Kirsten Barott

Eden Prairie Chamber Of Commerce

Kirsten Barott is a connector at heart, with 8 years of experience in the chamber world helping hundreds of businesses grow, connect, and succeed. As the Relationship & Events Manager at the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, she’s passionate about creating high-quality programming, building meaningful partnerships, and driving local change. Whether she’s planning major community events, leading professional development sessions, or helping a small business find its next big opportunity, Kirsten loves turning ideas into action and making the business community stronger.

Alison Smith

The Really Useful People Group

Global Leadership, Change and Organizational Development Consultant l Coach l Speaker l Educator l Facilitator l Writer l Baked-Superhero

Maddie Gartmann

Garty Goodies

Maddie Gartmann is the cookie artist and content creator behind Garty Goodies, where she combines charming cookie designs with story-driven social media content. A former English teacher turned full-time decorator, Maddie has built a loyal following of over a million across platforms by sharing her creative process, cookie tutorials, and relatable moments from her home kitchen. Her work blends artistic flair with thoughtful strategy, helping inspire and educate bakers and creators alike.

Michelle Chesser

Home Sweet Home Baker

Founder, Home Sweet Home Bakery & From Scratch Blog With more than 16 years in the home bakery business, Michelle Chesser is a seasoned cottage food entrepreneur and educator. She has built a thriving online community of over 200,000 followers across social media, where she shares practical insights, tips, and encouragement for fellow home bakers. Through her blog, From Scratch, Michelle has authored dozens of articles designed to guide and inspire new cottage food business owners as they launch and grow their own ventures. "It's fun to share the good, the bad, and the ugly using humor and real-life stories!"

Lisa He

My Custom Bakes

Lisa He is the founder and CEO of Borderlands Bakery and My Custom Bakes, and is a first-generation immigrant who found purpose and fulfillment through her biotech career and baking. What began as a creative outlet grew into a thriving global community, empowering cottage bakers through digital education, mentorship, and purpose-built tools. With appearances on Netflix and Food Network, the launch of her self-funded platform MCB, and her debut cookbook Matcha Meets Macaron, Lisa champions passion, inclusivity, and small business success. Beyond baking, she’s deeply committed to serving others through mentorship, advocacy, and creating spaces where creativity, connection, and kindness thrive.

Matt Rosen

CottageFoodieCon Organizer

Matt Rosen, brings a wealth of experience to the table. After serving 23 years in the military and retiring in 2015, Matt ventured into the cottage food industry in 2018. As his own cottage food business grew, so did his passion for the entire industry. Matt is an active member of the MN Cottage Food Producers Association (MNCFPA) and has even testified before the MN Legislature to advocate for his fellow cottage food producers.

David Crabill

The Forrager Podcast

Forrager is an online community for the cottage food industry.

Erin Swenson

Head of Social Media at Words At Work

Erin Heath is the Head of Social at Words At Work, a Minneapolis-based marketing agency where she leads both organic and paid social strategy. With over eight years of experience in the social media space, Erin has a track record of creating viral moments, building influencer partnerships, and helping brands show up with authenticity—without getting lost in corporate speak. She’s a strong communicator with a creative mind, a hands-on approach, and a passion for helping others find their voice online. Whether it’s a local maker or a national brand, Erin believes social works best when it’s real, thoughtful, and just a little bit bold.

Jenn Nienaber

Words At Work

Jenn Jones Nienaber is a graphic designer and art director with over 25 years of experience. She has been creating brand experiences for a wide range of companies, from international enterprises to local non-profit start-ups. With both agency and freelance experience, she specializes in logos, branding, collateral, packaging, presentations, tradeshow/event graphics, as well as Canva and social media graphics.

Tina Rexing

Founder - T-Rex Cookie Co.

Take risks and always remember the failures and challenges that got you where you are. If you don't learn from those things, you are doing it wrong.

Michelle Sharp

Meet The Minnesota Makers

Michelle M. Sharp is the founder and content creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers, a platform celebrating the stories of Minnesota’s small businesses, artists, and independent makers. A former college Spanish professor and researcher of Spanish women’s food writing, Michelle combines her academic skills with a passion for supporting local entrepreneurs. Since launching the project in 2021, Michelle's work shortens the gap between small businesses and their customers through maker features, gift guides, as well as coaching and content creation for small business owners in digital marketing to strengthen messaging and visibility. Explore the directory of artists, artisans, farmers, and food producers at meettheminnesotamakers.com

Lydia Venjohn

Venlo Studio

Lydia Venjohn is the founder and lead designer of Venlo Studio, a Twin Cities-based branding agency that helps small businesses create strategic, professional visuals that tell their story and grow their impact. With a background in graphic design and marketing, she specializes in branding, photography, and design support for product-based businesses—especially those in the food space. She loves partnering with passionate makers to help their products look as good as they taste.

