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Early Bird Tickets Open for Minnesota Entrepreneurial Kick-off

Early bird prices will end after February 7.

Early bird tickets are now available for the 2023 edition of the Minnesota Entrepreneur Kick-off. The education and networking event will take place on March 14 from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. in Schulze Hall on the University of St. Thomas' Downtown Minneapolis campus. Early bird tickets are $35 (0-3 year old startups), $55 (General Admission), and $30 (Students) with prices increasing after February 7.

The Minnesota Entrepreneur Kick-off (carrying the theme of "Innovation Unleased") includes a full day of programming on topics such as "Building Entrepreneurial Mindset Communities," Celebrating MN Women Founders," "Startup Insights - One Year in the Life of a Founder," and more.

The full agenda of the day is:

7:45 a.m. - Coffee & Juice with the Co-Hosts

8:30 a.m. - Welcome - Schulze Auditorium

Sheneeta White, Associate Dean, Schulze School of Entrepreneurship

Connecting Founders, Supporters & Funders

  • Building Entrepreneurial Mindset Communities
  • Growing Businesses through Research, Innovation & Families
  • Where do you turn when beginning?
  • Startup Insights – One Year in the life of a Founder!
  • Celebrating MN Women Founders
  • New Developments in the MN Entrepreneur Ecosystem in Funding, Leadership and Accelerating Scaling Up!
  • Showcasing Dorm Room Startups & MN Startup Competitions

11:30 a.m. - Exhibits, Networking and Lunch - Law School Atrium

Leaders, Lifters & Legacy Leavers

12:30 p.m. - Lifter Award & Keynote Address by Lifter Award Recipient! - Schulze Auditorium

Seizing Opportunities & Achieving Growth

12:55 p.m.- Technological Disruptions & Opportunities – Today & Over the Horizon - Panel

Connectivity, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Quantum, Robotics, AI, Machine Learning, Diagnostics, Optics, Materials, XR and …

1:30 p.m. - Breakout Session - #1

  • Navigating the Challenges of Operating for Growth and/or Sale
  • Exploring the application of 4.0 Technologies in Manufacturing, Ag, Food & Retail
  • Exploring how Community Leaders and Accelerators are Fostering Entrepreneurship & Economic Growth
  • Meeting the Cybersecurity Threat - Benefiting from Military Expertise and Fostering & Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurs Across Industries
  • Building Marketing Processes for Growing from Startup to Scale and Is my story being heard?

2:25 p.m. – Breakout Session - #2

  • Navigating Global and Financial Challenges & Looking Forward – Q & A
  • Leading a Life Science Startup from Idea or Research Bench to Scale – Opportunities, Guidance & Resources
  • Fostering and Locally Funding Technologies that Disrupt and Advance Sectors!
  • Growth without Angel & Venture Capital Investment – Bootstrapping / Debt Financing / Silent Partners / Franchising / Acquisition / Support Organizations
  • Strategic Marketing Considerations Across - Earned Media, Social Media, Broadcast Media, Video

3:20 p.m. – Reconvene - Schulze Auditorium

Minnesota State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Direct Investment and Multi-Fund Venture Capital Programs and Launch MN

4:00 p.m. – Networking, Exhibits and Refreshments

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).