Jennifer Lara-Amezcua
My name is Jennifer Lara-Amezcua, I was born and raised in Rochester and still am here now. My parents came to the United States in February of 2001, I was born shortly after in July. Just like everyone else they wanted to make sure their kids grew up in a safe town and were able to receive the opportunities they didn’t have. Coming here not knowing a lick of English would definitely be scary for a 17 and 19 year old but they managed to make their way here in this town. Read more>>
Angela Higgins
The story of how I got to where I am today starts in the middle. February 21st, 2011 is the day I can say is the pivot point for change in my life. That was the first day I stepped onto a roller rink as an adult, and oh boy was I bad at it. Bit of my back story- I spent most of my formative years in a plastic backbrace, so I was unable to do most sports or activities. I filled my time with sedentary things, like reading and drawing. When I finally came out the brace my spine was very weak and my body was so tight from lack of movement. Read more>>
Lacey Doboszenski
I grew up in Nordeast Minneapolis with my parents and two brothers, one older- one younger. I am fortunate to come from an amazing family that always stood behind my dreams. Even when it took working extra hours, or even extra jobs to make it possible, my parents found ways to make it happen. I don’t know how they managed, but they always did. By the time I was 12 I was traveling all over the USA with my gymnastics team. Throughout grade school and high school, life was all about gymnastics. Read more>>
Michael Kistler
I am a Hong Kong artist specializing in fine art street photography and education. Originally from Minneapolis, my work has taken me to numerous cities around the world chasing the next fleeting street moment. After spending more than 10 years in Tokyo, I moved to Hong Kong in 2014. A signature element in my work is an often understated human element and its connection to the city; I am constantly searching for and exploring unconventional perspectives and unique moments where people and the urban landscape collide, merge and co-exist. Read more>>
Chloe Payne
Spark notes version: Went to UW Stout for college and had a few internships here and there. Interned for Disney, came back to Minnesota and worked at an agency that had a lot of sneaker clients. After working there for two years I started working for the bullseye aka Target. Somewhere in the mix of things decided to start a photography side business. A more in depth version: I mean for the most part the Sparks note version sums it up. I loved doing internships I thought that was a great opportunity to try and see if you like the company you work for and the type of work that they do. Read more>>
Krista Barnett
I am Minnesota born and raised, wife, and mama to three wonderful kiddos. I come from a long line of artists, with my father having been an art director for a faith based magazine for 30 years. He specialized in water colors, but encouraged his kids to try all art mediums. I gravitated naturally to clay when as a child my siblings and i would dig up local clay from the lake just down the road from us or while taking camping trips by the st Croix river Bed. I would form the gritty gravely rust colored or gray clay into rudimentary little cups and bowls and bake them in the summer sun. Read more>>
Brianna Sigg
This seems like such a simple question however it feels heavier the more I think about it and if you are uncomfortable or triggered by topics such a suicide or self-harm please be mindful as you read on. I have always enjoyed listening to people tell their stories. I pride myself on being a good listener and as I look back on my life I think I can pin point one of the most impactful moments that lead me to where I am today. I was around twelve or thirteen years old when my best friend approached me before one of our hockey games. Read more>>
Spencer Brown
For me, my career as a writer began when I fell in love with reading. As a kid, I really didn’t have much interest in reading. Movies and music were my outlets for stories and being carried away to other worlds. Growing up, my parents had a massive library in our house. Floor to ceiling, the shelves were filled with books. From classic poetry and literature, to historical works and reference materials, my parents had collected just about anything you could wish to read. Read more>>
Nebiy Tesfaldet
So I started out dancing as a child. I used to watch alot of dance videos both American (Hip-Hop and R&B) and Eritrean. My parents also both used to take me to my people’s night dance parties and I would watch them dance their hearts out and have so much fun doing it too. One day I just got the courage to ask my parents to teach me my people’s dance and I learned some stuff from my mom and the same from my dad too. To this day I explain to my parents that they are the reason I began dancing and love it so much! When I got into Jr. Read more>>
Stefanie Asante-Totimeh
