The Finnovation Lab’s nonprofit division, the Minneapolis-based Finnovation Institute, has announced the nine early-stage entrepreneurs who will be participating in its 2022 fellowship program focused on social impact.
The entrepreneurs, who are all based in the Twin Cities, will be part of the Finnovation’s fifth cohort. Created in 2018, the program is intended to help the fellows develop social business models that are both innovative and financially sustainable, according to a press release. The program will run for nine months, beginning mid-September. The curriculum centers on developing leadership skills and business strategies for companies with a distinct social impact. Including this cohort, 41 entrepreneurs have participated in the program.
And more than 60% of those who have completed the program are continuing to build their business, according to a spokesperson for Finnovation. Contributions to society have included books, grassroots organizing and media appearances.
Minneapolis' Finnegans Brew Co. launched the Finnovation Lab, a business co-working space, in 2017 a few floors above the brewery. The Finnovation Institute, funded through a grant by the Bush Foundation, operates the fellowship program.
“We’re thrilled to announce our fifth cohort of smart, savvy, socially mindful leaders,” Connie Rutledge, CEO of the Finnovation Lab and Institute, said in the press release. “These nine entrepreneurs have already proven to be creative problem solvers who are passionate about using the tools of business to turn their ideas into creating a lasting and scalable impact – and we’re eager to see them raise their own bars through this program.”
The newly named fellows, ranging from idea-stage entrepreneurs to early-stage startup leaders, will receive a $50,000 living stipend, $3,000 health care stipend, access to advisors and a designated work space in the Finnovation Lab. Most founders in the cohort identify as women or people of color, the press release said.
The chosen fellows are:
- Anthony Drews, founder of Naske Games, a board and hand game company supporting preservation of Native American languages
- Jennifer Glickstein, founder of Dress Up to Calm Down, a business creating weighted costumes for children who experience anxiety or sensory issues
- Tommy McBrayer, president of Don’t Shoot Guns Shoot Hoops, a Minneapolis-based business blending team sports with violence prevention programming
- Rosemary Olatunbosun, creator of Éso, a line of health-focused beverages that have ingredients sourced from West Africa
- Hilary Otey, founder of Queermunity Real Estate Collaborative, an initiative for those in the LGBTQ community
- Ben Pressley, co-founder of Impact Outfitter, a Minneapolis-based marketing technology company using its revenue-sharing model to impact outdoor recreation sales
- Ayanna Quamina, a board-certified naturopathic doctor seeking to create a mobile clinic to help women and people of color in a holistic way
- Lakisha Witter, owner of Oak Grove-based Live Organically and a special education consultant who is creating an adaptive-learning, tech-focused program to help students with disabilities in developing their social-emotional skills
- Tang Yang, who helps run her family business, St. Paul-based Hmong Specialty Plants & Herbs, which she seeks to turn into a cultural hub for learning about plant medicines
