This workshop is free and open to the public. Register here.

Whether you're just sketching out a business idea, preparing for your next phase of growth, or thinking about your eventual exit, the decisions you make today can shape your success for years to come.

Join Becca Sell, Business Advisor at Think Bank, for a practical, interactive workshop that takes the mystery out of business funding. Drawing on years of experience helping entrepreneurs secure financing and navigate real-world business challenges, Becca will walk through what lenders look for, how financing options change as your business grows, and how to position your business for long-term success.

This isn't just a presentation—it's a conversation. You'll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, discuss your specific challenges, and learn from the experiences of other business owners.

We'll cover topics including:

• Startup funding options and how to prepare before approaching a lender

• Financing growth, expansion, equipment, technology and staffing

• Managing cash flow and choosing the right financing at the right time

• Buying out partners and planning for ownership transitions

• Succession planning and preparing your business for a successful sale or exit

Whether you're launching your first venture, running an established company, or planning what's next, you'll leave with practical insights, actionable advice, and a clearer understanding of your financing options.

Come with your questions—you'll leave with answers.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Register here. $100 for entire series for members of the public. Free for Collider coworkers/members.

Relationships are at the heart of success—whether you're building a business, leading a team, managing projects or simply trying to work more effectively with others.

Join leadership coach Andre Carothers for a series of engaging virtual workshops focused on the practical skills that help people build better relationships and become more effective leaders. Drawing from years of experience coaching entrepreneurs, executives and teams, Andre will share insights into why some relationships create momentum while others create friction, and what you can do about it.

Topics include self-awareness, managing triggers, decision-making, delegation, feedback, communication, group alignment, culture-building and relationship management. Participants will leave with practical tools, new perspectives and a stronger foundation for building productive, healthy relationships in any setting.

Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, managers, team leaders, nonprofit professionals, business owners and anyone looking to strengthen their leadership and communication skills.

Format: Virtual workshops with live instruction, discussion and Q&A.

Learn more and register here: https://www.collider.mn/costarters

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Register here. $100 for entire series for members of the public. Free for Collider coworkers/members.

Relationships are at the heart of success—whether you're building a business, leading a team, managing projects or simply trying to work more effectively with others.

Join leadership coach Andre Carothers for a series of engaging virtual workshops focused on the practical skills that help people build better relationships and become more effective leaders. Drawing from years of experience coaching entrepreneurs, executives and teams, Andre will share insights into why some relationships create momentum while others create friction, and what you can do about it.

Topics include self-awareness, managing triggers, decision-making, delegation, feedback, communication, group alignment, culture-building and relationship management. Participants will leave with practical tools, new perspectives and a stronger foundation for building productive, healthy relationships in any setting.

Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, managers, team leaders, nonprofit professionals, business owners and anyone looking to strengthen their leadership and communication skills.

Format: Virtual workshops with live instruction, discussion and Q&A.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Register here. $100 for entire series for members of the public. Free for Collider coworkers/members.

Relationships are at the heart of success—whether you're building a business, leading a team, managing projects or simply trying to work more effectively with others.

Join leadership coach Andre Carothers for a series of engaging virtual workshops focused on the practical skills that help people build better relationships and become more effective leaders. Drawing from years of experience coaching entrepreneurs, executives and teams, Andre will share insights into why some relationships create momentum while others create friction, and what you can do about it.

Topics include self-awareness, managing triggers, decision-making, delegation, feedback, communication, group alignment, culture-building and relationship management. Participants will leave with practical tools, new perspectives and a stronger foundation for building productive, healthy relationships in any setting.

Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, managers, team leaders, nonprofit professionals, business owners and anyone looking to strengthen their leadership and communication skills.

Format: Virtual workshops with live instruction, discussion and Q&A.

Learn to identify opportunities, build influence and drive meaningful change—regardless of your title.

Join us live at Collider Foundation (221 1st Ave SW, STE 610, Rochester, MN 55902) for this event. Register here.

Entrepreneurship isn't limited to founders and startups. Organizations of every size need people who take initiative, embrace innovation and create value from within. Rather than launching their own business, intrapreneurs challenge assumptions, improve processes and champion new ideas that move their organizations forward.

In this interactive workshop, you'll explore and discuss how to develop an intrapreneurial mindset and increase your impact at work. You'll learn practical strategies for gaining buy-in, leading without formal authority, navigating resistance and moving ideas from concept to implementation. No matter your industry, organization or career stage, you'll leave with actionable tools to help drive innovation, strengthen your organization and advance your own professional growth.

Megan Malugani is Interim Director of Communications at Collider Foundation, founder of Malugani Communications and an experienced corporate communications leader. Throughout her career, she has built new functions, launched initiatives and helped organizations navigate growth and transformation by applying an entrepreneurial mindset from within.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Register here. $100 for entire series for members of the public. Free for Collider coworkers/members.‍

Relationships are at the heart of success—whether you're building a business, leading a team, managing projects or simply trying to work more effectively with others.

