Joining the Market FAQs

It’s built for you and because of you! Numerous alumni entrepreneurs asked the University of Minnesota Alumni Association to create a system & campus-wide community of entrepreneurs -- regardless of their college -- to connect with one another for a variety of reasons. Those range from mentorship to collaborations and more. Simultaneously, alumni and friends asked for a list of alumni entrepreneurs that they, too, could support, whether it be places to dine, dentists to visit, or for their gifting needs. The Alumni Association responded, and the MN Alumni Market became a reality in November of 2017.

Applicants must:

• Must hold a degree from the University of Minnesota (any campus)

• Must be a member, or become a member, of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (annual subscription or Life Member level)

• Must own a percentage of the business or provide a service (for example, accountants, dentists, doctors, lawyers, architects, etc. are welcome to apply for a listing, even if they work under a larger agency or company)

Yes, you must hold a degree from the University of Minnesota (any campus).

To be included in the Market, you must:

  • Be a member, or become a member, of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (Annual Subscription or Life Member)). If a co-owner is listed on the profile page, each co-owner must become a member.
  • Pay a Market Listing Fee of $50/year with a three-year commitment.

Once your business is accepted into the Market, we will invoice you for what applies.

Please submit a separate application and pay the Market listing fee for each business.

It's easy! Start here to submit your business details.

Applications are accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis. Depending on when you applied, please allow 1-3 weeks for processing and launching your business on the MN Alumni Market.

At a minimum, please allow 1-2 weeks to verify 1) you are a graduate of the University of Minnesota and 2) your membership status at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. Also, in accordance with University of Minnesota policy, we will verify that businesses are consistent with the values of the University of Minnesota and the Alumni Association. 3) your page is fully built and all edits are applied.

In accordance with University of Minnesota Alumni Association policy, we will verify that businesses are consistent with the values of the University of Minnesota and the Alumni Association. If for any reason your listing is denied, we will notify you the reasons and not bill you for the listing.

No, businesses in the Market do not receive financial assistance from either the University of Minnesota nor the Alumni Association. The Market is simply a resource and we do not endorse or vet these businesses.

Changes to your existing business listing can be made by emailing mnalumnimarket@umn.edu. Please be sure to include your name and company name. Please allow us 3-5 business days to review and make updates to your listing.

University of Minnesota marks may be used on commercial products only by vendors that are licensed with the trademark licensing office. Similarily, use of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association name and/or registered trademarks by businesses require written permission by the UMAA. To inquire on usage of UMAA trademarks, please email Vice President of Marketing & Business Development Lisa Huber (lhuber@umn.edu).

Vendors from outside entities wishing to apply University trademarks to any products they have developed (not a University product) must be a registered licensed vendor to produce products with any University trademarks. For complete information and to get started, visit https://clc.com/home/get-licensed/.

Please contact Mike Wierzbicki at mwierzbi@umn.edu for any further questions or information on how to become a licensed vendor, or to verify a vendor's status as a registered licensed vendor.

Our full sponsorship and advertising policy is here. Inclusion in the MN Alumni Market DOES NOT imply endorsement of a service or product.