SCORE Mentors

10/12/2026

📚 Low-cost business learning opportunities await!

Join a SCORE Twin Cities webinar or workshop this week and 🚀

10/11/2026

You can buy a business instead of starting one.

The customers come with it. So does a location people already know how to find, and a staff who can tell you how the place runs. Owners across the metro are looking for the right person to hand all of that to.

Wednesday at 9 a.m. Buying a Business covers how to evaluate an acquisition, what the books should tell you, how a business gets valued, and what the purchase process looks like before you're standing in the middle of it.

Also this week:
🔷 Local Visibility for Your Business: Tuesday, 11 a.m., improving local SEO, online profiles, and reviews across Google, Maps, directories, and AI search
🔷 Simple Steps for Starting Your Business, Session 3: Wednesday, 12 p.m., building a marketing plan and testing your message

Get these on your calendar today: https://www.score.org/mn/business-education/

10/08/2026

Motherhood changed Madhu’s life. It also sparked the idea that would change her career.

After earning her master’s degree in electrical engineering and working in the semiconductor industry, Madhu found herself searching for a diaper bag that balanced two things: the practicality she needed as a mom and the style she wanted. When she couldn’t find it, she decided to create it herself.

That idea became Pretty Pokets, a line of stylish, practical bags designed to make life easier for women on the go.

But turning a great product idea into a growing business takes more than creativity. Madhu needed guidance on everything from e-commerce and supply chains to protecting her ideas.

She found that support through SCORE. Since her first counseling session in 2016, Madhu has met with mentors more than 50 times, tapping into their expertise as she grows her business. SCORE mentors have helped her navigate challenges, explore new opportunities, and keep moving forward.

Today, Pretty Pokets has built a loyal customer base, expanded into boutique retail, and successfully repaid its first Kiva crowdfunding loan. Now, Madhu is raising funds again to grow her product line.

She didn't just create the bag she couldn't find. She built a business around making everyday life a little easier for women like her.

10/07/2026

Thirteen rounds in two and a half hours. That was the pace at Benton Economic Partnership's Speed Networking event last Wednesday evening in Foley, and SCORE Minnesota Chapter Chair Darold Berreau was in the rotation.

Owners who come to us for mentoring can also benefit from a room full of peers. A night like this puts a dozen of them across the table in one sitting.

"It was a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow business participants, learn about the products and services they provide, and build meaningful relationships throughout the business community," Darold shared.

Thank you to Benton Economic Partnership and its sponsors for putting this together. Partners like this are how SCORE reaches owners across Minnesota.

10/06/2026

SCORE mentor Jyoti Jaiswal knows there’s something powerful about watching an entrepreneur go from “I have an idea” to “I think I can really do this.” 💙

Behind every business is someone taking a risk, figuring things out as they go, and trying to turn a vision into something real. They shouldn’t have to do it alone.

Sometimes, the right guidance, resource, or conversation can be the thing that turns uncertainty into momentum.

That’s why mentors show up. To listen. To share what they know. To remind entrepreneurs that they have someone in their corner.

Ready to be that person for an entrepreneur? Become a SCORE mentor.

10/05/2026

Learning never stops when you’re building your dream! 🌟

Join SCORE mentors and small business experts for low-cost webinars and local events designed to help entrepreneurs like you succeed.

10/04/2026

You have a team now. The hardest part of your week is the conversation you keep putting off with the person who isn't pulling their weight, and it's been on the list since August.

Thursday at 11:30 a.m. CDT, Creating a Winning Team covers that side of running a business — how to keep good people invested, how to raise a performance problem while it's still small, and how to lead so the company can grow past what you can personally hold together.

Also this week:
🔷 Positioning Yourself to Access Business Capital in 2026. A free in-person session Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. CDT at Old National Bank in West St. Paul
🔷 Stop Selling, Start Connecting: Tuesday, 10 a.m., the CONVERT framework for sales conversations that don't rely on pressure
🔷 Simple Steps for Starting Your Business, Session 2: Wednesday, 12 p.m., researching your market, your competition, and what you're offering

Join us: https://www.score.org/mn/business-education/

10/02/2026

Manufacturing takes more than engineering. It takes vision, problem-solving, and the business know-how to turn an idea into a thriving company. 🏭

For National Manufacturing Day, meet Brad, founder of AMS Galaxy USA, a manufacturer of precision dairy equipment helping farmers reclaim something invaluable: time with their families.

