Rockin' your customers' worlds

Belmont University Center for Entrepreneurship Director Jeff Cornwall is bringing Minneapolis-based Reside LLC CEO Matt Meents (right) to campus this fall to share his wisdom and ideas for helping Belmont students' nascent businesses. Meents co-founded Reside nearly 8 years ago, and the company now has about 35 employees (and is looking for four more "good people" right away). Reside cranks about $2.5 million in annual revenue, by using the Web 'to grow businesses and solve problems'. In an interview yesterday, Meents told VNC he places tremendous emphasis on creating a "rockin'" corporate culture that creates "harmony and energy" for clients, employees and the community. Toward such ends, the company created a virtual band -- the Residers -- and now uses the digital entertainers to raise money for local charities. Some band members -- like Maverick (at left) -- embody the personalities of co-founders Meents and Eric Scheel, while other players correspond to different Reside departments. The "Rockin'" cultural banner is extended to such things as naming the firm's conference rooms (Main Stage, Green Room, etc.). Meents, now 32, was once a student of Cornwall's at St. Thomas University in St. Paul and Cornwall has been his mentor, since then.