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Alana began working at Empirehouse in 1972 part-time, and full time in 1974. In 1982, she was promoted to vice president of marketing. She became a board member as secretary in 2008. In 2009, Alana became one of the owners, and in 2011 was made corporate vice president.

Empirehouse is a NACC-certified architectural glass and metal contractor serving the Midwest construction industry. Over three generations, Empirehouse has progressed from small glass installations to iconic building enclosures. The company was founded in 1950 by John and Betty Griffith and is now a Minnesota Certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise.
 

Mary Tjosvold co-founded Mary T. Incorporated with her mother, Margaret Tjosvold. In 1976, Mary T. Inc. launched by opening Camilia Rose Group Home, one of the first community-based settings in the United States to serve people with multiple disabilities. Prior to that, people with multiple disabilities were typically placed in state institutions. Since then, Mary T. Inc has expanded into home health care, rental and senior housing, human service program options,
independent living services and hospice care. The company operates multiple locations in Minnesota and three other states. In 2014, Mary T. Inc. opened Crooners Supper Club which has become a premier music venue.
 

Elaine Wyatt is the CEO of the nonprofit WomenVenture. She manages all aspects of the organization, with key responsibilities in board governance, community partnerships, fundraising and strategic planning. WomenVenture’s twenty-person staff helps women launch and grow profitable and sustainable businesses. The organization serves more women annually than any other economic development agency in the state. Under Elaine’s leadership, it has developed six new training programs, increased revenues by 53% and grown annual lending nearly four-fold to $800,000. For every dollar the community invests in WomenVenture’s clients, they return $20 to the local economy.
 

For more than 50 years, Mary managed the landmark Afton House Inn after acquiring the property in 1907. The rambling old frame hotel with its old-fashioned dining room was a popular eating place for generations. It was known for its warmth, hospitality and good humor. “Mother Mary,” as she was known, managed it until her death in 1946.

She was born in Denmark and moved to the U.S. when she was 20 years old. She first went to North Dakota, but after a few years she moved to Afton where she married Charles Pennington. Mary passed away at age 78.