DEED keeps dolin’ out of dough. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced that it has awarded $1 million in launch Minnesota education grants to nine organizations in Minnesota. DEED awards these grants to “help start-ups and entrepreneurs in Minnesota achieve success through education, mentoring, and networking opportunities.”
“Launch Minnesota Network aims to be a leading gateway for entrepreneurs and innovators at the local, regional and statewide levels,” said Neela Molgard, executive director of Launch Minnesota, in a release. “Research shows that a connected and coordinated innovation ecosystem accelerates the growth and success of startups. We are driven by the strong engagement in the network so far.”
The latest group of grantees is divided into three categories: twin city metropolitan areas, Greater Minnesota, and statewide partners.
Twin Cities Metropolitan Area
Forge North/Greater MSP: ($100,000) Forge North is a coalition of entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and other problem solvers united to make the Twin Cities the best place to start and scale enterprise.
Social Impact Strategies Group: ($75,000) Partners with public and private institutions to promote growth in corporate social responsibility, including racial equity, in industries such as tech, finance and philanthropy.
Greater Minnesota:
Red Wing Ignite (RWI): ($110,000) First collaborative pioneering entrepreneurs for Southeast Minnesota. RWI promotes economic development by working with key sectors of the community to foster innovation by supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and students.
Greater Bemidji: ($105,000) Now the leader in the innovators network. The Launchpad of Greater Bemidji is a coworking space and center for entrepreneurial support for the Northwest region. Launchpad provides entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups and professionals the opportunity to collaborate, network and learn in an innovative environment.
Itasca Economic Development Corporation (IEDC): ($100,000) IEDC-led Innovate 218 is a regional collaboration in northeastern Minnesota designed to streamline startup services, support entrepreneurs, strengthen networking, and drive new business formation and growth. has been designed.
Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC) ($100,000) This is the third year in a row that GSDC, a private collaboration of more than 250 business and community leaders, has received grant funding from DEED to serve as its West Central Minnesota launch Minnesota hub happened. Which is crucial for providing effective training to over 100 entrepreneurs in this sector.
Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU) Strategic Partnership Center: ($65,000) MNSU’s start-up Southwest will provide educational programming to innovative technology businesses and early-stage businesses; and outreach and collaboration with businesses, federal and state agencies, higher education institutions, trade associations, and other organizations working to advance innovative, high-technology early-stage businesses throughout Minnesota.
statewide partner
University of Minnesota (UMN):
Venture Builders: ($120,000) Organized by the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, this online education platform shares information about courses, competitions, seminars, mentors, and connections to the state’s entrepreneurship ecosystem with early-stage technology entrepreneurs throughout Minnesota.
Discovery Launch Pad (DLP): ($115,000) DLP is a no-cost, no-equity-required startup incubator and formal coaching program for UMN innovators interested in creating a startup company to commercialize new technology or an idea .
Technology Leadership Institute (TLI): ($75,000) UMN’s TLI program provides education opportunities that transform later-stage technology professionals into business professionals.
Agricultural Uses Research Institute (AURI): ($35,000) MBOLD’s Bold Growth initiative, led by AURI and Grow North, will provide education and technical/business support to high-growth food and agriculture entrepreneurial businesses.
St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced today that it has awarded $1 million in Launch Minnesota Education Grants to nine Minnesota organizations. This launch is the third round of Minnesota Education Grants awarded to groups that help start-ups and entrepreneurs in Minnesota achieve success through education, mentoring and networking opportunities.
The grantees announced today have formed a regional partnership with individuals and organizations to support the start and scale of high-growth businesses. These grantees and their regional partners include the launched Minnesota Network, organized in a hub-and-spoke model, allowing each region to customize its offerings while enabling entrepreneurs to access statewide resources and best practices. gives. The network has nine centers in six Minnesota regions and more than 80 program partners.
“The Minnesota launch is an important event for our state in a time of intense competition for talent and business development,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “We are creating opportunities by providing access to expertise and resources across the state – with a particular focus on founders, who are women, people of color and veterans.”
“Launch Minnesota Network aims to be a leading gateway for entrepreneurs and innovators at the local, regional and statewide levels,” said Neela Molgard, executive director of Launch Minnesota. “Research shows that a connected and coordinated innovation ecosystem accelerates the growth and success of startups. We are driven by the strong engagement in the network so far.”
