Launch Minnesota Kicks Off!
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“This state thrives because of the talent in this room, and our job is to enable you to reach your capacity,” said Gov. Tim Walz, addressing why entrepreneurship and innovation are a cornerstone of his administration.
- Governor Tim Walz
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Thank you to everyone who attended our kick-off
What an exciting and energizing evening. Over 225 people joined us to learn more about Launch Minnesota. A special thank you to Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Eric Pratt, Rep. Tim Mahoney and to all our other speakers who pitched the strengths and opportunities of Minnesota’s startup ecosystem.
This initiative was a bipartisan effort that grew out of the understanding that Minnesota’s startup ecosystem has much to be proud of – but could be more coordinated, collaborative and easier to navigate.
Launch Minnesota is a statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation. It will include:
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Innovation grants for scalable innovative businesses for:
- Business operations: up to $35K
- Housing and childcare expenses: Up to $7.5K
- SBIR/STTR Phase 2 match grants: Up to $50K
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Education grants will create regional networks across the state that bring together various sectors to provide the needed education, resources and support to startups.
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Angel Tax Credits which provides a 25% credit to investors. The Minnesota Legislature has allocated $10M in 2019 and 2021.
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A statewide network to help simplify the journey for startups and elevate the work of ecosystem builders. Please join the network.
– Neela Mollgaard Executive Director, Launch Minnesota
Meet Our Advisory Board
We recently announced the 10 members of the Launch Minnesota advisory board who will help us deploy incentives to startups, ecosystem leaders, and investors across the state. They come from unique backgrounds in technology and entrepreneurship, and we are thrilled to have their expertise.
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What Do You Think?
We asked kick-off attendees for their advice for Launch Minnesota and what they think is Minnesota’s greatest innovation asset. Watch this short video (1:40) to see what a few of them had to say. We’d love to hear from you as well. Contact us and tell us what you think.
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On the Road
I’ll be traveling around the state in the coming months to listen and learn from you about how we can build a collaborative ecosystem to connect Minnesota from corner to corner. We’ll provide more details as they become available.
Open House: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will be on hand to explain and answer your questions about the various grants, loans, and technical advice DEED offers. Stop by the Launch Minnesota table and say hello!
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Monday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m.- noon
First National Bank Building,
332 Minnesota St., St. Paul.
First floor conference area near Minnesota and 5th Street entrance
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