Bloomington Announces Business Competition Finalists, Community Events
Ten finalists have been selected for the second annual Hatch Bloomington business pitch competition, with the winner receiving $100,000 to establish a brick-and-mortar business in the city.
The finalists include Batsu Bloomington, Bloomington Farm and Feed, Bookmother, Hearts and Spades, Hotbox Pies, Nuna, The Chocolate Bar, Twin City Streetcar, The Plug Mobile, and Veterans Post Provisions. The competitors will present their business proposals at Bloomington Civic Plaza on Aug. 6, where community members can vote for their preferred business.
The city continues supporting small businesses through its partnership with Launch Minnesota, hosting monthly Welcoming Wednesdays sessions. The next session is scheduled for Aug. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. at Civic Plaza, offering free resources and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and startup owners.
Residents can sign up to host block parties for National Night Out on Aug. 5, an annual community-building event featuring visits from Bloomington police officers and firefighters. The city coordinates staff visits to registered block parties throughout the community.
A new mural project is underway at the renovated Bloomington Ice Garden, with Minnesota artist Adam Turman selected to create the design titled "Meant to Be Here." The city's Office of Creative Placemaking is seeking community feedback on the mural design before the building's fall reopening.
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- City of Bloomington offers $100,000 grant to local entrepreneurs through Hatch Bloomington competition.
- Bloomington Ice Garden renovation features new public art piece; city seeks community input for final mural design.
- City government partners with Launch Minnesota to provide ongoing startup resource networking via Welcoming Wednesdays.
Source document
[0:00] [Applause]
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[0:16] Hello and thanks for tuning in to
[0:17] Bloomington Today. Let's take a look at
[0:19] the latest news in Bloomington. The top
[0:22] 10 finalists for the second year of the
[0:23] Hatch Bloomington business pitch
[0:25] competition have been announced. In
[0:27] June, the 25 semi-finalists made their
[0:30] pitches to a panel of judges who
[0:31] narrowed it down to the top 10. The top
[0:34] 10 contestants include Batsu
[0:36] Bloomington, Bloomington Farm and Feed,
[0:38] Bookmother, Hearts and Spades, Hotbox
[0:41] Pies, Nuna, The Chocolate Bar, Twin City
[0:44] Streetear, The Plug Mobile, and Veterans
[0:47] Post Provisions. Hatch Bloomington
[0:49] offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to
[0:51] pitch their business ideas for a chance
[0:53] of receiving $100,000 in financial
[0:56] assistance to kickstart their
[0:57] brickandmortar business in Bloomington.
[1:00] The top 10 will be pitching their ideas
[1:02] at Bloomington Civic Plaza on August
[1:04] 6th. Community members will be able to
[1:06] vote for the business they want to see
[1:08] in Bloomington. For all details, visit
[1:10] hatch bloomington.com.
[1:12] The city offers many different types of
[1:14] support for small business owners. The
[1:16] city in partnership with Launch
[1:17] Minnesota has been hosting welcoming
[1:19] Wednesdays for startups and small
[1:21] businesses since 2023. Mark your
[1:24] calendar for the next session on
[1:25] Wednesday, August 13th from noon to 2:00
[1:28] p.m. at Civic Plaza. The monthly open
[1:30] houses spotlight the wealth of startup
[1:32] resources available in communities
[1:34] throughout Minnesota and help
[1:35] entrepreneurs connect with experts in
[1:37] their area. Welcoming Wednesdays are
[1:40] free and no registration is necessary.
[1:43] Participate in National Night Out this
[1:45] year and sign up to host a block party.
[1:47] National Night Out is Tuesday, August
[1:49] 5th. It's a great way to meet your
[1:51] neighbors, visit with Bloomington police
[1:53] officers and firefighters, and
[1:55] strengthen community. The parties
[1:57] couldn't happen without block party
[1:59] hosts. Visit the link on your screen to
[2:01] get registered, which will help
[2:02] coordinate visits from city staff,
[2:04] police, fire, and other departments. A
[2:06] new mural is in the works, and hearing
[2:08] from you will make a big impact.
[2:11] Minnesota artist Adam Turman has been
[2:13] selected by a stakeholder panel to
[2:15] design a mural for the newly renovated
[2:17] Bloomington Ice Garden. This is a sketch
[2:19] of the mural design titled Meant to Be
[2:21] Here. It's inspired by users and
[2:24] stakeholders. The city's Office of
[2:26] Creative Placemaking wants to hear
[2:27] feedback from you to incorporate into
[2:29] the final design. The mural will be
[2:31] revealed when the building opens in the
[2:33] fall. Follow the link on your screen to
[2:35] provide input. That's a wrap on this
[2:38] week's Buzz. If you would like to see
[2:39] more stories highlighting people,
[2:41] places, and projects in Bloomington,
[2:43] watch other features right here on our
[2:45] YouTube channel. Thanks for watching.
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Other Topics from This Document
Hatch Bloomington business pitch competition finalists
Small business support and Welcoming Wednesdays
National Night Out block party registration
Bloomington Ice Garden mural design project
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