‍Join leadership coach Andre Carothers for a series of engaging virtual workshops focused on the practical skills that help people build better relationships and become more effective leaders. Drawing from years of experience coaching entrepreneurs, executives and teams, Andre will share insights into why some relationships create momentum while others create friction, and what you can do about it.

Topics include self-awareness, managing triggers, decision-making, delegation, feedback, communication, group alignment, culture-building and relationship management. Participants will leave with practical tools, new perspectives and a stronger foundation for building productive, healthy relationships in any setting.

‍Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, managers, team leaders, nonprofit professionals, business owners and anyone looking to strengthen their leadership and communication skills.

Format: Virtual workshops with live instruction, discussion and Q&A. ‍

FREE INTRODUCTORY VIRTUAL SESSION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Register here.

If you want to register for the 6-week series, click here.

Relationships are at the heart of success—whether you're building a business, leading a team, managing projects or simply trying to work more effectively with others.

Join leadership coach Andre Carothers for an engaging virtual introduction to the practical skills that help people build better relationships and become more effective leaders. Drawing from years of experience coaching entrepreneurs, executives and teams, Andre will share insights into why some relationships create momentum while others create friction, and what you can do about it. ‍

The July 9 workshop serves as an introduction to Andre's deeper “Mastering Relationships & Becoming a Leader” program, a six-week virtual course running July 16 - August 20. Participants will leave with practical tools, actionable strategies and a new perspective on leadership as a learnable skill.

Ideal for: Entrepreneurs, managers, team leaders, nonprofit professionals, business owners, emerging leaders and anyone who wants to improve their ability to influence, collaborate and lead. ‍

Format: Virtual workshop with live instruction, discussion and Q&A.

Learn how to quickly turn ideas into software prototypes -- using AI and momentum -- in Collider's "vibe coding" workshop.

Vibe Coding: Building Software Product Prototypes That Work

Register here.

Join us in person for Vibe Coding, where we dive into creating software product prototypes that actually work! Led by Collider Executive Director Peter Burghardt.

At Collider, we’re surrounded by people building companies, products, and new ideas. One pattern Executive Director Peter Burghardt has experienced, both at Collider and in his own work as a founder, is how often progress slows when we feel the need for perfection, fully built systems, or simply a clear sense of what to do next.

The reality is that the tools have changed. It’s now possible to go from idea to something testable much faster than most people expect, especially if you’re willing to work a little more intuitively and a little less perfectly.

This workshop is an introduction to what Burghardt describes as vibe coding, a way of building that prioritizes momentum, clarity, and real-world feedback over rigid plans or perfect architecture. It’s the approach he's used in building products like StringTree.co, as well as internal tools that help scale operations inside of Collider and other businesses.

We’ll walk through how to:

• Get from idea to a working prototype quickly

• Use AI tools in a way that actually accelerates you

• Make practical product decisions without getting stuck

• Stay focused on what creates value for users

This won’t be a technical deep dive. It’s a practical session for founders, operators, and anyone who wants to build software but isn’t sure how to get started, or how to get unstuck.

If you’re part of the Collider community and have been thinking about building something of your own, this is meant to give you a clear, approachable way to begin

We’re hosting our next co-working lunch on Wednesday, 5/13, from 11:30–12:30 in the co-working space. We’d love for all co-workers to join us and meet Megan (Interim Director of Communications) and Peter (Executive Director). Lunch is on us.

Please RSVP to Laura (laura@collider.mn or via Slack) if you’re planning to come, and let her know if you have any dietary needs.

Looking forward to some good conversation and time together!

Applications are open!

This 12-week, intensive program is designed to elevate your business from a solid model to a thriving enterprise within the Rochester community. Through this structured program, you will develop a minimal viable product or boost your sales, positioning your business for success.

Apply today!

Join us on March 25th for an evening of connection, community, and supporting emerging entrepreneurs in the community.

The Collider Cup is a business pitch competition, celebrating the graduation of our latest CO.STARTERS at Collider cohort. This group has spent the last 10 weeks thinking through their business ideas, narrowing their focus, and taking their business idea to the next stage. These business owners will be competing for cash prizes, with the winner taking home the coveted Collider Cup trophy!

Cash prizes for the event are generously supported by Minnwest Bank.

In addition to the pitch competition, this event will also include a Community Expo, where local entrepreneurs will showcase their products and services, which are being built right here in the community. This expo is supported by a grant from the City of Rochester’s Community Building Fund.

This event is free to attend. However, any ticket sale donations will be awarded to one of the graduating CO.STARTERS businesses to help with their startup costs.

Register here!

Agenda:

5:00 PM- Doors open, networking and expo

5:30 PM - Collier Cup pitch competition

7:00 PM - Networking and expo

7:30PM- CO.STARTERS graduation and winners announced

This year, the CO.STARTERS and the Collider Cup is supported by our partners Fredrikson & Byron Foundation, Mayo Clinic Department of Business Development, Otto Bremer Trust, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Small Business Technical Assistance Program, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), Think Bank, E1 Entrepreneurs First SE MN, Minnwest Bank, The City of Rochester, and the Small Business Development Center of SE MN.