Thousands of Minnesota entrepreneurs and startup supporters have launched the Minnesota Network of training, programs, and resources over the past year. This includes more than 270 people who joined the new Minnesota exchange operated by Kinetic. More than 1,000 people are engaged in Lean Startup training through MN Venture Builders, ILT Studios and other education providers. Every part of the state is now focused on nurturing and supporting innovators and high growth startups.
The Launch Minnesota Education Grant Awards announced today are for use through June 30, 2023. Launch Minnesota grant recipients and their specific awards are listed below.
Launch Minnesota works to level the playing field for all entrepreneurs across the state and puts a unique focus on entrepreneurs who are often overlooked by traditional funders. Launch Minnesota grants continue to support organizations such as Lunar Startups, Social Impact Strategies and others that focus specifically on entrepreneurs of color. Since inception, 1 in 4 Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants has gone to founders of color, and Launch Minnesota education grantees reporting serving nearly 1000 BIPOC founders over the past two years.
We are now partnering with these organizations in the Twin Cities metropolitan area that are focused on raising and accelerating startups, with a particular focus on founders from Black, Indigenous and communities of color:
Forge North/Greater MSP: ($100,000) Forge North is a coalition of entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and other problem solvers united to make the Twin Cities the best place to start and scale enterprise.
Social Impact Strategies Group: ($75,000) Partners with public and private institutions to promote growth in corporate social responsibility, including racial equity, in industries such as tech, finance and philanthropy.
Launches across the state Minnesota is working to enhance local and regional efforts to create better avenues for innovators and startups to start and grow. These are organizations specifically in Greater Minnesota:
Red Wing Ignite (RWI): ($110,000) First collaborative pioneering entrepreneurs for Southeast Minnesota. RWI promotes economic development by working with key sectors of the community to foster innovation by supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and students.
Greater Bemidji: ($105,000) Now the leader in the innovators network. The Launchpad of Greater Bemidji is a coworking space and center for entrepreneurial support for the Northwest region. Launchpad provides entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups and professionals the opportunity to collaborate, network and learn in an innovative environment.
Itasca Economic Development Corporation (IEDC): ($100,000) IEDC-led Innovate 218 is a regional collaboration in northeastern Minnesota designed to streamline startup services, support entrepreneurs, strengthen networking, and drive new business formation and growth. has been designed.
Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC) ($100,000) This is the third year in a row that GSDC, a private collaboration of more than 250 business and community leaders, has received grant funding from DEED to serve as its West Central Minnesota launch Minnesota hub happened. Which is crucial for providing effective training to over 100 entrepreneurs in this sector.
Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU) Strategic Partnership Center: ($65,000) MNSU’s start-up Southwest will provide educational programming to innovative technology businesses and early-stage businesses; and outreach and collaboration with businesses, federal and state agencies, higher education institutions, trade associations, and other organizations working to advance innovative, high-technology early-stage businesses throughout Minnesota.
We are creating opportunities by providing access to expertise and resources at institutions such as the University of Minnesota. Services which were earlier reserved for students and teachers are now available to all the innovators in the state. Our statewide partners are:
University of Minnesota (UMN):
Venture Builders: ($120,000) Organized by the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, this online education platform shares information about courses, competitions, seminars, mentors, and connections to the state’s entrepreneurship ecosystem with early-stage technology entrepreneurs throughout Minnesota.
Discovery Launch Pad (DLP): ($115,000) DLP is a no-cost, no-equity-required startup incubator and formal coaching program for UMN innovators interested in creating a startup company to commercialize new technology or an idea .
Technology Leadership Institute (TLI): ($75,000) UMN’s TLI program provides education opportunities that transform later-stage technology professionals into business professionals.
Agricultural Uses Research Institute (AURI): ($35,000) MBOLD’s Bold Growth initiative, led by AURI and Grow North, will provide education and technical/business support to high-growth food and agriculture entrepreneurial businesses.
Launch Minnesota, led by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), empowers and elevates our state’s innovation ecosystem. By organizing and catalyzing efforts statewide, Launch Minnesota helps make Minnesota the best place to start and scale new ventures by providing access to capital, statewide connectivity and expertise. Find out more at LaunchMinnesota.org, JoinUsMn.com and the DEED website, plus follow us on Twitter.
The DEED is the state’s premier economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more information about the agency and its services, visit the DEED website, the JoinUsMn.com website, or follow us on Twitter.
