ConnectUP! Institute is a social finance and enterprise development studio. We provide education, consulting, collaboration and capital for entrepreneurs from underestimated communities. We provide coaching and business support through our Lunar Startups Accelerator, Capital Readiness Accelerator and Founder Circles. We also provide coaching and financial support through our Integrated Capital Fund! Alumni of our programs have grown to the shelves of local and national brick and mortar stores, win business competitions and secure diverse lines of credit to scale their business! ConnectUP! Institute is passionate about connecting entrepreneurs, investors and other support organizations at our bi-annual ConnectUP! Summit and industry specific Mini-Summits in the off-years!

Why do we call ourselves a ‘studio’? We are a studio because, in addition to partnering with organizations like Neighborhood Development Center, Mni Sota Fund, LaunchMN, Forge North and Finnovation Labs to provide culturally responsive education for BIPOC and rural founders at every stage (from startup to full-time entrepreneur to seasoned and scaling); we’re also developing innovative solutions to solve the systemic challenges to their growth in partnership with organizations. We are proud to connect with organizations such as the MN Black Business Support Collective (BBSC), Business Resource Collective (BRC) and Black Innovation Alliance (BIA). Want to connect with us as a partner organization? Send us an email!