Member Spotlight: Meet Shannon Seaver of Stone Arch Collective
Meet Shannon Seaver, co-founder and executive director of Stone Arch Collective and a ModernWell member since September! We had the opportunity to sit down with Shannon to hear about the inspiration behind Stone Arch Collective, how she found her way into AI, why she chose ModernWell, and how she makes space for creativity outside of work.
What is Stone Arch Collective?
Stone Arch Collective is a practitioner-owned AI cooperative based in the Twin Cities. It’s a collective of individual businesses and practitioners who come together to share the cost of doing business while combining our expertise to serve small and midsize businesses, nonprofits, and schools.
Rather than being a traditional AI consulting firm, the cooperative allows practitioners who are already doing this work in their own businesses to collaborate and bring their specialized skills to clients. We help organizations navigate AI through training, app development, workflow automation, and other practical applications.
Stone Arch Collective was born in March 2026 and launched publicly in May. Today, the collective has grown to more than 20 members.
What inspired you to create Stone Arch Collective?
It started with an app called Real Path Learning, which was built during a 48-hour Love Ball Hackathon last November. The app created lesson plans for students in about a minute, with support for reading levels, language, and dyslexia. Out of more than 200 applicants internationally, Real Path Learning won the competition and was recognized on national television.
Soon after, schools in Minneapolis were facing significant challenges and were overwhelmed with the number of students staying home. It became clear that schools weren’t in a position to adopt new technology.
That led Shannon to pivot. She connected with Arun through Lori Ryan, and the two began merging ideas. Stone Arch Collective was initially called “AI Whisperers” when it launched in March, starting with about 10 people, before becoming Stone Arch Collective as a nod to Minneapolis.
How did you find your way into AI?
Shannon spent 18 years as a public school educator and computer science teacher. Her interest in technology started much earlier, though.
“When I was young, my father brought home a computer game called Pong, and I’ve been mesmerized by what technology can do ever since.”
So when AI emerged, she was naturally curious and wanted to learn everything she could about it.
One of her biggest inspirations is Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician whose story was featured in Hidden Figures. Shannon says Johnson’s story deeply resonates with the way she approaches her own work.
Why is engaging with AI so important right now?
“As I like to say, the toothpaste is out of the tube, and we aren’t going to be able to shove it back in.”
AI is here, and Shannon believes leaders and business owners need to start learning how to use it rather than being intimidated by it.
Small business owners and entrepreneurs already wear a lot of hats. With the right training and education, Shannon believes AI can help take some of that workload off their plates and give them valuable time back.
“The hardest part is taking the step towards learning about it. I can promise you AI isn’t as complicated as it looks. That’s what we’re here for.”
What is a typical day at ModernWell like for you?
It depends on the day. Shannon shares an office with Lori Ryan, and anywhere from one to six members of the Stone Arch Collective team might be coworking together.
“ModernWell encourages collaboration, brainstorming, bouncing ideas off each other, which creates such a fun, dynamic, and exciting environment. There is just something so energizing about being around the people here.”
That sense of community is one of the things Shannon appreciates most. She describes ModernWell as warm, inviting, and inclusive, and says she enjoys connecting with people from different personal and professional backgrounds.
Why did you decide to join ModernWell?
Lori and ModernWell founder, Julie, had a lot to do with it.
For Shannon, ModernWell felt like the right place for Stone Arch Collective to grow, both as a business and as a team. Rather than being confined to a traditional office, the co-working environment gives them flexibility and a greater sense of community.
What is your self-care must?
“I’m a maker. I have to create things.”
Shannon loves to knit, paint, and make jewelry. For her, self-care is about creating something with her hands. If she isn’t creating something at work, there’s a good chance she’s creating something at home.
And when she isn’t making things, she’s often learning. Shannon says she can easily spend an entire weekend diving into what’s new in the AI world.
How can people work with Stone Arch Collective?
There are two ways to work with Stone Arch Collective: through six-week cohorts for small and midsize business owners and senior practitioners, or through advisory engagements for teams that need help building AI workflows, governance frameworks, or readiness reviews.
The goal is simple: not just to leave with ideas, but to leave with something actually set up and working in your business.
Stone Arch Collective is focused on helping Minnesota businesses stay competitive as the world of AI continues to evolve. And if there’s a free resource that would serve someone better, they’ll point you there. But when you need practitioners who can roll up their sleeves and work alongside you, that’s what they’re built for.
Want to learn more about AI?
Stone Arch Collective hosts a Lunch & Learn at ModernWell Minneapolis on the second Friday of every month, exploring topics from the ever-evolving, fast-paced world of AI.
Their next Lunch & Learn is Friday, October 9 from 10:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m., featuring everything you need to know about AI Agents. The session includes an hour of hands-on training, show and tell, and open Q&A. It’s open to both ModernWell members and guests.
Want to connect with Shannon or learn more about Stone Arch Collective?
Thanks for all you do, Shannon! We’re so grateful to have you and the Stone Arch Collective team as part of the ModernWell Minneapolis community
