Fostering entrepreneurship
"Hennepin County has been a strong partner in supporting entrepreneurs in the region. With their leadership in supporting the CEO Next Business Institute, Businesses across the metro have been able to scale and build strong networks of local innovators. The region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is now even stronger as a result.” – Kathi Schaff, Director, Grow Minnesota Partnership!, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Strategic partnership gives us an edge here
At Hennepin County, we pride ourselves on our ability to bring people together to build a more prosperous future for all our 1.2 million residents. Our valued partners in the private and public sectors trust us to be strong and nimble in our collaborative work to:
Enhance biking and walking amenities
Develop and preserve affordable housing
Support small business growth
Build a safe and efficient multi-modal transportation network
Clean up contaminated land for development
Plan for sustainable and effective land use
Working in concert to broaden our impact
To maximize our impact, we collaborate closely with a range of state and regional partners, including:
Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership
Visit Greater MSP
Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers
Visit MCCD
Metropolitan Council
Visit Met Council
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Visit MNDEEDHennepin County cities
You'll find every rhythm of life in Hennepin County, from big city buzz to rural expanse. Each of our 45 cities is rich in character, culture and amenities, and all are balanced with the beauty of Minnesota's natural lands and waters.
Our team
For questions about funding applications, please contact economic.development@hennepin.us.
Patricia Fitzgerald
Director, Economic Development
612-532-4588
patricia.fitzgerald@hennepin.us
Simran Aryal
Contract management
612-348-4926
simran.aryal@hennepin.us
Denise Engen
Healthy community planning
612-348-4454
denise.engen@hennepin.us
Laura Fredrick
Active Living
612-543-1966
laura.fredrick.wang@hennepin.us
Tashie George
Senior Economic Development Analyst
612-263-6117
tashie.george@hennepin.us
Andrew Gillett
Bottineau/Southwest Transit
612-348-4949
andrew.gillett@hennepin.us
Nate Hood
Corridor Planning
612-596-9876
nathaniel.hood@hennepin.us
Ryan Kelley
Transit Oriented Development
Business District Initiative
612-348-4191
ryan.kelley@hennepin.us
Robb Luckow
Program analysis
612-348-9344
robert.luckow@hennepin.us
Mary Matze
CEO Next
Open to Business
612-348-9812
mary.matze@hennepin.us
Kyle Mianulli
Media relations
612-280-9252
kyle.mianulli@hennepin.us
Crystal Myslajek
Midtown Greenway
612-348-4630
crystal.myslajek@hennepin.us
Kerri Pearce Ruch
Bottineau/Southwest Transit
612-348-3080
kerri.pearceruch@hennepin.us
