About

Meet the

Minnesota Makers

I’m Michelle M. Sharp–the founder and editor of Meet the Minnesota Makers.

Welcome to our small business superfan site!

Initially Meet the Minnesota Makers started as a newspaper column sharing the stories of makers, growers, and producers in the southeast Twin Cities metro area.

I founded Meet the Minnesota Makers to make Minnesota’s small businesses and, most importantly, their owners, more visible. When people know the stories of their local food producers, farmers, artists, and artisans, a purchase becomes more than a commercial transaction. It’s an investment in community building.

Sharing small business owners’ stories connects their products and services to a greater community. We provide a network and resources in the form of our “Shop Minnesota” gift guide, maker coaching for websites and social media, Makers Table program, and partnerships with Minnesota media and institutions like the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Minnesota Live and Local Feast Marketplace.

The directories and shopping guides on this website make it easy for you to connect with local producers, makers, and doers. Are you a maker? Contact us to get involved in our maker support program so that we can spread the word about what you’re doing.

A twisty turny path led me to Meet the Minnesota Makers. I didn’t know that my time working as an Army Officer of Logistics and a College Professor of Spanish who taught literature, culture, and language courses while publishing books and articles about women, food, and community would lead me to this space.

I’m so glad it did.

I moved to Minnesota in 2012. With my husband and two daughters, Minnesota has become home. I grew up in Chicago and lived in Virginia, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts for work and school.

I’ve put down roots in the North Star State. We’ve found a strong village here. Come along with Meet the Minnesota Makers to celebrate the people who make Minnesota an amazing place to be.

While initially a solopreneur business, Meet the Minnesota Makers has grown into a group effort. Meet our team:

Stacy Carlson is a Minneapolis-based writer and program manager dedicated to supporting regenerative agriculture, deep ecology, and thriving local economies. For Meet the Minnesota Makers, she provides communications, website, and Makers Table program support. Stacy is an award-winning novelist and has worked with numerous interdisciplinary organizations at the confluence of storytelling and social change.