Betty Ouren: mom, community leader and powerful professional. Ouren is Vice President of Human Resources and Marketing for MinnStar Bank. She is responsible for staffing administration, marketing and bank philanthropy. She has been with MinnStar for 22 years…and counting! Ouren was also the 2017 recipient of Greater Mankato Growth’s Hap Halligan Award for leadership, an honor Ouren has certainly earned through her involvement in many civic-minded projects.
According to an old Chinese proverb, “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” The life of Wu Lin, born in Fuzhou, China 34 years ago, certainly reflects that teaching. From learning the art of sushi, to learning English, to learning how to run a business: Lin says his constant yearning for learning got him where is today. Where he is today, is a long, long way from his birthplace. For Lin that single step was discovering his true passion in the kitchen: sushi. A passion that led him on a journey from China to Japan and eventually the United States.
The materials and tools needed to build or replace a roof may seem basic: an underlayment, shingles, roofing nails, a nail gun and roofing knife. But it’s the tools you can’t see that Mark Ballman really believes makes a difference in his company. “The typical roofer has had some type of tough situation in their life,” says Ballman. “But most have got a good soul and a big heart.”
As the oldest of three children in the family, Jennifer (Fox) Johnson was 15 when she began her career at what is now Ace Home & Hardware in Marshall, Minnesota. “One evening, my father, Ray Fox, told me I was going to the store with him the next day and to be ready to learn the hardware business,” she explains.
Diet and weight loss centers seem to pop up daily, but as Tina McClain watched this happening, she could see a few things that could be done better. “I want to offer people an affordable diet/wellness plan along with the family grab and bake at-home meals to complete what I feel teaches people healthy living without the large yearly fees or initial fees,” she explains.
The city of New Ulm can boast many unique opportunities: Herman the German, The Grand Center for the Arts, Schell’s Brewery and now its own speakeasy. What is a speakeasy? According to the Urban Dictionary, Speakeasies are inspired by the hidden spots to get a drink during the Prohibition in the 1920s.
Jeremy and Jacque Whiteford met each other while attending college at Minnesota State University Moorhead. The two became partners in life, getting married, but didn’t know at the time they would also become partners in business.
The Canopy group was named the 2018 Agency of the Year by the Minnesota Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers Association, and for good reason. In recent years, The Canopy Group has quadrupled in size. Six years ago they had two carriers with a million dollars of premium per year. Today, they have over a million dollars of premium per year with more than 10 carriers.
Twenty three years ago, Kathy Sanger was a new college graduate working as an evening admissions representative at Rasmussen College. Today, she leads the campus in Mankato that now serves more than 700 students. She has filled a variety of roles in her tenure at Rasmussen including Admissions Manager, Director of Admissions and Director of Campus Operations.
