Whether you’re starting up or scaling up, a strong personal and professional brand is critical for success. This seminar is aimed at providing business owners with insights to help define, develop, market and manage both themselves and their brand.

Please use this link to submit any follow-up questions or comments.

Since the beginning, Minnebar (the nation's largest and longest running tech unconference) has included a rapid-fire Lightning Talks session where local technologists can take the mic for just a few minutes to hype their projects or share quick stories. This year, it will be an online event as part of Twin Cities Startup Week!

Hosted by Brandon Johnson and Daniel Feldman, we'll feature 8-12 short, spontaneous, unscripted presentations. Previous topics have included zany Twitter bots, a machine learning model that makes your voice sound like a celebrity's, and vegan cooking. If you're interested in doing a lightning talk, please email Daniel Feldman at [email protected]

Your network makes you and your business successful. Networking is a skill and finding the best people to grow your business requires a strategy and tactics to make the most of your time and the people you want to network with. Build your Top25 and your Impact100 relationships.

Join us as we walk through a start to finish revenue model on how Founders can find, land, and expand on their first customers. 

Is your website increasing your close rate or is it just a fancy brochure?
A website is arguably your most important sales and marketing asset. It works around the clock—nights, weekends, and holidays. But many websites don't pull their weight in the sales process. From lead generation to conversion, learn how your website can be your most powerful sales enablement tool. When built with revenue-generation as the primary goal, you won’t need to hire a huge sales team right away—you can let your website do the heavy lifting. Join 25-year industry veteran, Kitty Hart, for fresh takes on how to build a powerful, sales-focused website that drives growth for your business.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

The long term success of purpose-driven organizations hinges on their ability to efficiently grow their audience, but they are also the least likely to have access to the expert marketing support that can make that happen. 

We’ll talk through the MVPs of your essential marketing assets to get started and how to use them to create something actionable. 

- Building your marketing personas 

- Mapping your buyers journey 

- Identifying your key messages 

- Planning actual campaigns and content 

This workshop teaches a new approach to marketing that will leave you feeling confident in your strategy and ready to dive in and execute!

Are you trying to grow a social enterprise, or thinking about launching a new venture? Hear from leaders in the Twin Cities ecosystem of mission-driven businesses, discussing strategies for success. Also, meet social entrepreneurs and shop with purpose at the virtual Social Enterprise Showcase marketplace, featuring dozens of local vendors and changemakers.

You are an entrepreneur, CEO, CTO, solo dev, maker, shaker, or doer. You have 1,000 things you should be doing this very moment, but what is the right thing to focus on? That is the fundamental question behind growth hacking. Growth hacking is all about prioritizing your activities, measuring results, and taking effective action, which is much easier said than done. 

In this fast-paced participatory session, we will cover two critical tools to increase the growth of your business, the Idea Pipeline and ICE metrics. Originally developed by Sean Elis to bring explosive growth to Dropbox, LogMeIn, and many others, the Idea Pipeline and ICE metrics are simple but powerful tools to get your business focused and growing fast. Our speaker Brian Krohn, has implemented these methods for startups, corporations, non-profits, as well as his own businesses and personal projects.

Join us for a humor-filled chat about hopes, dreams and sunk costs in an age of crushing dystopia — and learn how our VR dev shop shifted focus to stay focused. After we've bashed on 2020 for a bit, we'll wax poetic on the wonderful future that awaits — and share a few strategies for getting there.

We’re often lumped into two categories: creative or technical. But we’re here to prove that wrong. With the combination of art and tech, new categories are possible! From making high-quality media accessible to all to helping creatives focus on the essential parts of their roles, we’ll use real examples of how creativity + tech play together at soona. We’ll walk through what’s possible with the combination of these two arts and give you tips on how to incorporate them into your work.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

Twin Cities Startup Week is thrilled to invite last year's Twin Cities Startup Week Impact Award winner back to headline this year’s Sales + Marketing track day.

