WomenVenture will be hosting its 28th annual Women Mean Business: Awards Gala and Marketplace at Union Depot Saint Paul on Saturday, September 30th, 2023.
Registration is now closed, but the Marketplace is open to the public! Join us at Union Depot St. Paul from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm and shop til you drop!
THE SCHEDULE FOR THE EVENING
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Marketplace open to all shoppers
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Sponsor’s Reception (by invitation only)
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM: Awards & Fundraising Gala
8:00 PM – 9:30 PM: Dance Party & Marketplace
10:00 PM: Evening ends
Parking for Women Mean Business: Awards Gala and Marketplace
The address 214-4th St. East for Union Depot is correct. However, it is the front of the building where there is a one-way, light rail, and no entrance to Union Depot parking lots. Therefore, we recommend using 240 Kellogg Blvd East as the best address for your GPS to get to where you can enter Union Depot parking lots. This map will help you get to our party with a purpose!
2023 Women Mean Business Award Winners

Social Entrepreneur Award: Carley Kammerer, Wildflyer Coffee
Learn more about Carley
Wildflyer Coffee, founded in 2020 by Executive Director Carley Kammerer, is helping to break the cycle of homelessness by providing youth a four-month employment training program to cultivate the personal and professional skills needed to find and maintain stable employment and leave homelessness for good. The impact the program has had in just 3 years is so significant that Wildflyer opened its second location in St. Paul this spring.

Resilience Award: Vanessa Drews, Cheesecake Funk
Learn more about Vanessa
After a nudge from Prince, Cheesecake Funk founder Vanessa Drews stepped away from her legal career in 2019 to create an out-of-this-world experience for her customers with delicious cheesecake. Vanessa’s wholesale business suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was not eligible to receive relief funding, but she persevered, and Cheesecake Funk is thriving by adding more customers every day while expanding product footprint across Minnesota.

Expanding Business Award: Jenifer Bellefleur & Kelsey Lee Karol, New Gild Jewelers
Learn more about Jenifer & Kelsey
In just six years New Gild Jewelers co-owners Jenifer Bellefleur and Kelsey Lee Karol have grown their revenue over 300% and opened a second location crafting jewelry the old-fashioned way, one piece at a time. They encountered substantial obstacles on their journey to business ownership–but with the help of WomenVenture’s lending program, they survived a pandemic, added a diverse staff, and proudly pay a living wage.

Emcee, Jasmine Brett Stringer
Learn more about Jasmine Brett Stringer
Jasmine Brett Stringer has been called a lifestyle expert, social media maven, on-air TV
personality, and even called a “Carrier of The Light” by Oprah Winfrey. As an award-winning
author and keynote speaker, Jasmine is on a mission to help people live empowered and
authentic lives by sharing her Seize Your Life philosophy.
Jasmine believes Seizing Your Life is the ability to fully engage in the present while
continually striving towards your vision. With this common-sense approach to creating a life of
one’s own, Jasmine has inspired thousands of people across the world to carpe diem!
Jasmine has shared her positive message to corporate and nonprofit organizations such as
Land O’ Lakes, Best Buy, Federal Reserve Bank, Airbnb, Cargill, Goodwill, Bayer, and the
University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
She was named a Twin Cities Fearless Woman in 2017 and a Woman of Promise by the Girl
Scouts in 2012. Additionally, Jasmine was awarded Distinguished Alumna of American
University and was featured by Ebony Magazine as one of its “30 Future Leaders Under the
Age of 30 in America.”
Sponsors
Our sponsors allow WomenVenture to continue to support women entrepreneurs by providing education and resources through our training and loan programs including:
- Resources for low-income training clients, materials for classes, mentor and volunteer training, and curriculum development.
- Pre-loan and post-loan coaching including underwriting time, materials, and closing costs.
- Community support and mentorship opportunities to help entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses.
WomenVenture is grateful for the support of our Women Mean Business event sponsors and government partners.
Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Marketplace & Print Sponsor

Reception Sponsor

Copper Sponsors










Entertainment Sponsors

Gala & After-Party Band Sponsor

Reception Music Sponsor
Photos from Women Mean Business 2022
All photos courtesy of Francis Sampah














P