Creating Community Consulting (CCC), a rural-rooted, nationally rising leader in community innovation, has been named a semifinalist in the 2025 MN Cup Impact Ventures Division—placing it among the top 10 social impact startups in Minnesota. This major milestone recognizes CCC’s visionary work helping local leaders simplify operations, amplify their message, and scale community-wide change.

At the heart of their expansion in services is Ignite-ify, a powerful new platform being designed to help community-serving organizations get out of tech overwhelm and into action. Whether it’s a parks program, youth initiative, or community health or wellness effort—Ignite-ify equips leaders with training and AI driven done-for-you systems and includes a vibrant community of practice.  This continues to build on the consulting services currently being led in 20+ counties in Minnesota. 

“Most people working in community programs just want to know how to do the work.  They didn’t sign up to build websites, figure out SEO, spend hours researching training, or writing grants and posting to ten different social media channels,” said CCC Founder Karen Pifher. “They signed up to help people. That’s why we created Ignite-ify—to put all the training, tools and support in one place.”

What makes Ignite-ify different?

Built by and for rural, under-resourced, mission-driven leaders, Ignite-ify is a digital backbone + learning hub all in one. It includes:

• A ready-to-launch website with event registration, blogs, and contact forms

• One dashboard for posting to your social media, updating your site, and emailing your list

• A full content library and templates created just for community orgs

• A monthly workshop series and real-time support from other leaders doing the work

• Grant Accelerator- organizational readiness assessment, grant workplan writer and researcher, letter of intent writer, trainings and tools, and a community of practice to make grant writing easy

“It’s like having your own grant writing, marketing, training experts with tools for implementation and tech department—without the price tag,” Pifher added. “But even more importantly, you’re joining a movement of peers who believe in leading with heart and building up their communities, together.”

Sign up here to get notifications on the launch and tools coming soon! https://igniteifycomingsoon-yy7.plannerpack.co/

This MN Cup honor is not just a win for CCC—it’s a win for every rural changemaker who’s ever said, “We could do ___ if we had the right tools or knew where to start.”

“We are so proud of our team and the communities we work in and can’t wait to help support other changemakers as we scale through Ignite-ify!” Megan Jenson, CCC Co-Owner and Consultant. “We know communities have amazing ideas and just need support and the right tools… that is where we come in.”

CCC’s Ignite-ify platform is already in use by dozens of parks departments, youth programs, family resource centers, and community wellness teams across the country. Their 2025–2026 goal? Reach 700 members, host over 40 implementation events, and become the go-to support system for leaders who are building a better future from the ground up.

“This is about more than growth,” said Pifher. “It’s about giving communities the tools to succeed and tell their own story—and the space to do it together.”