Twin Cities Networking Events Roundup (Dec 15th-31st)
Final Post of 2025! Happy Holidays & New Years
❄️ End-of-Year Twin Cities Entrepreneur Roundup (Dec 15 Edition)
Hey friends,
We’re officially in the end-of-year stretch.
That funny in-between time where there are fewer official networking events, but a lot more holiday parties, friend get-togethers, and cozy things to do around the Cities.
The temps are dropping (because of course they are, it’s Minnesota), and this is the season where you’re layering up, double-checking the weather app, and trying to convince yourself that leaving the house after 5 p.m. is still a good idea.
I also just want to say:
Launching this Substack this year has been such a highlight.
Getting to share Twin Cities events, small business resources, and a more local, community-first lens with you has genuinely meant a lot. Thanks for reading, forwarding, replying, and just being here.
Note: If you are looking for more local festive events this month, check out Maggie in Minnesota’s Substack newsletter “Worth Every Crumb” she does a great job with those!
🗓 Late-December Events (Dec 15–31)
Since it’s the end of the year, the “official” networking calendar gets a little quieter, but there are still a few good options between now and New Year’s if you’re craving connection in between holiday parties and travel.
1️⃣ TipClub
🗓 Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 or December 18th, 2025
📍 Location: Edina or Arden Hills
🎯 Who It’s For: Small business owners, sales pros, and service providers who want to grow through referrals and relationships.
🎉 Vibe: Classic networking with structure. You’ll actually meet people, not just hover near the coffee.
17th link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/twin-cities-business-networking-event-registration-1839811619079
18th Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/minneapolis-business-networking-event-registration-1839805290149
2️⃣ Think N Link – Randy Hunt & Ben Erwin
🗓 Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025 3:00–5:00 pm Central
📍 Location: Capsule, Minneapolis
📍 Format: In-person, plus streamed on LinkedIn Live
🎯 Who It’s For: Entrepreneurs, leaders, and creatives who care about design, storytelling, and how those things shape real businesses and causes.
🎉 Vibe: Thoughtful, content-rich conversation with big-name talent, plus time to connect with other attendees.
The best gift you can give is great design—and this event brings two strong examples of it to the stage:
Randy Hunt, Head of Design at Notion, the beloved productivity tool created by Ivan Zhao and Simon Last. At Notion, design permeates everything from the interface to employee onboarding, and Randy will share how that design thinking shows up across the entire product and company.
Ben Erwin, CEO of Charitybuzz, a designed organization that turns the creative gift of an introduction into a great cause. Charitybuzz runs auctions where you can bid on meetings with leaders like Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, with proceeds going to their chosen charities.
3️⃣ Open Mic Pitch Night at BETA
🗓 Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025
⏰ Time: 6:00–8:00 pm
📍 Location: Twin Ignition Keg House, 55413
Join BETA for a low-key open mic pitch night where you can practice your 1–2 minute elevator pitch in front of a friendly audience of fellow entrepreneurs and get real feedback. It’s founders helping founders level up together, with sandwiches, beverages, music, and a fun, casual vibe.
Perfect if you want to tighten your pitch before 2026, meet other founders, and do it in a room that doesn’t feel intimidating.
4️⃣ Break the Bubble – Holiday Edition
🗓 Date: Monday, December 22, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00–9:00 pm CST
📍 Location: Dual Citizen Brewing Company, 725 Raymond Ave, St Paul, MN
You need some holiday fun away from the family, right? Break the Bubble is here for that. This is not a singles event and it’s not a traditional professional networking thing. It’s all about making friends, pure and simple—no pick‑up lines, no elevator speeches, just real humans meeting other humans.
What’s the format?
Show up
Put on a name tag
Introduce yourself to someone new
Most events have a light theme to help kickstart conversations with people you don’t know, so you’re never stuck wondering how to break the ice. It’s a great option if you want something social and low‑pressure between all the more formal holiday gatherings.
✨ Want More From Me?
If you’ve been enjoying this newsletter and want to go deeper, here are a couple ways to stay connected:
🧰 My Other Substack: Optimization Toolbox
This is where I nerd out on:
Systems and Notion setups
ADHD-friendly planning
Health and optimization tools I’m trying in my own life
If you like the behind-the-scenes, personal side of how I think about structure and energy, you’ll probably enjoy it.
👉 Subscribe to The Optimization Toolbox for more personal, nerdy deep dives.
💼 A Quick Red Thread Studio Update
This newsletter is supported by my business, Red Thread Studio, where I help small businesses show up online with clearer messaging and more consistent content. I wanted to share a quick update from that side of things, and then invite you into something I’m really excited about for 2026.
🎥 VIP Video Day – Book Before Prices Go Up
One of my core offers inside Red Thread Studio is the VIP Video Day: a 1-day, done-with-you video sprint where we map out your message and film around 30 short-form videos you can use across Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
💸 Pricing for VIP Video Days is going up on January 1.
If you want the current rate, you need to book before the end of the year.
You don’t have to film before Jan 1 to lock it in:
You can reserve your VIP Day now at 2025 pricing
Then schedule your actual filming day in early 2026
Schedule a free call if you want to chat about it!
If you’ve been thinking, “I know I need video, I just need someone to help me get it all done in one day,” this is your sign.
👉 Grab your VIP Video Day at the 2025 rate, and we’ll make sure you head into the new year with a content library instead of another vague resolution.
🎁 End-of-Year Note
With the holidays here, I know a lot of you are:
Traveling to see family
Hosting gatherings
Or just trying to stay warm and sane while wrapping up the year
Wherever you’re headed and however you’re spending it, I hope you:
Stay safe on the roads and in the air
Get a little time to rest and reflect
And feel even a tiny bit more connected to this Twin Cities community
Have a safe and cozy holiday season, and I’ll see you back in your inbox on New Year’s Day. 🌟
Talk soon,
Jenna