New creative business incubator in Rondo celebrates grand opening
- Binta Kanteh
- 8 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The Rondo Exchange, a new creative business incubator, was unveiled this past Saturday.
Located at 856 Selby Ave. in St. Paul, and through the doors of community staple coffee shop, Golden Thyme, the space is nearly 3,000 square-feet of dedicated space for entrepreneurs, artisans and artists alike. The exchange is a part of the ongoing cultural and ownership renaissance in which the Rondo neighborhood has endeavored over the past several years.
Kprecia Ambers, a digital figurative illustrator who is a part of the inaugural group of business owners said she felt called to be a part of the exchange.
“I honestly felt like this opportunity was made for me,” said Ambers. “ As soon as I saw it, I was like ‘this is mine.’ I claimed it, I believed in it, and I went for it, and I'm here. I'm here and I'm so grateful for that. It came at an exact perfect time in my life when I was exploring my artwork and wanting to create more, make collections, and connect with my community. This opportunity does exactly that, gives me a space, able to meet with people, collaborate and expand. There's nothing inside of me that wants to grow alone. I want to collaborate. I find that's the best way to be able to expand and create unity. Being in this space to me, is being a part of history.”
For the celebratory opening, Ambers was joined by her father and younger twin sisters, Kmiya Moore and Kliya Moore.
“She always inspired us to always stay authentic, even if the world doesn't want us to. In her art, you can see that (in) the way that she includes vibrant colors, the way that she's promoting self love and inspiration – growing up that's always what she's been like,” Kmiya Moore said.
“She (Ambers) emphasized a lot of self love to us when we were younger, as her younger sisters and especially being Black. A lot of her work highlights the beauty of being Black.” Kliya Moore added.
“This is what it looks like when we invest not just in spaces, but in people, in their ideas, their stories and their long term success.” said Felicia Perry, senior economic development manager with the Rondo Community Land Trust (CLT), which operated the exchange.
An undertaking that took two years, the CLT specifically asks for entrepreneurs in the exchange to have roots in the historic community. Operating a shop in the incubator comes with business coaching, technical assistance and public and private space for business operations.
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her said the Rondo Exchange can serve to eliminate many of the hurdles faced by entrepreneurs of color.
“I am a child of entrepreneurs. I remember growing up, that when you are a person of color and navigating the systems that were not built for you and that constant taking away (of) any kind of social and cultural political capital that you gain; that you feel like you're always starting from a negative.” said Her.
St. Paul Councilwoman Anika Bowie, who represents Rondo, said she appreciates the importance of Black business ownership on Selby Avenue.
“This morning, I had a chance to listen to Jill Scott’s ‘Golden’ song, one of my favorites, as I was thinking about what to say today,” said Bowie, whose parents owned a grocery store on the street. “One of the lyrics from her song is, ‘I'm taking my freedom, putting it on my chain and wearing it around my neck. I'm taking my freedom, putting it in my car, wherever I choose to go, it will take me far.’ This is more than just lyrics. This is the mindset of an entrepreneur – someone who takes the freedom in their own hands, someone who takes their creativity, their culture and their lived experience and turns it into ownership, stability and generational wealth. That is the Rondo story.”
The opening on Saturday drew a crowd, both from the neighborhood and others who travelled from afar.
Fardowsa Iman, an addiction counselor from St. Cloud, drove to St. Paul with a friend after hearing about this event on TikTok. Iman came to support Ambers’ business.
“I’m also an entrepreneur and a business owner. I really liked the idea of coming to support another business owner, but also a Black business owner that I can connect with her artwork,” said Iman. “I came to talk to her and see if I could commission her to make me thank you cards to send out to my business partners. It's something that represents me and doesn't feel like the generic thank you cards that I've seen throughout my career that I don't really connect with as much as I probably connect with this.”
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