing to entrepreneurs of all genders, sexual orientations, marital statuses, races, colors, religions, nations of origin and ages on the condition that they agree to accept coaching. Because of the coaching and financing, we expect the entrepreneurs to achieve success sooner, resulting in improved living standards for themselves and their employees. The goal of this program is to enable these entrepreneurs to be financially viable enough that a bank will provide standard loan terms to their companies in two to three years.
Why Did We Start?
When I was in my 20’s and went with my 2 partners to First National Bank of St.Paul, a loan officer told us that we did not have enough meat on our bones (assets) to even make our personal guarantee count for much. So we had to borrow from individuals at high rates, and we were always searching for more investors. After about two years we had enough assets that we finally became a desirable bank customer. Success could have come earlier and with less stress if we had access to lower cost financing and did not have to spend time constantly raising money.
~ Ted Yoch, Founder, We Invest In You
Our Board Of Directors
Ted Yoch
Founded We Invest In You Inc., a non profit, in December 2020 to give back to the community. Its goal is to help entrepreneurs be successful sooner and create jobs for many decades.
An entrepreneur who has experienced success, failure and successes, is a mentor, coach and a business leader knowledgeable in many aspects of commercial real estate; conceiving, developing, financing and/or owning apartments, office buildings, shopping centers and warehouses. He was also involved in banking and mortgage banking.
In the most recent 25 years, he has been directly involved in a digital printing company, internet marketing, pay per click, and social media. As a director he has been involved in manufacturing. He has also been an investor in many companies and is an Accredited Investor and an Angel Investor.
Tom Klingen
Mr. Klingen received his B.S. in finance from Arizona State University in 1982 with an upper-level course concentration in Investment Real Estate. He was hired by Rosewood Corporation (Ted Yoch, founder and CEO); a Minneapolis based full service real estate developer, upon graduation. From 1982 to 1992, Mr. Klingen worked closely with Mr. Yoch on developing numerous real estate projects including office warehouse, office, retail, self-storage, and multi-family product.
In 1992, Mr. Klingen founded his own company, Reacor, Ltd., to provide Investment Real Estate Services for a select group of investor clients with special concentration on multi-family. The company currently owns/manages 1,500 units of apartments in 18 locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
During Mr. Klingen's 38 years in the commercial real estate business, he has personally financed and/or sold over $100 million of investment real estate, and has been involved in the negotiation of over 100 lease transactions, totaling in excess of 700,000 square feet. Since 1994, he has acquired and syndicated 12 apartment properties totaling 612 units. He is a licensed real estate broker and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Multi Housing Association.
Steve Yoch
Steve has practiced business law for over 30 years. He is a partner and on the Board of Directors at Felhaber Larson. Steve has also written and taught widely on business and legal issues. He is a board member of ARAnet, the parent company of Brandpoint. He has served on the boards of numerous civic and business organizations. Most recently Steve was the President of the Mounds View Schools Education Foundation and acts as a volunteer general counsel for the Housing First Minnesota Foundation, which provides housing for homeless veterans. He is an award-winning author for his book Becoming George Washington, and is currently writing another historical novel. When Steve is not home in St. Paul, he is traveling with his wife Andrea or visiting their grown sons.
Steve graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School. He graduated cum laude with a BA from Boston College with a double major in Economics and Political Science and was named a Scholar of the College.
Greg Yoch
Greg Yoch has developed a diverse set of skills over a 30 year career in business, including both marketing and sales in a range of industries. Mr. Yoch has been the President of Environmental Graphics, LLC and Murals Your Way since August 2014 and joined ARA’s Board of Directors in 2013. At Murals Your Way, Mr. Yoch has played a pivotal role in upgrading staff, expanding product offerings, increasing marketing activities and re-platforming the website to improve performance.
Previously, Mr. Yoch co-founded Sutter Street Investments, a real estate investment, construction and property management company located in Sausalito, CA. As one of the two partners, Mr. Yoch was responsible for all acquisition and disposition activities, as well as marketing for the company.
Mr. Yoch received his MBA from the University of Chicago with concentrations in Marketing and Finance. He graduated magna cum laude with a BA from Boston College with a double major in Economics and Political Science and was a member of the Order of The Cross and Crown for student leadership and academic achievement.