Minnesota’s startup scene is growing faster than ever. IPOs are being filed left and right, more and more accelerators are joining the fold and local startup competitions are as competitive as ever.
None of this success would be possible without the young startup and tech leaders that push the industry forward every day.
Minne Inno has compiled a list highligting a handful of accomplished entrepreneurs under the age of 25 who are already making a difference in the startup scene. The selections range from founders and CEOs, to current students who are balancing how to be both.
Those on the list were chosen based on nominations received from the community and Minne Inno's editorial selection process. Here they are, in no particular order:
Kaitlyn Gloege, 22, co-founder and CEO, Hearing Glasses
Gloege founded Hearing Glasses with two classmates at Minnesota State University, Mankato after identifying shortcomings in hearing-assistance technology. The company’s product is a pair of glasses that uses voice-to-text and augmented reality to display subtitled conversations in front of users.
Why do you do what you do? I am driven to pursue my passion because the world of entrepreneurship allows me to constantly learn and grow as a person. Two big goals in my life are to help others in an impactful way and to build my own company from the ground up. Hearing Glasses allows me to fulfill both.
What is your biggest accomplishment? My biggest accomplishment is growing a company to the point of hiring an employee. This may seem like an easy task, but once you get to that point you realize how much hard work it truly takes.
What excites you about the future? I am excited about the unknowns of my future. There are so many things I have yet to accomplish, and I am looking forward to seeing where I can get with my passion for entrepreneurship. There are major highs and major lows every founder must face when running a company and you just never know which one is going to come at you next.
Fast facts
What was the last book you read? "The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now," by Meg Jay
Education: Finishing last semester at MSU, Mankato for bachelor’s degree in management information systems
Volunteer activities: I always volunteer around Christmas at the Children’s Inn of South Dakota.
Hobbies: Outside of vacations and road trips, I enjoy reading, intramural sports, crafting and entrepreneurship.
Joe Sullivan, 24, director of gBETA Greater MN – St. Cloud
As director of gBETA’s St. Cloud location, Sullivan mentors and connects companies from across the state. This role allows him the opportunity to teach the fundamentals of startups all the way through guiding companies as they raise capital. Sullivan also holds associate roles at Mayhill Consulting and North Point Capital.
Why do you do what you do? Because entrepreneurs are the ones who push change forward in our society. It is cliche, but they are the change-makers. They are the ones who lower health costs, improve how we communicate, save companies time to focus on their mission, help address climate change, and many more big problems. I view my work at gBETA as a way to enable these people who have the technical know-how to solve these issues.
What is your biggest accomplishment? Seeing the companies I have worked with go on to do great, awesome things like raising multimillion-dollar rounds, getting acquired, getting featured in TechCrunch, and in general just doing great things!
What excites you about the future? How popular entrepreneurship is in high schools and colleges. It is amazing that younger Gen Z is embracing the idea of being risk-takers. There is already and will continue to be a huge wave of exciting change coming from these people.
What's the last book you read? "How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton Christensen
Fast facts
Education: St. John's University, accounting with concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship
Volunteer activities: Board of alumni for Square One Global and mentor at College of St. Benedict and St. John's University
Hobbies: Cooking, playing with my sister-in-law's dog, visiting Minnesota parks and playing Catan
Kenneth Giles, 24, co-founder and CEO, SimBull Sports Exchange
Kenneth started his career at Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America as an actuarial analyst. He took what he learned there about people’s financial habits and his love of sports into founding SimBull, which takes a stock-market approach to sports betting. Giles leads a team of four to serve 1,500 active users.
Why do you do what you do? SimBull combines two of my passions: investing and sports. SimBull allows fans to feel connected to their teams in ways they never have before and allows them to feel like they have a piece of ownership in their favorite teams.
What is your biggest accomplishment? Our biggest accomplishment is getting SimBull off the ground during the pandemic. The founding team started building SimBull during the middle of 2020 and have grown it to a market cap of $400,000. That is a number we are really proud of and cannot wait to continue to grow the SimBull market.
What excites you about the future? There is a huge market opportunity in the sports and e-sports industry. SimBull has an opportunity to disrupt the sports gambling industry by offering a better alternative to an outdated model. The SimBull market lowers the fees of gambling, creates long-term opportunities to be aligned with your teams, and ultimately creates a better user experience.
What's the last book you read? "Extreme Ownership," by Jocko Willnick
Fast facts
Education: Graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in actuarial science and a minor in economics
Volunteer activities: I volunteer within Good Shepherd Catholic Church.
Hobbies: Watching my Green Bay Packers, playing board games and pick-up basketball
Morgan Kerfeld, 21, co-founder, Telo
Kerfeld is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and leads business strategy and operations for Telo, a startup that’s designing a fresh take on the rollator walker. The Telo walker is different than traditional walkers because it shifts the user’s center of gravity and improves safety. The company was recently a runner-up in the student division of the Minnesota Cup.
Why do you do what you do? I do what I do for our community at Telo. Younger individuals with mobility-compromising chronic illnesses have been overlooked by the mobility-aid industry since the rollator walker was first invented back in 1978. Our devices will allow all individuals with compromised mobility to feel confident in their safety, appearance and strength as they live out their active and independent lifestyles.