From the team that brought you Coffee&Closers, comes the debut of their brand new show Cocktails&Closers ::

A [live], libations fueled, happy hour conversation between a few of today’s top Sales + Marketing minds as they tackle the challenge of how to successfully work collaboratively to drive revenue.

Expect to learn in between laughs how these related, yet often disparate groups can achieve greatness when their superpowers align.

Founders, solo ‘treps, sales/marketing leaders, and more… this show is for you, join us.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 30 minute Q&A.

Mix up your favorite cocktail and join the speakers of Closers Media presents :: Cocktails&Closers for Q&A!

"Experience Money Differently." will be a founder presentation followed by a panel event featuring four diverse individuals from our company. This event will focus on storytelling and sharing experiences around money. Money is generally seen as taboo — we don’t talk about it at all, and are never taught about money management in school. This leaves us feeling like other people don’t go through the same things we do when it comes to money, when in reality we as a community share a lot of similarities when it comes to our experiences with money. We’ll talk about these experiences, as well as ways we can all go about practicing getting rich. Changing our financial situations comes form relating to one another and practicing for the real world, not just “learning” financial literacy.

Join us for a fast-paced overview of the necessary legal steps startups should take in order to be successful. Panelists from Fredrikson & Byron will cover the basics, providing attendees with answers to key questions they face when running a startup and answer questions like: 

•    Does entity choice matter, and why?

•    When raising money, what do you need to do to ensure you comply with securities laws??

•    What kinds of rights should I give investors? 

•    How do I decide who will be an employee and who will be a contractor?

 •    Why do I need to get IP assignments, and when?

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

During these rapidly changing times, as much as ever we need tangible, proven practices to help us operate from an optimal brain state. In this workshop, you will learn a simple but cutting-edge framework from the field of neurobiology that will help you thrive in the midst of uncertainty. Join this session to learn how to expand your capacity to:

- Act from intention rather than reaction with increased self-awareness.

- Maintain a growth mindset to remain both aware & agile in the midst of change.

- Make clear and rational decisions without feeling overwhelmed or withdrawn.

- Effectively communicate with colleagues and clients in the midst of crucial conversations, maintaining both honesty and respect.

- Identify and being to overcome internal barriers and limiting mindsets.

This is truly a transformative framework that will positively impact every area of your life even beyond succeeding at work.

From startups to Fortune 500 companies --  every business needs to build a leadership team that is public policy literate for both compliance and delivering on their growth strategy. Join Shawntera M. Hardy, Cofounder + Chief Strategy Officer at Civic Eagle, in a discussion about the core principles to building a public policy engagement strategy that empowers businesses to track, analyze and influence the policies that matter most to their bottom line. No matter if it’s people, profit and/or planet.

The rise of no-code tools like Airtable, Zapier, Webflow, Bubble, Glide and Adalo has made it easier than ever to launch your startup and start generating revenue. This session will feature an overview of the no-code landscape and a behind the scenes look at apps built by presenters Alex Rodriguez (Electrician Path) and Zack Steven (George Floyd Mural Map app). There will also be time for Q&A.

Brought to you by Graveti, a community focused on building businesses, creating wealth and developing the Tech ecosystem for people of color in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Area, and Cloudburst, SBC a Minneapolis based Startup Studio.

Jen Labanowski, LMFT and Shelly Smith, LMFT are the co-founders of United Counseling and Wellness (ucwtherapy.com). As licensed systemic therapists, Jen and Shelly have an extensive background in helping individuals and systems increase their emotional and relational health. As co-founders themselves, Jen and Shelly know firsthand that "achieving wellness" is easier said than done when you're also trying to navigate the countless demands and stressors of scaling a business and leading a team. Jen and Shelly know that the health of a company is a direct reflection of the health of the founder and they are passionate about helping their fellow founders find increased balance and calm. This presentation will help founders learn strategies to improve communication, avoid burnout and lead from a place of emotional health.

