FRI
18
SEP
Community Day
International Institute of Minnesota
8AM – 12PM
Breakfasts, workshops, office hours, and more.
9:00 – 10:00 AM Morning Meet n' Greet Preview Monday, Sept 14 · 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Morning Meet n' Greet ✕ This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Origin Programming Origin House Preview Monday, Sept 14 · 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Origin Programming ✕
Where Origin House This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to Origin House
9:00 – 10:30 AM Mentor Morning St. Thomas Preview Tuesday, Sept 15 · 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Mentor Morning ✕
Where University of St. Thomas, Schulze Hall (Minneapolis)
Who it’s for Founders and students Bringing back a long-standing TCSW staple, Mentor Morning is a casual gathering space for founders and experienced business leaders to connect one-on-one, talk through real challenges, and build relationships that can continue beyond the week.
Made possible thanks to MN Innovates · MESA Group
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Speed Networking St. Thomas Preview Tuesday, Sept 15 · 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Speed Networking ✕
Where University of St. Thomas, Schulze Hall (Minneapolis)
Who it’s for Everyone Open to anyone attending Startup Week. You'll be paired with other attendees for a series of quick, timed conversations. No awkward mingling, no standing around: structured, low-pressure intros that rotate every few minutes.
Made possible thanks to Jenna Redfield
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM What Startups Actually Need to Know About PR + Comms St. Thomas Preview Tuesday, Sept 15 · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
What Startups Actually Need to Know About PR + Comms ✕
Where University of St. Thomas, Schulze Hall (Minneapolis) This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to Newsweek · Sezzle
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM AI & Mentorship Workshop St. Thomas Preview Tuesday, Sept 15 · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
AI & Mentorship Workshop ✕
Where University of St. Thomas, C127 (Minneapolis) This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to MESA Group
8:00 – 10:00 AM MN Innovation Ecosystem Builders Meetup MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
MN Innovation Ecosystem Builders Meetup ✕
Where MCAD, College Center This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
9:00 – 10:00 AM Augeo Marketing MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Augeo Marketing ✕
Where MCAD, Auditorium 150 This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
10:00 – 11:00 AM The Sustainable Edge Panel MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
The Sustainable Edge Panel ✕
Where MCAD, Auditorium 150 This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to MCAD · St. Catherine University
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Founders Founding: Fix-It Clinic MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Founders Founding: Fix-It Clinic ✕
Where MCAD, Entrepreneurship Center This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to Tangled Rabbit
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM The Power of Play in Your Pitch Presentation MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
The Power of Play in Your Pitch Presentation ✕
Where MCAD, Auditorium 150 This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to MCAD
10:00 – 10:50 AM Boards & Advisors Panel Macalester Preview Thursday, Sept 17 · 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
How to Recruit and Structure Board and Advisor Relationships for Early-Stage Growth Boards & Advisors Panel
✕
Where Macalester, JBD Lecture Hall
Who it’s for Investors and founders Building the right board and advisor bench can be one of the highest-leverage moves an early-stage founder makes, and one of the easiest to get wrong. This panel brings together experienced founders and investors to talk through how to identify the right board members and advisors, structure those relationships (equity, time commitment, expectations), and get real value out of them as your company scales.
Speakers Scott Burns · Mairs & Power Venture Capital, moderator Chad Halverson · When I Work Janice Tam · TrueToForm Made possible thanks to Mairs & Power Venture Capital
11:00 – 11:50 AM How to Get the Most Out of Your Investors Macalester Preview Thursday, Sept 17 · 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
How to Get the Most Out of Your Investors ✕
Where Macalester, JBD Lecture Hall
Who it’s for Investors Raising money is only half the equation. The other half is knowing what to actually expect from the people who back you, whether that's an angel writing your first check or a VC leading your seed round, and how to pick investors who'll show up for you later, not just write a check now.
Speakers Jim Conti · Hyde Park Venture Partners Stephanie Rich · Bread & Butter Ventures Shannon Shroyer · Matchstick Ventures Made possible thanks to Bread & Butter Ventures · Hyde Park Venture Partners · Matchstick Ventures
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Great Minnesota Give Back Hack Intl Institute Preview Friday, Sept 18 · 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Great Minnesota Give Back Hack ✕
Where International Institute of Minnesota
Who it’s for Everyone This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
12PM – 5PM
Panels, demos, student events, and roundtables.
2:00 – 4:00 PM Building Deep-Tech Companies U of M Preview Monday, Sept 14 · 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Building Deep-Tech Companies ✕
Where University of Minnesota This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to University of Minnesota
4:00 – 7:00 PM MN Cup Grand Finale McNamara Preview Monday, Sept 14 · 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
22nd Annual MN Cup Grand Finale MN Cup Grand Finale
✕
Where McNamara Alumni Center The 22nd annual Minnesota Cup closes with a showcase of the top 27 startups and pitches from the top 18 founders. Vote for your favorites, then hear the live announcement of more than $100,000 in awards, plus another $50,000 to the grand prize winner.
