Amplifying stories from the Rochester, MN entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Why We Do What We Do
Each year, 3 out of each 97 people in the US will start a business. We believe that it's the job of those 97 other people to create a community of support for those 3 new entrepreneurs to lift our communities up and to provide unique spaces and opportunities for people to thrive.
Entrepreneurship is a proven way to empower individuals, provide financial independence, and foster ways out of generational poverty. Most new jobs in the US, in fact, are created by businesses less than 5 years old.
However, entrepreneurship and new business creation is actually in a decades long decline in the US. This trend has been further exacerbated by COVID-19, especially for businesses owned by people of color.
Even under normal circumstances, there is no level playing field for entrepreneurship. Gaps in access to resources and economic opportunities continue to impede business formation by women, people of color, immigrants, rural entrepreneurs, veterans, and LGBTQ+ and disabled entrepreneurs.
2021 could not be a more critical time to provide support for entrepreneurs who need to get their business back on its feet, to help people who have lost a business chart a new path, and to help aspiring entrepreneurs forge their own road towards financial independence.
Collider has always been an entrepreneur focused organization that listens to the needs of entrepreneurs and meets them where they are at on their journey.
We provide events, education, space, storytelling, and personalized navigation services to connect entrepreneurs to the right resource at the right time.
But we need your help and continued support. If you are able to this Give to the Max Day and beyond into 2021, we would greatly appreciate your charitable financial contribution to help us continue our support for Rochester's entrepreneurs.
If you are an individual, you can become a Collider Community Champion and help out Collider as well as local startup 4Giving. If you are a individual, company, or organization interested in larger amounts of financial support, contact us to talk about becoming a Community Supporter. And when you are shopping this holiday season, we encourage that you spend locally. But when you cannot, you can also support Collider by shopping through Amazon Smile.
Please learn more about we do to support Rochester entrepreneurs in our latest annual impact report.
We hope that you consider Collider this Thursday and throughout the upcoming year.
Happy Holidays,
Amanda Leightner
Partner with Us
2020 has indeed been a historically challenging year for all of us. For most entrepreneurs and small businesses, this year has been the most difficult in recent memory.
Collider has been hard at work this year, doubling down on our efforts to support entrepreneurs and businesses, not just to help them grow but also to survive. If you haven't had a chance, please check out our first Annual Report highlighting our work in 2020.
When everything seems at its worst, there is hope. Traditionally, the years following an economic setback are a boom for innovation and new company formation. While the effects of 2020 will continue to be felt for years to come, we are starting to see entrepreneurs pondering new local businesses and companies seeking to open an office in Rochester.
Most importantly, we are beginning to see an alignment between our community organizations that support entrepreneurs and businesses. We are working together in ways that I would not have dreamed of even two years ago.
Many of Collider's efforts to raise funds were put on hold this year because helping our entrepreneurs and small businesses during this time was more important.
Collider wants to be at the table in 2021 as our community rebuilds, but to do that, we need you to partner with us to support Collider.
There are many ways you can partner with us to support Collider's mission.
Social Media: Follow, like, and share our social media content for both Collider and Rochester Rising.
Refer individuals to Collider: Word of mouth is still the most important way to help people learn about Collider. Please invite anyone to learn more about what we do by visiting Collider or Rochester Rising’s websites.
Amazon Smile: Shopping on Amazon this holiday season? Use Amazon Smile to support Collider Foundation. Amazon now supports Amazon Smile on its smartphone and tablet apps as well.
Mayo Clinic Employees: Employees of Mayo Clinic can elect to support Collider as part of the "How Can I Help - Mayo Clinic Community Giving" program. Just make sure you choose "Designate your Pledge" and WRITE IN Collider Foundation - 14 4th Street Suite 203-15 Rochester, MN 55902.
Collider Community Champion: Become a Collider Community Champion and help a great local startup at the same time. We have partnered with local startup 4Giving to create this program. You can choose the amount to give and the frequency of the donation.
Community Supporters Program: If you are an individual, company, or organization interested in supporting area entrepreneurs, please contact us. We would love to chat.
Together, we can partner to ensure that Rochester genuinely believes that entrepreneurship is the key to prosperity and a more inclusive community.
Jamie Sundsbak
Interim Executive Director
Collider Foundation
www.collider.mn
Collider Annual Impact Report- October 2020
October 15, 2020 marks the one year anniversary of Collider as a nonprofit. Here’s the impact that we’ve had in the community this year.
A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
October 15th, 2020 marks our first full year of operation as the Collider Foundation. In many ways, we couldn't have chosen a better or worse time to begin our mission to serve Rochester's entrepreneurs.