Paving a Strategic ROADMAP™ to Success: The challenge of developing a simple, clear and effective business strategy. There is always more than one way to a destination.  Choosing the right strategic path for your business is a challenge. Strategic ROADMAP addresses the seven critical questions your strategies need to answer – in a simple, logical and memorable structure. The questions apply at the company, business unit or project level.  Equally they can be framed for core or disruptive business growth. This talk will explain developing your strategy using the Strategic ROADMAP.  It will discuss each of the 7 critical questions and provide a clear example using one of the most well-known, and maybe the only, success stories in the U.S. commercial airline business – Southwest Airlines.

The ILT Academy delivers extensive educational experiences to cultivate problem solvers, innovators, and entrepreneurs. We empower problem solvers and innovators to rethink and redesign problems, solutions, customers, and context. We equip entrepreneurs with the skills needed to commercialize ideas, develop successful ventures, and create high-growth businesses.

Learn how career, top-level executive assistants integrate into their principal's lives to free up their time and increase their productivity.

Founders Live is an unforgettable happy hour competition where up to five companies pitch their business, but YOU decide who wins. 

Five handpicked companies take the hot seat, with only 99 seconds to pitch their company and describe their value proposition in front of an eager audience. After the pitches and audience Q&A, the crowd votes on a winner who will not only receive an award but recognition from the crowd and the opportunity to talk more about their product or service. It's like Shark Tank, but you decide who wins it all! 

What's in it for you? Bring your friends, co-workers, grab some food and drinks, get to know your local entrepreneurs, and vote for who you think will be the next big thing in Minneapolis! 

What's in it for the companies? We at the Founders Live Minneapolis team are excited to announce ALL presenting companies who are chosen to give their 99-second pitch at a Founders Live event receive $5,000 credit towards their web hosting on Amazon. "Amazon Web Services provides startups with low cost, easy to use infrastructure needed to scale and grow any size business. AWS Activate is a program designed to provide startups with resources they need to get started on AWS." The winner gets an extra $5,000 credits, bringing their total to $10,000! 

Pitch Applicants: We are currently accepting innovative pitch applications! 

This is an opportunity for your startup to gain more recognition in the Minneapolis startup community. Tell us your story--who you are and what you do. We'll send you more details and you may become one of the finalists who pitch.

Have you ever had an idea to strengthen your community? Do you have a desire to use your skills or knowledge to solve critical social problems? Code Switch is for you. We are looking for techies AND non-techies — from developers to entrepreneurs, artists, educators, business professionals, concerned citizens, everyday people and more!  We believe everyone has a role to play in improving our communities, and Code Switch provides that opportunity. Join us and leverage your knowledge and skills to reduce the gaps that exist in Minnesota. 

Code Switch is in its fifth year as a civic hackathon where community members connect to co-create solutions that disrupt inequity. This year, our virtual hackathon will kick off on September 12, the National Day of Civic Hacking. Participants will then have one month to work on projects in teams before our final celebration and sharing of projects in late October.

Register Here!

Please join us for a social and informative event in a cutting edge virtual platform presented by REM5 Virtual Reality Laboratory. During this event, you will experience first hand how REM5 is leveraging WebXR to revolutionize how organizations can socialize and deliver content in the challenging environment of a pandemic. 

The events will include social time, a short presentation by REM5 about how the pandemic is accelerating the adoption of immersive technology, and tours of two of REM5’s virtual spaces currently being deployed; the REM5 classroom for k-12 schools and a virtual exhibition space highlighting racial inequalities through images, video, and data visualization. 

This session may be accessed from anywhere only requiring a computer and good internet connection. That said, there will be limited spots available on-site at REM5 to join the session from a VR headset for those that feel comfortable doing so. While it is our goal to make this as accessible as possible, users are required to have some basic comfort in navigating a new computer platform.

Out-of-school time programming has been consistently underfunded in Minnesota, and disparities in access to these activities is one of the leading drivers of the achievement gap. Learn how Youthprise and Venn Foundation, two local nonprofits, combined their expertise to leverage two underutilized tools—program-related investments (PRIs) and the K-12 Education Tax Credit—to pilot and implement an innovative financing model to help low-income families pay for afterschool and summer activities. But the innovation didn’t stop there. Hear how the organizations pivoted in the midst of a global pandemic to use their model to rapidly respond to the distance learning needs of low-income students as well.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

Practice your presentation skills by applying them to the Hero’s Journey. Leverage basic design principles of hierarchy, contrast, and rhythm to communicate the key components of this common narrative framework (Star Wars anyone?) to your audience. Create and share your digital storyboard to see how you and others tackle the same problem in different ways!

