One Week Left to Apply for the FINNOVATION Fellowship | New Founder Stories

The next opportunity to join the FINNOVATION Fellowship is here! Applications for Cohort 8 will close June 1st.

One Week Left to Apply for the FINNOVATION Fellowship! Time is ticking. Applications for the 2026 to 2027 FINNOVATION Fellowship close on June 1, 2026. If you or someone you know is building an impact-driven venture and looking for structure, support, and community, now is the time to apply. The Fellowship is designed for entrepreneurs in the early stages of exploring and shaping a social impact business idea. Anyone who wants to learn more can visit the FINNOVATION Institute website, review the FAQs, or watch the info session. New Founder Stories We are excited to share two new Founder Stories from voices in our community that challenge assumptions and invite deeper reflection. In “What We Inherit: The Stories We Carry About Getting Old,” Malik Mitchell of Heartwood Home Stewards reflects on the ideas we absorb about aging from family, culture, media, and systems, and asks us to consider how those stories shape the way we prepare to age. It is thoughtful, personal, and the kind of piece that stays with you. READ MORE In “Born on the Seam: A Gen-Z reflection on Curiosity and Exploration,” Emma Hoyhtya of Mosaic Performing Arts explores what it means to have grown up between the analog and digital worlds. She writes about uncertainty, curiosity, performance, and learning to do meaningful work without needing a metric to prove it mattered. That lands. READ MORE Alumni News We’re Excited About We are thrilled to share that Erik Halaas, FINNOVATION alum and Entrepreneur in Residence, has advanced to the 2026 MN Cup semifinals with his company, Live On Minnesota. MN Cup's semifinalists are the top 90 companies selected each spring to advance in the competition. Live On Minnesota is working to become the first homegrown provider of Natural Organic Reduction in Minnesota. NOR, also known as human composting, is a green alternative to cremation and conventional burial that transforms the body into nutrient-rich compost, creating the opportunity to bring new life through death. You can learn more about Natural Organic Reduction and Erik’s work through recent coverage and on the Live On Minnesota website. There is a lot happening in the FINNOVATION community, and we're glad you're here for it. If the Fellowship is on your mind, don’t wait until the last minute. Applications close June 1. And if you enjoy these updates, stories, and milestones, keep sharing them with the people who should know what this community is building. 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. Copyright © 2026 FINNOVATION Institute, All rights reserved.