Minnesota Innovates is a non-profit organization founded in 2014. The organization grew from the knowledge that our state needs to do more to promote sustained innovation. Minnesota Innovates is initially focusing on and exploring three areas in which it can have positive impact. The first is targeted programs toward Minnesota youth, to introduce them to the value of innovation and entrepreneurship. The second is the creation of a forum, to generate ideas and to provide a path for them to go forward. And the third is to function as an action enabling connecting organization between stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem.