2019 International Conference on Business Incubation to Elevate Startups, Underrepresented Entrepreneurs

Minneapolis, MN, April 03, 2019 --(PR.com)-- The International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) will host the 33rd International Conference on Business Incubation (ICBI33) from April 13-17, 2019 at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minnesota under the theme of “Innovate, Collaborate, Elevate.”

ICBI33 will feature over 40 peer-led sessions and 100 speakers as well as represent up to 42 countries. Some dynamic sessions include Community Building and Partnerships to Strengthen an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Incubators and Accelerators: How to Leverage Complementary Strengths, The Land of OZ: How to Leverage Opportunity Zones, and Using Lean Canvas to Customize Entrepreneurial Support Programs. The keynotes for this conference are the following industry leaders:

· Mary Grove; Founding Director for Google Entrepreneurs, Partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Fund, and advisor to the Techstars Foundation
· Rohit Malhotra; Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Civic Innovation and Ash Innovation Fellow for the White House Office of Management and Budget
· Melissa Kjolsing; Founding Director of Lunar Startups, Cofounder and CEO of Recovree, and former director of MN Cup

Charles Ross, InBIA’s CEO, discusses the educational and networking opportunities that this year’s conference offers.

“The ICBI33 experience will be rich not only because of the hundreds of ecosystem leaders attending from around the world, but also because of the conference’s intentional location. Minneapolis features strong industrial clusters in medical technology, retail, and food as well as nineteen Fortune 500 corporations,” said Ross. “Attendees will undoubtedly find that this conference presents special opportunities for learning and forming new connections with each other and Minnesota’s entrepreneurial community.”

There are additional opportunities for attendees to learn from each other through Preconference courses and networking events, including courses from partners GrowthWheel and Prepr, Entrepreneurship Management Center (ECM) certificate training, New Company (NewCo) Academy courses, the Twin Cities Innovation Tour, ICBI33 Ecosystem Hackathon, and more. Additionally, the Business Innovation Global (BIG) Summit will be held prior to the main conference. The BIG Summit connects attendees to their international peers through the U.S. State Department’s Sister to Sister matchmaking program, paving the way for expansion into the global market as well as identifying key collaboration opportunities.

Also featured prominently in the conference schedule is the theme of elevating underserved entrepreneurs and communities through innovative small business development. High-impact sessions on this topic include Encouraging Entrepreneurs in Rural/Economically Distressed Communities, Leveling the Playing Field for Underserved Entrepreneurs, Ensuring Diversity and Inclusion Within an Entrepreneurship Center, and Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem; as well as our recently published Elevating Women in Entrepreneurship playbook, written by Erika Smith and Brita Belli and funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

ICBI33 was made possible by sponsors, exhibitors, and local champions, including the Kauffman Foundation, GrowthWheel, Intuit, The Evidence Network, LivePlan, Prepr, SourceLink, Ruckus, Startup Space, incuTrack, AURI, Cybergroup, Forge North, Grow North, and Medical Alley Association.

About the International Business Innovation Association

InBIA is a global nonprofit with over 1,300 members that lead entrepreneurship centers in 62 countries. For over 30 years, InBIA has provided industry best practices through education while enabling collaboration, mentorship, peer-based learning and the sharing of innovative ideas for entrepreneurs across the globe. InBIA is the premier organization for business incubators, accelerators, coworking spaces, and other entrepreneurship centers.