Twin Cities Business editor Kaplan focused on expanding its readership

Rachel Hutton of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis profiles Ali Kaplan, the editor of Twin Cities Business.

Hutton writes, “Kaplan’s role at Mpls.St.Paul led to her current one leading Twin Cities Business (the two magazines are owned by the same company). She’s the magazine’s first female editor, covering a male-dominated community. (In Minnesota, roughly 20% of executive roles are held by women and about 10% of its large public companies are run by women.)

“While some questioned what a style editor was doing running a business magazine, Kaplan focused on expanding readership beyond the 30-year-old publication’s core demographic. She featured a more diverse array of businesspeople and stories about topics such as soft skills and work-life balance.

“‘You can talk about business in a way that’s serious, but doesn’t have to be stuffy,’ Kaplan said, explaining her vision. ‘I wanted to make sure we were bringing in younger readers and bringing in women. I think that it had a little bit of a reputation of being — like many things in business — very focused on Fortune 500 culture, which has tended to be very male and very white.'”

Read more here.