Jessica Strobel is the owner of Strobel Photography, located at 2909 Bryant Avenue in Uptown Minneapolis. She has been a photographer for eight years, capturing real emotion and connection through her work. Support from the MN Promise Act Grant gave her the stability to keep her studio open and continue serving her community when business owners across Uptown were struggling.
“I worked with kids my whole life and when I became a mom I was like, I'm gonna stay at home and be a mom that, you know, cook and takes care of my family. And I hated it,” Jessica said. “So I was taking a photography like class kind of online and I was like, I'm gonna start doing that. So I started hiring a babysitter once I made a little money and here I am eight years later.”
After the unrest in 2020, Jessica made a choice to stay close to home. “I chose to like stay in my community. I came from the arts district and I live right by George Floyd Square, also like 0.7 miles away from it,” she said. “I wanna stay in my community. I wanna help rebuild it. I don't wanna be far away. I think it's important that you live and work in a place that you believe in.”
Running a small business in Uptown has come with challenges. “Like if you look from like 29th to like 31st, there's like 14 businesses on Lyndale that have gone out or like moved,” she said. “It’s just a totally different Uptown just in this area.”
When Jessica learned about the Promise Act, it came at the right moment. “I learned about the Promise Act through the building manager here. She told me about it and I was like, ah, sweet. And so I applied, simple,” she said. The funding helped her cover expenses and keep her Uptown studio running through difficult times.
The support gave Jessica a sense of relief and confidence that she was not alone in trying to rebuild. It meant she could focus on her work and her clients instead of worrying about the cost of staying open. More than that, it showed her that people cared about small businesses like hers that bring life back into the community.
“It’s people like me,” Jessica said, “people that believe in the city and don’t wanna leave. It’s people that believe in Uptown, Lyn Lake, the ward, you know, they wanna see it be revived. And I believe that it will be.”
For Jessica, receiving the Promise Act grant was a reminder that her decision to stay was worth it. It gave her not just financial help, but hope that her business and her neighborhood could keep growing together.
📸 See photos from Strobel Photography below!