Understand the challenges facing local school districts and the various strategies that have been used to continue teaching and learning in these unprecedented times. Learn how a panel of district tech leaders have focused on equity and access and how technology needs fluctuate between remote to hybrid instruction. What are districts’ greatest priorities for the upcoming school year, and how can solution providers ease the burden to better ensure equity and access for all families? Listen to their shared advice for vendor partners and solution providers. Ask questions to better grasp the complexities in K12 during these COVID-19 times.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

What’s your business’ story? Who is your story for? Why do you need a story? Having worked in children’s publishing for almost fifteen years, I understand the importance of a good story, and the ways in which a story can connect with its audience. I also know the many ways a story can stray from its purpose and lose a reader. In this session we'll explore why it’s important for your business to have a coherent story, and set you on your path to find your story.

Learn about how virtual reality and immersive technology is being used in education today and where the industry is headed in the future. REM5 is enabling thousands of local students to experience VR for the first time and the pandemic has been an opportunity to help educators explore new ways to accelerate their move the virtual learning.

Minnesota Innovates welcomes the Founders of five companies as they share insights and their experiences funding the growth of nationally and internationally successful companies.

Hear from the founders of education startup Schoolz as they merge tech, art, and media to bring culture to Google Classroom, in an effort to drive student engagement and support teachers

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

User voice is imperative in all businesses. In education, it is critical for companies to understand the impact their product or service will have on all stakeholders - students, parents, teachers, and administrators. What does listening to the user voice in education really look like? How can our strategies impact our ability to scale? Through a combination of panel discussions and small group activities, participants will have the opportunity to hear from companies focused on building directly off of student/teacher/administrator voice, evaluate their own company's practices in listening to user voices, and finally, identify a concrete next step to increasing their company's listening skills.

As the economy works to recover from pandemic conditions and our country reckons with systemic inequality, addressing the tech skills gap especially among unemployed and underemployed Americans is more important than ever. Hear success stories from graduates of technical job training programs created to address these issues head on.

Here at REM5, we are big believers in immersive technology as the next computing platform - like its predecessors PC and mobile - it will change the way we work, play, learn and socialize. And COVID-19 has only accelerated the need and adoption of immersive tech across industries. In this session, we will cover the basic technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality and WebXR, and hopefully make sense of all those confusing XR acronyms. From there we will take a deeper dive into real world case studies for these platforms ranging from k-12 education, social engagement and cultural competence training. Post session, we will offer a social hour in a REM5 virtual space that can be accessed through PC - No VR or experience required.

Join Thomas C. Murray, as he shares how to create personal and authentic cultures of innovation in our organizations, where people are valued and trust is built so that productivity can thrive. Innovation is about people, so we must keep our people at the heart of all processes and decision-making.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

Learn how educators, specifically African-American male educators are experiencing distance learning with their students and families, what tools they are using, and what their thoughts are on the sustainability.

Each founder will have a few minutes to showcase their education startup and tell us about their personal background and entrepreneurial journey. Then, we'll talk about adjustments and pivots we've been making in light of COVID-19.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

Hear two recent college grads share their experience starting a for-profit, collaborative based, eLearning company. And how their passions for social justice inspired a new form of business accountability and structure.

Each year, Technovation Girls challenges teams of girls to identify a community problem, build a mobile app, develop a business plan, and pitch it to local experts. We’re looking for 200 mentors who can commit to 12 weekly sessions with a team -- a relatively small commitment for a HUGE impact for bringing more girls into STEM fields. Join us during this presentation to meet past mentors and learn more about the program.

