EDEN PRAIRIE, Minnesota — A lion's roar is so loud that it can be heard from as far as five miles away. With that in mind, Llana Rojas made a lion the symbol for her business called "Let's Roar."
"Let's Roar is really about supporting, speaking up and standing up for military sexual assault survivors," Rojas said.
Let's Roar is a jewelry and activewear store with locations in Eden Prairie and Minnetonka. Rojas donates 10% of Let's Roar's revenue to the organization Protect the Defenders, which helps military sexual assault survivors.
It's an issue close to Rojas' heart. She joined the Army National Guard when she was a senior in high school. The 25-year-old then switched to the U.S. Air Force last year.
"I had a lot of battle buddies, fellow soldiers in the Army, that have been raped, assaulted, harassed. Then while I was deployed, I was sexually harassed by one of the civilian workers there. So that fueled my passion even more to let people know about what's going on. A lot of us are afraid to report and... it seems like we're silenced," Rojas said.
According to the Pentagon's Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, there were 8,942 reports of sexual assault involving service members as victims in 2022. Nearly 7,400 of those service members reported that the incidents occurred during military service.
Rojas wanted to bring more attention to the issue while also pursuing a career as an entrepreneur.
"I love jewelry and I love working out," Rojas said. "I love providing jewelry for sensitive skin because I have really sensitive skin, and jewelry that I can keep on while I'm working out and even after in the shower."
The company offers gold-plated stainless steel jewelry and activewear with Let's Roar's signature lion on it. Different items also have the phrase "Let's Roar" on them.
"The lion is really representative of the loud voice," Rojas said.
Let's Roar first opened as an online shop in the end of 2020. Rojas was then deployed to Kuwait and subsequently sent to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. When she returned home after nearly a year, Rojas started building her business. She opened a popup shop in Ridgedale Center and then her own storefront in Eden Prairie at the end of this summer.
The store also stocks items from veterans and Rojas hopes to carry more jewelry inspired by her native Philippines. Rojas moved to Minnesota from the Philippines when she was 12 years old.
"I would just love for people to actually check out the store. We've been open since September and it's been really slow, granted people are kind of hesitating to go in... I always hear people walking by saying, 'What's Let's Roar?' I wish that they would just also take the time to come in and talk to me," Rojas said. "I'm here almost every day."
Let's Roar can be found in Eden Prairie Center on the first floor near JCPenney. There is also a popup shop at Ridgedale Center on the second level through December.
You can also shop Let's Roar any time online.
Know a local business we should feature for our Behind the Business segment? Email Heidi Wigdahl at hwigdahl@kare11.com.
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