The Crowdfunding Pathway to Grow Your Reach and Revenue

​Part of Twin Cities Startup Week 2026, September 14–18.

​Crowdfunding can do more than raise money. For the right product, it can be a way to validate demand, take preorders before producing at scale, build an early customer base, and turn those customers into people who actively help spread the word.

​In this session, Valerie Blomberg will break down what goes into a successful crowdfunding campaign across platforms like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and BackerKit, including the biggest dos and don'ts she's learned from a decade of running campaigns that have raised as much as $5.3 million.

​Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of whether crowdfunding makes sense as a go-to-market strategy for their own business, what needs to be in place before launching a campaign, and how the community-building principles behind crowdfunding can be applied even if you never launch one.

​Speakers:

• ​Valerie Blomberg, Founder @ New Audience

​Getting here on Wednesday. Parking, Basecamp, lunch, and the rest of the day: tcstartupweek.com/wednesday