Organization & Leadership¶
The Beta Group (BETA) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates TCSW. Founded in 2013 in Minneapolis, it manages beta.mn, tcstartupweek.com, and tech.mn (now defunct). Its mission: accelerate the success of Minnesota technology founders.
Leadership over time¶
| Name | Role | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Nels Pedersen | Co-founder & Director | 2014–~2019 |
| Reed Robinson | Co-founder & Executive Director | ~2013–~2019 |
| Cihan Behlivan | Interim Executive Director | July 2023+ |
| Angela Eifert | Executive Director | 2024–current |
| Dylan Dierking | Programs & Operations Director | Current |
Continuity risk
Three executive-director transitions in six years (Robinson → Behlivan → Eifert) create institutional-memory risk. Each handoff coincided with format shifts.
Governance¶
- Founders (2013): Reed Robinson, Ryan Broshar, Justin Cox
- Board chair: Michael Arulfo
- Board: Eva Rasmussen (Secretary), Chris Taylor (Treasurer), Autumn Way, Luke Wendlandt, Christopher Carlisle, Matthew Soper, Ginny Richardson, Jenna Zangs
- Executive Advisory Board: Derek Hayes, Matthew Robinson, Jim Graham, Ingrid Lindberg, Jackie Darrah, Ben Wells
Founding partners (2014)¶
Beta.MN · MN Cup · Minnestar · TECHdotMN · Fueled Collective
Brands managed¶
| Brand | Status |
|---|---|
| beta.mn | Active |
| tcstartupweek.com | Active |
| tech.mn | Defunct (domain TLS error; appears parked) |
Source files¶
BACKGROUND/history/complete-timeline.md(organization section)BACKGROUND/analysis/master-findings-report.md