Business

Black-owned businesses get a boost at Chameleon Shoppes

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER — The businesses are part of West Broadway Business & Area Coalition’s (WBBAC) Shop Northside partnership with Chameleon Consortium pop-up retail initiative. The Chameleon Consortium also partnered with Neka Creative and Impact Hub MSP to activate the shops, which take over the first and second floors at Gaviidae.

Published

7 years ago

April 21, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stephenetta (isis) Harmon

The NCAA frenzy may have left town, but shoppers can still take delight in the more than 20 small Black-owned businesses selling their goods and services at Gaviidae Common in downtown Minneapolis.

The businesses are part of West Broadway Business & Area Coalition’s (WBBAC) Shop Northside partnership with Chameleon Consortium pop-up retail initiative. The Chameleon Consortium also partnered with Neka Creative and Impact Hub MSP to activate the shops, which take over the first and second floors at Gaviidae.

The Chameleon Shoppes are chock full of everything from African clothing and accessories and jewelry to beard oils, body butter, and art. They not only help bring to life vacant retail space in what should be a prime downtown location but also create affordable opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses to expand their reach and marketing efforts.

As a vendor, myself, they also offer an affordable opportunity to expand outreach efforts. Felicia Perry, WBBAC Business Resources Coordinator, said that was a primary goal in partnering.

“The opportunity for our clients to test out their products and services with a different market than they typically have in their own neighborhoods is huge,” said Perry. “We also get to show off how we show up in pop-ups to a different community — especially given the unique marketing strategies required to pull people into a place that we know was already struggling.”

Shop Northside has two retail shoppes on the ground floor, along with a salon and barber experience featuring such services as threading, mini makeup makeovers, a braid bar, microblading and haircuts.

Participating vendors include Tionna Dionne Fashion, Black Excellence, Bowtie Billionaire, Nature’s Syrup, TiAngy Designs, Bimpe Bata Footwear, Just Hair USA, We Wanna Rock, Body Love, Allure Cigars, Cald2Art and Christyle Closet.

The shops will remain open through the end of April. After that, Perry said WBBAC will continue its longstanding efforts to create small business opportunities for its clients.

“We’ve been doing this economic development work in different ways for a while now and we intend to continue to find creative ways to plug our business owners, artists and makers into economic opportunities as we discover them ourselves,” said Perry. This includes their monthly “Northside Business Lunch” — this month’s April 18 session is focused on “Retail Hustle” and tips for being a successful retail entrepreneur.

“It’s a great experience to be downtown,” said Crystal Lemar, owner of Christyle. “It’s exciting because I’ve always wanted to open up or have a boutique in downtown Minneapolis. So this is my opportunity to live out my dream for the month of April.”

Perry added that supporting and creating opportunities for these businesses to thrive also keeps money within the community.

“This is where they stay and this where they spend their money,” she said. “That’s real actual economic and social development because we’re not just getting to know a new business, but we’re getting to know our neighbors, as well.”

The Chameleon Shoppes are located in Gaviidae Common, located 651 Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, and are open Wednesday-Friday, 10 am – 2 pm now through April 26.

For more information on Shop Northside, visit northmpls.org. For more info on Chamelone Shoppes, visit chameleonconsortium.com.

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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March 22, 2026

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

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2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC