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Collider Community

Collider Receives Grant From Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic Community Contributions Program has awarded Rochester’s Collider Foundation a $100,000 grant. In a release detailing the award, Collider said the grant will be used to, “support Collider’s work to empower Rochester’s early stage entrepreneurs, amplify the voices of Rochester’s local business starters, and provide community education.”

“Our team at Collider is beyond grateful to receive this generous support from Mayo Clinic,” Collider Executive Director Amanda Leightner said in the release. “We look forward to continuing to foster relationships with entrepreneurs and other support organizations this year to help create a community where anyone with passion and a strong business idea sees and has access to a pathway to bring that idea forward in the community.”

Collider works to enable early-stage entrepreneurs in Rochester through events, space, and storytelling. Leightner is currently serving as the organization’s Interim Executive Director, taking the role after former executive director Jamie Sundsbak left to work with Mayo Clinic Platform Accelerate.

Leightner has been featured on The tech.mn Podcast and in our series on innovation in Greater Minnesota.

To learn more about the grant and Collider, read the release below.

Rochester, Minnesota: Rochester 501(c)3 nonprofit Collider Foundation was recently awarded a grant in the amount of $100,000 by the Mayo Clinic Community Contributions Program. This grant will support Collider’s work to empower Rochester’s early stage entrepreneurs, amplify the voices of Rochester’s local business starters, and provide community education.

Collider Foundation believes that the support, education, and growth of our entrepreneurial ecosystem is a pathway to a more prosperous and inclusive future for the Rochester community. As an organization, Collider Foundation aims to identify and assist local innovators in overcoming barriers to success by empowering an impactful, inclusive, and entrepreneur-first ecosystem.

Collider Foundation supports its mission through events, education, space, and storytelling to help foster an inclusive, diverse, and healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem. This grant award will allow for programmatic and operational support of the foundation’s ongoing activities throughout 2022.

Collider Foundation is led by Executive Director and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, Amanda Leightner. She is supported in her efforts by Director of Community and storyteller, Corrie Strommen. Taking the lead on Collider’s ecosystem navigation efforts is Manasseh Kambaki, President and founder of Hope Fuse, another local nonprofit organization. As a strong and passionate team, they work toward building, educating, and substantiating the vibrant community of Rochester entrepreneurs.

“Our team at Collider is beyond grateful to receive this generous support from Mayo Clinic. We look forward to continuing to foster relationships with entrepreneurs and other support organizations this year to help create a community where anyone with passion and a strong business idea sees and has access to a pathway to bring that idea forward in the community,” said Leightner.

Alex Skjong
Alex oversees the content produced for BETA, Twin Cities Startup Week, and tech.mn. When he’s not writing or editing, there’s a good chance he’s enjoying a refreshing brew and explaining the merits of heavy metal (of which there are many).