The Twin Cities Business Show

The Twin Cities Business Show

Real conversations with the builders and leaders shaping Minnesota’s economy, from legacy industries to the frontiers of innovation. The Twin Cities Business Show is produced by the team at Twin Cities Business.

  1. 2h ago

    The Business Behind Tono’s Pizza & Cheesesteak Empire

    Shaz Khan and his team are building a restaurant empire around pizza, authentic cheesesteaks, and a commitment to quality. As CEO of Veronova Brands, whose concepts include Tono Pizzeria & Cheesesteaks, Frank & Andrea, and Slicecraft, Khan has helped grow their collection of brands to 16 stores and counting.On this episode of the Twin Cities Business Show, Khan talks about why he believes in building a business with friends, what his engineering background taught him about the restaurant industry, and why he believes customer trust matters more than anything else. We got into their famous Tuesday BOGO deal and why he views it as a marketing expense.He took us through the early days of closing the late night pizza joint before heading to his engineering job, why he brings philosophy to the office, and how he's scaling systems to meet their growing demand.In this episode: 0:00 — Meet Shaz Khan and the Veronova restaurant empire0:33 — 15 locations and counting: Is Tono a chain?1:41 — How customer demand drove the company’s growth3:35 — The story behind the creation of Tono6:03 — How to scale an authentic Philly cheesesteak8:07 — The ingredients behind a great cheesesteak10:22 — Applying an engineer’s mindset to the restaurant business12:19 — Why Shaz believes you should do business with friends16:16 — Making the leap from engineering to restaurants27:29 — Why Veronova created a brand above its restaurant concepts27:48 — The hidden cost of rapid growth31:45 — Why protecting the brand came before outside capital34:29 — How long does it take a restaurant to become profitable?36:40 — The goal: profitability within the first year38:12 — Pizza vs. cheesesteaks: The economics of the menu41:02 — The strategy behind Tono Tuesday’s BOGO deal45:04 — Why Shaz calls a discount “marketing”46:41 — Building customer trust without cutting corners49:16 — Shaz’s vision for the restaurant empire in 2035

  2. Oct 7

    Arctic Wolf CEO: AI Has Changed Cybersecurity Forever

    Arctic Wolf CEO Nick Schneider joins the Twin Cities Business Show to talk about how artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed cybersecurity. According to Schneider, we are already past the point where humans can defend against agents, and need agents of their own to keep themselves safe. Schneider explains how AI is giving cybercriminals new capabilities, why the window to respond to vulnerabilities has gone from months to what he calls “negative time,” and why the future of cybersecurity will require machines defending against machines. Four key quotes from our interview: "Humans really aren't able to defend against sophisticated machines, and machines are needed to defend against machines.” “Cybersecurity has become a critical component of any business's core strategy.” “If you don't know what to do with all the telemetry or the alerts or what those tools are telling you, you're no better off than when you didn't have those tools.” “You can for the first time solve the whole problem that cybersecurity has historically set out to solve in one elegant delivery.” We also talk about Arctic Wolf’s agentic security operations platform, how AI agents work alongside humans, the company’s growth to roughly 12,000 customers, and whether Arctic Wolf is headed for an IPO (hint: it sounds like it). Schneider shares that the company is at the scale and has the product-market fit to be publicly traded, and he describes the decision as “when, not if.” We also discuss Schneider’s career at Compellent and Code42, why he joined Arctic Wolf, what makes Minnesota a strong — but imperfect — place to build technology companies, and his recent decision to join the board of Yardstik. Chapters: 00:00 Intro: Arctic Wolf CEO Nick Schneider00:25 How AI is changing cybersecurity02:28 When ChatGPT changed the threat landscape03:50 Cyberattacks are happening at “negative time”05:04 What mid-sized companies need to do now07:00 Why humans can’t defend against machines alone10:27 How Arctic Wolf’s AI agents work12:13 When AI agents bring humans into the loop13:32 Can AI solve cybersecurity’s biggest problems?15:00 Where Arctic Wolf stands in 202616:44 Is Arctic Wolf preparing for an IPO?18:42 “When, not if”20:00 What changes when you become a public-company CEO24:59 The importance of mentors and leadership teams27:47 How Schneider builds an executive team30:31 From Compellent and Code42 to Arctic Wolf34:59 The story of how Schneider joined Arctic Wolf37:39 Why Minnesota is a strong place to build tech companies40:31 Why Schneider joined the Yardstik board47:10 Where Arctic Wolf could be in 10 years48:32 The future of cybersecurity: humans + AI49:05 Final thoughts

