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Elevate Hennepin is Hennepin County's initiative to help businesses start and grow.
Many small businesses and nonprofits across Minnesota report significant challenges due to the federal immigration enforcement operation.
Elevate Hennepin is amplifying a metro-wide independent survey from the Lake Street Council to gather data, perspectives, and stories to help Lake Street Council and stakeholders understand these impacts and advocate for solutions.
If you are a business owner or nonprofit leader in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, please fill out this short survey to let them know how federal actions have impacted your finances and operations since the beginning of December 2025. You are not required to provide any personal or identifying information.
 We’re thrilled to introduce MayPa Yang, the newest Elevate Hennepin Business Navigator. MayPa brings incredible energy, experience, and a deep commitment to helping entrepreneurs and business owners succeed.
We’ve made updates to the Elevate Hennepin resource directory to make it easier to find the support you're looking for. Keep up with those changes and get a refresher on how to use the resource directory to find the best advisor, cohort, or local resource for your business.
We stand with local businesses, and all the business owners and workers that sustain our economy.
We are here to offer timely information, and connect you with available resources as we navigate these unprecedented times. We find strength in the courage, determination, and resiliency we see in communities throughout the county in the face of this crisis.
For help finding emergency resources and Elevate Hennepin advising, schedule a consultation with our Business Navigators—no detailed questions, no forms, just schedule a time.
We are also maintaining a list of small business relief funds, including the Minneapolis Foundation’s Economic Response Fund. Please share these with your networks to show how people across the county, state, and country can support our impacted businesses. These resources will be added to our federal response resources page as applications open.
Applications are now open for CEO Now.
This program, an investment from Hennepin County, will guide participants through topics like leadership, company values, sales and marketing, and goal setting in collaboration with each other and from industry experts.
Participants will leave the program with an action-oriented strategy, an understanding of how to create systems of scale, and a network of peer business owners.
Spots are limited and fill quickly for this competitive program. Learn more, see eligibility guidelines and apply today. The next session of CEO Now will start March 25. In-person sessions will be held in Edina.
Information session
Join Elevate Hennepin staff for a short informational session about CEO Now to find out how this cohort can help you build sustainable systems for your business.
Online event, February 9, 11 a.m. 12 p.m.
Register today
Apply now for HR Next, an engaging cohort that empowers business leaders with no-cost human resources consulting, data-informed tactics, and peer collaboration to solve workforce challenges and build a stronger company culture. This Elevate Hennepin cohort opportunity is designed to support established regional and midsize companies with custom human resources consulting and support and recover from disruptive times that the business community sees today.
HR Next brings personalized one-on-one consulting, custom data and insights, and a proven curriculum to help you grow the right way. Spots are limited and fill quickly for this competitive program. Learn more, see eligibility guidelines and apply today.
Information session
Join Elevate Hennepin staff for a short informational session about HR Next to find out how this cohort can evolve human resources in your business.
Online event, February 10, 11 a.m. 11:30 a.m.
Register today
 Join Get Started on February 18 at 6 p.m. This no-cost, 90-minute virtual interactive session is designed for anyone with a business idea looking for a jumpstart.
Participants will learn from expert facilitator, Angel Antje, and Elevate Hennepin Business Navigators on how to use the Business Model Canvas, an efficient method for building the initial draft of a business plan.
Participants will leave the program with materials, resources, and a process to assess their business idea.
Online event, February 18, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Social media in the modern age
Explore the newest social media trends shaping the digital landscape and learn how small businesses can use them to grow with Elevate Hennepin education partner SCORE.
Online event, February 11, 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Register today
Recordkeeping for artists
Learn how to track revenues and expenses, make informed projections, and gain a clearer understanding of your artistic business finances.
Online event, February 14, 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Register today
Sales and use tax for contractors course
This course details how Minnesota Sales and Use Tax laws affect contractors with jobs in Minnesota. It explains how sales and use taxes apply to materials, supplies, and equipment moved/transported from one location to another, or when used on multiple jobs. It will also cover construction contracts with exempt organizations.
Online event, February 18, 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Register today
2026 capital access workshop
Are you an entrepreneur looking to explore more options for funding your business? Dive into this capital access education workshop that will cover the wide array of funding options that are appropriate for each stage of a company, from pre-revenue to over $1 million.
In-person event, February 25, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sunrise Banks Corporate Office 2525 Wabash Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114
Register today
By investing in business owners, Hennepin County is building a foundation to create a more inclusive and thriving economy that strengthens communities.
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