Red Wing Ignite (RWI) celebrated a considerable milestone on October 12th as it marked its 10th anniversary. Our organization was founded in 2013 through significant support from the City of Red Wing and many community stakeholders, with Neela Mollgaard as our first Executive Director. One year later in 2014 we were selected by US Ignite […]

Burke Murphy, Youth Coding League Program Manager This Spring Season, Goodhue County Youth Coding League winners scored in the top 12 nationally. Award-winning teams were Bluff View, Goodhue, and Kenyon-Wanamingo. The winningest team was Goodhue’s 7th /8th-grade Squad 7 team, placing 2nd for Community Favorite and 6th for Technical Merit! The Squad 7 team included

Pictured: Bluff View Thanks to a Congressional District Spending grant awarded to Red Wing Ignite, we are able to pilot Youth Coding Leagues targeting 5th through 8th grades in Goodhue County. Five schools formed teams this Fall, serving 103 students countywide. We are excited to welcome these schools and recognize the wonderful coaches who’ve stepped

Red Wing Ignite will be awarded $4 million in federal grants and matching dollars to support local entrepreneurship and innovation. It was announced today that Red Wing Ignite has secured a Venture Challenge scale grant via the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Build to Scale (B2S) program. Red Wing Ignite, which also received a precursor

Those were the words of a sweet little 7 yr old girl who had just been asked to try out the miter saw at our first girl’s woodworking camp. Words, followed by tears and obvious physical signs of anxiety. As a parent, my heart wanted to wrap my arms around her and take her away.

As we rounded out four years of the Learn & Earn Youth Skills Training Program, we heard a consistent and resoundingly positive message from our 4th Cohort of student participants in their final presentations. They talked about how much their direct experience with employers in Manufacturing in Goodhue County mattered, along with the complete work

Being the first to do something means overcoming a number of challenges others won’t face.  As an entrepreneur in southeastern Minnesota, though, you can take a moment now to exhale — that won’t be you. Plenty of others here have already blazed that same path. Today, you have the benefit of reflecting on and learning

Here’s something worth saying out loud: It’s OK if the idea of starting a business seems daunting.  That’s only natural — it’s a big undertaking, one with the potential to transform your life and your community for the better. But it’s also worth noting that just because it’s daunting doesn’t mean it needs to be

Find Red Wing Ignite’s full article on pages 29-31  https://tech.mn/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/techmn_MN_Accelerator_Ultimate_Guide.pdf “It takes a lot of personal drive, grit, and tenacity to start a business, but it’s always good to have a helping hand. That’s what Minnesota Startup Accelerators are all about.  To make sure anyone who wants to join the Minnesota entrepreneurial system has the

Findings from a survey of our employer and school partners from the second L&E cohort (2019-2020) were positive across the board. Here are a few quotes that capture the approval and appreciation for the program: From our employer partners – “Increased interest and improvement in [student]perception towards manufacturing.” “Great to stay connected to our youth,