Media & Social¶
How TCSW shows up in press, on social channels, and how to re-engage each advertising medium.
Official social channels¶
| Platform | Handle | Followers | Status | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tcstartupweek | 2,709 | ✅ Active | Professional announcements, speaker reveals, sponsor unveils | |
| X / Twitter | @tcstartupweek | Not captured | ✅ Active | Live event coverage, real-time session amplification |
| @tcstartupweek | Not captured | ✅ Active | Event photography, visual storytelling | |
| Medium | twin-cities-startup-week | 59 | ⚠️ Slowing | Major announcements; last confirmed post 2020 |
| Blog / Substack | blog.twincitiesstartupweek.com | — | ✅ Active | Operational updates, partner announcements |
BETA parent channels¶
| Platform | Handle | URL |
|---|---|---|
| The Beta Group | linkedin.com/company/betamn | |
| Website | BETA | beta.mn |
Advertising mediums — confirmed coverage history¶
These are the outlets that have previously covered TCSW and represent the primary channels for earned media.
Twin Cities Business Magazine — tcbmag.com¶
Role: Anchor trade coverage — most consistent annual preview and recap
Best pitch timing: 3–4 weeks before event (preview); 1 week after (recap)
Contact: editors@tcbmag.com
| Year | Title | Author | Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Twin Cities Startup Week is Bigger Than Ever | Kate LeRette | 5th year milestone; 200+ events, 12K attendees; founding story |
| 2019 | How to Navigate Twin Cities Startup Week | Amanda Ostuni | Fortune 500 title sponsors (Target, Cargill, 3M); geography/tips |
| 2020 | Organizers Hope to Conquer 'Digital Fatigue' | Dan Niepow | COVID pivot; Hopin virtual platform; resilience story |
Best angles for TCB: New title sponsors; attendance/event-count milestones; MN Cup winner profile
Star Tribune — startribune.com¶
Role: MN's largest newspaper; drives mainstream awareness
Key relationship: Steve Grove (CEO & Publisher) was a 2025 keynote speaker — strong signal
Best pitch timing: 2–3 weeks before event for preview
Access note: Rate-limited online; full text via Minneapolis Public Library card or NewsBank
| Year | Title | Angle |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Attract thousands… could be even more | 2019 preview; MANOVA Summit; Walmart + Mayo Clinic sponsors |
| 2019 | Follow-ups begin after TCSW | Post-event recap; 6th annual; "biggest and most wide-ranging yet" |
| 2021 | What's happening during Twin Cities Startup Week | 2021 hybrid; ~200 events; MN Startup of the Year |
Start Midwest — start-midwest.com¶
Role: Midwest-focused startup media; current best-practice recap outlet
Note: Most detailed 2025 coverage; member content but key sections free
| Year | Title | Key Content |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Recapping Twin Cities Startup Week 2025 | 1,000+ attendees; full event-by-event recap; VC panel (Bread & Butter, Matchstick, M25, Hyde Park); MN Cup winners; Groove Pitch Night |
GreaterMSP — greatermsp.org¶
Role: Regional economic development organization; amplifies to corporate/civic audience
| Year | Title | Key Content |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Prepare Your Calendar for TCSW | Growth narrative; Target/3M/Cargill presenting; "hundreds of attendees to thousands per day" |
Medium — Official TCSW Publication¶
URL: medium.com/twin-cities-startup-week | 59 followers
Status: Slowing — last confirmed post 2020; community writers still active
| Year | Title | Author | Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Target, Cargill and 3M Join to Host TCSW | Laura Beier | Full Fortune 500 title sponsor announcement; executive quotes |
| 2020 | All the changes coming to TCSW in 2020 | — | COVID adaptations; Hopin platform; 3-week spread |
| 2023 | How I Survived Twin Cities Startup Week | AR (community) | Attendee experience; Zero to Global theme; BETA Showcase |
Community & Ecosystem Outlets¶
| Outlet | Type | Year(s) | Coverage | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Cities Collective / Jenna Redfield | Substack newsletter | 2025 | Day-by-day TCSW preview; keynote speakers | twincitiescollective.com |
| Minnesota Startups Substack | Newsletter | Oct 2025 | TCSW in monthly MN startup events roundup | minnesotastartups.substack.com |
| Minnestar | MN tech community blog | 2018, 2025 | #MNtech roundups; event listings | minnestar.org |
| MN.gov / DEED | State government | 2019 | Official state participation; Launch MN happy hour | mn.gov/deed |
| Security Bank & Trust | Community bank blog | 2017–2020 | Multi-year participant retrospective | security-banks.com |
| ElevateHennepin | County EDO | 2024 | Event listing | elevatehennepin.org |
| every.io | Startup resource blog | 2025 | TCSW listed as #1 MN startup event | every.io |
| Start Midwest | Midwest startup media | 2025 | Full event recap | start-midwest.com |
| Sched.com archives | Schedule platform | 2017, 2023 | Full archived schedules, speakers, sponsors | sched.com |
tech.mn (defunct)¶
Note: tech.mn domain now has TLS errors — site expired/transferred. Was a primary MN tech outlet.
