Amplifying stories from the Rochester, MN entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Collider Welcomes Pam Bishop as Interim Executive Director
Collider is pleased to announce the appointment of Pam Bishop as Interim Executive Director. Pam will lead Collider through a transitional period while the Board of Directors conducts a comprehensive search for the organization’s next permanent executive director.
Pam brings decades of experience in regional economic development, nonprofit leadership, and entrepreneurial ecosystem building to Collider’s mission of activating, connecting, and empowering entrepreneurs in Rochester. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Economic Development with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), where she led initiatives to strengthen small business growth and community vitality across the region.
Throughout her career, Pam has demonstrated a deep commitment to expanding opportunity for entrepreneurs and fostering vibrant local economies.
“We are thrilled to welcome Pam Bishop as Collider’s Interim Executive Director,” said Pamela York, Board Chair of Collider Foundation. “Her extensive experience leading economic and community development efforts, paired with her dedication to supporting entrepreneurs at all stages, makes her exceptionally well-suited to guide Collider during this transition. We look forward to her leadership as we continue to advance our vision and prepare for a successful next chapter.”
In her role as Interim Executive Director, Pam will oversee day-to-day operations, deepen partnerships within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and support the Board in shaping a thoughtful and inclusive search process for Collider’s next permanent executive director.
“I’m honored to serve as Collider’s Interim Executive Director,” said Pam Bishop. “Collider’s impact on entrepreneurs, innovators, and small business owners in Rochester is powerful and inspiring. I look forward to working with the team, partners, and community to build on that impact as we move forward together.”
This appointment underscores Collider’s commitment to strong leadership and strategic continuity as the organization continues to grow its programs and services for entrepreneurs in the region.
Media Contact:
Pamela York, Board Chair
Collider Foundation
(507)-722-0306
hello@collider.mn
Collider Foundation Announces Leadership Transition as Executive Director Amanda Leightner Accepts Role with City of Rochester
Collider celebrates exceptional growth and strong organizational foundation as it prepares for next chapter of impact
ROCHESTER, MN – Collider Foundation announced today that Executive Director Amanda Leightner will be departing to assume the role of Economic Mobility Specialist for the City of Rochester. During her tenure, Leightner led the organization through a period of extraordinary growth by expanding services to Rochester entrepreneurs and building a strong operational and financial foundation for continued impact.
Under Leightner's leadership alongside co-founder Traci Downs, Collider Foundation grew over tenfold in organizational capacity and impact. The Foundation greatly expanded its reach to over 250 entrepreneurs a year, added four new team members, and developed comprehensive programs focused on removing barriers and increasing access to capital for local entrepreneurial communities. The organization currently operates with a substantial financial runway and well-structured programs designed to scale.
"We are excited for Amanda and the professional opportunities this new role provides for her," said Pamela York, Board Chair of Collider Foundation. "For Collider, she has been an exceptional leader. Under her vision, we've grown our training and educational programs and entrepreneurial services significantly. The organization is ready to expand to the next level — by offering capital for business growth, creating a strategic hub for connections, and building even more partnerships across the community to systemically support entrepreneurship."
"It has been an honor to serve Collider and Rochester's entrepreneurial community," said Amanda Leightner. "I'm extremely proud of what we've accomplished together and excited to see the organization continue to grow and deepen its impact. This transition allows me to continue supporting economic opportunities in our community from a different vantage point, and I'm excited for Collider's future."
The Foundation will be conducting a comprehensive search for a new Executive Director. The Board of Directors is seeking a forward-looking leader excited to amplify Collider's scale and impact during this next era of organizational growth.
"The current team, with Amanda at the helm, has been a gamechanger for Rochester—everything is in place as she built a strong foundation and created an impressive trajectory of growth," former Board Chair, Traci Downs added. “I can’t wait to see how the next chapter of Collider unfolds; the sky’s the limit.”
The Foundation has deepened its impact as it joined the Rochester Economic Development Center, expanded programming with everything from CO.STARTERS to an intensive incubator program, enhanced connectivity opportunities, and increased social interaction and co-working space for entrepreneurs. These initiatives have created measurable pathways for Rochester entrepreneurs to access resources, start their businesses, and contribute to Rochester’s economic vitality.
