Collective Connect Brings Team Members Together in Downtown Fargo
More than 50 team members gathered for the fifth annual Collective Connect, reinforcing a shared commitment to our residents
Collective team members from across the region came together in Downtown Fargo for this year’s Collective Connect, an annual event focused on engagement, learning, and strengthening connections across the organization. Attendees traveled from Billings, Montana; Watertown, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and the Twin Cities, Minnesota, with others joining remotely.
Hands-On and Practical
The two-day conference was impactful and memorable, with engaging activities, networking opportunities, and shared laughter.
One of the most memorable moments day was an interactive role-switching exercise designed to simulate an accelerated “day in the life” of key roles across the company.
Participants rotated through scenarios as maintenance technicians, support office team members, and community managers.
“My favorite part was the simulation Jade and Jacinto designed,” remarked Sydney Schultz, an Operations Support Specialist. “Watching individuals assume unfamiliar roles was compelling. It illuminated how routine challenges for one position can feel entirely foreign to another, offering a sharper perspective on the nuances of each role.”
The challenges required quick thinking, collaboration, and real-time problem solving. It mirrored many of the real scenarios, like unexpected maintenance requests, that team members experience every day in service of residents.
“As someone newer to the company, it gave me a deep appreciation for what my coworkers experience in their jobs,” said Dirk Monson, content specialist with Collective. “You understand quickly how interconnected everything is.”
The exercise reinforced a core truth within Collective: no role operates in isolation. Maintenance, management, marketing, development, accounting, and leadership all intersect to create a top-tier resident experience.
A Shared Commitment to Residents
Leadership from both Collective and Great States addressed the group, sharing updates and reinforcing the company’s guiding principle: everything begins with the resident. The goal is not simply to build or manage properties, but to create places people are proud to call home.
That commitment is what sets Collective apart.
Every design decision, property improvement, communication, and service request ultimately connects back to the resident experience. The alignment between development, construction, and management allows Collective to approach housing in a holistic manner, ensuring that our communities are thoughtfully built and intentionally operated.
Collective Connect served as a reminder that while the cities we live in may differ, Collective’s mission does not.
Building More Resilient Teams
In addition to the role-based scenarios, the team participated in a collaborative challenge that required groups to use limited resources, communicate clearly, and support one another to solve problems under time pressure.
The exercise wasn’t just about competition. It was about trust.
“We were collaborating and coming up with creative solutions together, and the energy in the room was contagious,” noted Kylie Kanwischer, digital strategy specialist with Collective. “At one point people were literally jumping up and down. It was such a fun, high-energy reminder of what happens when everyone leans in.”
Across departments and across states, team members leaned on each other’s strengths, demonstrating the adaptability and teamwork that define Collective’s culture.
Years of Alignment
Now in its fifth year, the Collective Connect continues to evolve while maintaining its purpose: create space for connection, learning, and shared direction.
As the company grows across markets, intentional alignment becomes even more important. Events like Collective Connect ensure that whether a team member is in Fargo, Billings, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, or the Twin Cities, they feel connected to a larger mission and supported by a broader team.
“One take away that I got from the Connect is that all of us may be in different roles, but when we work as one big team, we achieve great things for Collective,” remarked Lisa Kinker, a Property Accountant with Collective.
The event concluded not just with new insights, but with renewed energy.
At Collective, strong communities begin with strong teams. Strong teams begin with understanding, collaboration, and a shared commitment to residents.