What is your biggest accomplishment? My biggest accomplishment is my work with Telo and the difference we are making. I am incredibly proud of my fellow co-founders and I for starting Telo in the middle of a global pandemic, fully remote, during our senior year of undergraduate studies
What excites you about the future? My generation excites me for the future. We are fighting for equality in all spaces, recognizing the value and necessity of diversity and inclusion and pushing for change in policy to address climate change.
What's the last book you read? "One Life," by Megan Rapinoe
Fast facts
Education: Graduated in May 2021 with Bachelor of Science in business from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management's honors program
Volunteer activities: Active volunteer in the health care space through hospitals such as the University of Minnesota's Masonic Children's Hospital and Hennepin County Medical Center
Hobbies: I love being active outdoors. Hiking and rock climbing are two of my favorite pastimes.
Hayley Kraft, 23, marketing manager, BetterYou
Kraft joined Minneapolis-based BetterYou when the company didn’t have anyone working in marketing. She has subsequently built an SEO program to boost the company’s exposure, along with hiring writers and implementing a broader content strategy.
Why do you do what you do? My job combines two things I'm passionate about: writing and health/wellness. I've been an avid writer since a young age, and I enjoy using that skill to work for a company that helps people improve their health and change their lives.
What is your biggest accomplishment? Winning five national championships in four years on the University of St. Thomas dance team. We had an extremely successful run, and I loved being part of that team. It's definitely made me who I am today.
What excites you about the future? Being with a fast-paced startup like BetterYou. It's so exciting seeing the potential for growth as a company. We've grown so much already since I started a little over a year ago. I can't wait to see where we go from here!
What's the last book you read? Fiction: "One By One," by Ruth Ware"; nonfiction: "What You Do is Who You Are," by Ben Horowitz
Fast facts
Education: Bachelor's degree in strategic communication from the University of St, Thomas
Volunteer activities: I spent a year as a coach for Darby's Dancers, an organization dedicated to providing a dance education program to young adults with special needs at no cost to their families.
Hobbies: I've been a competitive dancer since I was 2 years old. I also enjoy anything involving fitness and wellness.
Jagmehr Madan, 21, managing partner, Atland Ventures
Madan is one of two partners at Atland Ventures, a $1 million student-led venture capital fund at the University of Minnesota. In addition to being an industrial and systems engineering student at the U, he records his own podcast called “Jag of All Trades” where he interviews people he finds interesting.
Why do you do what you do? Since joining Atland Ventures, I have been able to explore deeper into the entrepreneurial ecosystem and surround myself with people who are continuously doing and building amazing things. This constant energy around helping improve the lives of people around the world and excitement to learn inspires me to continue each day.
What is your biggest accomplishment? On a personal level, my biggest accomplishment was being able to recently overcome a speaking disorder I had as a kid. Professionally, I would say being invited to attend the Forbes Under 30 Summit in 2019 (pre-Covid). That event allowed me to be fully surrounded and inspired by people who have the hunger and grit to do more for their community.
What excites you about the future? I am excited by the number of people in the Gen Z space who are passionate about creating a community for other innovative entrepreneurs and leaders. Long term, I am excited to see a bigger focus on climate tech and deep tech innovation with the recent generations bringing full awareness to issues at the forefront.
What's the last book you read? "Making Moonshots," by Rahul Rana
Fast facts
Education: Industrial and systems engineering. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Volunteer activities Helping student entrepreneurs with market research and doing resume reviews for first- and second-year college students
Hobbies: Especially with the past few weeks of beautiful Minnesota fall weather, I enjoy running.
Patrick Zhao, 21, managing partner, Atland Ventures
Zhao works alongside Madan to lead Atland Ventures at the University of Minnesota. The Palo Alto, Calif., native leverages his Bay Area network to grow and develop the 32-person student-led venture capital fund. Zhao was also a leading force in organizing the weekly Atland GenZ-VC Clubhouse events that connected founders to other students passionate about the industry.
Why do you do what you do? To increase venture capital funding accessibility to founders from unorthodox backgrounds has always been the main driving force behind my decision to explore a career in the venture capital and startup ecosystem. I aspire to cultivate a learning environment and community for students who also show a curiosity for the venture capital industry.
What is your biggest accomplishment? Becoming a better presenter and leader. I owe the credit to the leadership positions I pursued to push myself out of my natural comfort and to demonstrate something I’m passionate about.
What excites you about the future? I think this is a phenomenal time in our lives within the scope of industrywide developments. Innovation is everywhere and constantly doing extraordinary things to improve lives, and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to witness it, as well as even contribute to this push for change. In my personal life, I’ll be moving out to New York City after graduation and am eagerly looking forward to the people I’ll meet and the opportunities that will come across the table.
What's the last book you read? "Greenlights," by Matthew McConaughey
Fast facts
Education: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Bachelor of Science in business in management information systems and Bachelor of Arts in computer science
Volunteer activities: Pro bono consulting with Minnesota Consulting Group and Sapphire Consulting
Hobbies: Making new dishes and trying new restaurants, reading, online chess, watching basketball