About Collider Foundation
Collider Foundation supports entrepreneurs in Rochester, MN by removing barriers to success and increasing access to capital, training, and strategic connections. Through comprehensive programming and community partnerships, Collider empowers entrepreneurs to launch, grow, and scale their businesses while building a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. For more information, visit www.collider.mn
Media Contact:
Pamela York, Board Chair
Collider Foundation
(507)-722-0306
hello@collider.mn
Collider Foundation Receives Funding from CLA Foundation
Rochester 501(c)3 nonprofit Collider Foundation is thrilled to announce it has received a grant of $15,000 from the CLA Foundation. This grant is a testament to Collider’s ongoing work within the community and will enable Collider to continue its mission of empowering Rochester's entrepreneurs through startup support, business education, community focused coworking and storytelling. Collider believes that the support, education, and growth of our entrepreneurial ecosystem is a pathway to a more prosperous and inclusive future for the Rochester community.
“The CLA Foundation believes in the power of education, employment, and entrepreneurship to transform lives,” said Susan Carter, executive director of the CLA Foundation. “Our grants are designed to support organizations that embody these principles and strive to create lasting impacts within their communities. By funding initiatives that promote these three E’s, we’re helping to build a brighter future for all and further our commitment to be connected to the communities in which we live and work.”
The grant will be used to support various initiatives at Collider Foundation, including operational funding for its well established programming such as 1:1 startup support, cohort based education, inclusive storytelling, and a welcoming community space – all geared towards lowering barriers to entrepreneurship for those who need it most.
“CLA has been a long supporter and partner of the work done here at Collider. With a shared vision of how entrepreneurship can transform lives, we are extremely grateful for this generous support to foster new ideas and innovations and get business ideas off the ground in the Rochester community,” said Amanda Leighter, Collider Foundation Executive Director.
The CLA Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) organization. This foundation supports a variety of initiatives aimed at improving education, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities. The Foundation provides grants to support organizations as they advance their missions and make a tangible difference in their communities. The Foundation is exclusively funded by contributions from CLA family members and does not accept unsolicited grant proposals from external organizations.
For more information about the CLA Foundation, please visit Community Impact: CLA.
In 2016, Collider began as a for profit coworking space to serve the Rochester community and provide a place for innovation minded individuals to connect to spark new ideas. Recognizing that most of the work being performed was better served under a nonprofit model, Collider transitioned in 2019 to a 501(c)3 organization with the mission to activate, connect, and empower early stage entrepreneurs in Rochester, Minnesota. Since then, Collider has served over 1,488 Rochester-based entrepreneurs through 1:1 startup support, low-cost business education, a supportive community work environment, and a platform for the stories of local entrepreneurs. This year, its team aims to remove barriers for 300+ individuals within the community to open up inclusive, accessible pathways to business ownership.
For additional information about Collider and its work within the Rochester community, contact Amanda Leightner at amanda@collider.mn or call (507) 722-0306.
Rooted in Connection: Lessons in Community-Driven Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is about more than building businesses — it’s about building community.
Our Grassroots Growth Learning Report captures insights from local entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, and community supporters on navigating uncertainty, leading with authenticity, and fostering resilience in Rochester’s business ecosystem.
Across every conversation, one truth stood out: human connection is economic power. When we share knowledge, make introductions, and give before we get, we strengthen the foundation for an inclusive, thriving local economy.
Collider Foundation, as part of its Grassroots Growth Annual Celebration, focused on the theme of ‘Entrepreneurship in Uncertain Times.’ As part of this event, we held a series of engagement stations that featured in-depth discussions with entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders about navigating unclear situations and fostering resilience in the local business community. Community supporters, funders, civic leaders, and small business owners participated in these stations. The following observations represent the major insights that emerged from these highly engaging conversations centered around local support, pivots and macrotrends.
Local Support
Overall Trend: Community members tend to see local support as a social movement, not just a spending choice. The key opportunity is to make “buying local” emotionally rewarding and culturally habitual.
Key Barriers:
• Convenience & Cost: Online shopping is faster, cheaper, and more convenient — a major hurdle for local businesses.
• Cultural Shifts: Modern consumers value speed, comfort, and variety over community ties.
• Awareness Gap: People often don’t recognize the true social cost of non-local consumption.
Breaking Down Barriers:
• Sell the Experience: Local businesses can compete through personalized service, storytelling, and community connection.
• Educate Consumers: Help people understand the broader economic and environmental impact of their choices.
• Community Acceleration: Collective action and awareness can strengthen local ecosystems faster.
Motivations to Support Local:
• Human Connection: Relationships with business owners and shared community identity drive loyalty.
• Values-Driven Choices: Supporting sustainability, reducing carbon footprint, and reinvesting in community wealth.
• Pride of Place: Desire to preserve local character and small-scale entrepreneurship.
Individual Actions:
• Word-of-mouth referrals, reviews, and social media promotion.
• Intentional spending — “treat yourself locally.”
• Invite others to local spaces (“power of invitation”).
• Support businesses that give back and align with community values.
