ConnectUP! Institute

ConnectUP! Institute is an Elevate Hennepin business advisor offering up to 25 hours of services at no cost, including:

Business operations
Communications strategy & development
Business strategy
Business growth development
Business structure and modeling
Financial management development

We provide community, content, connections, and capital for businesses 0-10 years old that are non-tech. We focus on supporting you in developing your ‘back office’ through three critical areas of business growth and development: operations, communications, and financials.
ConnectUP! Institute is a social finance and enterprise development studio. We provide education, consulting, and collaboration on innovative social finance as well as enterprise development for entrepreneurs from underestimated communities.

In addition to our no-cost services, we offer the following paid programming:

Lunar Startups Accelerator
Capital Readiness Accelerator
BossUP Circles (90-minute workshops)
ConnectUP! Summit
Digital learning content

We advance underserved communities through capital and capacity building.

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Meet one-on-one with ConnectUP! Institute to assess your best next step.

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Specialties

Access to capital, Advisors and consultants, African American or Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, Financial management, Social impact businesses, Women

Specialization

African American or Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, Social impact businesses, Women

Stage

Early growth businesses (1-9 employees), Idea stage businesses, Second stage businesses (10+ employees), Startup businesses (0 employees)

Language

Speaks English, Speaks Hmong, Speaks another language

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Get connected to professional resources, tools, and guidance from business experts.

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Upcoming ConnectUP! Institute events

BossUP circle: branding through style with MoonShine Stylist

Want your personal style to really reflect your business brand? Join us for a fun, hands-on workshop with pro stylist, MoonShine Stylist, who’ll help you create a look that’s totally you and aligned with your brand. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refresh your style, you'll leave with tips to feel more confident and authentic in your business!

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2024 ConnectUP! creative and freelance mini-summit

Are you ready to grow your gig and network with other hustlers like you? Then register today for our Creative & Freelancer Mini-Summit on Saturday, April 6, 2024 and invest in your growth this year!

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Designing business ownership for cooperatives

This workshop guides you through ownership and governance considerations for cooperatives and provides tools that will help you design your cooperative’s ownership structure as well as speed up your incorporation process.

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