Three Twin Cities diverse business owners will have more resources to grow their businesses after winning funds through a shark-tank style event held at the 3M Open on Monday.
A panel of judges chose to split $100,000 between the three owners after they each pitched their businesses during the event. The winners were:
- Annie Qaiser received $40,000 from the judges for her business Silk Road Wellness, a Rosemount-based brand that sells homemade and halal-certified skin care products at the Mall of America's Community Commons and in co-ops, gift shops, boutiques and markets across the Twin Cities.
- Essence Shabazz received $35,000. She founded E.Bazz Beauty Supply, a beauty supply and hair service shop specializing in Black beauty products with a St. Paul storefront at 1561 Randolph Ave.
- Cartier Banks and David Hicks III received $25,000 for their business Code White Teeth Whitening, a dental service aimed at fostering teeth health in the Black community with a location in the Eden Prairie Center.
The judges — Houston White, co-founder of The Get Down Coffee Co.in North Minneapolis; Wendy Nelson, chairwoman of the Carlson Family Foundation, based in Minnetonka; and Mike Sweeney, former chairman of Steinway & Sons and Star Tribune Media — each had the choice to award the business owners $15,000, $10,000 or $5,000 apiece based on their pitches. One of the businesses earned an additional $10,000.
The event at the 3M Open was the culmination of the Get Down to Business Accelerator program, a collaboration between Fargo-based Bell Bank, The Get Down Coffee Co. and the Neighborhood Development Center in St. Paul to help local minority-owned small businesses expand. Qaiser, Shabazz and Banks and Hicks III were named as finalists to participate in the event from a pool of 10 semifinalists in the program.
"We feel so honored," said Qaiser. "The encouragement and the support from the whole community, the whole business ecosystem that we have in Minnesota, was amazing."
Bell Bank and the 3M Open Fund, 3M's charitable foundation aimed at supporting Twin Cities communities, provided the $100,000 unrestricted grant funding for the three businesses. Qaiser, Shabazz and Banks and Hicks III will also have access to mentoring and educational resources as part of the program.
Marney Gellner, broadcaster for Bally Sports North and KFAN sports radio, emceed the live event, hosted in the Bell Bank Champions Club at the Open's 18th hole.
The 3M Open is a PGA Tournament that will be held from Monday through Sunday this year at the TPC Twin Cities golf course in Blaine. This is the fourth year the competition will take place.
