Black Business Spotlight | Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

How one St. Paul makeup artist built her business from the ground up after high school

by Lizzy Nyoike June 10, 2026June 17, 2026

Black Business Spotlight: Makeup artist Kelexis McKinley built Slayage By Keke over 11 years from experimenting in the mirror after high school into a storefront beauty studio on University Avenue in St. Paul.SUBTITLE
Black Business Spotlight: Makeup artist Kelexis McKinley spent 11 years building Slayage By Keke from a home glam room to a storefront

Black Business Spotlight

The Purposed Parent: Sister Duo Delivers Essential Prenatal and Postpartum Support

by Damenica Ellis June 3, 2026June 10, 2026

Nigerian American sisters Praise and Peace Olowokere founded The Purposed Parent in 2022 to provide culturally competent prenatal and postpartum support for Twin Cities families, with a mission rooted in reducing Black maternal and infant mortality.

Black Business Spotlight

Unique Fashion and Accessories brings affordable style and resilience to Crystal

by Lizzy Nyoike May 27, 2026June 3, 2026

Black Business Spotlight: Unique Fashion and Accessories owner Betty Sanders built a decade-long boutique business rooted in survivorship, affordable style and community empowerment after two battles with breast cancer changed the direction of her life.

Black Business Spotlight

Black-led Arise Community Credit Union works to expand financial access for all

by Lizzy Nyoike May 20, 2026May 27, 2026

Black Business Spotlight: Arise Community Credit Union, founded through the Association for Black Economic Power in response to George Floyd’s murder, is building a community-rooted financial institution designed to serve residents historically excluded from traditional banking.

Black Business Spotlight

Urban Lights Music continues legacy as one of the Twin Cities’ last Black-owned record stores

by Lizzy Nyoike May 13, 2026May 22, 2026

Urban Lights Music, one of the last Black-owned record stores in the Twin Cities, has survived 32 years on University Avenue in St. Paul through industry shifts, the pandemic, civil unrest and construction by staying rooted in community and culture.

Black Business Spotlight

Big L’s Soul Food & Steakhouse brings flavor to George Floyd Square

Big L’s Soul Food Minneapolis opens in George Floyd Square as Larry Robinson grows a four-year food truck into a full-service community restaurant on 38th Street.

Black Business Spotlight

Ashley Bolden built Lynnmonade on mindset and mission

by Jasmine McBride April 24, 2026April 24, 2026

Lynnmonade founder Ashley Bolden built a wellness beverage brand rooted in mental health, holistic nutrition and positive affirmations from a backyard lemonade stand she started with her son during COVID.

Black Business Spotlight

One founder’s journey from the mountains of Jamaica to a Minnesota healing space

by Jasmine McBride April 16, 2026April 18, 2026

Amuure Holistic Healing founder Kenisha Ama’anii brings nearly two decades of wellness experience and a trauma-centered approach to massage therapy in the Twin Cities.

Black Business Spotlight

How Design by Melo is reshaping community spaces in the Twin Cities

by Lizzy Nyoike April 8, 2026April 8, 2026

Design by Melo founder Damaris Hollingsworth built a Twin Cities architecture and urban design firm rooted in affordable housing and community centered design after creating the opportunity she could not find.

Black Business Spotlight

Strive Publishing & Bookstore centers Black voices

by Lizzy Nyoike March 25, 2026April 2, 2026

In the heart of downtown Minneapolis, inside the Medical Arts Building, a unique literacy space is quietly transforming how stories are told, and who gets to tell them. At Strive Publishing & Bookstore, founder and CEO Mary Taris has created more than a bookstore, building a cultural hub rooted in representation, community, and the power […]

Black Business Spotlight

Turning setbacks into comebacks through credit repair

by Jasmine McBride March 18, 2026March 18, 2026

AIM Credit Repair LLC helps individuals rebuild credit while supporting financial literacy and second chances.

Black Business Spotlight

A self-care ritual grows into a mother-daughter candle and wellness business

by Damenica Ellis March 11, 2026March 18, 2026

Black Business Spotlight: Kobi Co. Minneapolis grew from a high school idea into a thriving candle and wellness business created by a mother-daughter team.

Black Business Spotlight

South Minneapolis Black-owned thrift store creates space for healing and access

by Lizzy Nyoike March 4, 2026March 11, 2026

The Thrifty Nifty thrift store Minneapolis location is helping South Minneapolis residents access affordable clothing while building community support near George Floyd Square.

Black Business Spotlight

Inner Peace

by Damenica Ellis February 11, 2026February 21, 2026

Inner Peace Fragrance Minneapolis began in Opal Robinson’s home kitchen, where she mixed personal care products for herself. Today, her handcrafted body oils, incense, soaps, and candles are sold at Midtown Global Market, offering customers sustainable ingredients, long-lasting scents, and a space centered on warmth and respect.

Black Business Spotlight

Internal Beauties

by Damenica Ellis February 5, 2026February 16, 2026

Kisha Triplett created Internal Beauties to help people feel confident from the inside out, blending noninvasive beauty services with a message of healing, self-acceptance and wellness.

Black Business Spotlight

The Curl District

by Damenica Ellis January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

Aubriana Jackson, founder of The Curl District, is redefining natural hair care in St. Paul by combining luxury service, healthy curls, and community-centered beauty rooted in Black culture.

Black Business Spotlight

Five-Star Chuck: A locksmith built on trust

by Scott Selmer December 5, 2025December 5, 2025

One early winter morning in Oakdale, Minnesota, the cash drawer at a HomeGoods jammed shut with the night’s revenue locked inside. Management needed it opened immediately. The call went to one man: “Five-Star Chuck.” Less than an hour later, Charles “Chuck” Bradley was on site, opening the drawer with practiced precision. The store opened on […]

Black Business Spotlight

SOAR Stretch Therapy connects the dots

by Lizzy Nyoike November 14, 2025November 14, 2025

Roseann Stewart, better known as “The Stretch Lady,” has made it her mission to transform how Minnesotans think about wellness. Through her business, SOAR Stretch Therapy, she helps clients manage pain, improve mobility, and preserve long-term health. Stewart works with people recovering from injuries or surgeries, as well as those navigating aging joints, swelling, or […]

Black Business Spotlight

ProVisionAry Childcare

by Scott Selmer October 25, 2025October 25, 2025

ProVisionAry Childcare in North Minneapolis brings cultural pride and community care together. Founder Danielle Tucker’s Afro-centric, home-based program focuses on faith, inclusion, and affirming every child’s identity.

Black Business Spotlight

Essential Salt Spa

by Lizzy Nyoike October 10, 2025October 10, 2025

After a 40 minute session changed her breathing and sense of smell, Greta Sher opened Essential Salt Spa in Minneapolis. The spa’s dry salt therapy circulates pharmaceutical grade sodium chloride to help clear airways and calm skin conditions. Sher says halotherapy supports, not replaces, treatment plans and is part of a more affordable, inclusive approach to wellness.

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