Growing up in Ghana,West Africa, I loved to be on stage and show my creativity. I am a Registered nurse as well as a commercial model/actors,content creator,and budding new YouTuber. I love exploring, trying new foods, adventures,cooking with my kids,and creating stories that inspire and motivate!!I am also a wife,mom of 2 .My kids inspire my work with their sheer curiosity and enthusiasm! Being a creative has been challenging creating a huge following,but rewarding because it has kept me grounded in creating intentional stories. Read more>>
Alyshia Jackson
I previously worked for a large corporation but decided to start my own business to impact change in the community in a way that works for me and align with my values. I started my business in the middle of the pandemic July 2020 When the city of minneapolis was making history on behalf of George Floyd. Taking the opportunity to rebuild and clean up the community transitioned to providing opportunities for others. Read more>>
Wiseman Praise
It all began when I was a young kid as I was accustomed to dismantling my electronic toys out of curiosity, to see what was inside that made it worked the manner in which it did. Sometimes I was scolded for doing so. Nonetheless, I believe my parents saw the potentials in me and figured out how to encourage me. For instance, I can still remember vividly when my dad sent me to a radio and TV repairer’s workshop to get familiar with the basics of electronics, and how to fix things. Read more>>
Pina Briguglio
I founded Fauna Animal Sanctuary 4 years ago, after 8 years working as a farm animal caregiver: mainly rabbits and later, birds, large ones, like ducks and chickens We formed a symbiosis. I offered them a safe and loving habitat, while they fed my soul and gave me life purpose, at a point where I had lost it. Social media is to reward the fact that I got immersed in the animal rights world. I started to join groups, etc and I started to help other species of farm animals, like goats, cows, geese, etc. Read more>>
Faye Nelson
I’ve been in food service for over 30 years. It has been something that I’ve always loved doing. In about 2009, I decided I wanted to learn how to decorate cakes. So I did! Everything I’ve learned has been by reading, looking at photos and watching YouTube videos. My journey started with family and friends trying my baked goods and has blossomed into a great business! I became a Cottage Food Producer in MN so I could legally sell Food from my home. My business grown so much that in December of 2021, I left my 6-2 job to do it from my home full-time. Read more>>
Adelin Phelps
I have always wanted to be an artist. Well, actually, that isn’t entirely true. When I was four, I wanted to be The Wicked Witch of the West. With my entire being. I had the opportunity to see a production of the Wizard of Oz with my school, and I truly lost my mind. My little body shook with delight and tremendous feeling. The witch was absolutely mesmerizing. Her incredible green face, and bewitching hands. Other kids near me, I remember they were frightened. Read more>>
Aimee Yang
Beloved Florals came into existence during a time that was very difficult for many of us. As my family and I were trying to navigate through the pandemic, I wanted to be able to do something that could bring a smile to someone’s face or brighten their day even just a little. I have always had a love for flowers and how it can instantly light up a room, change the mood of a space or even make a person feel so loved when they receive them and so I just simply wanted to be able to share that joy with others. Read more>>
Brian Reed
Dan and I used to rock out in a basement bedroom covered in Mickey Mouse wallpaper. We played silly 90’s pop-punk songs, followed ABAB formulas like they were sacred texts, and we knew a tune was right when it made us laugh. We grew up, we got jobs, we got married. We lost friends, we lost family, we lost faith. We got older, got jaded, got dark and divorced, we got weird, and now everything’s funny. We still play in a basement, but our wallpaper is better. Aric joined us and now we’re more 90’s than ever before. Read more>>
Kyle Casello and Nora Bengel Noggin Comics
The creation of Noggin Comics occurred in 2017 as an Instagram account and blog. Noggin Comics can be considered our journey of expressing a love that Kyle and Nora share between each other and comic books. Before meeting Kyle, Nora was barely exposure to the medium outside of her brother’s Adventures of Tintin & Calvin and Hobbs collection, whereas Kyle has been exposed to comics his entire life thanks to animated films, video games and film. Read more>>
Natalie Parker
Growing up I wanted to be a lot of things. A firefighter, chef, veterinarian, medical assistant, game designer, and finally graphic designer. I was incredibly curious as a child, and pretty wild. I wanted to know and do everything about the world. Little did I know, the pain in my feet and the occasional headaches were going to be a problem. What they don’t tell you about growing up, is that you don’t know when you have to grow up. I feel like my childhood ended in 5th grade. Read more>>
Thomas Suszynski
