Twins and U.S. Bank partner to bring local women- or BIPOC-owned businesses to Target Field
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – Using their shared platforms to spotlight and elevate Twins Territory businesses owned by women or Black, Indigenous and People of Color, the Minnesota Twins and U.S. Bank today announced a multi-year partnership to bring the “Creator’s Corner presented by U.S. Bank” to Target Field. Beginning with the 2023 Home Opener, this unique retail space inside Gate 34 – the ballpark’s “front porch” – will be home to three businesses for the entire season, with a new trio featured each subsequent year; the Twins will collaborate with the companies to feature, promote and sell their products, while making a financial investment in each.
The inaugural, 2023 Creator’s Corner presented by U.S. Bank will showcase Must Be Ruff from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Native Roots Trading Post from St. Paul and SJC Body Love from St. Paul. Each company will sell a variety of items from their product line at all 81 Twins regular season home games, plus any potential Postseason contests. Retail support, including staffing, will be provided by Twins foodservice and retail partner Delaware North, allowing the companies to maintain operations both at Target Field and their own brick-and-mortar locations.
“The Minnesota Twins are proud to collaborate with our longstanding partners at U.S. Bank to bring the ‘Creator’s Corner’ to Target Field and these wonderful companies to our fans,” said club President & CEO Dave St. Peter. “True social equity cannot be achieved while socioeconomic disparities remain. This is another important step in eliminating barriers to access and opportunity, and it is our hope that having retail space, exposure and support within our ballpark will help these businesses grow and thrive away from Target Field.”
“At U.S. Bank, we are focused on using our core expertise as a bank to help close the racial and economic wealth gap and it starts with access,” said Reba Dominski, chief social responsibility officer for U.S. Bank. “Partnering with the Minnesota Twins on this new Creator’s Corner will provide these small businesses with access to capital, customers and opportunities. We are excited about this new investment and we encourage all fans to visit this unique retail space this season to learn more about these three amazing small businesses.”
The process to determine the 2023 Creator’s Corner trio began with a list of 10 nominations culled by renowned local curator Mich Berthiaume, whose credits include The Dayton’s Project and 2019’s “Gate 34 Experience” at Target Field, among many other successful endeavors. The final three were selected by a diverse and representative committee of Twin Cities community and business leaders, along with staff from the Twins and U.S. Bank.
More on the featured businesses of the 2023 Creator’s Corner presented by U.S. Bank follows.
2023 Creator’s Corner presented by U.S. Bank
- Must Be Ruff, created by owner Reggie Carter in 2021 and based out of Brooklyn Park, uses a from-scratch baking process to provide the best soft-baked goods and gourmet dog treats for your pup. Having grown up on a farm in Mississippi, Reggie wants his company to help ensure Twin Cities canines are as healthy as the dogs and animals he was surrounded by as a kid.
- Native Roots Trading Post supports Native artists and entrepreneurs from Minnesota, Wisconsin and throughout the country by providing a location to showcase and sell their work. Based out of St. Paul, co-owners Jalayne Negley and Robert Pilot, celebrate Native art and culture through a showcase of clothing, artwork, food, home goods and more.
- SJC Body Love, founded by owner and CEO Sabrina D Jones in 2015, delivers a line of handcrafted skincare made with clean, simple ingredients and a lot of TLC. Having endured her own yearslong struggle with the adverse effects of synthetic lotions and medicated treatments for eczema, Sabrina is driven by a passion for helping others with similar health issues. The St. Paul-based company donates two percent of its sales to child welfare organizations working to help children and their families better their lives and communities.