TCSW ’26Twin Cities
Startup Week

Pick your day.

One day of official Twin Cities Startup Week programming for $25. Choose the day, and your pass covers every official event on it.

Want all five days? Get the week pass

Focus your day. Maximize your week.

One day pass

MON

14

TUE

15

WED

16

THU

17

FRI

18

Access every official Monday event on the TCSW lineup.

$25

One-day price.

Monday only.

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What each day holds

The official lineup is being released day by day. Confirmed sessions appear on the calendar as they lock in.

TCSW ’26

MON

14

SEP

Launch Day

University of Minnesota

TUE

15

SEP

Industry Day

University of St. Thomas

WED

16

SEP

Innovation Day

MCAD

THU

17

SEP

Investor Day

Macalester College

FRI

18

SEP

Community Day

Great Northern Building

Morning

8AM – 12PM

Breakfasts, workshops, office hours, and more.

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.

Buy Pass

Monday, Sept 14 · 10:30 AM – 12:30 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.

Agenda

  • 10:30 – 11:30 AM · Community Intelligence Roundtable on AI Talent Development. Dr. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang
  • 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM · Building GTM for an AI-native company. Daisy Hoang

Speakers

  • Dr. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang · TrueLeap
  • Daisy Hoang

Made possible thanks to

Origin House

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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.

Speakers

  • Dave Neville · MN Innovates
  • John Moroney · MESA Group

Made possible thanks to

MN Innovates · MESA Group

Buy Pass

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.

Speaker

  • Jenna Redfield · Red Thread Studio

Made possible thanks to

Jenna Redfield

Buy Pass

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

Buy Pass

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

Buy Pass

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.

Buy Pass

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.

Buy Pass

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

Buy Pass

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

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Wednesday, Sept 16 · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Pitch Like a Performer: Your Story on Stage

The Power of Play in Your Pitch Presentation

Where
MCAD, Auditorium 150
Who it’s for
Founders and students

Your deck is done and you are dressed for the occasion. Now prepare your voice, your body, and your authentic self. Quick, accessible theatrical techniques for managing nerves, strengthening presence, connecting with an audience, and landing a pitch with confidence.

Speakers

  • Denice Burbach · Arts educator and director
  • Zelia Gonzales · Clown, improviser and facilitator

Made possible thanks to

MCAD

Buy Pass

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 Halvorson · When I Work
  • Janice Tam · TrueToForm

Made possible thanks to

Mairs & Power Venture Capital

Buy Pass

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

Buy Pass

Friday, Sept 18 · 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Great Minnesota Give Back Hack

Where
Great Northern Building
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.

Buy Pass
Afternoon

12PM – 5PM

Panels, demos, student events, and roundtables.

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

Buy Pass

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.
Buy PassMN Cup tickets on Eventbrite

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)
Who it’s for
Founders and students

Hear from founders who got their earliest exposure to entrepreneurship through student programs, in this case the MN Cup Student Division, and went on to build growing Minnesota companies. The founding teams behind Minneapolis Cider Company, Refr Sports, and Charm Social Tonic take the stage in succession. Moderated by Lauren Mehler Pradhan of Tesser Advisory.

Speakers

  • David O'Neill · Minneapolis Cider Company
  • Jason Dayton · Minneapolis Cider Company
  • Huck Sorock · Refr Sports
  • Wyatt Gustafson · Refr Sports
  • Della Daml · Charm Social Tonic
  • Josephine Miller · Charm Social Tonic

Made possible thanks to

Minneapolis Cider · Refr Sports · Charm Social Tonic

Buy Pass

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.

Buy Pass

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.

Buy Pass

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

Buy Pass

Thursday, Sept 17 · 1:00 PM – 1:50 PM

Live Startup Pitch Contest in the Investor Arena

Live Startup Pitch Contest

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

Buy Pass

Thursday, Sept 17 · 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM

The Fundraise, Unfiltered: What Investors Actually See

The Fundraise, Unfiltered

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

Buy Pass

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

Buy Pass
Evening

5PM – 10PM

Launches, networking, and community gatherings.

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

Buy Pass

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.

Buy Pass

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