Mayo Clinic Awards Grant to Collider Foundation for Continued Community Support, Storytelling, and Education in Entrepreneurship.

Rochester, Minnesota: Rochester 501(c)3 nonprofit Collider Foundation was recently awarded a grant in the amount of $100,000 by the Mayo Clinic Community Contributions Program. This grant will support Collider’s work to empower Rochester’s early stage entrepreneurs, amplify the voices of Rochester’s local business starters, and provide community education. 

Collider Foundation 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. As an organization, Collider Foundation aims to identify and assist local innovators in overcoming barriers to success by empowering an impactful, inclusive, and entrepreneur-first ecosystem.

Collider Foundation supports its mission through events, education, space, and storytelling to help foster an inclusive, diverse, and healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem. This grant award will allow for programmatic and operational support of the foundation’s ongoing activities throughout 2022.

Collider Foundation is led by Executive Director and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, Amanda Leightner. She is supported in her efforts by Director of Community and storyteller, Corrie Strommen. Taking the lead on Collider’s ecosystem navigation efforts is Manasseh Kambaki, President and founder of Hope Fuse, another local nonprofit organization. As a strong and passionate team, they work toward building, educating, and substantiating the vibrant community of Rochester entrepreneurs. 

“Our team at Collider is beyond grateful to receive this generous support from Mayo Clinic. We look forward to continuing to foster relationships with entrepreneurs and other support organizations this year to help create a community where anyone with passion and a strong business idea sees and has access to a pathway to bring that idea forward in the community,” said Leightner.