Our Vision

A home for Minnesota startups serving conscious consumers.

Making Minnesota the home of leading mission-driven brands

Driven by Jacquie Berglund's conviction in the potential of conscious companies, FINNOVATION Lab was founded in 2018 to address pressing issues such as climate change, chronic health challenges, and food insecurity through sustainable, systemic change.

We believe in the transformative power of collaboration and idea-sharing to amplify the possibilities for change. With a focus on gathering expertise in consumer packaged goods (CPG), our aim is to cultivate Minnesota as a hub for impactful household brands.

The unique FINNOVATION Fellowship program has built a community of social entrepreneurs in a variety of sectors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

We Connect

Our objective is to enhance the accessibility and significance of community membership through targeted events, facilitating connections between experts and entrepreneurs while spotlighting impact-driven founders within our community.

Additionally, our new services ensure that expertise and insights remain affordable and tailored to the evolving needs of your business. Moreover, we provide support to fractional professionals in translating industry knowledge, empowering them to foster visionary start-up brands that will revolutionize the future of food.

Meet Our Team

CEO
Jennifer Barta is a 30 year veteran of the consumer products industry. She has been working in the entrepreneur space through volunteerism and corporate sponsorship for many years. Her passion is to guide entrepreneurs utilizing experienced Volunteers and Fractional resources to achieve their growth ambitions in the fastest and most economical way for their businesses. Her expertise is in product development, packaging engineering, and managing the product lifecycle to grow businesses to their fullest potential.

Jennifer spent 23 years at General Mills and 7 years at Land O’Lakes working in Research and Development and bringing hundreds of products to market over her tenure. She has a Chemistry Degree from the College of St. Benedict, a Chemical Engineering Degree from the University of Minnesota, and a MBA in Strategic Management from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Executive Director of the FINNOVATION Institute
Connie Rutledge is a leader in the Twin Cities community of entrepreneurs. With over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and business management, her expertise ranges from concept design, market analysis, and fundraising to product development, operations, and strategic partnerships. Her passion is supporting innovators with practical advice and strategic analysis so they can recognize their vision in a socially and financially sustainable way.
Connie has developed and taught courses in entrepreneurship for the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of Minnesota. She also coordinated the Minneapolis/St. Paul Mini Maker Faire, attracting over 5000 makers, artists, and curious families every year. She holds a BA in sociology from the University of Tulsa and an MPA from the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota.
Founder
Jacquie Berglund is The Rambunctious Social Entrepreneur, CEO of FINNEGANS Brew Co. and founder of FINNEGANS SBC, the first beer company in the world to donate 100% of profits to fund fresh produce for those in need. Berglund’s trail blazing social enterprise has earned her prominent accolades over the years including being included in AARP’s 50 over 50 and as a 2018 ‘Leader in Giving’ by Twin Cities Business Magazine.

Jacquie founded FINNOVATION Lab to provide space and support for other social entrepreneurs who are driven to make an impact in their communities and the world.