The doors of the North Loop’s historic Colonial Building swung open on Aug. 17 to welcome guests to the rebrand launch party and new office open house of Media Bridge, the second-largest ad agency in Minnesota. Friends, family, and supporters of local entrepreneur and influencer Sarah Edwards were among these guests, anticipating an exciting announcement from Edwards and Media Bridge founder and CEO, Tracy Call.
Guests were welcomed into the space by a collection of breathtaking artwork by Stephanie Dillon, a close friend of both Edwards and Call, who had had a hand in forging their connection. The art accented the impressive work of Jacque Bethke, the designer and architect responsible for Media Bridge’s new 15,000-square-foot office space, nearly three times the size of their previous space. Guests took in these renovations as they roamed through the upscale interior, an office fit for Media Bridge’s rapid growth over the past few years.
Photo by Emma Enebak
Festivities included a signature Media Bridge cocktail, catering by Puralima, live music by harpist Jim Buxton, a live DJ performance by DJ Advance, and live fashion illustrations by Claire Ward.
Photos by Emma Enebak
During the evening, the DJ silenced his music and asked guests to gather near the middle of the space for a toast. A crowd gathered around Call as she began to express her gratitude.
“When I was thinking of the people I wanted to thank tonight, I realized that all of them are women,” Call said. The crowd let out an excited cheer at this, and Call went on to thank her wife, Bethke, Dillon, and of course, Edwards, who she invited to join her center stage. With Edwards by her side, Call made the announcement guests had been waiting for
“Sarah Edwards and Media Bridge are officially joining forces,” she shares with the audience.
Call and Edwards had met six months ago and have been working diligently on this plan since their fated connection. Edwards’ three brands, Fashion Week Minnesota, Some Great People, and I am Sarah Edwards, previously separate entities, have been united under one umbrella, titled Haus of Sonder. Media Bridge will help Haus of Sonder and Edwards’ community-building mission.
“I have been hustling for the past 10 years,” Edwards told guests, “I’m so passionate about community, but I never had the resources I needed to execute all of my visions.”
Photo by Emma Enebak
Sonder, the made-up word that inspired Edwards’ new brand, has had a profound impact on her life. In an emotional moment, she read its definition aloud, an excerpt from John Koenig’s “Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows,” a dictionary of made-up words used describe human emotions.
“Sonder—the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own…an epic story that continues invisibly around you…in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.”
To read more about Edwards’ journey to Haus of Sonder, watch for Minnesota Monthly’s Sept/Oct issue, hitting newsstands soon. Here’s a sneak peek at one of the fashion shoots.
Lauren Krysti