| Year | Title | Angle |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | A Look Back at TCSW 2020 | Virtual recap; session recording best practices |
Hashtag strategy¶
Primary (every post)¶
| Hashtag | Reach | Notes |
|---|---|---|
#TCSW |
Maximum | Core identifier — always use |
#TCSW2026 |
High | Year-specific; drives search clustering |
#TwinCitiesStartupWeek |
High | Full name; optimized for search |
Secondary¶
| Hashtag | Audience |
|---|---|
#MNStartups |
Minnesota startup ecosystem |
#StartupCapitaloftheNorth |
Geographic brand positioning |
#MNTech |
Tech community (Minnestar-linked) |
#BetaMN |
BETA organization audience |
Historical year themes¶
| Year | Theme | Hashtag |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Zero to Global | #ZeroToGlobal |
| 2026 | TBD | TBD |
Partner / ecosystem handles (tag in posts)¶
| Organization | X / Twitter | |
|---|---|---|
| BETA | @betamn | betamn |
| Communiful | @communiful | communiful |
| Groove Capital | @groove_capital | groove-capital |
| Great North Ventures | @greatnorthvc | great-north-ventures |
| Matchstick Ventures | @matchstickvc | matchstick-ventures |
| Minnestar | @minnestar | minnestar |
| MN Cup | @mncup | mn-cup |
| Launch Minnesota | @launchmn | launch-minnesota |
| Star Tribune | @startribune | star-tribune |
Content cadence (observed patterns)¶
LinkedIn (primary channel — 2,709 followers) - Pattern: event previews → speaker announcements → sponsor reveals → live coverage → post-event recaps - Best-performing content: speaker announcements, MN Cup winner reveals, sponsor announcements
Twitter / X
- Active during event week with live session coverage
- Attendees use #TCSW for real-time tweeting
- 2023: "Zero to Global" theme visible in bio and posts
Medium (official publication) - Used for major milestone announcements only - Consider reviving for 2026 Fortune 500 sponsor reveal
PR angles & key quotes¶
Evergreen angles - Growth story: 15 events (2014) → 200+ events, 17,000+ attendees (2019 peak) → focused 1,000+ (2025 relaunch) - Fortune 500 engagement: Target, Cargill, 3M, Microsoft, AWS, Walmart, Mayo Clinic - MN Cup Grand Prize: $400K+ awarded; AcQumen Medical ($100K, 2025), Swinergy ($40K runner-up) - BIPOC entrepreneurship: MANOVA Summit, BITCon - Virtual-to-in-person evolution (2020–2025) - Steve Grove (Star Tribune CEO) as keynote + publisher = cross-promotional opportunity
Key executive quotes on record
"There are countless benefits of having a diverse corporate community that is actively supporting our startup ecosystems."
— Reed Robinson, Executive Director BETA (2019)"The pace of innovation is so fast that close-knit relationships with early stage founders is required to remain ahead of the competition."
— Lawrence Wang, Cargill (2019)"Innovation is at the heart of 3M's culture, so we're excited to meet Minnesota startups and investors who share that spirit."
— Ben Wright, 3M Ventures (2019)"Minnesota has one of the best economies in the world."
— Scott Burns, Mairs & Power VC (2025 TCSW)"Go after trillion-dollar ideas, not just incremental improvements."
— Sunny Han, Fulcrum (2025 TCSW)
Social listening terms¶
Monitor these for TCSW-related conversation:
"Twin Cities Startup Week" · "TCSW" · "TCSW2026" · "Beta.MN" + "startup" · "MN Cup" + "startup" · "Minnedemo" · "#MNStartups" + "startup week"
Source files¶
BACKGROUND/media/media-coverage-database.mdBACKGROUND/media/social-media-intelligence.mdBACKGROUND/media/by-year/— per-year detailed breakdowns (2018–2025)BACKGROUND/media/by-publication/— per-outlet files (TCB, Star Tribune, Medium)BACKGROUND/media/by-topic/— corporate sponsorship coverage, growth & history coverage