Panel on getting started with AI for your organizations and ways to learn what you need to know about AI.  How Can AI be your virtual research assistant and help get more accomplished in your team and organization.  Learn the differences between humanized and replacement AI.  Learn about ML and AI and some of the commonly used "buzz" words that float around.  Ask questions of AI/ML engineers that you always wanted answered.

What is a “cap table”? What agreements should be in place with your co-founders, employees and independent contractors? How do you prepare a slide deck?  What does a typical financing term sheet look like? Hear from a panel of experienced lawyers, as well as a veteran angel investor, about what you need to do to prepare your startup for fundraising.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

In this presentation we will be discussing pillars of building a successful foundation in your Operation Departments. We will dive into Accounting, Operations, and IT processes with a focus on Lean Thinking.

Accounting
-Do you know your Unit Cost?

Operations
-How long does it take to produce your product?

IT
-Are you using software that integrates with your core business and gives you the data you need?

COVID-19 has accelerated the evolution of human interaction and information consumption towards digital platforms. From social media, to video chats, to virtual reality, these digital platforms are now clearly front and center. Now add a global social justice movement. Are digital platforms good for social justice? Are they bad? What challenges do they create? And what opportunities? 

Both RFTP and REM5 are rooted in leveraging technology and data to reimagine cultural competence education in the fight for social justice. In this session, we will cover how RFTP is innovating their powerful model to go virtual, how REM5 is using high-end virtual reality to democratize learning experiences, and how the two organizations are collaborating to create cutting-edge, digital learning experiences. Post session, we will offer a social hour in a virtual exhibition space that can be accessed through PC - No VR or experience required.  

Today’s technology teams thrive on collaboration and agile processes to deliver innovative solutions. Managing a mix of on-site and remote professionals was easy, but what happened when everyone suddenly was remote. How did management change? What was easier? And harder? Hear from local technology executives about their highs, lows and learnings during this time and what changes they predict are here to stay. They’ll address how they hired, onboarded, trained, and promoted individuals, as well as how their solutions stayed on course and how they spurred innovation.

As a founder your business will require new technology. Needs range from simple, such as web sites, to complex things like mobile apps, or even new kinds of hardware devices. Staffing a full time engineering organization is expensive. Individual contractors are more affordable. And consulting teams offer a wide range of supporting services. We discuss what to expect from those kinds of relationships. How do you go about communicating what needs to be built? What is “lean methodology” and is it right for your business? How often will you be updated on progress? Who is responsible for making sure the deliverables are met? How are inevitable setbacks communicated and resolved? How long does it take to build various kinds of new technologies? What is the final outcome, and how can you have confidence that the technology will live on and power your business instead of immediately becoming a liability? How does hiring a contract development agency compare with hiring an individual contract developer? What about versus hiring a full-time engineering team?

Learn about the new OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation presented by ECMC Group and gener8tor

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

When companies are small, customers often receive personal attention support. But what happens as a company grows? How can a business continue to serve and support their customers in a personal, but scalable, manner? Hear from some of today’s leading customer success executives on how their businesses are serving thousands of customers using data analytics, segmentation and specialists to deliver customer value.

Learn how to Achieve HIPAA Compliance for your Software Company Using Tools Provided by Major Cloud Platforms like AWS, Azure and GCP. We will briefly define the challenges you face to be HIPAA Compliant as well as the tools made available by common cloud providers. This is also relevant if you have other forms of compliance requirements, such as PCI or SOC 2.

We will cover important topics such as entity structure, options and equity compensation, pre-transaction (acquisition or IPO) planning, and more! Whether you are just starting to form your company, looking to optimize equity awards, attract and retain talent, or have your eye on a potential exit, this session is for you!

Kendall Qualls will discuss his early life in poverty and a broken home, career in the healthcare industry, and experience launching a data analytics and artificial intelligence startup to help cancer patients. Kendall will also discuss how we can promote entrepreneurship through our regulatory environment, cultural values, and education system. 