Agenda 4:00 – 5:30 PM · Finalist showcase. Meet the founders and mentors over appetizers. 5:30 – 7:00 PM · Program. Pitches from divisional winners and runners-up, with audience voting. 1:30 – 2:30 PM Campus to Commerce St. Thomas Preview Tuesday, Sept 15 · 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Campus to Commerce: How Student Ideas Became Real Businesses Campus to Commerce
✕
Where University of St. Thomas, Schulze Hall (Minneapolis) This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to Minneapolis Cider · Refr Sports · Charm Social Tonic
3:00 – 4:00 PM Techstars Future of Food Cohort Meet & Greet St. Thomas Preview Tuesday, Sept 15 · 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Techstars Future of Food Cohort Meet & Greet ✕
Where University of St. Thomas, C127 (Minneapolis) This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
1:30 – 3:30 PM Federal Funding Mechanisms MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Federal Funding Mechanisms You Didn't Know You Had Access To Federal Funding Mechanisms
✕
Where MCAD, Auditorium 150 This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
1:30 – 3:00 PM Student Showcase & Impact Fair MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Student Showcase & Impact Fair ✕
Where MCAD, College Center This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to MCAD · St. Catherine University
1:00 – 1:50 PM Live Startup Pitch Contest Macalester Preview Thursday, Sept 17 · 1:00 PM – 1:50 PM
Live Startup Pitch Contest in the Investor Arena Live Startup Pitch Contest
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Where Macalester, JBD Lecture Hall
Who it’s for Founders, investors, and students Join us in the Investor Arena to watch top early-stage founders pitch their startups to investors from Gopher Angels, Capita3, Bread & Butter Ventures, Mairs & Power Venture Capital, and Idea Fund.
Speakers Sara Russick · Gopher Angels and Capita3, host and judge Stephanie Rich · Bread & Butter Ventures Elise Riniker · Mairs & Power Venture Capital Sri Manikandan · Idea Fund of La Crosse Made possible thanks to Gopher Angels
2:00 – 2:50 PM The Fundraise, Unfiltered Macalester Preview Thursday, Sept 17 · 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
The Fundraise, Unfiltered: What Investors Actually See The Fundraise, Unfiltered
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Where Macalester, JBD Lecture Hall
Who it’s for Founders This session gives founders an honest, investor's-eye view of what actually shapes a fundraise, beyond the standard pitch advice: what founder behavior builds investor confidence during a raise, and what quietly undermines it, from communication cadence to how a 'no' gets handled.
Speaker Garrett Lauderdale · Idea Fund of La Crosse Made possible thanks to Idea Fund of La Crosse
2:30 – 6:30 PM TCB Magazine Macalester Preview Thursday, Sept 17 · 2:30 PM – 6:30 PM
TCB Talks: Minnesota Capital Forum TCB Magazine
✕
Where Macalester, Mairs Concert Hall
Who it’s for Investors and students Twin Cities Business brings venture capital leaders, corporate executives, and the founders building tomorrow's companies into one room to ask why Minnesota keeps losing ground on job growth and capital to smaller markets, and how to unlock $1 billion in new startup capital.
Agenda 3:00 PM · Welcome. Charlie Rybeck, Twin Cities Business 3:10 PM · The State of Local Venture Capital. Matt Lewis, Greater MSP 4:05 PM · How to Level Up the Startup Scene in Minnesota. Panel moderated by Lucas Giambelluca, Bank of America 5:00 PM · Founder Showcase. Investors introduce the founders they back 5:45 PM · Networking Speakers Charlie Rybeck · Twin Cities Business Matt Lewis · Greater MSP Lucas Giambelluca · Bank of America Twin Cities Rob Weber · Great North Ventures Mary Grove · Bread & Butter Ventures Reed Robinson · Groove Capital Scott Burns · Mairs & Power Made possible thanks to Twin Cities Business
5PM – 10PM
Launches, networking, and community gatherings.
5:00 – 8:00 PM Mega Med Social UEL Preview Tuesday, Sept 15 · 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Mega Med Social ✕
Where UEL This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
Made possible thanks to Ezer21 · Ignite MedTech
6:00 – 8:00 PM BETA Showcase & Happy Hour MCAD Preview Wednesday, Sept 16 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
BETA Showcase & Happy Hour ✕
Where MCAD, Auditorium 150 This session is confirmed for the official week. Full details are still coming together. Check back as the schedule fills in.
