Transforming Tomorrow Together: Southern MN 2040

10/27/2026

This is exciting news! The food and bio-economy is a major economic driver for Southern Minnesota. Transforming Tomorrow Together: Southern MN 2040 elevates this sector as a strategic priority!

MANKATO, MN (October 27, 2026) — A planned $13.6 million investment by Verdánt Organics in a new indoor agricultural production facility in Mankato highlights the impact of strategic business connections and economic development efforts led by Greater Mankato Growth and GreenSeam. Greater Mankato...

10/19/2026

More great media coverage of Greater Mankato CEO!

MANKATO — When high school student Adisyn Manske was tasked with turning $1 into $100 for a project in the Greater Mankato CEO program, she knew she wanted to do

10/06/2026

Great time yesterday with Greater Mankato CEO students as they wrapped up their $1 to $100 Challenge! Students raised $1,488.17!! Amazing! The earnings will be used as seed money for the group's class business, which will take place over the next few months. Way to go young entrepreneurs!

09/29/2026

Minnesota’s Rural Experiential STEM Education Partnership Initiative (RESEPI) is getting noticed throughout Southern Minnesota and beyond! Check out the latest on the Transforming Tomorrow Together website!

https://transformsouthernminnesota2040.com/resepi/

09/16/2026

Talent development and retention in action! Nice Job!

🎉 The Greater Mankato CEO Program is officially underway!

The participants spent the morning introducing themselves, telling their stories, and asking each other insightful questions. It led to really meaningful conversations as they connected through a variety of shared experiences, interests, and goals.

Thank you to Pioneer Bank for generously offering to be our first host site and providing a meeting space for our CEO group!

We have an incredible year ahead: business visits, guest speakers, mentoring from local business owners, and hands-on experience running real businesses. This group is ready to accomplish big things, and we can't wait to see where the year takes them!

09/09/2026

SMIF is currently accepting applications for three grants!

✨Early Care and Education Grant: Services that enhance the quality of early learning environments for children birth to age five.
✨Taylor Rural Childcare Grant: Childcare capital improvement projects for providers caring for children birth to age five in communities with populations under 30,000.
✨Taylor Rural Improvements Grant: Capital projects that support the creation or enhancement of community gathering spaces in communities with populations under 10,000.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, public institutions and units or agencies of local, state, federal and Tribal government are encouraged to apply.

✨Apply by Oct. 6! https://smifoundation.org/blog/2026/08/smif-seeks-applications-for-three-grants/

08/24/2026

With the school year fast approaching, Minnesota’s Rural Experiential STEM Education Partnership Initiative (RESEPI) is hard at work delivering robotics kits to area schools that have joined the program! This effort is growing and making a difference in school districts throughout Southern Minnesota. It's also taking a big step forward in helping establish a regional talent hub. Great job everyone!
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mankato Area Public Schools
Greater Mankato Growth

08/12/2026

Exciting development and progress!

07/27/2026

Communities thrive when businesses have room to grow. Transforming Tomorrow Together highlights strategies that support economic opportunity across Southern Minnesota. SMIF is helping drive that progress!!

Deadline approaching fast — SMIF's Economic Development Grant applications due August 10!

This grant supports projects that strengthen local business activity, promote steady economic growth across SMIF’s 20-county region and Native nation, encourage innovation, job creation and broader access to opportunity.

✨Apply by August 10! https://smifoundation.org/grants/for-grant-seekers/economic-development-grants/

07/13/2026

Minnesota’s Rural Experiential STEM Education Partnership Initiative (RESEPI) is growing! Having just completed educator training at the end of June, this innovative STEM program spearheaded by Travis Thul, Minnesota State University, Mankato, brings quality, STEM education to rural school districts at 1/20th the cost of traditional STEM robotics education.

So far, RESEPI gone from three schools in 2025 to 12 schools in 2026!! That is a 400% increase in partnerships in 12 months. Starting this fall, those schools will be provided with enough equipment and knowledge to reach over 600 students across Southern Minnesota. Way to go RESEPI!!