  3. Sep 30

    The Life of an NFL Agent | Behind The Scenes with Blake Baratz

    What does it really take to build a career in professional football?Blake Baratz has spent decades as an NFL agent and the founder of IFA Sports, an agency here in Minneapolis. He’s represented players including former Minnesota Vikings Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham, giving him a front-row seat to the realities of making it to the NFL — and, even harder, staying there. Recently, he's expanded into clients with the NCAA and even into high school football.In this episode of The Twin Cities Business Show, Baratz talks about building his agency, the business of representing athletes, and what he’s learned from working across professional, college and high school football.He also weighs in on the rapidly changing world of college sports and NIL. As billions of dollars flow into college athletics, Baratz argues that the adults in the room have struggled to create a system that works for players, coaches, schools and fans.And what comes next for the NFL? Baratz discusses the league’s remarkable growth and whether its future will depend on more media partners, more games, and more international travel.Plus, he talks about another entrepreneurial venture: Brick x Mortar, a social club built around community and connection.This episode includes:00:00 The Toughest Client Negotiations 02:22 Current NFL Contract Dynamics03:05 Becoming an NFL Agent & Building IFA05:58 What Representation Really Means07:10 Supporting Players On & Off the Field09:42 Adam Thielen & C.J. Ham's Journeys11:06 How NFL Teams Evaluate Players14:07 Inside the NFL Draft Process15:43 Changing the Narrative for Decision Makers16:56 The Brutal Reality of NFL Roster Cuts18:18 Negotiation, Credibility & Risk21:07 Building Generational Wealth25:06 Financial Literacy for Young Athletes28:41 NIL & the Wild West of College Sports29:53 Advising College Athletes on NIL Deals33:11 Why College Athletes Need Compensation35:02 Working With High School Prospects37:01 The Economics of College Football Rosters38:45 Applying NFL Roster Models to College Football43:38 The NFL's Unprecedented Growth47:02 International Expansion vs. Player Health48:22 The NFLPA & Collective Bargaining50:29 Blake's Fantasy Football Career51:27 Why Blake Doubled Down on Football53:02 Expanding Beyond Football55:39 Building Brick & Mortar in Minneapolis57:42 The Business of Work-Life Balance59:24 Closing Remarks

  4. Sep 16

    How Minnetonka Turned Moccasins Into an 80-Year Family Business

    The Miller family has run Minnesota-based footwear company Minnetonka for decades. We sat down with the 3rd and 4th generation of the company's leaders in the latest episode of The Twin Cities Business Show. What is it like to work with your dad? David Miller, the company's CEO, and Chief Commercial Officer Jori Miller Sherer talked about their relationship with each other, both as family and co-workers. In this episode, they discuss what it was like when Jori finally told her dad she wanted to come work for the company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLtGaFb-61A Fashion moves a lot faster than it used to. For companies like Minnetonka, that's made it harder to keep up with the "micro bursts" that rip through the internet. Trends that used to last three to four years now happen in three to four months. That can make it impossible when a new shoe takes 18 months from concepting to the storeroom floor. Tariffs have made the lives of retailers harder by making everything they use more expensive and creating an uncertain environment for retailers everywhere. They share shares how the company has tried to plan for and adjust to an ever-changing reality. A few years ago, Minnetonka made headlines around the world when they acknowledged and apologized for appropriating Native American culture and design. In 2025, the company launched The Reclamation Collaborative, an initiative to uplift Native artistry and redefine Indigenous representation in fashion. The episode includes: 00:00 — Meet the 3rd & 4th Generation of Minnetonka02:23 — What It's Like Working With Your Dad05:00 — How Minnetonka Became a Cultural Icon08:48 — Is Minnetonka Actually in the Fashion Business?11:57 — Why Fashion Trends Now Last Just Months13:03 — Why It Takes 18 Months to Create a New Shoe16:28 — How Minnetonka's History Prepared It for E-Commerce19:31 — The Family Business: Why David Initially Rejected Jory24:36 — What Jory Has Changed About the Business32:27 — How Tariffs Have Disrupted Minnetonka34:06 — Minnetonka's 80-Year Journey Through Business Cycles34:53 — Confronting the Company's History of Cultural Appropriation39:02 — Working With Native Artists to Redesign Minnetonka Products45:39 — What's Next for Minnetonka Through 203046:19 — How Minnetonka Is Using AI48:18 — Why 80 Years Doesn't Guarantee the Next 80

