Business | 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.

Best of Black Businesses

Nominations Are Now Open for the 2026 Best of Black Business Awards

by MSR News Online June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

Nominations are now open for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s Second Annual Best of Black Business Awards. Submit your favorites across five categories through June 30, 2026, with winners celebrated at a live ceremony on Nov. 7.

MSR On the Radar

iLLism: The South Minneapolis Duo Building a Creative Legacy

by Damenica Ellis May 28, 2026June 4, 2026

Twin Cities hip-hop duo iLLism, consisting of husband-and-wife creators Fancy and Emmanuel Duncan, have evolved from a successful musical act into powerful community builders. Through CRWN Media, the Legacy Building, and the Soul of the Southside festival, they are actively rewriting the narrative for local creatives.

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.

Business

NEON Launches $22 Million Collective Kitchens Hub, Giving Food Entrepreneurs Room to Grow

by Alaysia Lane May 24, 2026May 24, 2026

The Northside Economic Opportunity Network celebrated the grand opening of NEON Collective Kitchens, a 25,000-square-foot commercial kitchen and food business incubator on West Broadway designed to help North Minneapolis food entrepreneurs scale their businesses.

MSR On the Radar

Caring through art: How ‘artivist’ Esther Callahan cultivates Black creative spaces

by Damenica Ellis May 21, 2026May 28, 2026

Twin Cities artivist and curator Esther Callahan shares how she transformed personal trauma into a lifelong mission of healing, launching The BLK Collectors to uplift Black artists and investors.

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.

MSR On the Radar

Kprecia Ambers uses digital art to foster representation and connection

by Damenica Ellis May 15, 2026May 22, 2026

North Minneapolis native Kprecia Ambers is transforming the world of digital illustration. Through her brand, KP Inspires, she creates soulful artwork designed to foster representation, celebrate Black beauty, and bring warmth into everyday home spaces.

Business

Golden Thyme marks one year under new stewardship, carrying Rondo’s legacy forward

by Jasmine McBride May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

Golden Thyme Restaurant and Bar on Selby Avenue marked one year under new leadership with a community celebration that brought generations of Rondo residents together for food, music and reflection.

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.

MSR On the Radar

From Maya Angelou to the Emmy Stage, The Interdisciplinary Life of PaviElle French

by Damenica Ellis May 12, 2026May 22, 2026

From performing for Maya Angelou at age 10 to winning an Emmy for her documentary, Rondo native PaviElle French has spent her life refining a craft that blends soul, theater, and community activism

MSR On the Radar

The art of intentional dining: Jametta Raspberry’s House of Gristle

by Damenica Ellis May 1, 2026May 22, 2026

Chef Jametta Raspberry, founder of House of Gristle, transcends traditional dining by blending French culinary techniques with a deep passion for Black hospitality and community building.

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.

MSR On the Radar

Photography, music and finding a home in clay with Sayge Carroll

by Damenica Ellis April 25, 2026May 6, 2026

Multidisciplinary artist Sayge Carroll transitioned from photography to clay, eventually co-founding Mudluk Pottery Studio. Her work blends ceramics and soundscapes to create a transformative, inclusive space in South Minneapolis.

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.

Business

Minneapolis fair opens doors for the formerly incarcerated

by Aamira Redd April 19, 2026April 19, 2026

Twin Cities Rise re-entry resource fair drew more than 150 people to Minneapolis Central Library on April 14 connecting formerly incarcerated individuals with fair-chance employers and support services.

Business

The secondhand shift: Stretching dollars instead of creating more trash

by Damenica Ellis April 18, 2026April 18, 2026

Thrifting and secondhand shopping are rising as consumers embrace pre-loved clothing and goods for environmental, financial and cultural reasons, with experts and Twin Cities voices weighing in on the trend.

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.

Business

Why people are opting out of hustle culture, choosing lifestyle over work

by Damenica Ellis April 14, 2026April 14, 2026

Hustle culture and Black burnout explored by two therapists who say opting out is not failure but a necessary corrective to a system built on extraction and overwork.

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