Rochester’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is shaped by both challenge and opportunity. While local businesses face strong competition from the speed, affordability, and convenience of online shopping, they hold a unique advantage in their ability to offer authentic, human-centered experiences that digital platforms cannot replicate. The path forward lies in transforming the consumer mindset from one focused solely on convenience to one that values connection, impact, and place. By educating customers about the broader social, economic, and environmental benefits of local spending, and by fostering collective community action, Rochester can strengthen its local economy and preserve its distinct character. Every individual plays a role — through intentional spending, storytelling, and advocacy — in sustaining a thriving, values-driven local marketplace where entrepreneurship and community grow together.
Pivots
Overall Trend: Entrepreneurs increasingly view pivots as strategic evolution rather than reactive change. Emotional intelligence, adaptability, and curiosity are vital entrepreneurial tools.
When and Why Pivots Happen:
• External Shocks: COVID-19, supply issues, or sudden staff loss.
• Internal Triggers: Burnout, misaligned values, or fading passion.
• Recognition After Struggle: Entrepreneurs often realize the need to pivot only in hindsight.
Mindset Shifts for Growth:
• Customer-Centric Thinking: Let customer needs guide evolution.
• Emotional Detachment: “Keep it in your head, not your heart.”
• Growth Through Curiosity: See change as a learning opportunity, not a failure.
• Courage & Conviction: Pivots require confidence and belief in purpose.
Opportunities Through Flexibility:
• Use challenges as launchpads for innovation.
• Balance passion with pragmatism.
• Maintain financial reserves to stay agile.
Pivots reflect both resilience and adaptability in the face of change. Whether prompted by external shocks like the pandemic or internal factors such as burnout or shifting values, successful pivots emerge when entrepreneurs embrace curiosity, self-awareness, and customer-centered thinking. The process often transforms struggle into strategic insight, a chance to realign purpose with opportunity. By balancing passion with pragmatism, maintaining flexibility, and building the financial and emotional capacity to adapt, local entrepreneurs can turn disruption into innovation. Ultimately, the willingness to pivot is not a sign of failure but of evolution, and a testament to the courage and conviction that fuel sustainable growth in Rochester’s dynamic business community.
Macrotrends
Overall Trend: Businesses that lead with transparency, diversify smartly, and nurture relationships internally and externally are best positioned to thrive amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
Resilience in Uncertainty:
• Acceptance of Change: Normalizing uncertainty as constant.
• Human-Centered Leadership: Team trust, transparency, and small wins sustain morale.
• Community & Mentorship: Collective problem-solving and emotional support are resilience anchors.
• Storytelling & Authenticity: Building customer loyalty through shared values and meaningful narratives.
• Diversified Revenue: Multiple income streams as buffers against instability.
Hybrid & Remote Work Shifts:
Opportunities:
• Broader talent access and flexible structures.
• Passion-driven projects improve engagement.
Challenges:
•Loss of personal connection and spontaneous “watercooler” moments.
• Need for intentional team-building and relational spaces online.
Solutions:
• Retreats, informal chats, and “no work talk” sessions help restore connection.
Economic & Supply Chain Pressures:
Rising Costs and Tariffs Force Creative Responses:
• Redundant supply chains and local manufacturing.
• Early IP protection and new sourcing strategies.
• Knowledge-sharing across industries.
• Recognition that global instability requires proactive, informed decision-making.
Rochester is a macro environment defined by uncertainty, yet its strength lies in adaptability, connection, and creativity. Businesses are learning to normalize change, lead with empathy, and build resilience through trust, transparency, and collective support. In this climate, authenticity and storytelling have become tools for deepening customer loyalty and reinforcing community values. Hybrid and remote work have expanded access to talent and flexibility, but they also demand intentional efforts to preserve human connection and team culture. Meanwhile, economic and supply chain pressures are driving innovation — from diversifying revenue streams to localizing production and sharing knowledge across sectors. Together, these trends reveal a clear truth: resilience in Rochester’s business community is not about avoiding uncertainty, but about embracing it with foresight, collaboration, and purpose.
Themes Across All Sessions
Human Connection as Economic Power: Relationships and storytelling drive loyalty, adaptability, and resilience.
Values Alignment: Community, sustainability, and authenticity underpin decision-making for both consumers and entrepreneurs.
Adaptive Mindset: Flexibility and curiosity are essential entrepreneurial competencies.
Community as Infrastructure: Local ecosystems thrive when individuals act intentionally—buying local, sharing stories, and supporting each other through change.
Maintaining momentum- How can you support the ecosystem?
