Overview

The Minneapolis Forward: Community Now Coalition is a cross-sector coalition that will help transform Minneapolis into a stronger, equitable, inclusive, resilient, and innovative city. Participants reflect leadership from Twin Cities businesses, cultural institutions, community organizations, and foundations.

This coalition is rooted in the expertise and experiences of Historically Black people, Indigenous communities, People of Color, and Immigrants, including youth, in coalition with other leaders within private, philanthropic, and public sectors. Together, the coalition is leading with civility, justice, and an intentional approach to delivering systemic solutions while doing this work differently.

The co-chairs and the core strategy team of the Minneapolis Forward: Community Now Coalition lead the creation of the specific solutions, strategies, and tactics that will yield immediate and long-term economic transformation, recovery, and healing of Minneapolis. The members represent impacted businesses and associations, cultural institutions, business and economic development partners who are deeply rooted in and accountable to community. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) leadership is central and at the forefront of this work for the entire city.

Eight areas of action

The Core Strategy Team of the Minneapolis Forward Community Now Coalition leads the identification and development of the solutions, strategies, and tactics of the Minneapolis Forward Community Now Coalition. We are committed to doing this work differently and truly partnering with community-rooted leaders and a cross-sector partnership. Here you will find the first presentations of the Core Strategy Team, unedited and unfiltered. These ideas remain the intellectual property of the community leaders that have completed the work in partnership with the City and we are excited to move Minneapolis Forward together.

The Coalition’s recovery work includes support for the following eight Areas of Action:

1. Business Retention
   Develop and deploy resources to preserve in the community the businesses and cultural institutions that were there before the death of George Floyd whether or not the property owner chooses to rebuild or repair the directly impacted buildings.
   Business Retention Presentation
2. Prioritize Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)/Minority-Owned Businesses
   Develop and deploy resources for BIPOC/minority-owned businesses and nonprofits that owned or leased space in a building that was destroyed or directly impacted and where insurance will not cover the loss.
   Prioritize Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC):Minority-Owned Businesses
3. Supporting Entrepreneurs who Invest in the Community
   Create a climate in the impacted communities that supports community businesses with access to capital, mentorship and network resources to grow in place, hire from the community, and seed prosperity.
   Supporting Entrepreneurs who Invest in the Community Presentation
4. Real Estate Owners & Tenants
   Develop resources for owners whose properties have been destroyed and directly impacted and where insurance will not cover the loss. Create wealth building opportunities through prioritizing BIPOC community real estate ownership and investment, including first right of refusal for current tenants.
   Real Estate Owners & Tenants Presentation
5. Housing Preservation
   Develop and deploy resources to allow displaced residents to stay in the community through the replacement or repair of residences destroyed and directly impacted and where insurance will not cover the loss.
6. Inclusive Economic Solutions
   Assure that the resources procured and developed prioritize economic inclusion, quickly stabilize immediately impacted communities, and create capacity to envision and launch projects with an emphasis on healing and cultural wellness and participation by BIPOC/minority-owned businesses in the rebuilding of these historically neglected neighborhoods.
7. Immediate Needs of Impacted Residents
   Assure that the resources developed address the critical needs of food, transportation and healthcare and cultural wellness needs for impacted residents.
8. Reimagining Public Spaces
   Rebuilding allows spaces to be redesigned to better serve the people of the community. Focus on enhancing the physical environment in a way that reflects the community of today built on ideas from the impacted community. Our transformed public spaces will stimulate the local economy by strengthening connections, and promoting mobility, and physical and mental health benefits.

Membership

The Minneapolis Forward: Community Now Coalition is guided by Co-Chairs:

• Felicia Perry, Executive Director of the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition

• Allison Sharkey, Executive Director of the Lake Street Council

• Jonathan Weinhagen, President & CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber

The Core Strategy Team that are creating the specific solutions, strategies, and tactics includes:

• Marcus Owens, African American Leadership Forum

• Kenya McKnight-Ahad, Black Women’s Wealth Alliance

• Yusra Arab, City of Minneapolis, 6th Ward

• Anisha Murphy, Community Reinvestment Fund

• Anthony Taylor, Cultural Wellness Center

• Chonburi Lee, Hmong American Partnership

• Henry Jiménez, Latino Economic Development Center

• Roxanne Anderson, Minnesota Trans Health Coalition

• Robert Lilligren, Native American Community Development Institute

• Mike Temali, Neighborhood Development Center

A non-exhaustive list of confirmed institutional partners, including foundations and corporations:

• Susan Bass Roberts, Pohlad Family Foundation

• Patrick Troska, The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation

• Alfonso Cornish, Target Corporation

• Kevin Miller, TCF Bank

• Joan Gable, University of Minnesota

• Dayna Frank, First Avenue Properties

• Lisa Shannon, Allina

• Houston White, HWMR Joffrey Wilson, Mortenson

• Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis

• Steve Cramer, Minneapolis Downtown Council

• Ro Adebiyi, Thrivent

• Sara Barrow, Xcel Energy