Taxpayer investments (non-dilutive funding) is critical to startups in the technology commercialization arena!  In this two hour session, you will learn the basics of the annual federal $3.7B Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs; two sources of non-dilutive funding to move from the lab to the marketplace.  This is an ideal session for scientists, engineers, innovators with novel ideas, concepts, and projects that possess strong commercial or societal potential, domestically, and internationally. 

We all need to escape, let off stream, reset. Coping strategies vary widely, but data shows that during this pandemic, we are turning to alcohol in large numbers to alleviate our stress. In fact, over 1 in 3 individuals say they are likely to drink more alcohol in isolation, compared to their typical workspace. We’ll take a closer look at the why behind this behavior, and how it may be putting the health, innovation and productivity of ourselves and our organizations at risk. Questioning your own use or that of others around you? Looking for more insight or resources on this topic? This is a safe space for discussion and a forum for people to bring their questions to the virtual table.

Accountability is WORK. As leaders and visionaries, it’s our job hold people accountable, including ourselves. Accountability is different than shaming and blaming. Shame is a tool of oppression — It's "you're a bad person” vs. "you're not doing your job.”  When leaders shame themselves or their teammates, they kill empathy — the foundation of love and justice. When we are fully immersed in empathy, we are focused and invested on understanding the other person’s experience. In a time of blaming and shaming, Ellen Melon is going to teach leaders the art of holding yourself and others accountable.

Can your startup make it with 20% worker disengagement?  The global average is 65% according to a 2019 Gallup report.  You're way ahead of the curve at only 20%.. What would it take to get to 100%. Can you scale that?

Join us for an exhilarating session of actionable insights and rejuvenating encounters of the human kind. In only 30 minutes, you'll take away a treasure trove of transformative ideas about the central role of human connection in personal wellness, employee engagement, and team performance.

The research is in: Books like Social Physics, and The Trust Factor, and The Happiness Advantage, and Team of teams are chock full of scientific evidence of what makes great teams great. It's not top talent: Top pro sports teams and mediocre ones all have million-dollar talent. It's not rocket science either: Almost any 5th grader can see the difference between top teams and the ones that envy them. A common vision or sense of purpose and human connection.
We're excited to help startup leaders level up their understanding of how greater human connection is the key to greater employee engagement and wellness, superior business results, and a better world, not just for your team, but for everyone your team knows, and for everyone who knows someone who knows your team. That may sound crazy, but we all know how hard it can be your best, when you've had a bad day at work..

Celebrating Minority Owned Businesses in Minnesota

Want a work place more inclusive and open to all communities of color, gender, ability, and sexual orientation? Come learn what is microaggression, how to identify it, why microaggression hurts your bottom line and how to address it.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://spmcf.zoom.us/j/98432844829?pwd=VHRRZHRzRWZUT215S3pyS1J5d05KUT09

Meeting ID: 984 3284 4829

Passcode: 616086

Rapidly advancing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithmic decision-making have proven to be a force for good. These technologies can also amplify forms of inequality, discrimination, and bias.  

This conversation will focus on opportunities for more digital inclusion through Data Policy and opportunities via immersive Virtual Reality experiences.

We will discuss creating a more inclusive narrative that addresses racial and social inequalities which bends into the metaverse thus improving AI & The Black Experience.

Following this session join the speaker(s) in the Community Lounge for a 15 minute Q&A.

In this interactive seminar, we will dive into a few myths around what a social enterprise is and empower anyone who’s been considering launching a social enterprise to get started! We’ll talk about measuring social impact and why return on community is important. We’ll also identify some of the hurdles to starting a social enterprise and offer guidance on how to strategically navigate them. Participants will leave with a roadmap to success.

Join us for a panel discussion to listen and learn from three social enterprise founders their lessons on bruising shins, empathy and humility, and harnessing the power of outcomes and impact and the value it provides in ops, strategy, and marketing & communications.

Are you trying to move your organization, or even your community, out of the status quo? Are you looking for effective ways to disrupt while keeping your credibility and social capital? If yes, join us for practical strategies on how to successfully move toward more innovation and more modernization. That is, how to disrupt without being disruptive.

