Dear Community, Going into the new year means going into new possibilities—new ways of living up to our purpose. In 2025, our communities, again, were hit hard. But amidst the fear, rage, and exhaustion, I hope you found deserved rest, sparks of inspiration, and deep connection. Because whether we’re trying to resolve major challenges, innovate,
Happy New Year from the Shared Ownership Center @ Nexus! In 2026, we can’t wait to keep building a powerful cooperative movement in the Twin Cities and beyond. Check out what we accomplished with community in 2025! Our clients May Day Cafe Co-op and Storehouse Grocers and Coffee Co-op incorporated—meaning, they’re official cooperatives in the
Applications for our next Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute cohort are open through Jan. 23, 2026. Register for our info session on Thursday, Jan. 8, to learn all about the program!
See what Nexus’ North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship (NSBCF) was up to in 2025! Cohort 8 Graduation In May, we graduated 23 fellows from 10 cooperative groups, celebrating their achievements and shared leadership. Their showcase, We Are the Architects, uplifted the creativity, healing work, and cooperative legacies they are building. Cohort 9 Launch In August,
When we introduced Reclaiming Our Own Time (ROOT) in 2023, the ROOT team boldly put forth their vision: We are leaders—Black, Indigenous, and people of color. In our well-rested future, we reclaim our own narrative. We celebrate who we are and our rest practices. Our rest is deserved, intergenerational, well-resourced, and for all of us.
January – May We kicked off 2025 with the return of Open Road Fund’s Community Education Sessions: a free, virtual workshop series exploring homeownership, conquering money shame, pursuing a post-secondary education, and practicing joy. One of the most rewarding parts of offering these sessions was collaborating with incredible community allies in our shared mission to
Through four virtual program celebrations and one in-person party, we spent 2025 doing what makes Nexus, Nexus: connecting with you—our friends, family, and community. Throughout our 20th anniversary celebrations, we’ve been gifted with heartfelt answers to the question, “What does Nexus mean to you?” “People-led change,” “authenticity,” “creativity,” and “home” were just some of the
Our Founder & CEO, Repa Mekha, recently joined Becoming the Vision, a podcast by Freedom Dreams in Philanthropy, to share his reflections on rest—and why it’s essential to building more just communities and a more just world. Those of us who love justice often carry more than we realize. We’ve inherited scripts of hustle and
Applications for the Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) are open now through Friday, Jan. 23! We are excited to recruit our next cohort of equity champions who want to be effective members on boards, committees, commissions and task forces at all levels of government. Apply and learn how to get a seat on a
As part of the 2025 Grantmakers in the Arts Conference: Building Solidarity, Rooted in Justice, Nexus Community Partners and AmbitioUS* co-hosted ReIMAGINE Scale: Self-Determined Power & Community Power in the U.S. The session began with an inspiring fireside chat at Penumbra Theatre between Anasa Troutman, Founder and CEO of The BIG We in Memphis, Tennessee,
Wrapping up a year of celebrations, we hosted our final 20th anniversary event, Walking the Path to Liberation, to spotlight our Open Road Fund. It warmed our hearts to connect with our Nexus family, see awardees share their stories, and welcome back poet Tish Jones for another powerful reading of the Open Road poem. Watch
By Chai Lee, Program Director, Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute For too long, confusing rules and closed-door processes have intentionally kept power from the people most impacted—shutting out Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color from decision-making, as well as women, queer folks, disabled folks, low-wealth folks, and other historically marginalized and oppressed people.
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