About E1 of Southeast Minnesota
Focusing on You
Tools. Education. Networking. Collaboration. Connection. Funding.
Starting and growing a business is hard enough. Finding the things you need to do so should be easy.
Instead of telling you to go here, there, and everywhere in between, our E1 Partners focus on YOU. We help you find the right resources at the right time.
About E1:
IgniteMN (formerly Red Wing Ignite) created E1 (Entrepreneurs First), an ecosystem, designed to enhance regional connectivity among builders and stakeholders in 11 counties within southeastern Minnesota (SE MN) over a 3-year period.
This collaboration will utilize a common approach to supporting innovative entrepreneurs; any new startup within our region will be able to access the region’s resources through a hub software platform, receive educational offerings including Design Thinking and Lean Startup classes, as well as take part in 1:1 mentorship and funding guidance that is customized according to where that entrepreneur is on their startup journey from Concept stage to Growth stage.
How E1 benefits entrepreneurs and businesses:
Single point of access
Efficient use of time
Greater connectivity to resources and talent
See More E1 Videos on our YouTube Channel
E1 Partners Include:
History of E1
IgniteMN (formerly Red Wing Ignite) created E1 (Entrepreneurs First) with a pilot grant from Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation in 2018. This team was comprised of 6 partner organizations. The success of this approach led to one of the primary focus areas for a federal EDA i6 Challenge Grant awarded to Red Wing Ignite in the fall of 2019. This new version of E1 includes partners from 8 partner organizations. Then in the fall of 2019, with the creation of Launch MN, a program of DEED in MN, we now have an "expanded E1" with 16 organizations, serving as the Hub for SE MN.
This ecosystem is designed to enhance regional connectivity among builders and stakeholders in 11 counties within southeastern Minnesota (SE MN).
Map of the 11 Counties who are a part of the E1 Community in SE Minnesota