Are you building a business as a force for good? One that balances purpose and profit? B Corps are driving a global movement of business as a force for good. Join us for a panel discussion with three Minnesota B Corp founders and hear about their journeys becoming B Corps, benefits and challenges, and their recommendations for businesses considering B Corp certification.

Join the Minnesota startup community as we present live pitches from 18 of the top businesses that emerged from the 2020 MN Cup competition season. They're vying for a share of $500,000 in prize money that will be awarded live during the event. You won't want to miss this!

MN Cup is a startup competition for early-stage companies hailing from anywhere in Minnesota. Thanks to an incredible group of sponsors and the time and talents of our volunteer mentors and judges, we are able to offer all programming and prize money completely free for participants. We take no equity in exchange for the seed capital we award, and are here to connect Minnesota founders to the education, resources and capital they need to build and scale successful companies.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-16th-mn-cup-final-award-ceremony-tickets-117138096199?aff=TCSW

During this pandemic, we hear the refrain over and over “I can’t wait to get back to normal.”  There is an honest and earnest feeling behind that sentiment, however, we have been asking ourselves - is “normal” what we want to get back to? In many ways our past “normal” was not nearly good enough and even exasperated many of the problems we are facing during this pandemic.  In this session we’ll outline some of those not-so-good “normals,” how they put us in a worse situation relative to an international crisis and how we have the opportunity to “get back to better” through acknowledging the bad, identify technology and non-technological solutions to address a better tomorrow by making our cities smarter and more responsive to our communities. “Smart North” is a collaboration of people working in and around smart city development thinking deeply around how our cities and communities can better work together and more efficient in building a better normal.

COVID 19 has further exposed the catastrophic
gaps in equity to digital access that in
turn impact access to healthcare, education,
employment among-st many others. In this session
we will explore the role of 5G in making this a reality.

The Twin Cities have come together to build smart and sustainable collaboration centers to foster entrepreneurial-ism and innovation around energy solutions that deliver resiliency, minimize climate impact and assure healthy sustainable working environments. Join entrepreneurs and sustainability leaders from the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as they share how their city plans, development and implementation have leveraged smart, sustainable technologies for climate and human livelihood.

The Midway area of St. Paul has a rich history, combined with the diverse surrounding communities, aging infrastructure, and the busiest intersection in the state (at Snelling & University). Many stakeholders have been working to create a more resilient and vibrant community in Midtown, in addition to heightened near-term demand from 2020 COVID-19 and social justice unrest along University Avenue. Minnesota entrepreneurs bring a wealth of offerings to the equation, leveraging connected technology and data to help (re)build a better community.

Join Village Bank’s panel of financial industry experts as they dispel common business banking myths, discuss common financing options, and provide valuable financial tips for entrepreneurs just like you! Panelists will be diving deep into discussion topics including: 

-What role does a community bank have in your entrepreneurial path, and how they can be a gift to entrepreneurs and the community as a whole 

-Demystifying SBA lending; misconceptions will be addressed, benefits will be highlighted, and tips will be shared to determine whether this option would benefit you 

-Pitfalls to avoid as you balance the management of your personal finances alongside your business finances 

Whether you’re just starting up or gearing up for growth, this panel conversation is for you.

It's no secret companies with more diversity are more successful. So why are the venture capital and tech startup sectors lagging behind in funding and hiring? In this panel discussion, we discuss the importance of equal access and the best ways entrepreneurs and VC's can promote diversity.

Come learn about some of the top legal and compliance concerns facing early stage start-ups. Find out when is the right time to bring on the first in house legal hire. Ask a start-up attorney some of those questions you have been wanting to ask but perhaps don't quite have the extra funds yet to invest.

A complex patchwork of federal, state and even local employment laws applies to startups and emerging companies. While early stage companies are focused on growing revenue and visibility, increasing headcounts, and securing funding and new investors, they are not immune from these laws. In fact, non-compliance exposes even the smallest employers to serious consequences such as audits, litigation, and investor trepidation, and can delay or derail acquisitions or other critical transactions.