  5. Sep 10

    How Do You Keep a Newspaper Alive for 92 Years? Tracey Williams-Dillard Knows

    How do you keep a newspaper alive for 92 years?Tracey Williams-Dillard is the CEO and publisher of Minnesota's oldest Black-owned newspaper, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. The family-owned publication was founded by her grandfather, Cecil Newman, in 1934.In this episode of the Twin Cities Business Show, Tracey takes us inside her family's business, which has served African-Americans across Minnesota for decades. She tells us about how they've kept the paper going in a challenging media landscape that has seen many similar organizations go under.She also shares her personal story of what it took to keep the paper going through some of the hardest years of her life, including losing her husband during the COVID pandemic, when George Floyd was murdered a few blocks from the MSR's headquarters, and when she lost her mother only years later.We talk about her grandfather's unusual strategy for building the newspaper, her grandmother taking over after his death, the legendary journalists and talent who came through the newsroom like Larry Fitzgerald Sr., Gordon Parks, and Charles Hallman, and why Tracey believes the MSR plays such an essential role in recording the history of the community.This episode includes:00:00 — Meet Tracey Williams-Dillard00:51 — How Cecil Newman started the newspaper in 193401:54 — Cecil Newman and Hubert Humphrey03:15 — Launa Newman takes over04:31 — Tracey is chosen to lead the family business05:30 — Why the newspaper became the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder06:40 — Growing up around the MSR08:12 — What happened to the neighborhood around 38th Street09:56 — How a 92-year-old newspaper survives10:28 — Why the Black press still matters12:51 — What mainstream media misses about Black Minnesota13:57 — The people and stories the MSR has preserved16:49 — Gordon Parks, Carl Rowan and the MSR talent pipeline19:01 — Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and preserving Minnesota's history20:48 — How the newspaper makes money21:04 — Turning community problems into new businesses23:50 — How Sister Spokesman was created27:01 — The newspaper's changing revenue model27:45 — Tracey's approach to finding new ideas30:23 — The struggle to find media salespeople32:52 — How Minnesota's Black community is changing35:43 — The hardest years of Tracey's life36:16 — Losing her husband while keeping the paper alive38:29 — George Floyd and boarding up the MSR39:20 — "It was like a war zone"40:19 — How Tracey kept going41:23 — Where she finds her strength42:26 — What her grandparents would think today43:06 — Taking the MSR digital—and into AI43:37 — The future of community newspapers45:11 — Supporting the Black press46:07 — Why Tracey keeps going

  6. Aug 19

    The Future of Fertilizer: How Pivot Bio Is Revolutionizing Ag Tech in Minnesota and Beyond

    Pivot Bio is transforming the fertilizer industry with innovative microbe technology that attaches directly to plant roots to continuously deliver nitrogen to the plant. This approach allows farmers to replace synthetic fertilizers, lowering their costs while reducing chemical runoff and carbon emissions. The company recently relocated its headquarters to Minnesota from California. On this episode of the Twin Cities Business Show, the company's CEO, Chris Abbott, talks about where the fertilizer industry is headed and why Pivot Bio is well positioned. We joined their company's tractor tour live from the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol to learn more. They discuss the company's 1 Million Thanks tour, how supply chain disruptions impact farm margins and food costs, and why Minnesota is becoming a premier hub for the next era of crop nutrition innovation.In this episode:0:00 – Welcome to the Twin Cities Business Show (Live from a tractor!)0:31 – The "1 Million Thanks" Tour: Highlighting farmer mental health and rural viability2:05 – How Pivot Bio’s gene-edited microbes replace synthetic nitrogen3:45 – Cutting runoff and emissions: Addressing the limits of 100-year-old fertilizer tech5:38 – How scaling microbial nitrogen can lower farmer costs and impact global food prices7:28 – Chris Abbott’s journey: Investing in 2018 to stepping in as CEO to scale the technology9:30 – Navigating the founder-CEO dynamic and driving innovation with AI11:53 – Scaling up: Expanding supply chain capacity to reach 150 million acres14:40 – On-the-ground sentiment: How global conflicts continue to squeeze farmer margins17:10 – Why Pivot Bio moved its headquarters from Berkeley to Minnetonka18:20 – Minnesota's ag tech ecosystem: Capital, talent, and regional momentum20:18 – Policy at the Capitol: Creating a statewide crop nutrition platform in Minnesota24:14 – Future-proofing the Farm Bill: Supporting new technology, precision ag, and biologics