2020 has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging years in our lifetimes. The COVID-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis will have repercussions for humanity's future and change the way business is done.
On October 1st of this year, I was honored to be named the Interim Executive Director of the Collider Foundation by our Board for the next six months. Thanks so much to Traci Downs for her hard work and dedication to Collider over the last year.
At Collider, we believe that entrepreneurship is the key to prosperity and a pathway to a more inclusive community. In many ways, we all face a community in transition as the world continues to change. Entrepreneurs are especially challenged at this time. From our med-tech companies to main street businesses, this fall and winter will be among the most demanding times an entrepreneur will ever face.
Each month, 3 out of every 1,000 people choose to start a business in this country. The path ahead is hard and very lonely. Collider believes that it's the job of the other 997 of us to support our entrepreneurs. Collider will be contacting and assisting over 100 entrepreneurs in our community during this challenging time. We do this by listening, connecting, and empowering our entrepreneurs. If you need help or assistance, please contact us; we are here to help.
For our underrepresented entrepreneurs, times are even more challenging. The disproportionate failure rate of women and minority-owned businesses across the country cannot simply be ignored at this critical time. Collider's Ecosystem Navigator Pilot Program is working to assist these entrepreneurs by understanding their needs and connecting them to the right resources at the right time.
All of us can do more to support our entrepreneurs.
Consider shopping local vs. pressing the "buy" button on an app.
Offer a personal connection to an entrepreneur in need.
Speak up when you see or hear of an entrepreneur being treated unfairly.
If you are able, invest in a local startup that could bring 100s of jobs to the area.
Simply thank an entrepreneur for what they do.
Let's work together to ensure that 2021 is remembered as the year we gathered to support our local entrepreneurs and paved the pathway to success, not only for our companies, but for our entire community.
-Jamie Sundsbak, Interim Executive Director, Collider
Jamie Sundsbak Named Interim Executive Director of Collider Foundation
As of October 1st, Traci Downs will be stepping down as the Executive Director of Collider. Traci will remain on the Collider Board as Board Chair. Jamie Sundsbak, the current Director of Operations, will take the helm as Interim Executive Director to continue the growth and mission of serving entrepreneurs in Rochester.
In 2016, Traci helped establish Collider Coworking as a for-profit enterprise in Rochester. She later spearheaded the creation of the Collider Foundation and the merger of Collider Coworking into the Collider Foundation.
Jamie Sundsbak also helped found Collider Coworking in 2016 and became Director of Operations for the Collider Foundation in 2019.
We greatly thank Traci for her work to move Collider’s mission to serve entrepreneurs forward in Rochester over the last 12 months.
Introducing Collider's Three Ecosystem Navigators
We are extremely excited to introduce to you our three new Ecosystem Navigators at Collider! These individuals will serve as connectors within the Rochester entrepreneurial ecosystem. Within the next month, they’ll be meeting with current and aspiring entrepreneurs in the community and connecting these innovators to the right business resource at the right time. We hope these efforts will help to lower barriers to entrepreneurship in this community, especially for those who have been systemically and historically marginalized, and will broaden and strengthen connections within our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Kristopher Derwin Loving, Sr
Kristopher was born in Chicago and has lived in Rochester since 2014. He has been married 7 years and his wife (Tamika Cherrelle Loving, "Mimi") and he have two children (Kristopher Derwin Loving II & Izelyn Elizabeth Loving). Kristopher is a Christian minister and teacher, college football & basketball official, and entrepreneur.
Sara-louise Henry
Sara-Louise has been part of this community for over 30 years. Her passion is serving the underserved in marginalized communities. She earned her Bachelors in Social Work from Winona State University and then obtained her Master’s from the University of Southern California. She currently serves as the Director of Social Work for Glazon Group and also teaches Social Work Policy at Winona State University. She is also a certified ACES trainer and works with the Hope Fuse mentorship program.
Julio Molina
Julio is originally from Ojinaga, Chihuahua, a small town in up north Mexico. He came to this beautiful country at the age of 10. What was meant for a family vacation ended up being his new home. From the age of ten to now 31 years old he has gained a lot of lessons through trial and error, especially through his career experiences and endeavors. He remembers going to sleep when he was young in Ojinaga dreaming and imagining becoming the best version of himself. He had no idea that it would turn into helping others become the best version of themselves. He is excited about the future and all the lives that he can have an impact in. Julio is a husband and a father of two beautiful girls now. His motivation is to focus on not forgetting the fundamentals of life and holding tight to the mentality of Do Great Be Great.