Growing Green Business

Creative Conversations:
A Women's Networking Series

Growing Green Businesses
Owamni by the Sioux Chef
420 First Street South, Minneapolis, MN 55401
November 4, 2021
11:30 am - 1 pm

Minnesota businesses and governments are looking to lighten their environmental footprint and preserve health, culture, and community. This evolving conversation features some of the most interesting women around. Check back for more information!

Shelley Buck
President, Prairie Island Indian Council

President Shelley Buck is serving her fifth term on Prairie Island Tribal Council and third term as president. Prior to being elected Tribal Council president, served as Tribal Council secretary and assistant secretary/treasurer, enrollment clerk in the Prairie Island Enrollment Office and government relations specialist for the Tribe. Buck also served on the Pow Wow and Constitution Revision Committees.

Under her leadership, Prairie Island Indian Community is committed to a net-zero energy plan to generate as much or more energy as the community uses. In the 2020, the Minnesota Legislature approved a $46 million appropriation for the Prairie Island Net Zero Project using funds from the State’s renewable development account, which was established as a condition of allowing Xcel Energy to temporarily store nuclear waste in dry casks outside its nuclear power plant that is adjacent to the Tribe’s reservation.

Buck has a bachelor’s degree in business accounting from Indiana University and a master’s degree in sports management from Concordia University and a M.Jur. in tribal Indian law from the University of Tulsa. She serves on the boards of the Minnesota Wild Foundation, the Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, and the Great River Passage Conservancy in Saint Paul. Most recently, she was elected vice-chair of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.

A native of Indiana, Buck has lived in Minnesota for 14 years and has two daughters – Kachina and Sage. In her spare time, Buck enjoys playing and watching sports, and hanging out and traveling with her daughters and friends.

Bella Lam
Founder, Coconut Whisk
Bella, along with her co-founder, Myles, went vegan in college because they saw how positively impactful it was for their health, the environment, animals and planet. They instantly fell in love with this new way of eating and knew that they found their calling. Without business degrees, yet wanting to help promote this passion, they created Coconut Whisk with nothing but a few hundred dollars to their name and a grand vision.

What began as a simple idea that started in their college apartment has evolved into a forward-thinking lifestyle brand and business that supports organizations fighting food insecurity.

Coconut Whisk is a mission-driven vegan and gluten-free food brand that helps busy families create healthy indulgences and positive kitchen experiences. Their yummy-tasting baking mixes are easy-to-make, dietitian-approved, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, non-GMO and made without preservatives or artificial ingredients. From pancakes to mug cakes to cookies, they create products that are better-for-you yet indulgent.

Kayla Yang-Best
Founder, Seasoned Specialty Food Market

Kayla Yang-Best is founder of Seasoned Specialty Food Market, a producer-led market with a unique grocery model that helps food startups and expanding food producers in Minnesota to bring their finest products directly to the customer, while working to give back 100% of the retail sales proceeds back to food producers. Kayla calls this co-retailing -- a new grocery model with potential to create efficiencies that can change how small-batch producers compete in the marketplace.

Today, many producers face sustainability challenges because of an existing system of controls in the pricing structures - which often force the small local producers into major disadvantages. As a co-retailing grocery store Seasoned Specialty Food Market works to remove the system of controls on pricing and put it more directly into the hands of the producer and the consumer.

Kayla is a 2020 Bush Foundation Fellow, one of just 24 people selected out of 724 applicants. The fellowship allows her to build her business while gathering insights from leaders who excel in inclusive decision-making and creating inclusive change.

Before launching her business, Kayla spent more than 20 years in corporate and philanthropic leadership in places like Bush Foundation, Cargill and United Way.

Sign Up for Updates

Tell us about yourself