Startups Key to Minnesota Post-Virus Economic Recovery

First, I’d just note that we gathered state leaders, partners and startups from across the state last week for a virtual event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Launch Minnesota, a program designed to accelerate startups. You can find out more in Launch Minnesota’s First-Year Progress Report.

I’d like to share a message I wrote – which appeared in the Star Tribune on Sunday – about the importance of our startup community to Minnesota’s economic recovery.

To say that 2020 has been a challenging year for the Minnesota economy would be an understatement. In the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we lost a stunning 385,000 jobs. We've paid over $8.5 billion in unemployment insurance benefits to Minnesotans — 10 times more than we ever have in a single year. And consumer confidence hinges on the trajectory of the coronavirus, which continues to spread at an alarming rate.

But from recession will come renewal. While a lot of work remains to protect our workforce and economy from the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot wait to begin the work of making Minnesota's economic recovery strong, smart and equitable.

Read full article.