It’s no secret that we live, work and play in a very generous community. Whether it is giving of time, talent or treasure, this region is hard to beat. We help celebrate that philanthropic nature with our cover story this issue, Nancy Zallek of the Mankato Area Foundation (MAF).
I am not sure when my fear of heights started. I am inclined to think it started the summer between my 7th and 8th grade year of junior high. That’s when I shot up a couple of inches and became the “big” girl. Yes, that was my claim to fame in my little Missouri town, population 325.
The Fallenstein family turns their obsession with Halloween from a hobby into a business. The scene opens with mom, a seamstress named Jenice, sewing costumes and her three daughters, Julie, Lisa and Heather, renting them out from the family garage. Then the youngest sibling, Tom, starts getting involved with the business called Costumes Galore. It is a huge seasonal success in the region. Tom coming of age just as a somewhat futuristic tool known as the world wide web starts to emerge.
It was back in 1999 when Kroubetz and her husband Paul, both not even 30 years old yet, purchased a plot of land along Highway 60 as you enter Lake Crystal. When she reflects back, she is filled with gratitude. The two hadn’t even been married three years, when Kim wanted to pursue this dream and she says she couldn’t have done it without Paul’s unconditional support.
Nicollet native Christy Bode has always enjoyed taking pictures, capturing moments from big events but also just from everyday life. When her three boys came along, that love intensified. But it wasn’t until she started taking pics of other people’s kids that something clicked.
After years of varied business experiences in his own professional life, Joe Paulsen was ready to help others. Partnering with his wife, Rita a CPA, he opened Pinnacle Business Solutions in 2016 with a mission of enriching the lives of entrepreneurs by enhancing their business experience.