Immigrant parents from Poland. I was born in the US. Oldest of three boys. Raised in NE Minneapolis. Stayed in Minnesota for at the UMN for biomedical engineering undergraduate school, graduate and also medical school. This was a combined Medical Scientist Training Program, to complete a PhD in engineering and an MD. Research work and passion is in tissue engineered and medical device design. Then, moved to Dallas TX for a 6-year integrated plastic surgery residency program at UT Southwestern. Read more>>
Jud Hailey
I’ve been a professional musician performing around 200-250 shows a year. It’s been my primary source of income. Just after the set of Quarantines in Minnesota I was able to go back to work. I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to perform online anymore (it’s harder than you think). Never in my live did I plan for a whole economic shut down. Sure I had a backup plan if I sucked at music but, was caught off guard by the pandemic (like most of the world). Yet, performing live post quarantine had its own set of challenges. Read more>>
Nadine Ashby
Birth work has been lifelong work for me. I began my journey by going to the births of family members and friends with my mom when I was elementary aged. She didn’t refer to herself as a doula and we didn’t have language to explain her role in supporting birthing people. She was the first person to show me how to love on families in the birth and postpartum period. This led me to earn a degree in Biology with the intention of going to medical school to become an OBGYN, but after I graduated, I gave birth myself. Read more>>
Billy Hawk
I’m 24 now. My journey with photography began when I was about 17. I was in a place many at that age find themselves, my grades in school were suffering, I had dreams of being able to make it big with some career – but it felt unrealistic. About that time, my sister, Maybell lended her camera to me. I began taking photos of the things I thought were beautiful – Mostly flowers, trees, birds, and other natural beauties in my hometown. I was 18 when I took my first-ever trip out of state, I went to LA alone to visit an old family friend. Read more>>
Streeter Carroll
Started off by having a passion for making people laugh, I got into making short funny videos during Covid. I realized it was a great way to express myself. Plus I enjoy making others laugh even during hard times we may face in life. Biggest struggle would be myself, I use to be afraid of taking chances on myself. Then I made it a choice to bet on myself. It’s two things we get every day that’s a chance and a choice. Put more value on the choices we make because choices is what determines our destination. Read more>>
Sarah Utley
“The purpose of life is to support other life, that’s why we are here.” Twenty years ago, an indigenous advocate and one of my most important mentors in this work shared that statement with me along with this piece of wisdom that has shaped my worldview professionally and personally to this day; “Remember Sarah, we are the lucky ones, for a survivor to trust us enough to allow us to walk alongside her in this journey is a gift.” I grew up in the very inner city of Peoria, Illinois. Read more>>
Dana Christopherson
Ever since I can remember I have always had a craving to make things and had an especially keen interest in the alphabet. As a kid you could catch me writing the alphabet or my name over and over in different styles while waiting for the family computer to connect to the dial up internet. Looking back I think that’s really where it all began. In college, I took a type design class that reminded me of my love for letters. At the same time, hand lettering was starting to really get popular (my pinterest was filled with Jon Contino and Lauren Hom’s work) and had sparked my interest. Read more>>
Camila Sanchez
As a kid I had always enjoyed drawing and creating. When I look back on my life I can see where I got my passion for designing from. When I was younger I loved creating outfits on paper and drawing beautiful ballgowns. As a recent graduate of highschool I can proudly say that I have made the many items of clothing others have seen me wear. My journey started Junior high when I started drawing dress designs in art class. As I progressed over the years my passion for fashion has increased and helped me realize what my future holds for me. Read more>>
Rebecca Barrett
I’m Rebecca, owner and creator of The Wilder Woodshop. A decade ago, I became interested in woodworking and started shadowing my carpenter husband on wood related projects. I ended up loving the creative process and wanted to continue constructing more. I began creating basic cutting boards and selling them to friends and family, which generated the money to purchase the proper tools so I could keep growing. As I learned more techniques, I added more skews and grew my business, partnering with local stores through wholesaling, which was a huge step for The Wilder Woodshop’s growth. Read more>>
Tonya Phelps
I have always loved taking photos, I remember always having a camera with me as a middle schooler. Flash forward to college registration, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do as a career, so I looked down the majors list and saw Mass Communication: Photojournalism. From there it was almost like a domino effect, everything was leading to another stepping stone. I started taking some senior photos, and then I was asked to capture my very first wedding in 2014. This one wedding snowballed into 100+ weddings. Read more>>
