Minnetrista
Minnetrista, MN · LATEST NEWS
ccxmedia.org
ccxmedia.org
Sun Patriot
Immigrant-founded start-up latest venture from local couple
Juan Llerena emigrated to Waconia from Peru more than 25 years ago knowing very little about the culture or the business opportunities in this country. But he latched on at Mackenthun’s Fine Foods stocking shelves, and over the next several years advanced through the local grocery store organization eventually becoming its marketing director. He left there in 2021 to start his own business with his wife Guisela Pinto. It’s called JLLB Media, a consulting agency focused on marketing and business development. Primarily small businesses and nonprofits with a special focus on Latino and diverse businesses — persons like himself when he was navigating unfamiliar territory The couple also helped launch a fair-trade gift shop, offering sustainable fashion, home decor, and global accessories from small-scale artisans in developing countries to help them gain new markets and fair prices for their goods. And they founded a home daycare business “Bienvenidos Home Daycare” which operated in Waconia from 2019-2025. Now Llerena has started Vamos Impact, a Carver County–based 501©(3) nonprofit launched in late 2025. Vamos means “let’s go,” an encouraging phrase reflective of its two-pronged mission. The first, bilingual business coaching, delivering free, hands-on business workshops, digital marketing strategy, AI technology training and
ccxmedia.org
36 Years Later, A ‘Major Step’ Completed in Plymouth’s Station 73 Project
When a teenage Amy Klobuchar rode her bicycle on the shoulder along Highway 55 in the 1970s, the population of Plymouth was about 20,000 people. Klobuchar lived three blocks away from Highway 55, which now serves as a major east-west connection between the western suburbs and Minneapolis. Today, about 30,000 vehicles use Highway 55 daily in a city that has grown to roughly 80,000 people.
willmarradio.com
fox9.com
Laker Pioneer
Spartans storm into Class 4A semifinals
Orono moved within two victories of back-to-back state championships with a 56-20 beating of SMB on Thursday night at Buffalo High School in the Class 4A state tournament quarterfinals. Senior quarterback Finn Dyvik continued his stellar season for the Spartans, throwing three touchdown passes and running for two more scores. “Great state playoff win for us last night,” Orono head coach Joe McPherson said. “SMB came out strong and I was proud of our defense for making adjustments during the game to hold them to only 14 points in the first half.” SMB, led by freshman quarterback Carter Cupito, hung around for nearly a half. The Wolfpack cut the Orono lead to 16-14 with a Cupito to James Grossman touchdown 1:50 before the break. Cupito already has a scholarship offer from the University of Minnesota and is the son of former Gopher QB Bryan Cupito. But the Spartans had a quick answer and dominated the third quarter to put the game on ice. Just 38 seconds after SMB scored, Dyvik connected with Bennett Halverson for a 29-yard touchdown connection. Dyvik’s 2-point run made it 24-14 at the intermission. The third quarter was all Spartans. Just 18 seconds into the period,
hoodline.com
Press & News
fox9.com
Eden Prairie Local News
KSTP 5 Eyewitness News Minneapolis-St. Paul MN
Wright County Journal Press
familydestinationsguide.com
takemetotn.com
Step Into This Minnesota Car Museum And Feel Like You’ve Driven Straight Into The 1950s
Somewhere off a busy road in Rogers, Minnesota, rows of polished classic cars sit waiting under one roof. Every single one of them has a price tag. That twist turns an ordinary afternoon into something halfway between a museum trip and a very tempting shopping spree. Vintage collectors, weekend car fans, and anyone who grew up hearing stories about tail fins and chrome bumpers will find plenty to talk about here.