Tory Cooney is a writer and photographer based in St. Paul, Minnesota, though she has traveled across the Great Lakes region finding and sharing stories as a journalist.
Her work has taken Tory from the top of the Mackinac Bridge to the gates of Paisley Park, and from court houses and city halls to the kitchen tables and workrooms of local entrepreneurs doing their best to make a difference in their communities.
Those restaurateurs, artists, farmers, craftsmen, service providers, and store owners who shared their stories with Tory inspired her to become a small business owner herself. Tory now strives to support the work of others by capturing the details that reveal how each business is remarkable, using striking images and poignant writing.
She lives in St. Paul with her husband and an ever-expanding assembly of houseplants. She likes coffee, tea, Post-It notes, the Oxford Comma, and talking to strangers. She firmly believes that everyone has a story.
Tory has previously worked at The Pioneer Press and Southwest News Media in Minnesota, The St. Ignace News in Michigan, and Humanities magazine in Washington, D.C. She has a B.A. in English, with a journalism minor and a concentration in history, from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Please visit the contact page to speak with Tory regarding writing or photography work for your small business or publication. She is available on both weekdays and weekends within the Twin Cities Metro area.