Courtland Wellnitz
I started modeling around 16 years old going off a whim of spontaneity. I had a dance teacher growing up, Tracy Rostamo, that modeled who really encouraged and inspired me to try modeling too. Throughout the next 2 years, I was doing collaborations and working for some of the creators I admired most in Minnesota. At 18, I was signed by an agency and decided to move to Los Angeles after graduating. While there I worked some amazing jobs and met even more amazing people on the journey. After a few years there, I was homesick. Read more>>
Shannon Lynch
She Votes in a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on supporting young women in becoming registered and responsible voters. No! It’s taken a lot of effort to build up the organization. After several years of hard work, we feel proud of how much we have grown. She Votes is a nonprofit organization focused on voter education for young women. You have to meet people where they are at! Whether someone is a first-time voter or an avid follower of politics, everyone’s needs are different when it comes to supporting young women voters. Read more>>
Maniphone Jones
It all started when my daughter and I wanted to find something knew to do together during Covid, when it seemed as though the world shut down. Kamea and I enjoyed sewing together so much we decided to start sewing baby turbans as our new hobby. We posted our work on social media and to our surprise many women reached out to purchase them. Shortly after, woman begin requesting adult size turbans, and of course my daughter and I accepted the challenge! Read more>>
Pejmon Nadimi
The pandemic brought down the restaurant group that my business partner (Jahn Brink) worked for and when we became unemployed we decided to try to open up a concept we had long dreamed of. We opened up during covid, and a mess of supply chain issues. Rising costs of equipment goods, labor, contractors. You name it, we dealt with it haha.. I’ve had a passion for the industry my whole life. I spent the better part of the last ten years absorbing all the knowledge I could. Beer, cocktails, food. Read more>>
Addie Elling
I have always been an artist. For me that means being a painter. ‘A’ is for ‘artist’ as much as ‘A’ is for Addie- as all those icebreaker games in class always went. My great grandmother was a painter in her later adult life as was my great grandfather. He was a paper maker, draftsman and fine artist. My family made the obvious connection when I began to show artistic abilities as a little kid. It never felt like an option to be anything else. I was never made to feel like I had to play that role, it was given to me and I assumed my place. Read more>>
Jason Tuthill
I was born just east of the Binghamton area in New York in a small town called Sidney. My family moved to Minnesota when I fairly young to Elk River and I ended up moving again up to Thief River Falls, MN where I graduated. I moved to Winnipeg, MB, Canada once I graduated to pursue a college hockey scholarship, playing Junior A. I ended up getting a partial scholarship where I played hockey. Read more>>
Fredy Ignacio
Im currently a barber with 3 years experience and am attending barber school to get my license. I had a goal in mind and I decided to achieve it by working and having faith in myself. Learning the barbering field, getting clients, learning to manage my time, and finding the right people. Im known for always giving my best in every haircut service I do. I always try to get to know my clients and build relationships. I try to better myself and the people around me everyday. My brand offers quality haircuts. Read more>>
Meghan Pacocha
My story is a little different from some. Truthfully this business found me. In April 2021 I planned my engagement shoot with my photographer, Sarah Neal from SMMG photography. I wanted to have some type of set and together we planned the decor and vibe. Sarah really encouraged me to do that as a business. I thought to myself there was no way I was good enough. After thinking on it some more I decided to give it a whirl. After doing my first styled set the rest is history. Truthfully I have struggled with imposter syndrome and comparing myself. Read more>>
Ethan Horace
I started off as a student of the High School For Recording Arts in 2004 and graduated in 2005 I enrolled in IPR College in 2012. By 2013 I was an intern for an internet radio station and I was doing shows for the station out of the college basement. Vy January 2014 I stopped the internet radio show and started my own (MNTC Radio). Over the next two years, I volunteered at KFAI FM. My grandmother and mother both passed away 6 months apart in 2015. Read more>>
Jessica Fredette
I’ve been in love with photography my entire life. I was always obsessed with having the ability to literally capture time and keep it with me forever. Photos live on forever even when the people, places, or animals in them unfortunately don’t. Music always played a huge and important role in my life. It was always the one thing that was there for me when I needed it. Growing up with a physical disability and chronic illness I of course also suffered with depression and anxiety as a result. Read more>>