  7. Aug 12

    The $77 Million Business Behind the Minnesota State Fair

    Every wondered how the Minnesota State Fair actually works? It's so much more than corn dogs, Sweet Martha’s cookies, and rides. It’s a $77 million operation that becomes Minnesota’s third-largest city for a magical 12 days every summer – with hundreds of vendors, thousands of workers, major concerts, livestock, overnight logistics that include hundreds of people spending the night, and millions of visitors. On this episode of the Twin Cities Business Show, we sat down with Renee Alexander, CEO of the Minnesota State Fair, to go behind the scenes of The Great Minnesota Get Together. Renee explains how the fair makes money, why Sweet Martha’s has become such a phenomenon, how the Grandstand lineup gets booked, what happens after the gates close at 11 p.m., how vendors are selected, and what it takes to run an organization that operates year-round for an event that lasts just 12 days. She also shares the story of how she went from her first State Fair internship (a job that she originally lost out on) to becoming CEO. In this episode: 00:00 Intro: The $77 million business behind the State Fair00:51 Why Sweet Martha’s is so successful06:09 How the State Fair makes money06:38 The State Fair gets 15% of food sales and 18% of beer & wine sales07:56 The State Fair is a $77 million operation08:10 For 12 days, the fair becomes Minnesota’s third-largest city08:28 How Renee measures a successful State Fair09:45 State Fair ticket prices and affordability11:00 How to experience the fair for less money11:50 Renee’s guide to a great day at the State Fair15:27 Who books the State Fair concerts?16:40 How Rod Stewart, Salt-N-Pepa and other acts end up on the lineup18:54 The story behind the TLC/Shaggy/Bone Thugs-N-Harmony lineup19:54 Renee’s journey from State Fair intern to CEO29:04 The business of the State Fair Midway29:22 Why Minnesota has an independent Midway30:46 The Great Big Wheel is getting even bigger33:32 The business lessons of 4-H35:18 Why Renee says 4-H looks good on a résumé36:07 The “whole other fair” that happens overnight38:46 What it takes to become a State Fair food vendor40:46 How many people work year-round to make the fair happen57:39 What makes a good CEO—and why leadership can feel lonely58:14 How the Minnesota State Fair stays on top59:34 The State Fair’s new recipe book

  8. Jul 29

    BioMADE's Plan to Bring America's Manufacturing Supply Chain Home Using Corn, Fermentation, and More

    You might not have heard of bioindustrial manufacturing, but it's time that you changed that. Biotechnology is poised to transform manufacturing, national security, and the global economy — and their Maple Grove facility will play a major role in that vision. She tells us how they can turn corn into cement that can be used to lay down a landing strip in hard-to-reach places of the planet. In this episode of the Twin Cities Business Show, we sat down with Jill Zullo, Chief Operating Officer of BioMADE, to discuss how microbes can turn corn, sugar, and other agricultural products into everything from plastics and chemicals to aviation materials and even cement. Before joining BioMADE, Jill had a long-running career at Cargill where she helped with the commercialization of scientific products and served as CEO of NatureWorks, a Cargill joint venture to help build plastics from petroleum-free sources. This episode also explores why the U.S. Department of Defense is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into bioindustrial manufacturing, how Minnesota landed one of the country's largest pilot-scale biotechnology facilities in Maple Grove, and what it will take to turn breakthrough science into billion-dollar businesses. Whether you're interested in manufacturing, startups, biotechnology, venture capital, supply chains, or the future of American industry, this conversation offers a fascinating look at one of the fastest-growing sectors in the economy. In this episode: 00:00 Introduction00:28 How does a cucumber become a pickle?01:29 What BioMADE does and why it matters03:46 Why the Department of Defense is investing in biotechnology06:23 How do you turn corn into cement?07:50 What is synthetic biology?09:00 Why even Cargill had to pilot new technologies overseas11:22 Why Minnesota is becoming a biotechnology hub13:19 What it will take to attract more bio-manufacturing to Minnesota16:17 The airplane tire made from dandelions19:53 How Minnesota landed BioMADE's flagship pilot facility21:37 Why building pilot plants is so difficult27:14 The race to replace petroleum-based plastics30:52 What BioMADE hopes to accomplish over the next decade33:00 Why America can't let these factories move overseas36:39 Jill Zullo's career — from the University of Minnesota and Cargill to BioMADE39:39 How to turn science into money41:39 Building the biotechnology workforce of the future43:03 What success looks like for BioMADE

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About

Real conversations with the builders and leaders shaping Minnesota’s economy, from legacy industries to the frontiers of innovation. The Twin Cities Business Show is produced by the team at Twin Cities Business.

Information

  • Creator
    The Twin Cities Business Show
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Twin Cities Business Show
  • Show Website
    The Twin Cities Business Show

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