Community Partners

How WE WORK WITH Commuity Partners

ConnectUP! Institute is dedicated to addressing and minimizing those disparities for business founders to build an equitable entrepreneur ecosystem.

connect with growing entrpreneurs

Join Our Expert Network

Connect with local founders and share your expertise! Our Expert Network is a group of highly accomplished business professionals in Minnesota who volunteer their time to provide 1:1 coaching, workshops, event sessions, high-ROI consulting and other business training.

We know that connections and social capital is a key ingredient to the success of any business venture. We’re dedicated to building the peer and professional networks of the founders in our programs to help engineer their success during and after participation!

WHY WE DO THIS

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Statistics indicate that women claimed just 2% of the VC funds, and women of color claimed just under 1% in 2021.

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Black startup entrepreneurs still received only a tiny fraction — 1.2 percent — of the record $147 billion in venture capital invested in U.S. startups through the first half of this year, Crunchbase numbers show. That compares with the more than 13 percent of the U.S. population that is Black or African American. (Crunchbase, 2021)

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In a 2019 study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York it was noted that only 17% of firms with non-Hispanic Black ownership reported their funding needs were satisfied.

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29.4% of BIPOC business owners receive all the funding they request from the bank compared to 54.2% of that of white business owners.

We know that the disparities faced by BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ and rural Minnesotans are exasperated when starting a business, seeking funding and accessing business support.

We know that the disparities faced by BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ and rural Minnesotans are exasperated when starting a business, seeking funding and accessing business support. ConnectUP! Institute is dedicated to addressing and minimizing those disparities for business founders to build an equitable entrepreneur ecosystem. We partner with local organizations like Neighborhood Development Center, Mni Sota Fund, LaunchMN, Forge North and Finnovation Labs to provide culturally responsive education for second-stage businesses. At the same time, we’re developing innovative solutions to solve the systemic challenges to entrepreneur growth by partnering with MN Black Business Support Collective (BBSC), Business Resource Collective (BRC) and Black Innovation Alliance (BIA).

Our Initiatives designed for COMMUNITY PARTNERS

ConnectUP! Summit

The ConnectUP! Summit brings together entrepreneurs, investors and entrepreneur support organization leaders from Minnesota and across the country for two days of culturally responsive talks, action-driven workshops, deep-relationship building and diverse networking opportunities. With an emphasis on entrepreneur needs and realities, the ConnectUP! Summit provides education and connection for investors ready to #LevelUp their investments!

OUR INITIATIVES DESIGNED FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

CEO Circles

Our CEO Circles equip second-stage CEOs with actionable strategies to overcome the hurdles of surviving in the market space, maintaining good business practices, and scaling up. Twice a month Expert Mentors (investors, entrepreneur support organizations, business professionals, etc.) will be joined by four 2nd-stage CEOs to work through issues they may be facing. These topic-specific meetings are also a space for Expert Mentors to learn the current scope of needs for small businesses founders. Submit an interest form to be considered!

“Be clear, consistent and accountable as business support practitioners - being too soft, too understanding, too flexible might feel supportive in the moment but does not set the entrepreneur up for success in the world. I have already begun tightening up my approach (it is hard!) and this already has us making some process changes.”

Summit Attendee

Articulating what they learned at the Summit that fundamentally shifted how they work.

“ConnectUP is a peerless opportunity to build valuable networks, level up your understanding of the tools and practices entrepreneurs need most to thrive, and deepen your knowledge of how to best and most effectively meet the unique needs of Black and brown entrepreneurs.”

ConnectUP! Summit

Attendees

WE ARE CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITIES

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