Page 59 - INC Magazine-November 2018

Notable fuNdiNg Who to kNoW taleNt pipeliNe include astropad,
$38 million leadpages Cathy Connett 5 grew up in s The techstars retail maker of an app that
(designs customizable landing Jamaica and West Virginia but was accelerator in partner- turns an iPad into a
page templates) ship with target has drawing pad, and
$240 million Bright Health “raised Midwestern,” thanks to her worked with 30 startups Microoptx, a medical
(sells individual health parents, who hailed from Nebraska. since hatching in 2016. device company chang-
insurance) She landed in the Twin Cities to help Participants—like local ing how glaucoma is
commercialize 3M’s new technolo- Crate—often end up treated.
Notable exits gies. Now she’s CEO of the Sofia working with the big-
Conagra paid $250 million Fund, which is run by women to box retailer. s In 2015, General Mills
for BoomChickaPop 4 in 2017. help female founders grow their launched 301 inc, an
Vista Equity Partners paid s Minnesota Cup, the incubator that invests in
$153 million for email businesses. Sofia’s two funds have largest statewide com- early-stage food com-
communication software so far invested $3 million in biotech petition for startups in panies (see “For Love or
startup GovDelivery in 2016. startups, including Tactile medical the country, is run by the Meat,” page 30) such
and Rebiotix. University of Minnesota. as No Cow, 6 a vegan
Winning startups protein-snack company.

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CoMpaNies to WatCh Who to kNoW Where to talk shop
s Sister and brother $292.5 million in Husband-and-wife duo s Professionals and stay for the
aubry and kale venture capital—with Ahmed El Shourbagy and meet over “sea- locals’ favorite
Walch 7 wanted to a product develop- Ashley Paguyo El Shour­ sonal Midwest” dish, huevos
re-create the meat ment outpost in bagy 11 created the popular fare like creamy rancheros, made
dishes they ate Minneapolis, which social media account Dogs spinach cheese with refried
growing up in is, not coincidentally, curds in James beans prepared
Guam—minus the the home turf of of instagram, built a fan Beard Award– in-house.
meat. The result: the larger-than-life base of 4.2 million follow- winning chef
herbivorous butcher, retailer target. 9 ers, and then launched a Gavin Kaysen’s s Minneapolis
a vegan butcher that dog accessories company— spoon and stable, is no stranger to
sells meat-free s eric and andrew and they are happy to share located in a craft beer, so
Italian sausages, dayton, sons of converted horse when entrepre-
porterhouse steaks, Minnesota governor their wisdom. “They can stable downtown. neurs want to
and chicken. Mark Dayton, created help anyone build a brand toast to the day’s
askov finlayson, 10 on social media,” says Davis s Come to Moose accomplish-
s Last year, serial a men’s outdoor & sadie’s for the ments—or fail-
entrepreneurs tina clothing brand and Senseman, whose law firm chance to rub ures—they head
sharkey and ido retailer that flaunts specializes in services for elbows with the to one of its many
leffler 8 launched its dapper Minnesota entrepreneurs. North Loop’s breweries, includ-
the San Francisco- roots with products Average salary for a local advertising and ing bauhaus
based consumer like its must-have software developer: marketing gurus, brew labs, known
basics e-commerce knit pompom hat who often take for its varietals like
store brandless— with the word North $84,188 per year breakfast meet- the IPA Sky-Five.
now bolstered by stitched on the front. Source: Glassdoor ings at the café—