Growing up on a dairy farm, Brad saw firsthand how demanding the work could be. He wanted to help other farmers change that story through robotic milking technology. But when it came to running a business, he quickly realized that engineering expertise was only part of the equation.

That’s where SCORE came in. Through mentorship, Brad gained guidance in sales, marketing, accounting, finance, and strategy, the essential business skills that help manufacturers grow beyond the production floor.

“We wouldn't be where we are without SCORE,” Brad shared.

This National Manufacturing Day, we're celebrating the manufacturers who turn innovation into impact, and the mentors who help them build stronger businesses.

10/02/2026

You've priced out the new equipment or the hire you've been putting off. Then the loan application asks for numbers you haven't had time to pull together, and the plan stalls.

Lenders want to see clean financials and a clear plan for repayment. Most owners are too busy running the business to get those ready ahead of time.

On Wednesday, October 7, SCORE Twin Cities and Old National Bank are hosting Positioning Yourself to Access Business Capital in 2026, a morning workshop to help you get ready. You'll hear what lenders are looking for right now and how to strengthen your financial profile before you apply.

📍 Old National Bank, 66 Thompson Avenue East, West St. Paul | 8:30 a.m.
We have room for 30 people.

Grab your seat today: https://bit.ly/46xF1wj

10/01/2026

New month, new opportunities to grow your business! 💡

Our October webinar lineup covers practical topics to help you work smarter, make informed financial decisions, and plan for what’s next.

👉 Swipe through to see what’s coming up, choose the sessions that interest you, and register for free!

We look forward to learning with you this month. 💙

10/01/2026

Knowing a business as a customer is one thing. Buying and running it is another.

After 25 years in corporate strategy, Hannah Wolken was ready to become her own boss. When the opportunity came to take over Nomads, a beloved retail store she had long known and loved, she was stepping into unfamiliar territory.

She turned to SCORE.

Through SCORE’s class on buying and selling businesses and guidance from mentor Nancy Strojny, Hannah gained the knowledge and confidence to navigate the purchase and make informed decisions.

Today, she’s carrying on Nomads’ 20-year legacy, offering functional, stylish clothing while supporting brands that share her values.

Sometimes a new chapter starts with a leap. The right mentor can help you take it with confidence.

10/01/2026

09/30/2026

09/30/2026

Using AI to draft an email is where most business owners stop. This series is about what comes after that.

AI Bootcamp Series 2 runs five Wednesdays, October 7 through November 4. You'll connect AI to the tools your business already runs on, build a custom assistant trained on your own work, put AI agents on tasks that finish without you watching, and get several of them working together.

A different presenter leads each session, and the whole series is online.

$50 per session, or $150 for all five.

Don't miss this one: https://bit.ly/46v6qit

09/29/2026

Real end-of-year SMB planning = no fluff.

What’s one unwritten rule you have for holiday prep? Drop it below 👇

09/28/2026

Pin it to the SCOREboard 📌

What's one skill Future You will thank you for learning?

We'll use the comment section as a sounding board to offer resources and support.

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Have something YOU want to ask other entrepreneurs? DM us to submit your prompts. 📩

09/24/2026

“Starting Mothership Coffee Roasters was personal for me.”

For Juanny Romero, coffee became a vehicle for creating the kind of connection and community she wished she had growing up. A child of immigrants from the rough side of Queens, she built Mothership Coffee Roasters around a simple mission: create meaningful connections through great coffee.

Fifteen years later, that mission has grown into six cafes, regional retail partnerships, and coffee sourced from women-owned farming cooperatives.

Along the way, SCORE has been part of Juanny’s journey, providing mentorship, encouragement, and the perspective she needed to grow from a passionate entrepreneur into the CEO of a multi-chain, multi-vertical business.

But for Juanny, success isn't just about how much the business has grown. It's about what that growth makes possible: supporting women coffee producers, investing in her community, and creating spaces where people can connect.

Her advice to other entrepreneurs? Embrace mentorship. The right guidance can help you break through limiting beliefs and see what's possible.

09/24/2026

Join SCORE Mentors on September 29 at 1 PM for their 'Beyond the Barcode: Manage Inventory, Navigate Retail Channels and Prepare to Scale' webinar! 🛍️

Discover how barcodes can support inventory management, prepare your business for wholesale distribution, and MORE!

Register here ➡️: https://f.mtr.cool/hpli68wfej