Running a business in the Twin Cities is no walk in the park.
“It’s hard to be a business owner. I mean it is really difficult,” said Paul Edlund, owner of J. Benson Construction.
Edlund is one of four business owners named a 2026 Entrepreneur Awardee from the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), during its recent annual meeting.
MEDA is a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization dedicated to fostering economic equity by supporting minority-owned and BIPOC-led small businesses. It was founded in 1971 with the primary mission of closing racial wealth gaps and creating community jobs through successful entrepreneurs.
Edlund is one of those successful entrepreneurs. In fact, his MEDA award was titled Resilient Entrepreneur of the Year. “That resilience doesn’t equal fun,” Edlund said while laughing. “It wasn’t the fun entrepreneur of the year award that I got.” His foray into small business came 6 years ago, after he had already been a criminal defense attorney. When Edlund took over ownership of J. Benson Construction in 2020, he shifted it from residential to commercial work, from non-union to union, and from general contracting to subcontracting. These efforts resulted in tripled revenues and a team that grew from 21 to 80.
Edlund depended on MEDA for insight on grant opportunities and guidance through challenging times. But capital is just one of the ways MEDA steps in. “We offer business consulting services to help you with your business plan,” explained Adrian Ruddock, MEDA VP of lending and consulting. “How do you scale? What is a P&L or a balance sheet?” Ruddock said MEDA helps entrepreneurs with the basics. “You need to get funding or hire employees and get equipment? We have all those things under a one-stop shop.”
Ruddock explained that MEDA offers programs too, like its Volunteer Accelerator Network (VAN), which pairs emerging underserved entrepreneurs with established business mentors to facilitate growth and support during those early and fragile days of the business.
For businesses that are already off the ground, MEDA offers a way to soar, through its Ascend Twin Cities program. “It teaches organizations to go from surviving to thriving,” said Armetha Pihlstrom of Pihlstrom Consulting, another one of MEDA’s 2026 Entrepreneur Awardees. Pihlstrom was named Community Builder of the Year. “It’s not about me, it’s about we,” Pihlstrom said. Her company specializes in strategic consulting, supplier diversity, and market development tools to boost brands, specifically food, agriculture, and consumer goods.
Pihlstrom points to two of her recent events for exemplifying her focus on community, including her Twin Cities Veg Fest, which is the Midwest’s largest free-entry vegan festival. It connects thousands of attendees with plant-based food innovators, community partners, and brands. Last year the event had 5,000 attendees. Pihlstrom also started the MLK Legacy Awards, a gala and event in Minneapolis that honors individuals and organizations for embodying the principles and values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., like leadership, equity, service and justice.
Pihlstrom and Edlund are just two of many entrepreneurs benefiting from MEDA. According to its annual report, in 2025, MEDA provided historic levels of support to business owners, deploying $10.6 million in capital loans directly to entrepreneurs. Those businesses in turn reported $139.5 million in revenue, grew an average of 89% and created 2,700 jobs.
“There are going to be windy roads, but your commitment to the business, to making it work, is the key to being successful,” Ruddock added.
To see details on the four MEDA 2026 Entrepreneur Awardees and to learn more about programs and assistance available, go here.