Collider advocates for a ‘Give Before You Get’ mentality, moving past short term transactions to long term relationships built on trust. Below are some suggestions of ways you can practice ‘Give Before you Get’ to help foster a more inclusive, diverse, and robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in this community.
Share Knowledge and Experience Freely. Spend 30 minutes over coffee with a new entrepreneur. Offer practical workshops without strings attached. Share insights on navigating city, country, and state systems, or open up access to public resources.
Make Meaningful Introductions. Connect a peer to a potential customer, supplier, or mentor. Introduce startups to programs, investors, or service providers they may not know about. Connect entrepreneurs to decision-makers or community champions who can help them navigate policy or partnerships.
Create Visibility for Others. Highlight another startup on social media or recommend them for an opportunity. Nominate entrepreneurs for awards, grants, or speaking slots. Recognize entrepreneurs publicly at events or in council communications.
Offer Resources Without Expectation. Share tools, templates, or even co-working space for a day. Provide access to grant-writing support, market data, or research that would normally cost money. Make underused spaces available for entrepreneurial meetups or learning sessions.
Grassroots Growth showcased the resilience, creativity, and community spirit that define Rochester’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through candid conversations about uncertainty, adaptation, and opportunity, participants reaffirmed that entrepreneurship is not just about surviving change, but thriving through it.
Across all discussions, one message was clear: human connection is the foundation of economic strength. Whether through local consumer support, strategic business pivots, or navigating macro-level challenges, relationships, trust, and shared purpose remain the driving forces of progress.
Entrepreneurs and community members alike recognized that adaptability, authenticity, and values alignment are essential for sustainable growth. Local businesses have the power to transform everyday transactions into meaningful exchanges that reinforce community identity. Likewise, embracing curiosity, empathy, and collaboration enables entrepreneurs to view uncertainty as a catalyst for innovation rather than a barrier.
As Collider and its partners look ahead, the call to action is simple, “Give Before You Get.” Building an inclusive and vibrant entrepreneurial community requires generosity, shared learning, and intentional connection. By mentoring emerging founders, amplifying others’ successes, and fostering open collaboration, Rochester can continue to grow a resilient ecosystem rooted in trust and collective impact.
Partner Spotlight: Altra Federal Credit Union
Altra Federal Credit Union has been a longtime supporter of Collider’s work in the Rochester entrepreneurial community, particularly for educational programming such as CO.STARTERS and the Business Incubator. Learn more about Altra and their dedication to supporting local innovation and entrepreneurship!
Q: Over the years, what impact have you seen from Collider's work in the community, and what role do you feel your organization has played in the overall effect on the ecosystem?
A: Collider’s work has led to the growth of new businesses, job creation, and a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem in our community. Altra Federal Credit Union has played a supportive role by providing resources, guidance, and financial support to these entrepreneurs, helping to amplify Collider’s impact and foster a culture of innovation.
Q: Why do you believe it’s important for financial institutions to play a role in fostering innovation and small business development in our local economy?
A: Financial institutions like Altra Federal Credit Union are uniquely positioned to provide the resources and support that entrepreneurs and small businesses need to succeed. By fostering innovation and supporting small business development, we help drive economic growth, create jobs, and build resilient communities.
Q: How does supporting Collider align with your organization's core values?
A: Supporting Collider aligns with Altra Federal Credit Union’s core values by fostering prosperity for our members, employees, and communities. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and many begin as entrepreneurial ventures. By supporting Collider, we help nurture early stage entrepreneurs, directly contributing to economic growth and community well-being—key pillars of our mission.
Q: How has your organization benefited from partnering with Collider?
A: Partnering with Collider has allowed Altra Federal Credit Union to strengthen its commitment to local economic development. Through this partnership, we’ve been able to connect with innovative entrepreneurs, support small business growth, and reinforce our role as a community-focused financial institution.
Q: What inspired your organization to invest in local, early stage entrepreneurs and partner with a nonprofit like Collider?
A: Our inspiration comes from our belief that small businesses and entrepreneurs are vital to the health and prosperity of our communities. As a credit union, we are dedicated to helping our members and communities thrive. Partnering with Collider allows us to invest in the future of local entrepreneurship and support the next generation of business leaders.
Q: What excites you most about the future of entrepreneurship in Rochester?
A: We are excited to see the continued growth of entrepreneurship in Rochester, driven by passionate individuals and organizations like Collider. The future holds great promise for new ideas, businesses, and opportunities that will benefit our community and economy.
Q: How do you see your organization contributing to that future vision?
A: Altra Federal Credit Union will continue to support entrepreneurs and small businesses through financial services, mentorship, and community partnerships. We are committed to helping Rochester’s entrepreneurial ecosystem thrive and ensuring that our members, employees, and communities prosper.