marketing un/academy portal

Betsy Bonnema is the founder of redstar creative agency and the visionary behind redstar’s marketing un/academy. She believes loving your work can be contagious and has been proving it throughout her 30-year career. In 2016, she began building programs geared toward small business owners that have now helped over 160 entrepreneurs in greater Minnesota fall back in love with their work, build their brands and reinvent themselves in the face of a constantly changing world. The marketing un/academy symbolizes a rebel spirit that Betsy shares with the incredible entrepreneurs in her programs who are bravely taking chances on their dreams and giving back to their communities in powerful ways. Over the years, the un/academy has built a partnership with the Southwest Initiative Foundation by providing technical assistance to our loan recipients. By working together, we’re making an even bigger impact on small business owners and entrepreneurs in our region.

Gina Lieser Is the Community Program Manager for the marketing un/academy. She believes that when people feel valued and proud of their work, it lifts up communities. That’s why she loves her work with small business owners who are lifting up their home towns and the communities they serve. A veteran entrepreneur from a small community, Gina created and owned a retail store with her business partner in New London, Minnesota for ten years, called The Happy Sol. When she sold the business in 2020, she joined the redstar un/academy team. Gina understands the unique joys, challenges and satisfaction of serving customers and communities in meaningful ways and considers it a privilege to work with entrepreneurs from the around the state who are creating change.

"I believe the process of making art is magical and transformative. When we gather around the same worktable, artmaking has the power to build community." --kba Kristin Allen is a creative mastermind that gathers communities together through art. Her art making can be spotted at area businesses, on buildings, in schools, on landmarks, and many other places throughout our region. Kristin Allen is a multi-faceted designer and artist with years of experience in graphic design, packaging, display, print media production, copywriting/editing and delivering on marketing strategies. She also is a freelancer for redstar and works with the facilitation and creative inspiration for the un/academy's Business Reinvention program. Kristin is also an entrepreneur. She owns greenwater garage + gallery in New London, MN where she teaches art fundamentals to willing learners. She encourages and inspires a regular art practice through her painting classes and drawing club held in person and via zoom. Learn more about Kristin: greenwatergarage.com