After his uncle lost two limbs because of improperly healed wounds, Nima Ahmadi dedicated himself to building prosthetics for amputees. But he saw a dire need in the market for…
The TCB 100 - 2024
The TCB 100 is the “little black book” of people in and around Minnesota business likely to make news and drive change in the year ahead. Meet those on the the 2024 list below. (Then watch the TCB 100 “Reveal” video).
By Liz Fedor, Allison Kaplan, Winter Keefer, Stephanie March, Tina Nguyen, Dan Niepow, Adam Platt, and Gene Rebeck
2023 was a blockbuster year for Mayo Clinic spinoff Pneumeric. After its Capnospot device for treating collapsed lungs earned FDA approval in March, the company landed $2.2 million from investors…
Aveda, Tide, Herbal Essences, and Febreze are just a few of the household brands April Anslinger imprinted with her marketing expertise before joining Woodbury-based Self Esteem Brands, parent company of…
How does a guy from Harlem end up championing diversity in Minnesota agriculture? For Patrice Bailey, it all began during his senior year of high school, when his mom steered…
The St. Cloud-based supermarket chain has been growing in an intensely competitive industry. That’s thanks largely to acquisitions and a focus on small but growing Upper Midwest markets (think Otsego…
After ShopHQ’s troubled parent, iMedia Brands, declared bankruptcy this past summer, the home shopping network found an unlikely savior in Manoj Bhargava, billionaire founder of 5-Hour Energy and owner of…
A mental health professional, Julie Bluhm is passionate about driving innovation and systemic change in the public sector. After joining St. Paul's Guild Services, a mental health, housing, and employment…
Dave Bozeman became the CEO of this Eden Prairie-based global logistics company this past June. The former Amazon and Ford executive is taking the wheel of a vehicle in need…
After a long career as a leader at financial institutions (such as community-driven Sunrise Banks), Dorothy Bridges brought her expertise to MEDA in 2022 to help BIPOC entrepreneurs succeed and…
2024: As a founder of GovDelivery and Structural, Scott Burns has lived the life of a risk-taker. Since building and selling those companies, Burns is applying his startup knowledge to…
A Panama native, Sergio Castillo says he aims to grow Lake Elmo-based Eco BCG into a “global leader in sustainable engineering services.” Launched by his father in his home country…
California native Keegan Cook had eight years of head coaching at the University of Washington before he heard a call to fill the position at the University of Minnesota—stepping into…
“At the intersection of innovation and equity” is how Al Cornish describes his position at gener8tor, a global venture capital firm and startup accelerator. After working for Fortune 500 companies…
Developer Buhl Investors has come a long way in a decade—from self-storage units to placemaking. “We’re trying to be artists in a space that’s mostly just engineers,” says Peter Deanovic.…
Amid all the large, often corporate-backed efforts to rebuild East Lake Street after civil unrest three years ago, Abe Demmaj has been quietly working in the background. In late 2020,…
The Hennepin Theatre Trust that Todd Duesing took over this summer had plenty of promise but also lots of uncertainty. Before his arrival in July, the organization paid off $14…
Adam Duininck joins MDC at a pivotal time in its history. Charged and funded by downtown businesses, the council has long been the frosting on the cake built on the…
While scores of regional theater companies grapple with declining audiences in a post-pandemic world, Tamara Kangas Erickson of the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres says her venue has begun to see attendance…