Minnevangelist co-founders Ashlea Halpern and Andrew Parks are journalists, copywriters, and content strategists with 20+ years of experience in media and marketing.

We are passionate about travel, food, art, culture, music, shopping, the great outdoors, and everything in between. Doubly so if it gives us the opportunity to amplify something remarkable in our adopted home state of Minnesota or its neighboring states in the Upper Midwest. (Canada too!) By leveraging our deep storytelling experience and the muscle of social media, we develop inspired content for inspiring destinations, bringing to life their unique point of view and helping them connect with their target audience.

WHAT WE DO

Editorial Storytelling

As a veteran of the music and publishing industries, Andrew knows how to spin a good tale. He is the multimedia editor at Explore Minnesota; before that, he worked at Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Time Inc. His byline has appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Travel + Leisure, Entrepreneur, Artful Living, AFAR, BuzzFeed, and Punch; he also edits self-titled, a leading underground music magazine, and self | centered, a site about ambient music.

Ashlea is a contributing editor at T: The New York Times Style Magazine and Condé Nast Traveler and. Her previous titles include editor-at-large for AFAR, special projects editor at Bon Appétit, editor of the ASME-winning Strategist at New York Magazine, editor-in-chief of New York Weddings, fashion editor at NYMag’s The Cut, and senior editor at Time Out New York. In addition to the aforementioned outlets, her work has appeared in Airbnb, Travel + Leisure, Artful Living, Midwest Living, MSP Home&Design, Dwell, Bloomberg Pursuits, TIME, Forbes, Esquire, Entrepreneur, Oprah, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Hemispheres, Wired, The Kitchn, Tripadvisor, and Buy Side from WSJ, and The Wall Street Journal.

In our combined experience, we’ve conceptualized hundreds of magazine stories and cover packages, top-edited copy for award-winning print properties and digital channels, produced special interest publications, launched websites and newsletters and pop-up blogs, generated countless clickable headlines, interviewed beaucoup celebrities (including Kanye West, Tyra Banks, and Tim Burton), and managed talented teams of editors, writers, photographers, and graphic designers.

We co-author and -shoot travel features for Minnesota Monthly and our photography has been published in The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, AFAR, and Food & Wine. We’ve also guested on TV shows, radio segments, podcasts, and livestreams for Food Network, NBC, and Fox, and produced guidebook content for Fodor’s Travel, Michelin, and Time Out Group.

Copywriting

In addition to serving as the director of merchandising for eMusic, Andrew has crafted compelling marketing content for Marriott, Apple, Red Bull, Chipotle, Hennessy, Activision, Aer Lingus, Universal Music Group, Sony, Songtrust, Interscope, Rhino Entertainment, Bandcamp, Moog Music, Ghostly International, Land O’Lakes, Visit California, Christie’s International Real Estate, United Healthcare, MSPC, Zeus Jones, and Flotsam + Fork. His portfolio includes entertainer bios, one sheets, liner notes, display copy, and press releases.

Ashlea’s copywriting experience also spans a range of industries and topics, from hospitality to personal finance. Her corporate clients include Microsoft, Airbnb, American Express, Chase, Capital One, DoorDash, TikTok, Prudential, United Airlines, Target, LG, Etsy, Illy, Food Network, Silversea Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Eat This, Not That!, Ralph Lauren, MM.LaFleur, Hello Alice, Explore Minnesota, and The Essentialist.

Digital Content Strategy

Through Minnevangelist, we have collaborated on editorial projects, fundraisers, giveaways, and social media campaigns with Explore Minnesota, Minnesota Lottery, MPLS Downtown Council, Explore Edina, Visit Roseville, Twin Cities Gateway, Travel Wisconsin, North Dakota Tourism, Travel + Leisure, Allrecipes, Fair State Brewing Cooperative, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

We produced a seasonal newsletter series for Make It. MSP, a strategic initiative of the Greater MSP Partnership, and were featured as guest speakers at the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference, BETA.MN’s Twin Cities Startup Week, Star Tribune Vacation & Travel Experience, Yia Vang and David Crabb’s “White on Rice” podcast, “Twin Cities Live” on 5 Eyewitness News, KSTP, and on Fox 9 KMSP’s “The Jason Show.”

Beyond Minnesota, we’ve worked together and individually with hotels, airlines, cruise lines, travel specialists, and a host of international and domestic CVBs and DMOs on earned and paid content, social media initiatives, and valuable brand ambassadorships.

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU

Our suite of creative consulting services includes:
• Editorial direction for new or repositioned product and brand launches
• Content auditing with an eye toward market trends, UX/UI data, and SEO
• Implementation of a comprehensive omni-channel content strategy
• Conceptualization and execution of an editorial calendar and workflow
• Honing of brand voice, including copywriting for landing pages, video, product descriptions, email and newsletter campaigns, PR initiatives, and in-house communications
• Content development for ad campaigns and marketing assets
• Social media strategy and management, including influencer outreach
• Guest appearances for TV, radio, podcasts, panels, and conferences
• Travel planning services and bespoke itinerary building
• Regional product curation and event programming

GET IN TOUCH

We’re excited to help you share your story. Please complete the intake form below or drop us a line at info@minnevangelist.com to get the ball rolling. We’re happy to tailor our services to fit your needs and budget.