Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

When COVID-19 hit Minnesota in March of 2020, Tameka Jones' work as a cosmetic and make-up artist disappeared overnight. So, Jones did what millions of people did during the last two years. She started her own business. 

, sells 40 shades of lipstick, liner and gloss along with a message of inclusiveness. After success online and at farmers markets she opened a St. Paul storefront in April. 

The last two years were brutal for many small businesses. But it’s also been a time of 

 The pandemic forced people out of jobs and caused many more to reflect on what they wanted to do with their life and work. 

A whopping 4.4 million people in the United States, including Jones, took a risk to chase a dream in 2020, setting a record for new business applications. The number was surpassed in 2021 with 5.4 million new business applications.

It’s too soon to say how many of these young startups will succeed, but the surge in entrepreneurship is already yielding successes. Among them is 

, started by Belén Rodríguez, who lost her job as a hospital translator at the start of the pandemic.  Rodríguez turned her catering side hustle into a frozen food business. Her empanadas, inspired by family meals in Argentina, are now sold in 130 stores. 

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Jones and Rodríguez  about the ups and downs of starting a business during the pandemic.  

Plus, MPR News senior economics contributor Chris Farrell talks about a recent episode of his podcast 

small change: Money Stories from the Neighborhood

 featuring Arielle Grant, founder of a collaborative workspace for women of color called 

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: 

Business and Economic News

Shows

MPR News with Angela Davis

Health

COVID-19

Host

Author

What did it take to thrive as a small business over the last two years? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with women entrepreneurs who changed their path and flourished during the pandemic. 

MPR News with Angela Davis - What did it take to thrive as a small business over the last two years? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with women entrepreneurs who changed their path and grew during the pandemic. 

How businesses selling lipstick and empanadas found success during the pandemic

Go Deeper.

Like this?