ShelettaMakesMeLaugh Hosts Free Brunch for Minnesota Small Business Owners to Mark Small Business Saturday — With Grant Raffle, Funding Info & Networking

Nov. 26, 2025 MINNEAPOLIS — The Coliseum Building on East Lake Street, once scarred by the civil unrest that swept Minneapolis in 2020, has been painstakingly restored into a revitalized hub for Black-owned enterprises and community investment. On Saturday, Nov. 29, it will play host to another chapter in that rebuilding story: a moment of respite for Minnesota’s small business owners.

From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., WCCO host, author, entrepreneur, and small-business advocate Sheletta Brundidge will open the doors of the historic building for a free brunch dedicated to Minnesota’s independent business community. Her multimedia company, ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com, is funding the event, which will feature unlimited mimosas, a waffle bar, a DJ, and a raffle for a $1,000 business grant.

But beneath the festive veneer, the gathering is meant to address something more urgent: a year of mounting economic strain.

A Rare Space for Connection in a Hard Year

“Small business owners naturally exist in silos,” Ms. Brundidge said in an interview. “They have so much work to do that they don’t get the chance to get out and meet other business owners. We have the capital to help each other succeed, but we have to know each other before we can help each other.”

That sense of isolation has only deepened in 2025. Tariffs have raised costs for many small retailers and manufacturers, while ongoing corporate pullbacks — including reduced vendor contracts and fewer diversity-focused partnerships — have disproportionately affected women-owned and minority-owned firms.

“It’s been a tough year with tariffs, DEI rollbacks, and high inflation,” Ms. Brundidge said. “Money is tight and folks are spending less; a lot of bigger companies are cutting back and not partnering with smaller contractors. But we’re still standing, and we need to have some fun.”

High Stakes for Small Business Saturday

The brunch coincides with Small Business Saturday, now in its 16th year. What began in 2010 as an initiative from American Express and the U.S. Small Business Administration has become a key part of the nationwide holiday retail cycle.

The stakes are significant. According to Constant Contact’s 2025 Small Business Holiday Outlook,

• 60% of small businesses say holiday spending accounts for up to half of their annual sales.

Meanwhile, tariffs, supply-chain pressures, and interest-rate volatility continue to pinch margins. And yet there is cause for optimism: American Express’s 2025 Shop Small Impact Study reports that

• 86% of consumers plan to patronize small businesses this holiday season,
• including 89% of Millennials and Gen Z, two cohorts strongly inclined to support local brands and neighborhood retailers.

For many Minnesota businesses, those trends could determine whether they end the year in the black.

More Than Waffles: Resources for Survival

Although Saturday’s brunch is free-flowing and celebratory, it is also logistical by design.

Attendees will receive information on two major statewide initiatives shaping the future of small business in Minnesota:

1. The MN PROMISE Act

A substantial economic development program administered through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the PROMISE Act dedicates tens of millions of dollars to support businesses in communities affected by

• structural racial discrimination,
• civil unrest,
• lack of access to capital,
• population loss, or
• economic disinvestment.

Eligible businesses can pursue grants for critical expenses such as payroll, rent, equipment, utilities, and working capital — a lifeline for firms still recovering from pandemic-era and post-unrest losses.

2. Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Law

Beginning in 2026, Minnesota workers will gain access to up to 20 weeks per year of paid family or medical leave. Small-business owners will receive guidance on employer contributions, exemptions, and administrative requirements as the program’s rollout approaches.

Ms. Brundidge hopes combining celebration with practical information will help entrepreneurs enter the holiday season energized rather than exhausted.

“Small businesses keep the money circulating in our communities,” she said. “They are our neighbors and they make our neighborhoods strong. I’m excited to get them fired up for a great holiday season.”

A Community Still Rebuilding

Saturday’s gathering will take place in a location that symbolizes both loss and recovery. The Coliseum Building — once home to a bustling commercial corridor — suffered extensive damage during 2020’s unrest and sat vacant until local developers and community leaders secured funding to restore it. It now houses a mix of small shops, creative businesses, and community spaces, making it a fitting venue for an event promoting resilience and solidarity.

The brunch follows in a long line of Ms. Brundidge’s community-building initiatives, including previous post-election gatherings intended to create support networks for underrepresented groups. The goal, she has said, is not merely to bring people together, but to strengthen the ecosystems that keep small businesses — and neighborhoods — alive.

If You Go

What: Small Business Saturday Brunch for Minnesota small business owners
When: Saturday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
Where: The Coliseum Building, 2708 E Lake St., Minneapolis
Cost: Free
Hosted by: Sheletta Brundidge and ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com
Includes: Unlimited mimosas, waffle bar, DJ, networking, and a $1,000 grant raffle
Registration: Required to ensure adequate food and beverage planning. Register here.

“Just let me know you’re coming,” Ms. Brundidge said. “I got to figure out how much food to get and how many bottles of champagne we need to be ready to open.”

MinneapoliMedia