Ask Me Anything: Small Business Storefronts
Date: May 20, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm CST
Location: Zoom Meeting
Price: Free
Category: Workshop
“Ask Me Anything” events are casual midday conversations on a variety of topics with Springboard’s Artist Career Consultants (ACCs) or staff and guest artists/presenters. These events are held virtually, on Zoom.
Ask Me Anything: Small Business Storefronts
Date/Time: Monday, May 20, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 pm Central Time
Blayze Buseth (he/him) is a potter/sculptor and owner of Creation Shop a downtown pottery workshop in Fergus Falls, MN. Creation Shop is his inspirational pottery workshop with a playful animated character mascot named Tom. Through Tom, a malleable blue ball of clay, Blayze shares creative adventure stories and inspires his local community of the transformative power of art. Fun fact: Blayze grew up as the son of a gym owner. In HS he squatted over 500lbs. https://www.creationshopmn.com/
In 2010, Jan Werkau (she/her) left her career as the Chief Technology Officer at a Fortune 500 company to pursue a second career. After decades of creatively unsatisfying work in the board rooms and offices of corporate America, Jan set out to make a living working for herself and exercising her creative muscles. As is the case with many creative types Jan dabbled in a little of this and a little of that before finding her niche. She is the owner of SoapWerks Naturals, a handmade soap and bath and body business. SoapWerks manufacturers products in their Fergus Falls facility and has a downtown retail shop on historic Lincoln Ave. Jan and her “retired” husband, Chris, also run Creative Handmade Goods, a makers market featuring the works of over 40 local makers, sharing retail space inside their shop. Jan has previously served on the board of directors of the Downtown Riverfront Council, and manages the Fergus Falls Farmers Market, a seasonal market held 2 days per week over a 5 month period annually. She lead the effort to bring Late Til 8 Thursday night shopping back to downtown, as well as organizing downtown business owners in working together to increase retail and restaurant traffic to our downtown core. CreativeHandmadeGoods.com
Emily Kurash Casey (she/her) is the Director of Community Programs and Minnesota Main Street Statewide Coordinator at Rethos. Her work focuses on growing Rethos’ educational offerings, community engagement efforts, and Main Street programs and resources throughout the state. Previously, Emily was the local director of the Main Street program in Winona, MN. She joined Rethos in 2019 as the Rural Programs Coordinator, focusing on Main Street supports, and from that role moved into the Director position in June 2021. Prior to her time in Minnesota, Emily spent four years in economic development efforts focused on downtown betterment, agriculture, and young professionals in Decorah, Iowa. She has also worked as a theater/arts administrator and teaching artist with students in Minnesota and Iowa, and has spent significant time working with rural non-profits as a board member and facilitator, leading programs focused on revitalizing historic spaces, activating community members and volunteers, and fostering cross-collaboration between municipalities, businesses, and artists. www.rethos.org
Recording: This session will not be recorded.