LBA/SCCA BUSINESS DIRECTORY 2026

NEW TO THE AREA

Moonstone owner Brenna Wernersbach (right) with employee Sophia Bull, who has been part of Moonstone from the start.

Alicia Belton and Janice Downing are cofounders of S.H.A.K.E., a Black-owned, female-owned work space and event center designed to serve multi-cultural community needs in the Coliseum building at 2708 E Lake St. With two others, they also worked to redevelop the Coliseum building. The acronym S.H.A.K.E. represents their business values of service, honesty, adaptability, kindness, and experience.

Asia Mohamed (second from left with team members) handles business strategy for Arya Café (4603 Minnehaha Ave S), which opened in the summer of 2025. She’s one of four co-founders who strive to not only provide a gathering space for their East African community, but the larger community, as well. “For locals, by locals,” said Mohamed. They use Ethiopian coffee beans that are roasted in Minneapolis, and offer various handcrafted drinks on their curated menu. For the founders, Arya Café is more than coffee - it’s a space to gather, slow down, and reconnect. They host storytimes, musicians, and other events while donating 10% of their profits.

Longfellow resident Max Wiczek started Ridgeline Fence and Deck (3463 Hiawatha Ave.) five years ago with the simple idea that fences need to be built better. They specialize in the driven post method that has revolutionized the industry.

Posted Wednesday, November 26, 2025 6:47 pm

MEET

Brenna Wernersbach has worked for many small, independently owned businesses, and when the opportunity arose to transition from pop-up markets and consignment sales to running her own brick-and-mortar, they couldn’t pass it up. MoonStone MPLS, opened in December of 2023 in Uptown and relocated to Longfellow (3304 E Lake St) in February 2025. “We aim to be inclusive to all perspectives and levels of experience, and highlight ways that science and magic are compatible avenues to wellness,” they said. A Lyndale resident now, Wernersbach first lived in Longfellow when they moved to Minneapolis, and bringing the business here feels like a homecoming. After a few months in Uptown, they began looking for a location that was easier to get to, more convenient to access, and with more active neighboring businesses. “Our location on East Lake Street meets all that criteria, and because I knew the history of the area, I knew it would be a perfect fit,” they said. “I had worked for Blue Moon Cafe, Geek Love Cafe within Moon Palace Books, and Milkweed, and it feels great to see familiar faces of neighbors that I’ve known all along the way.” They added, “When you spend $50 at a local store that money goes directly to helping us pay our rent, our groceries, our living expenses, and keeps us around. If you appreciate the presence of small businesses in your neighborhood, shop with them, share them with your friends, and don’t take them for granted. It’s tough out there, right now especially.”

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Alicia Belton and Janice Downing are cofounders of S.H.A.K.E., a Black-owned, female-owned work space and event center designed to serve multi-cultural community needs in the Coliseum building at 2708 E Lake St. With two others, they also worked to redevelop the Coliseum building. The acronym S.H.A.K.E. represents their business values of service, honesty, adaptability, kindness, and experience.

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Asia Mohamed handles business strategy for Arya Café (4603 Minnehaha Ave S), which opened in the summer of 2025. She’s one of four co-founders who strive to not only provide a gathering space for their East African community, but the larger community, as well. “For locals, by locals,” said Mohamed. They use Ethiopian coffee beans that are roasted in Minneapolis, and offer various handcrafted drinks on their curated menu. For the founders, Arya Café is more than coffee - it’s a space to gather, slow down, and reconnect. They host storytimes, musicians, and other events while donating 10% of their profits.

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Longfellow resident Max Wiczek started Ridgeline Fence and Deck (3463 Hiawatha Ave.) five years ago with the simple idea that fences need to be built better. They specialize in the driven post method that has revolutionized the industry.