Mary Lemon ( fancy)
I started in a music group called probable cause . I went solo in 2009 and I started working on projects under the name southside fancy where I have did many videos and collaborations and traveled the world and was blessed to lead my vision in my diary of my life brought to life on mini stage stages across the world 2009 I opened up my first beauty supply in South Minneapolis and from there I started a charity called we are the future for the youth we did a lot of events where we helped with the book bags for students going back to school and also would take families out of the shelter and give them a Christmas party and gifts. Read more>>
Ann Austin
Prazzle started off as a small community with the objective of encouraging young creatives by giving them a place to be recognized and celebrated. We’ve been able to bring together young creatives from four continents and over 20 nations so far. It brings me great excitement to watch how some of our creatives are able to sell some of their work, attract the attention of potential clients, and, most importantly, know that their stories matter as a result of the work we do at Prazzle. Read more>>
kathy kuhl
In 2008, my husband and I lost our first dog, Maggie after 14 years. She saw us through the first, 14 years of our marriage; career changes, move to a new city and a journey through infertility. She was there for all of it, but mostly she was there for us. Maggie held deep emotions within her which showed through when we were going through a rough time. Each one of our tears were licked away as she nuzzled her way into our laps. Her warmth meant everything would be ok. Read more>>
Robert Reinke
In December of 2014, my firstborn son, Benjamin Thomas, passed away in the arms of my wife and I. Benjamin was a little saint in the truest sense of the word–pure, innocent, and knowing only love. He lived to be just four months old, but he impacted countless lives, most notably his parents’. Benjamin lived out his mission on Earth in just four short months, and it struck me that if he accomplished his mission in such a short period of time, what is it that I was waiting for? Following a pretty traditional path after high school, I went and earned a four-year college degree in business management. Read more>>
Dr. Richard Harrison
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common, often life-altering condition. More than 8 million people are affected by carpal tunnel syndrome each year. Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is the second most common type of musculoskeletal surgery, (back surgery is #1). (National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health and Bureau of Labor Statistics). We wanted to offer a better solution for a problem that affects so many: offering people a surgical solution for carpal tunnel release that is far less invasive, speeds recovery, and allows people to return to their normal lives much quicker. Read more>>
calsey fasching
Integrative Health was founded in the summer of 2021. We are a clinic offering holistic care for the mind, body, and soul. Currently we offer mental health treatment to include psychotherapy (talk therapy), Psychiatry (medication management), and neuropsychological evaluations. We hope to expand in the future to offer chiropractic care, massage therapy, nutritional coaching, fitness coaching, acupuncture, coaching, and primary care. Read more>>
Makayla Selvik
It seems impossible to “briefly” walk anybody through my story and explain how my two feet landed where they are today. The largest explanation is God. And plenty of red bull. No. In all seriousness, I have always had this feeling that I am here for a reason. It’s the most insane feeling, literally, it makes me feel crazy, to this day. I have always felt like I never belonged anywhere or with anyone. So I stuck to what I knew, and that was the restaurant industry. Read more>>
Katherine DeGroot
My name is Katie and I call a small town outside of St. Paul, Minnesota home. I live in a historic, Victorian house with my husband Seth, our three children ages three and under, a German shepherd, and two egg laying hens. I’ve always been passionate about homemaking. This life is what I would imagined it to be, and much more, and also a great amount of work and sometimes overwhelm. The outlet of photography, writing, and creative projects are truly a reprieve, which is partly why I love sharing bits and pieces of my life to Instagram and YouTube. Read more>>
Angie Anderson
My husband and I bought MH in 2004. It had always been a supper club with a large salad bar-through the years, we’ve noticed changes to more casual meals such as burgers, sandwiches and appetizers. Our open charcoal grill in the dining room sets us apart from others. We host many events, such as weddings, grooms dinners, reunions, and lots of parties. We have private rooms and large rooms to accommodate 350 people. In 2020, we decided to start brewing our own beer. Read more>>
