Temilola Okunola started her fashion brand $INZU at 19 with no roadmap. Five years later, she’s modernizing Ankara style, expanding to the Mall of America, and proving that faith and consistency pay off.
Black Business Spotlight
This space is dedicated to offer snapshots of Minnesota’s Black-owned businesses.
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Kelly’s Candles turns wax into works of art
For candle artist Kelly, a flame isn’t just about scent, it’s about sculpture, sustainability, and honoring the memories of loved ones.
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Black Business Spotlight: Zoma House creates a path for artists in Minneapolis
Uzoma Ngwu launched Zoma House in Minneapolis to bring music, film, fine art, and food under one roof. Here’s how she’s carving out a physical haven for underrepresented creatives.
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Flame Reaction Candle Co. brings bold scents to the Twin Cities
Twin Cities entrepreneur Chay’La Hart launched Flame Reaction Candle Co. to create handcrafted home fragrances that double as art pieces.
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Get Gorgeous marks nearly 20 years of beauty in the Rondo community
For nearly two decades, Get Gorgeous Salon & Spa has been more than a place to get styled, it’s a home for St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood. Discover how founder Ilka Bird built a multicultural haven that spans generations.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Honey’s Soul Food & Bakery seasons its way past a health setback
After physical challenges made everyday cooking difficult, Minneapolis chef and caterer Honey Price adapted by creating Honey Soul Seasonings—a all-in-one flavor line turning personal adversity into business growth.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Self-taught lash artist builds business one client at a time
For Shareez Foreman, becoming a lash artist started with curiosity, creativity, and the self-determination to master a new skill, one client at a time.
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Tribe Federal Credit Union brings community-rooted banking to Midtown
Tribe Federal Credit Union, the nation’s first provisionally chartered credit union, opened its doors at Midtown Global Market, bringing a mission-driven financial institution to South Minneapolis. Contributing writer Fela Jamal has the story.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Roots & Bloom turns plant care into self-care
Ciera Curtis turned her love of plants into Roots & Bloom, a mobile plant shop bringing greenery, workshops and wellness conversations to communities across the Twin Cities. Contributing writer Lizzy Nyoike has the story.
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Sheer Treasures celebrates culture, wellness and community after 53 years
From selling incense door to door in North Minneapolis to 53 years in business, M. David and Gail Ricks built Sheer Treasures into a Northtown Mall staple rooted in culture, wellness and community.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Carol’s African Restaurant brings Liberian cuisine and community to Brooklyn Park
Carol’s African Restaurant, a new family-owned West African restaurant in Brooklyn Park named in honor of Jamecar Killen’s mother, held its grand opening May 9, drawing more than 200 people after nearly a decade of catering and community building across the Twin Cities.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
How one St. Paul makeup artist built her business from the ground up after high school
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
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The Purposed Parent: Sister Duo Delivers Essential Prenatal and Postpartum SupportÂ
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.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Unique Fashion and Accessories brings affordable style and resilience to Crystal
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.
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Black-led Arise Community Credit Union works to expand financial access for all
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.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
Urban Lights Music continues legacy as one of the Twin Cities’ last Black-owned record stores
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.
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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.
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Ashley Bolden built Lynnmonade on mindset and mission
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.
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One founder’s journey from the mountains of Jamaica to a Minnesota healing space
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.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
How Design by Melo is reshaping community spaces in the Twin Cities
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.