Black Business Spotlight | Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Black Business Spotlight

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

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

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

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

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.

Black Business Spotlight

Gumbo

by MSR News Online September 19, 2025September 19, 2025

Gumbo digital health platform pairs culturally tailored health education with community health workers so patients can navigate care in their own language and context. Free to patients. Licensed by providers.

Black Business Spotlight

Spyce Pilates

by Jasmine McBride August 29, 2025August 26, 2025

Black Business Spotlight: Spyce Pilates opens this fall in the Twin Cities, bringing inclusive wellness and representation to the Pilates community.

Black Business Spotlight

Cici’s Cupcakes

by Jasmine McBride August 15, 2025August 11, 2025

Cici’s Cupcakes offers bold, custom flavors made-to-order by Minneapolis baker Ciara Flowers.

Black Business Spotlight

Shotspotter

by Jasmine McBride August 8, 2025August 7, 2025

ShotSpotter, the real-time gunfire detection tech developed by SoundThinking, is being deployed in U.S. cities to reduce firearm deaths—but questions remain about its impact on majority-Black communities.

Black Business Spotlight

The Birth Revolution

by Jasmine McBride July 25, 2025July 25, 2025

Nadine Ashby is creating a radical shift in birth work. The Birth Revolution centers Black, queer, and trans birthing people through affirming training, support, and joy-filled community care.

Black Business Spotlight

Flow Hair and Beauty

by Jasmine McBride July 4, 2025July 1, 2025

Black-owned Flow Hair and Beauty in Uptown Minneapolis offers more than hair products. The shop provides a healing space for people navigating medical hair loss and builds community with care.

Black Business Spotlight

BrightRay

by Jasmine McBride June 13, 2025June 10, 2025

BrightRay blends West African tradition with natural self-care through its triple-butter body products and holistic approach to wellness.

Black Business Spotlight

Truly Natural Hair Studio

by Jasmine McBride June 6, 2025June 3, 2025

Truly Natural Hair Studio in Minneapolis offers a wellness-centered approach to natural hair care, led by owner Chanda McDaniel’s 30+ years of expertise.

Black Business Spotlight

Justice 929

by Aria Binns-Zager May 30, 2025May 27, 2025

Selwyn Jones, uncle of George Floyd, turns grief into action. Through Justice 929, he pushes for reform, builds tech for safety, and keeps fighting for justice.

Black Business Spotlight

Hotworx Union Park

by Kiara Williams May 8, 2025May 6, 2025

Natalia Davis, owner of Hotworx Union Park in St. Paul, has merged her passion for community health, family values, and generational entrepreneurship into a project that has already impacted lives, including reducing inflammation and improving mobility for people with multiple sclerosis.

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