Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Zinniel.
Kevin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn Park, MN. I have always had an interest in being an entrepreneur which has fueled my drive to co-found Artisan Venture Lab (AVL) with my business partner Mike Ackmann. In grade school I used to sell individual pieces of gum to my classmates as the margins were amazing. At night I would go into the golf course ponds and resell the golf balls I found. Today I am fortunate to have ownership in several companies and I am hoping to pass the hard and expensive lessons I have learned onto others pursuing the path of entrepreneurship.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The combination of social unrest in the city of Mpls and COVID has been a unique and unexpected challenge. Despite these conditions, we felt it was important to sign a lease for office space to show our support for the city of Minneapolis. Since our inception, we’ve been fortunate to hire multiple full-time employees showing our commitment to establishing the foundation of this company in Mpls.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Artisan Venture Lab?
AVL is a firm that specializes in full-cycle eCommerce, software design/development and cross-channel marketing. In addition to the services side, we also invest in start-ups and early-stage companies looking to monetize their brands. We have found a niche in both serving professional athletes and sports figures’ along with native American and non-profit organizations. Some of the local non-profit organizations we work with include Heather & P.J. Fleck’s Row The Boat, Carly & Jason Zucker’s GIVE16, C.J. Suess SWYF, Paul Martin’s Shine A Ligh7, and Washburn Center for Children to name a few.
What matters most to you? Why?
Leveraging technology to improve people’s lives. Not just using technology for the sake of technology. Providing other entrepreneurs with the resources to chase down their goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artisanvl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artisanventurelab/
