From: Dan Carr <dancarr@collaborative.

net Date: December 29, 2013, 9:30:17 PM CST To: Lars Subject: Announcement on The Collaborative in 2014 Happy New Year! We are writing to you today as a 2012-2013 attendee, speaker or supporter of our work with some news on The Collaborative in 2014. After 27 years, The Collaborative and its President, Dan Carr, will be hanging up their entrepreneurial convening cleats in 2014. It's been our true privilege to serve Minnesota's entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem for all these years. Here are a few details: * Business as Usual Through June 2014: We are excited to continue serving continue serving Minnesota's entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem through June 30, 2014. * 2014 Events Already Scheduled: The Collaborative has already created a fantastic slate of five first half 2014 events (confirmed dates and topics are below). * January 9, 2014: Creative Entrepreneurship with Walker Art Center * January 23, 2014: M&A, Growth Series event (members save $100) * February 27, 2014: Medtech, Vanguard Series event (members save $50) * April 9, 2014: Private Equity, Growth Series event (members save $100) * May 8, 2014: Tech.2014, Vanguard Series event (members save $50) * Offerings: While it's very early in the year, we expect to execute and help build a 2014 event schedule comparable with previous years. After all, our members and program participants have made all of our work possible--for 27 years. We want to respect the support you've given that work and will be sending updates in the coming weeks and months. * Annual Venture & Finance Conference: The MN Venture Capital Association & The Collaborative's 28th Annual Conference is already booked! Mark your calendars now for October 30, 2014 at the Mpls. Convention Center and we'll be back with more information soon, including how this announcement will impact this premier event for Minnesota innovators. * CFO WorkGroups will continue unchanged: The Collaborative will continue facilitating its private CFO WorkGroups into the future (these are small targeted, confidential groups of top finance executives convened on a monthly basis separate from The Collaborative event and publishing activities). * More details will follow. The Collaborative isn't going anywhere just yet and will continue serving the state's entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem with

the emails, events and offerings that you've come to expect as participants in our work. We will also keep you posted on additional details, possible second half 2014 events we may help plan and potential synergies with other Minnesota organizations, as they develop. Here are some thoughts on this announcement from Dan Carr: * "While The Collaborative continues to see fantastic opportunities in Minnesota's entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem, I think it's time to pass the baton to others serving this amazing part of the Minnesota economy." * "I started doing this work in my mid-20s. Even though I continue to simply love the work of The Collaborative, convening Minnesota's most impressive and up & coming entrepreneurs, investors and thought leaders, after half of my life dedicated to this work, my family and I have decided to bring this chapter to a close." * "I'm especially excited about Minnesota's entrepreneurial vibrancy and activity -- not only do we have one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates and the highest fortune 500 per capita ratio, but we also have amazing entrepreneurial activity and numerous robust, vibrant innovation clusters. I'd stack Minnesota's entrepreneurial spirit, work ethic and industry diversity up against any metropolitan region in the United States. It's this amazing Minnesota entrepreneurial ecosystem that has allowed The Collaborative to thrive for 27 years -- without government funding or foundation support. It's a great time to be an entrepreneur in Minnesota." Thanks for all your support--without it, we simply wouldn't be able to do our work serving, convening, celebrating and exploring Minnesota's innovation economy -and "Helping to Build Minnesota Companies," our tagline since 1987. Sincerely, Daniel Carr and all of us at The Collaborative