2021 ...AND THE WINNER IS... DR. CRYSTAL WHITMARSH

Presented By Jennifer Nash

Cannot believe it's already three and half weeks since GIVA2021! My team and I at Ark & Brook PR have immensely enjoyed watching social media explode with posts of gratitude, excitement, and celebration by all the GIVA2021 winners. In particular, as Editor-InChief of Spotlight magazine, it gives me immense pleasure to present the credentials of Crystal Whitmarsh so you in turn can see why she deserved to the crowned the GIVA2021 Queen!

Crystal Whitmarsh is the co-owner and founder of Trail Creek Coffee Roasters in Kasson, Minnesota, and a board-certified neurologic physical therapist and certified clinical instructor at Mayo Clinic. She was raised by a single mother in Upper Michigan where she played college basketball at Finlandia University and frequented locallyowned coffee shops She was engaged in Campus Crusade for Christ and found a love of serving her community which developed her servant leadership philosophy through outreach and volunteer work.

After graduating in 2006 with her Associate degree, she moved to Minnesota with her husband and began working as a physical therapy assistant She continued her educational journey and completed her Bachelor’s in Exercise Science from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2010, and in 2013 she obtained her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. She is the first female in her family to attain a terminal degree

In addition to Dr. Whitmarsh’s academic accomplishments, and while working full time and serving in her community, she and her husband opened their coffee roasting business in their home under the Minnesota cottage food license in 2017.

During this time, she focused on advertising and networking strategies, specifically trying to collaborate with non-profit or locally run businesses.

She has been engaged in multiple business-related platforms including the Women’s Entrepreneur Forum, the Chamber of Commerce, and has presented at One Million Cups in Rochester, MN. In 2018, she worked with the Kasson City Council to keep small businesses local she presented the business proposal, an agreement was made, and Trail Creek Coffee Roasters officially opened its doors as a brick-andmortar roaster in 2019. Her servant leadership continued to prevail as she worked with non-profit organizations such as The Landing MN and Project Legacy to donate 33% of each specialty bag sold.

In 2020, Trail Creek Coffee Roaster’s beans were stocked in retail stores and a local non-profit coffee shop. Being a frontline worker during the pandemic herself, in both 2020 and 2021, she knew the importance of community engagement and Trail Creek donated 5-pound bags of coffee to essential workers, as well as made a necessary pivot to an online business model, featuring roast to order and free local delivery to your door step.