Twin Cities entrepreneur Chay’La Hart launched Flame Reaction Candle Co. to create handcrafted home fragrances that double as art pieces.
Business
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Posted inMSR On the Radar
MSR On the Radar: Krowned Kenn is bossing up her business to be more than just a St. Paul braider
At just 24, St. Paul braider Krowned Kenn turned front-porch hustling into a thriving beauty brand. Now, she’s setting her sights on real estate, community advocacy, and redefining luxury hair care in the Twin Cities.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
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 inOn the Radar
MSR On the Radar: Tommy McNeal, the man behind a new 30,000-square-foot business and event center
Retiring from corporate America to build generational wealth, Tommy McNeal is creating an 8-acre business and event hub in Brooklyn Center featuring a 1,000-seat venue, business incubator, commercial kitchen, and community housing pipeline.
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U.S. Bank’s new online resource empowers small businesses
U.S. Bank’s Business Resources Central is helping small business owners like Jeena Gurung Vomhof of Namaste Brows and Boutique build financial plans, pitch skills and systems for growth. Sponsored content explores how the free digital tool is putting real resources in the hands of Twin Cities entrepreneurs.
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.
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Black Business Week 2026: A Full Week of Events Celebrating, Supporting, and Growing Black Business in Minneapolis
Minneapolis Black Business Week 2026 runs July 23 through Aug. 2 with a packed lineup of conferences, certification workshops, street markets and festivals celebrating and investing in the city’s Black business community.
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.
Posted inEvents
Brooklyn Center fundraiser event supports 30K-Square-Foot event space
McNeal Management is celebrating the land launch of a new 30,000-square-foot business and event center for Black entrepreneurs in Brooklyn Center with a free outdoor celebration. Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry has the details.
Posted inBest of Black Businesses
Best of Black Business 2026: Meet the 50 Finalists
Voting is open for the Second Annual Best of Black Business Awards. Meet the 50 finalists across five categories, from soul food kitchens to design studios, representing the best in Black-owned business across Minnesota.
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On University Avenue, Barbershops and Salons Are Building More Than Businesses
From braiding studios to a youth barber training program, University Avenue’s beauty and grooming businesses are building more than haircuts. This piece, sponsored by Neighborhood Development Center, spotlights the owners behind the corridor’s Hidden GEMS.
Posted inBlack Business Spotlight
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.
Posted inBusiness
Governor’s office recognizes Dr. Sharhonda York Chea for transforming justice through research
A conversation with a parole officer as a teenager set Dr. Sharhonda York Chea on a path from watching her father’s reentry to earning a PhD and building a research firm dedicated to reducing recidivism. Contributing writer Lizzy Nyoike has her 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 inBusiness
Fractional CFO services are unlocking capital for Black businesses
Black Press USA contributing writer Amy Kang explains how fractional CFO services can help Black-owned businesses access capital, build investor-grade financial documentation and close the funding gap without the cost of a full-time executive.
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.
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Neighborhood Development Center Spotlights Community Businesses Through Hidden GEMS Campaign
The Hidden GEMS on University Avenue campaign spotlights Flava Coffee and Cafe, Angelea’s Soul Food Kitchen and The Collective Salon Studios as part of NDC’s St. Paul Commercial Corridor Program celebrating the people and places that make the corridor special.
Posted inBusiness
Orange Barrels, Empty Tables: East 7th Street Businesses Fight to Survive MnDOT Construction
A seven-month MnDOT reconstruction project on East Seventh Street in St. Paul is threatening the survival of dozens of immigrant- and minority-owned businesses on the East Side corridor, with $5,000 grants covering just one month of a seven-month impact.
Posted inBusiness
After the Ruling: How Trump’s Struck-Down Tariffs Impact Black-Owned Businesses
A Supreme Court ruling struck down Trump’s IEEPA tariffs, triggering an estimated $130 to $175 billion in potential refunds, while Black-owned businesses absorbed disproportionate damage with 52% reporting a decline in sales.