Announcing the FINNOVATION Fellowship 2025-2026
Discovery Module Cohort!
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The Discovery Module is the first phase of the FINNOVATION Fellowship, providing fellows with targeted curriculum, mentorship, and peer support to sharpen their vision and strengthen their strategies. Over the course of the module, participants will engage in business model development, market research, pitching, systems thinking, trend analysis, and network building, laying a strong foundation for sustainable social impact.
The 2025 Discovery Module fellows are:
- Alexandra De Kesel Lofthus: addressing the lack of sustainable strategies and systems in organizations tackling complex health and social challenges.
- Alison Brueggemann: tackling the gap in appealing, accessible, science-based education about the female body for all gender identities.
- Amal Muse: preparing communities to integrate Advanced Air Mobility into regional transportation systems equitably and effectively.
- Caroline Hegstrom: providing cold-climate gardeners with seeds and resources adapted to USDA Zones 3 and 4 to boost local food production.
- Corissa Sutton: reducing the homeownership gap for first-time buyers, women-led households, and communities of color.
- Devin Boeing: closing the digital divide by increasing technology and AI literacy for youth and underserved communities.
- Emma Hoyhtya: improving community arts education by ensuring fair pay and support for performing arts instructors.
- Gladys Daniela Mejia: reducing plastic waste and pollution using mycoremediation to break down non-recyclable plastics.
- Liban Kano: solving fragmented care coordination for families through a mobile platform for shared tasks and communication.
- Mai Soua Yang: countering financial misinformation with culturally aware planning for first-generation and underserved communities.
- Malik Mitchel: helping older adults age in place safely through coordinated home maintenance and repair services.
- Mika Emily Thuening: enabling sustainability teams to share the real-world impact of their supply chains through automated media.
- Nasrieen Abdi Habib: making outdoor spaces more inclusive with modest, sustainable apparel and community-centered activities.
- Nick Anderson: using basketball to promote personal growth, education, and career development for under-resourced youth.
- Ramadhan Mohamed: addressing textile waste and economic exclusion through ethical, small-batch manufacturing and training.
- Dr. Sheila Sweeney: increasing access to culturally grounded emotional wellness tools for women of color and caregivers.
- Tyjuan Morrow: promoting equity and sustainability in cannabis through subscription delivery from diverse, ethical producers.
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Leadership Update: Welcoming Our New Program Director
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 We’re excited to share that Dr. La Juana Whitmore has joined the FINNOVATION Fellowship as Program Director (contract). La Juana brings a wealth of experience as a business strategist, educator, and ecosystem leader, with a deep commitment to supporting entrepreneurs who are creating positive change! Connect with La Juana on LinkedIn.
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Alumni Spotlight: The Festival of Belonging at Wild River State Park
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The Festival of Belonging is the culminating project of composer and FINNOVATION Fellowship alum, JG Everest’s yearlong MNPAiR Artist Residency at Wild River State Park, on the St Croix River, near Tayor’s Falls, MN. It will take place over four weekends in late August and mid-September 2025, and will feature a wide variety of site-specific performance installations at various areas of the park, each weekend featuring a different lineup of music, dance, storytelling, and nature walks and presentations for park visitors. If you are interested in volunteering for the festival as a greeter or workshop assistant, or as part of the crew, please CLICK HERE for more info and to pick a role and select a volunteer shift.
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Save the Date: FINNOVATION Fall Alumni Mixer!
Join us for an open-house style evening to reconnect, meet new faces, and enjoy good conversation. More info to come.
When: Thursday, September 18 | 4–7 PM
Where: Flava Café, St. Paul
Who: Alumni + the new FINN cohort
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Community News: MN Cup Impact Division Finalists Announced
On August 11, 2025, MN Cup officially unveiled the top three finalists in its Impact Ventures Division, featuring ventures dedicated to driving positive social and environmental change. These three distinguished finalists are:
With the semifinalists having sharpened their concepts through mentorship and showcases this summer, finalists now move forward to pitch live in late August. From there, one will be selected as the Division Winner, earning $25,000 and advancing to vie for the $50,000 Grand Prize during the MN Cup Grand Finale on October 6, 2025.
We celebrate the dedication of these social-impact founders and look forward to seeing which team captures the prize and continues to uplift Minnesota’s communities through their work!
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The FINNOVATION Fellowship program is made possible through generous support from the Bush Foundation, whose mission is to invest in great ideas and the people who power them.
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