Collider Foundation Releases 300th Episode of the Rochester Rising Podcast

Collider Foundation is excited to share that this week we have released the 300th episode of the Rochester Rising Podcast, which was established in 2016 to share the stories of local entrepreneurs and to take the time to truly understand what their experiences have been like in the Rochester community. 

Collider Foundation’s mission is to serve our community’s early stage entrepreneurs and make entrepreneurship more approachable and accessible, particularly for those who face the greatest barriers to business ownership. Collider’s mission is fulfilled through 1:1 startup support, a framework for business development through low-cost education, a supportive community work environment, and a platform for the stories of local entrepreneurs. In sharing the experiences of a wide variety of business owners through storytelling, we hope to provide inspiration and vision to our community. We also hope to show that there is a richly diverse variety of business owners from all backgrounds in Rochester and that entrepreneurship truly is for everyone. 

So far in 2024, Collider Foundation has shared the stories of 25 local entrepreneurs, 15 of which were featured in the Rochester Rising Podcast through series such as a CO.STARTERS Series featuring graduates of the program through Collider’s facilitation, a Women in Food Business Series, a Downtown Businesses Series, and an Active Lifestyle Series. 76% percent of stories shared this year were of women or BIPOC entrepreneurs. 

“It has truly been an honor to carry forward the work of storytelling at Collider Foundation since joining the team, and to build upon the framework of trust and support that has been established with the entrepreneurial community since 2016. Storytelling has proven to be a strong way to help our local small business owners feel seen and supported by the entrepreneurial community. Each of their unique stories and businesses contribute to making Rochester a more vibrant city,” says Corrie Strommen, Director of Communications at Collider Foundation. 

Business owners who are interested in sharing their stories should connect with the Collider team by email at hello@collider.mn. 

If you have any questions about Collider or our work within the community, please contact Amanda Leightner at amanda@collider.mn or call (507) 722-0306.