Uncovering a Passion for Education

Continuously Curious Arik Hanson shares how a learner mindset + MIMA experience helped his career evolve 

Arik Hanson, social media consultant and adjunct marketing professor, joined MIMA for its then reputation as one part community, one part educational research, made for those leading the charge through the evolving digital marketing landscape of the 2010s. He enjoyed watching the variety of members come through the door, from those knowledgeable in content creators to digital marketers to SEO experts to social pioneers. MIMA has always been the community for digital marketers, and Arik was proud to share in that growth and mission during his time as board member from 2014 to 2016.

Arik experienced firsthand the continuous changes of the industry in that time. He recalls that there was no walk-through guide to help him navigate the changes in the media landscape at the time. MIMA was there to step in and provide support through workshops and learning with and from others.

As a board member, he served the programming committee and helped organize events and topics. MIMA provided him the exciting opportunity to continue his educational journey and help guide the conversation or teach and empower his peers in the community. This leadership and teaching mindset he developed with MIMA to later apply in his career as a digital content teacher at St. Thomas and social media consultant. He didn’t know he would find himself in a teaching position later in his career but credits his ability to provide his students with invaluable content to the lessons learned through his time with MIMA.

Arik hopes to see MIMA provide the same educational content that he received during his time. Though no longer a board member, he still finds his passion continues with MIMA, giving talks and providing insight on topics such as writing and social media marketing.

“MIMA’s unique superpower is the opportunity provided to everybody, not limited to just experts or students,” according to Arik. MIMA’s mission continues to focus on combining individuals into a community, something that provided Arik with passion. MIMA was able to connect him with other individuals who had the same passion for learning.

Arik Hanson is a MIMA Next 25 Luminary. MIMA’s history is filled with local leaders who volunteered, spoke, served on the board, or participated as members of the community. These luminaries ignited a passion for digital marketing in our community, nourished the flame for the past 25 years, and new lumanires are lighting the path for the future of local marketing exploration and evolution.