Minnesota Maker

Amanda Black of Black Loon Studio is thrilled to be working at her dream job every day. Her distinctive prints embrace the best of Minnesota's natural wonders.  

In the last decade, Safeera Inayath of Prior Lake went from never having baked a cake to creating the exquisite layer cakes and macarons seen here.

Larry Sickmann of Rosemount’s Lake Supply Company wanted a North Shore souvenir to commemorate a family vacation. After rejecting a number that felt cookie-cutter, “I found one that I liked that said 'North Shore' on it,” remembers Larry.

Andrea Claassen thinks that the fitness industry has failed, especially when it comes to women’s health. The overall marketing and messaging for women is unhealthy and unsustainable. The predominance of quick-fix programs leads us to fail repeatedly. “The fitness industry is a big business and yet we have more obesity and chronic illnesses. There’s clearly a disconnect. When we focus on short-term results instead of lasting lifestyles, we will fail over and over again.”

Larry started with two colonies and extracted 30 pounds of honey. “I got stung a lot that first year,” he said with a laugh. The next year he took a course through the University of Minnesota and bought a bee suit.

Best friends Alex Harker and Taylor Soukup have a shared passion for spicy food, especially hot sauce. Like Goldilocks, they couldn’t find one that was just right. Everything was too mild, too heavily flavored or hot just to be hot.