Our Why
The vision is bigger than any one of us. We come from the upper Midwest and from sports, finance, and healthcare.
We know firsthand how difficult it can be to get a business started in rural areas, so our backgrounds shape the passion behind the philosophies of granting awards in the 5/3 categories.
While these are our priorities, we support all organizations innovative enough to have meaningful impact in their communities.
Transforming ideas into community growth.
Geographies
In the 12 months between Q3 2023 and Q4 2024, the 5-state region of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming received a cumulative 0.6% (0.5% in MN and 0.1% in MT) of the total cash raised for startups.*
Compare that to California’s 52.4% or Massachusetts’ 8.7% and it’s easy to see the disparity between the coasts and the “mid coast” i.e. the Upper Midwest.
The talent is here and 5/3 Fund supports keeping it here to build and grow local economies.
*Geographical trends information comes from a carta's State of Private Markets: Q3 2024. View here.
Sectors
Sports is one of the fastest growing industries and it extends beyond the players and teams. Sports adjacent businesses range from food and beverage to stadium support and tech.
The financial education of our young people is paramount to future success not only for them individually, but in how they support a thriving community and society as a whole.
Healthcare is becoming more expensive and less accessible to many. We believe solutions exist in the delivery of core services to create a healthier community.
Building stronger through sports, finance, and healthcare.
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