YOU'RE WATCHING FOX NINE MORNING NEWS. WELCOME BACK ATTENTION, ENTREPRENEURS. OR MAYBE, YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE A PROGRAM IS LAUNCHED, OFFERING $60,000 OVER TWO YEARS , ALONG WITH COACHING, MENTORSHIP AND ALL SORTS OF GUIDANCE, AND THERE'S A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT THIS HERE TO TELL US ALL ABOUT. IT IS CHRISTINE MEZZO PROGRAM MANAGER AT THE INITIATIVE OF FOUNDATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. WE APPRECIATE IT HAPPY TO BE HERE. TELL US ABOUT THE INITIATIVE FOUNDATION BECAUSE IT'S BASED OUT OF LITTLE FALLS, AND THIS IS KIND OF A PROGRAM FOCUSING MORE ON THE RURAL PARTS OF OUR STATE. SO TELL US IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES. RIGHT? RIGHT SO THE INITIATIVE FOUNDATION IS ONE OF SIX MINNESOTA FOUNDATIONS WHICH WERE STARTED IN THE EIGHTIES. WITH GENEROUS FUNDING FROM MCKNIGHT TO REALLY RESOLVE A COUPLE OF ISSUES. THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AFTER THE FARM CRISIS IN RURAL MINNESOTA IN THE EIGHTIES , REALLY SET ATTENTION ON THE NEEDS OF THAT PART OF THE STATES , SO ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND PHILANTHROPY AND RURAL MINNESOTA IS REALLY THE FOCUS OF THE SIX MINNESOTA FOUNDATIONS ARE PROGRAM. THE INITIATORS FELLOWSHIP IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FOUR OF THOSE SIX FOUNDATIONS TO BRING THIS FUNDING AND SUPPORT TO RURAL MINNESOTA SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS WHO WANT TO BUILD THEIR BUSINESS AND THEIR LEADERSHIP IN THE IN THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY LIVE AND EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS AN INVESTMENT IN IN THE PERSON KIND OF TELL US HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS. SO WE OFFER A TWO YEAR FELLOWSHIP THAT HAS A LOT OF AS YOU MENTIONED COACHING AND MENTORSHIP BUSINESS, CONSULTING ALL THE KINDS OF THINGS AND NEW ENTREPRENEUR NEEDS BUT ALSO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH THROUGH THAT MENTORSHIP AND SOME OF OUR OTHER BESPOKE TRAINING. UM ALL OF THIS IS SUPPORTED WITH THE $60,000 STIPEND FOR THAT. ENTREPRENEUR SO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOOKING TO START A BUSINESS THAT'S A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CAN APPLY FOR THE FELLOWSHIP, AND THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS $60,000 OVER TWO YEARS AS A LIVING STIPEND THAT HELPS THEM FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON THAT BUSINESS AND THEMSELVES AS COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND YOU ALREADY HAVE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF THE ENTREPRENEURS THAT YOU'VE HELPED. I THINK WE HAVE SOME VIDEO THAT REDHEAD CREAMERY. AND THERE'S SEVERAL THAT ARE ALREADY FINDING SUCCESS THROUGH THIS ASSISTANCE, SO SOME OF OUR ENTREPRENEURS COME TO US WITH A BUSINESS ALREADY. UM STARTED IN AND THEY'RE REALLY IN THAT VERY EARLY STAGE. UM JUST JUST OPENED UP LOOKING FOR WAYS TO, UM REALLY MAKE THAT A SOLID, STABLE BUSINESS. OTHER PEOPLE ARE COMING TO US WITH AN IDEA. AND THEY HAVEN'T LAUNCHED YET. AND SO REDHEAD CREAMERY HAD ESTABLISHED THE BUSINESS BUT REALLY WANTED TO EXPAND AND GROW INTO THIS SOCIAL MODEL WHERE THEY SHOW PEOPLE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FROM FARM TO TABLE. HOW CHEESE IS MADE AND REALLY ADD EVENTS. AND NOW THEIR LATEST VENTURE IS THE REDHEAD CREAMERY SPIRITS THE WAY BASED SPIRITS THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE LAUNCHING SOON REMIND US WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED BECAUSE AGAIN THIS IS NOT IN THE METRO. NO THEY'RE IN BRUTON, MINNESOTA, AND THEN GO SHED IS ANOTHER ONE GROW. SHOULD YEAH. JOHN FRIESEN. ER HAS, UH, THESE SHEDS WHICH ARE LITTLE HYDROPONIC GARDENS, SO THE BEAUTY OF THAT IS IT RESOLVES FOOD DESERT. ISSUES WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE GREAT SOIL, COLD CLIMATES WHERE YOU CAN GROW YOUR ROUND IN MINNESOTA IS REALLY OBVIOUSLY ONE OF HIS FOCUS IS COMING FROM EMILY, MINNESOTA. UM AND THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE RESOLVING BOTH THE FOOD DESERT ISSUE BUT DOING IT IN A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL WAY THAT'S AGAIN ANOTHER SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MODEL, AND YOU'RE COLLECTING APPLICATIONS THROUGH JUNE 15TH. SO IT'S COMING UP, BUT REAL QUICKLY WE GOT ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT OF WHO QUALIFIES SUMMARIZE THAT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED OR HAVE JUST STARTED A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AND YOU ARE IN SORT OF THE CENTRAL BAND OR THE WESTERN HALF OF MINNESOTA. LOOK INTO THE FELLOWSHIP. YOU ARE ELIGIBLE. IF YOU WERE AT THAT EARLY STAGE IDEA STAGE, I SAY 0 TO 5 YEARS IN BUSINESS, AND YOU WANT THAT SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPING YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR LEADERSHIP. ALRIGHT, CHRISTINE, THAT'S IT WITH THE INITIATIVE FOUNDATION. THANK YOU, AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. THEY HAVE A ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST, SO THAT WILL HELP. A LOT OF PEOPLE KI
