Stories of Impact

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After being laid off in 2025, Eric Bailly turned years of behavioral health experience into a national consulting practice with guidance from the SBDC.

Today, NorthStar Behavioral Health Advisory helps behavioral health providers, insurers, nonprofits, and policymakers improve access to mental health and substance use services across the country. From choosing the right business structure to developing a professional marketing strategy, SBDC advisors provided support throughout the startup process.

"There's nothing like having that human touch of someone who's been down these roads and can share other people's experiences."

After recognizing that many women were struggling with symptoms related to perimenopause and menopause, McKenzee Kemper launched Next Chapter Hormone & Wellness to provide personalized hormone and midlife health care for women across Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana.

With support from the Minnesota SBDC, she received startup guidance, financial planning assistance, and a key marketing connection that helped her launch successfully. Just two months after opening, demand for her services is growing rapidly.

"One of the biggest things was giving me the confidence to feel like this is something I can do."

What began as a mobile pizza catering business in 2019 has taken a major leap forward. With financing support from Midwest Bank and MBFC and financial projection assistance from Minnesota SBDC, Wood Fire Foods LLC recently opened a newly expanded location featuring a dining room, self-pour tap walls, and an outdoor venue space.

“Our SBDC consultant was an awesome resource for us to help kickstart our project.”

Congratulations to this growing Minnesota business as they prepare to welcome customers to their new destination experience!

After 29 years in daycare, Alexandria entrepreneur, Chris Svee turned a dream into reality—creating Grammy's Town, an imaginative play space inspired by her granddaughter. With support from SBDC consultant, Calvin Guyer and a lot of late-night research, she launched in June 2025. Calvin helped Chris understand her financial reports and put together financial projections for Grammy's Town. 

Now kids walk in wide-eyed and leave with memories. “The SBDC made the business side make sense,” she says. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Chrissy Davenport never imagined she’d one day own a retail business. As a

shepherd and founder of Re-Ewe’able, she started out using waste wool from

her sheep to create eco-friendly soil amendments. “I raise sheep to sell wool

to hand spinners,” she explains. “But I wanted to find a way to utilize the

waste wool.” That simple idea blossomed into a broader mission—to showcase

the many ways wool can benefit our lives. 

Her business journey took a turn when she joined Thrive, an entrepreneurial cohort offered through the West Central Minnesota SBDC and funded by a grant from the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. Chrissy worked with SBDC consultant Beth Pridday to walk through the steps of purchasing a downtown  retail shop from another attendee of the cohort. Now Chrissy sells both natural bath and body products as well as natural wool products. 

Market on Main is a grocery store, purchased by Twyla Myrin early in 2024 in Osakis, MN.  Market on Main is the only grocery store in Osakis. While Twyla sells conventional staples, she also sells local unique offerings like locally roasted coffee, candies made by a local Amish family or fresh flowers from a local flower farmer. 

Twyla worked with SBDC consultant, Skip Carpenter, to develop her business plan and financial projections. “Working with Skip opened my eyes to some things that I hadn’t taken into consideration. It was really beneficial to me to walk into this with my eyes wide open.” 

Aziza’s Residential Care, LLC is a residential 24-hour care home in Fergus Falls, MN that provides assistance to individuals with disabilities and to elderly individuals to help with daily living. 

Calvin is driven by passion to make a difference in the lives of his residents to help them to live as independently as possible. 

Calvin took an entrepreneur class with Cultural Diversity Resources and was recommended to work with Bill Schalow to fine tune his business plan and financial projections. 

Rolling Blue Logistics LLC is a transportation management company in Herman, MN. Brooke got into this work while earning her accounting degree. 

Brooke’s husband is in the trucking industry and she did much of the back-end work for him. She realized that trucking companies were hiring out for many different types of services. Brooke thought that it would be helpful to provide all of the needed services under one house. 

Brooke reached out to the SBDC for marketing assistance. 

Deb McGregor helped Brooke tell her story so that all of the services Rolling Blue Logistics LLC provides fall under one umbrella. 

CM Interior Design designs residential and commercial spaces that are comfortable, personal and interesting. Claudia believes that great interior design is great art that reflects who you are. 

Claudia worked with both the West Central MN SBDC and Cultural Diversity Resources for assistance in starting her business. The SBDC is proud to partner with great organizations like CDR to assist entrepreneurs in West Central MN.