Twin Cities Startup Awards
In 2017, Twin Cities Startup Week partnered with GoKart Labs to bring you the first-ever Twin Cities Startup Awards. Our goal was to showcase the region’s best and brightest inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs. This was an opportunity to celebrate, network and appreciate the depth and diversity of our local startup ecosystem.
We are excited to partner again with GoKart Labs to host the 2018 Twin Cities Startup Awards! Plan to join us on October 12th and keep an eye out for nominations and voting to go live.
Last year, we honored individuals and companies in seven categories, this year, expect to see even more opportunities to highlight the amazing work of people throughout our region doing amazing things in the world of entrepreneurship and innovation!
To give you an idea of all that we have to celebrate, take a look at the winners from last year:
“Been Around the Block” award for veteran entrepreneurs or organizations
WINNER: Steve Mase, Jim Dolan and GL Hoffman of the Vitals App
Developed by a Minnesota tech company in collaboration with law enforcement and the Autism Society of America, the Vitals app creates safer interactions among law enforcement, first responders, and people with behavioral, mental health, physical, and developmental conditions by providing vital information in critical situations. As the state’s first department to use the app, St. Paul Police are already getting new insights on how to respond to calls involving vulnerable people.
“Big Baller” award for hard-hustling entrepreneurs who had no problem raising capital
With $10M in newly raised funding, Branch Messenger is on a mission to simplify how hourly workforces get things done. The flagship product is a team collaboration platform that lets shift workers message their coworkers on a shared directory, trade/pick-up shifts, view schedules, get reminders, view earnings, and access company information from anywhere — all with an eye toward reducing absenteeism, increasing productivity, and improving employee engagement.
“Uffda!” award for staunch advocates of the Twin Cities startup community
WINNER: Melissa Kjolsing of MN Cup
MN Cup is a startup competition and hub that connects Minnesota’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. It supports emerging entrepreneurs through events, educational programming, and an annual startup competition that provides tools and resources to help accelerate new ventures. Melissa is responsible for taking MN Cup from good to great and elevating the profile of hundreds of entrepreneurs in the process.
“Corporate Champion” for people driving innovation within the world of big enterprise
WINNER: Cory Hooyman of Target
From sponsoring of Beta.mn to helping with events like the Brad Feld & Seth Levine fireside chat, Cory has helped Target become hugely relevant to the Twin Cities startup community over the past year. Beyond external events, he also has helped to make the Target Techstars program happen. Cory is always willing to mentor local entrepreneurs and help connect them to the right people within Target.
“Make It Work” award for bootstrapping entrepreneurs who pushed their ideas without funding
WINNER (tie): Kristen Womack & Courtney Deer of Hello Mom, and Jordyn DiOrio of MEND Jewelry
Hello Mom is an app that supports mothers by sending messages of encouragement and love throughout their unique journeys, without judgment. The Hello Mom app sends text messages of encouragement and love throughout the unique journey that is motherhood. Without judgement. An unpublicized alpha release of the app acquired almost 1,000 participants and just prior to the public release, an addition 350 awesome moms requested early access to the chat app.
MEND Jewelry was created to transform powerful, precious gemstones into unique, timeless pieces that both ground and inspire. Jordyn took a personal passion for jewelry and transformed it into a unique brand that inspires healing and creativity for women. Starting from scratch, she built her business, capitalizing on quality materials, her strong network and badass personality. She’s hustled continually, earning a spot to sell her creations at Russell + Hazel, Blue Bird Boutique and UP Yoga Studio — and certainly many more retailers to come.
“Pack a Punch” award for entrepreneurs making the biggest impact
WINNER: Kim Valentini & Maureen Cahill of Smile Network International
Smile Network International is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides life-altering surgeries and related healthcare services to impoverished children and adults in developing nations. It’s built on the idea that even small donations can have a huge impact on people’s lives. The American Institute of Philanthropy rates as “highly efficient” any organization that spends 75% or more of its total expenses on charitable programs. Audited financial statements show that Smile Network spends 89% of donations on program services.
“Newbie” award for hungry newcomers to the local startup scene
WINNER: Greg Dehn of Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope is a digital scholarship matchmaking service that connects qualified students with organizations’ branded programs. It helps visionary organizations and advocates fund the next generation of leaders and achievers by designing, building, and administering scholarship programs on their cloud software platform. Kaleidoscope’s guiding mission is to create more opportunities for more students with less friction.
