The Seven Times

21/10/2025

LOVE + SOUL - Everything at Shawnniecakes is made from scratch. Owner LeShawn Smith talks about the food’s personal touch. Smith also talks about the challenges and lessons that come with being an entrepreneur.

🎥 Filming by: Heidi Kraus and Nik Heftman
💻 Edit by: Heidi Kraus

This is the second part of a series of stories about Shawnniecakes.

We need your help producing our series on Black-owned businesses. Please consider donating to our mission to highlight Black entrepreneurs around the nation: GiveButter.com/the7times

A dollar spent at a local business turns over seven times in the community. is a platform highlighting Black-owned businesses with a physical presence in their communities. Please support the initiative by following on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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21/10/2025

So grateful for the recognition!

Received our Outstanding Independent Film Award from the Detroit Black Film Festival yesterday. So grateful for the recognition among the many great films that played there.

07/10/2025

ENTREPRENEURSHIP + LOVE - LeShawn Smith didn’t always love baking, but she did always want to become a business owner. She is now the owner and operator of Shawnniecakes - a bakery and cafe located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Smith shares her story and the inspiration that propels her business.

🎥 Filming by: Heidi Kraus and Nik Heftman
💻 Edit by: Heidi Kraus

This is the first part of a series of stories about Shawnniecakes.

We need your help producing our series on Black-owned businesses. Please consider donating to our mission to highlight Black entrepreneurs around the nation: GiveButter.com/the7times

A dollar spent at a local business turns over seven times in the community. is a platform highlighting Black-owned businesses with a physical presence in their communities. Please support the initiative by following on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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2m

03/10/2025

Thank you Detroit Black Film Festival !

23/09/2025

We screened our debut film for the first time a year ago today! Many more screenings to come.

08/08/2025

BUILDING HER OWN TABLE - When they kept passing her over for promotions, Sheletta Brundidge didn’t just quit—she built her own platform to elevate Black voices.

Read the full story on Laughing with Letta Podcast and her platform, Sheletta Makes Me Laugh, written by Cade Martin - on the7times.com.

This is the third part of a series of stories coming from Minnesota.

We need your help producing our series on Black-owned businesses. Please consider donating to our mission to highlight Black entrepreneurs around the nation: GiveButter.com/the7times

A dollar spent at a local business turns over seven times in the community. is a platform highlighting Black-owned businesses with a physical presence in their communities. Please support the initiative by following on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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22/06/2025

Grateful to Marina del Rey Film Festival for the selection!

16/06/2025

The Negro Artist Film Experience is screening in Iowa and California this week at Juneteenth events and the Marina Del Rey Film Festival. Our Iowa screenings are FREE to the public.

25/05/2025

23/05/2025

The Negro Artist Film Experience is still happening across Iowa! Check out the latest dates on our website. Tickets are selling out for our screening on the 30th!

Our film journey into the world of Caleb Rainey, a Black spoken word poet professionally known as The Negro Artist. Rainey's poetry is a profound exploration of race, identity, and the lived realities of systemic inequality. Directed by Nik Heftman of The Seven Times.

20/05/2025

SHAPING DREAMS - Mudluk Pottery is a Black-owned ceramics sanctuary and welcoming space located just south of downtown Minneapolis. Co-founders Sayge Carroll, Keegan Xavi, and Katrina Knutson opened the business in 2022 as a community space where artists of all backgrounds can cast aside their anxieties and get their hands messy.

Read the full story on Mudluk Pottery-written by Cade Martin-on the7times.com

This is the second part of a series of stories coming from the Twin Cities. You’ll learn more about the Black-owned businesses in the area in the coming months.

We need your help producing our series on Black-owned businesses. Please consider donating to our mission to highlight Black entrepreneurs around the nation: GiveButter.com/the7times

A dollar spent at a local business turns over seven times in the community. is a platform highlighting Black-owned businesses with a physical presence in their communities. Please support the initiative by following on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

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15/05/2025

Come check out the film on June 18 if you're in the Coralville area! Grateful to Coralville Center for the Performing Arts and Coralville Public Library for the opportunity.

CORALVILLE - The Negro Artist Film Screening + Live Poetry

Join us in Coralville on Wednesday, June 18, at Coralville Center for the Performing Arts for an unforgettable evening celebrating the power of poetry and storytelling.

📅 Date: June 18, 2025
🕗 Show Starts: 6:30 PM
📍 Location: Coralville Center for the Performing Arts

The evening features:
🎤 Live spoken word poetry featuring Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey (Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey)
🎥 A screening of The Negro Artist, a documentary on Caleb’s journey, directed by Nik Heftman
🗣️ A post-screening Q&A with Caleb Rainey and director Nik Heftman

🎟️ Tickets: FREE thanks to the great people at Coralville Public Library.