Stephanie Hansen

Stephanie Hansen Author and Broadcaster

Stephanie is co-host of the “The Weekly Dish” radio show and podcast on Hubbard Broadcastings MyTalk107.1 radio with Minneapolis St Paul Magazines food editor, Stephanie March. The show is going on its 18th year and is also a podcast. In 2023 Stephanie won a regional Emmy award for hosting the TV show, "Taste Buds With Stephanie" that airs Saturday mornings at 8:30 am on Fox 9 and is currently in syndication at 69 TV stations throughout the United States. Season 3 starts in Fall of 2025. You can also catch Stephanie cooking and sharing recipes weekly on The Jason Show on KMSP Fox 9 in the Twin Cities. Stephanie also has a podcast called, “Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish” where she talks with other food writers, cookbook authors, and fans of food that she releases on her Substack newsletter with recipes each week from her blog StephaniesDish.com

Jessica Cowley

My Custom Bakes

Jessica is the Customer Experience Specialist at My Custom Bakes, where she supports bakers by troubleshooting issues and helping them streamline their business through the platform. She’s also the owner of Toadily Baked Desserts in San Ramon, CA, the West Coast distribution partner for Borderlands Bakery, and runs a bounce house rental company, Bouncy Bounce. As a wife and mom to two young daughters, Jessica understands the juggle of business and family life—and is passionate about helping makers build confidence in both their craft and their business.

Sarah Engstrom

Grande Custom Ingredients

Sarah Engstrom is a Corporate Microbiologist for Grande in Fond du Lac, WI. She has been with Grande since 2022, with prior R&D roles in Grande Custom Ingredients. Sarah holds M.S. and Ph.D. food science degrees from UW-Madison and a B.S. food science degree from the University of Minnesota. Sarah worked previously as R&D Manager in Food Protection & Preservation for Kerry in Beloit, WI, a research microbiologist for UW-Madison’s Food Research Institute, and a corporate microbiologist for Oscar Mayer in Madison, WI and Land O’Lakes in Arden Hills, MN.

Sandra Brenes

Studio B Bakery

Sandra Brenes, founder of The Bread & Butter Way, helps home bakers turn passion into profitable cottage businesses. With 20+ years in business, baking and teaching, she blends artisan skill with practical know-how, offering simple, intentional strategies for success.

Alina Eisenhauer

Chef Alina

Chef Alina Eisenhauer is a professional chef, baker, and educator with more than 20 years of experience in the baking & restaurant industries. She started a micro bakery business 23 years ago and eventually grew it into a 5,000 square foot brick-and-mortar doing 2 million/year in sales before transitioning to teaching online. Chef Alina has appeared as a competitor on numerous Food Network shows and has cooked at the James Beard Foundation. Today she helps bakers around the world master both the craft of baking and the business of cottage food entrepreneurship, with particular expertise in gluten-free and allergy-aware baking.

Nicole Bendig-Lamb

Cake Business School LLC

Nicole Bendig-Lamb, Founder of Cake Business School LLC, is an Accountant/Cake Business Coach and an award-winning Cottage Foods Cake Designer. After leaving Public Accounting to pursue her baking career full-time, she now dedicates herself to educating and inspiring other Cottage Foods Professionals on the business side of baking, with an emphasis on cash flow and profitability.

Jody Carey

Jody Carey Marketing

Jody Carey is a content writer and marketing consultant who celebrates small-batch creations and the artisans behind them. After eight years living and working in Australia, where homegrown businesses and shopping local are a way of life, she helps makers cut through the digital marketing chaos. Having worn all the hats herself, Jody breaks marketing down into bite-sized, doable projects so business owners can show up, stand out, and grow in a way that fits.

Denis Durnev

Culinary Instructor

Denis Durnev is a Culinary Instructor and hospitality professional with over 25 years of experience, specializing in higher education and healthcare foodservice operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Metropolitan State University and an Associate degree in Culinary Arts from Hennepin Technical College, where he has taught advanced culinary courses since 2012. An award-winning educator and active member of the American Culinary Federation Minneapolis Chefs Chapter, Denis has also served in leadership roles and supports diversity in the industry through his work with the BIPOC Foodways Alliance. His culinary philosophy is inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions and guided by a commitment to lifelong learning and student success.

Lauren "Lolly" Anderson

Lolly’s Home Kitchen

Lauren, known to many as Lolly, is a self-taught cookie artist and the founder of Lolly’s Home Kitchen, where she helps women find joy, purpose, and creativity through sugar cookies. She decorated her first cookie during one of the hardest years of her life, while caring for her medically fragile son. What began as a personal escape quickly became a creative outlet, and eventually, a million-dollar brand. After successfully growing her own home bakery, she took her business online in 2020 and began reaching cookie class-goers worldwide. Through themed classes, Cookie Camp, and signature recipes, she’s taught over 60,000 bakers how to decorate sugar cookies with confidence and style. Her focus is on making decorating approachable and fun—breaking down techniques into simple steps that inspire creativity and connection in the kitchen.