Jay Ettinger is a force in downtown Minneapolis; a friend of people who make things happen. He’s owned nightclubs, is an investor in Jester Concepts (see entry on Brent Frederick), and now co-owns The Rabbit Hole on Washington Avenue—sports barring by day, pumping bass by night. Ettinger, also a licensed residential agent with Edina Realty, has ridden downtown’s ups and downs and walks the walk, though he says the only part of downtown he’s currently bullish on is the North Loop. He’s a vocal advocate for accountable city leadership, a loud critic of a city political culture where violence is frequently rationalized and enforcement of codes of behavior is viewed as violence. In 2026, he says he’s focused on philanthropic work on the North Side.