Sam Anderson

President and CEO Bay & Bay

Founded: 1941

Headquarters: Eagan

Mission: To deliver food and other temperature-controlled products safely and reliably.

Major impact: This family-owned trucking and logistics company is one of the largest refrigerated carriers in North America. Its refrigerated trailers can be placed on railroad cars so loads can be moved long distances cost-effectively. Early in the pandemic, the company ordered 175 new trucks, which fueled company growth. By reducing the age of its truck fleet, Bay & Bay has attracted and retained drivers in a competitive marketplace.

Jeff Crivello

CEO BBQ Holdings, Inc.

Founded: 1994

Headquarters: Hopkins

Mission: To effectively franchise, own, and operate casual and fast dining restaurants.

Major impact: After a rapid turnover of five CEOs, the company’s board asked Crivello in 2017 to take charge of the BBQ restaurant business. Since then, the company has grown from 176 systemwide locations under one brand to 316 locations under seven brands. Its current brands include Famous Dave’s, Village Inn, Granite City, Bakers Square, and Real Urban BBQ. Crivello emphasizes personal growth and development among his 4,500 employees.

Lili Hall

President  and CEO KNOCK, Inc.

Founded: 2001

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Mission: To cultivate selfless positivity and equality for its creative agency clients while fostering art, culture, and community. 

Major impact: As a dual citizen of Brazil and the United States, Hall founded KNOCK with a commitment to impeccable client service and a nimble response to new opportunities. The company employs more than 100 people to serve a diverse set of clients. The agency now has a presence in New York, Chicago, and Miami. By prioritizing cultural competency, KNOCK crafts nuanced communications to connect with consumer values.

Aaron Shilts

President and CEO NetSPI, LLC

Founded: 2001

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Mission: To perform security testing assessments to help secure the world’s most prominent organizations.

Major impact: The company is a leader in enterprise penetration testing and attack surface management. Its customers include nine of the 10 top banks in the U.S., three of the world’s five largest health care companies, as well as many Fortune 500 corporations and large global cloud providers. NetSPI experts perform deep dive manual penetration testing of application, network, and cloud attack surfaces. It regularly finds vulnerabilities that others miss.

Thompson Aderinkomi

CEO Nice Healthcare Management Co.

Founded: 2017

Headquarters: Roseville

Mission: To make health care accessible and affordable.

Major impact: Health care is free to patients. Insurance brokers offer Nice Healthcare to employers. Because the cost of the care is not passed down to the employees, they use the health care services they need. The patient is first seen through a virtual visit. Then a clinician will meet the patient at home, at work, or elsewhere. The care that is provided includes medical, mental health, and physical therapy.

Clifton Kaehler

Founder and CEO Novel Energy Solutions

Founded: 2012

Headquarters: St. Paul

Mission: To mitigate climate change by decreasing energy costs through the use of solar energy.

Major impact: Novel is a full-service energy company that is developing and installing community solar gardens across the country. It has equity interests in manufacturers and provides its own financing to customers. Through vertical integration, Novel is striving to deliver the lowest cost of solar in the industry. Among its business segments are: general contracting, electric installation, permitting, civil engineering, environmental review, land acquisition, and operations and maintenance. 

David Saber

Chairman and CEO Park State Bank

Founded: 2015

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Mission: To build the best financial services organization in the Midwest with meaningful impact across multiple stakeholder groups.

Major impact: Park Financial Group, the holding company for Park State Bank, was founded by Saber with capital partner Andy Redleaf. Park has grown rapidly and during the pandemic it handled 1,244 Paycheck Protection Program loans. It serves consumers and small and mid-sized businesses. Park is
active in community development activities, and bank officers serve on several nonprofit and business-related boards. Half of Park’s C-suite positions are held by women. 

Brian Murray

CEO Ryan Companies, Inc.

Founded: 1938

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Mission: To offer comprehensive commercial real estate services as a national developer, designer, builder, capital markets advisor, and real estate manager. 

Major impact: Since its founding in Hibbing, Ryan has grown into a company with about 1,900 employees based out of 17 offices. It has completed projects in 42 states. Ryan’s development and corporate build-to-suit work includes office, mixed-use, hospitality, multifamily housing, and mission critical facilities. On an ongoing basis, it is involved in projects in the retail, industrial, health care, and senior living sectors. Murray joined Ryan in 2009.

Eric Hall

CEO

Rita Katona

Executive chair, chief brand and innovation officer

So Good So You

Founded: 2014

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Mission: To be the No. 1 functional beverage brand by creating innovative solutions to help people live life better.

Major impact: So Good So You is a leading brand of premium plant-based functional beverages in the natural and better-for-you food and beverage industry. The company’s premium probiotic wellness shots are sold in more than 10,000 locations in all 50 U.S. states. The company advocates for social justice and closing the opportunity gap within minority communities. Its workforce is 74% female and 46% BIPOC.

Chad Hetherington

CEO The Stable

Founded: 2015

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Mission: To connect brands and consumers across all channels by leveraging a full suite of omnichannel capabilities.

Major impact: The agency generates client revenue across brick and mortar,
e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer channels. Since 2020, The Stable acquired several companies in the United States, which allowed it to expand its employee base, client roster, and service offerings. In mid-July, Accenture Song announced it was acquiring The Stable to enhance its global commerce transformation expertise. The Stable is focused on attracting customers, creating immersive experiences, and scaling brands.

Bret Weiss

President and CEO WSB

Founded: 1995

Headquarters: Golden Valley

Mission: To improve the way people engage with communities, transportation, infrastructure, energy, and the environment.

Major impact: WSB is a design and consulting firm that specializes in engineering, community planning, environmental, and construction services. It employs more than 600 people who provide services that integrate planning, design, and implementation. Service areas have grown from four disciplines to more than 30. The national firm has offices in North Dakota, Arkansas, Colorado, and Texas. WSB has acquired five companies over the past five years. 

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