North Star Cohort 8 was a beautiful gathering of 23 fellows from 10 cooperative groups working in art, healing, homelessness, education, and more. It was also our first all-Black women and femme cohort. Founded by two Black women, Danielle Mkali and LaDonna Sanders Redmond, the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship is anchored in Black feminisms. It
Nexus Community Partners’ Open Road Fund Community Education Sessions (ORFCES) may have concluded for the year, but the community wealth building keeps on keeping on. The sessions are a series of workshops offered by the Open Road Fund (ORF) in collaboration with community partners to provide financial education, information, and resources to ORF gift recipients
In North Minneapolis’ historic Capri Theater, Nexus founder & CEO Repa Mekha talked Black community wealth building with McKnight Foundation President Tonya Allen and author Dr. Andre M. Perry. The conversation centered themes from Dr. Perry’s new book, Black Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close It. Black Power
Join our fifth Business Planning Webinar on Thursday, June 5, 3-4:30 pm CT! We’ll cover everything you need to know about startup costs, revenue, expenses and more. Each webinar builds upon the last and is aligned with the LOCAL Fund application. By the end of the series, if the LOCAL Fund is a good fit
Since 2023, the Open Road Fund has given $10 million in $50,000 gifts to 200 Black folks in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. With at least six more rounds of giving—providing 600 more people the chance to gain wealth-building opportunities for themselves, their families, and their communities—Nexus Community Partners is working with Research in
The Open Road Fund will be hosting our first Community Care Call for the 2025 giftmaking season! These calls are set up to address the uncertainty and potential discomfort around filling out the Open Road Fund application and answering questions about your ancestry. Sessions are facilitated by three Black mental health practitioners: Dr. Aja King,
As we enter the season of renewal and growth for what’s ahead, Nexus Founder and CEO Repa Mekha reflects on leadership in an uncertain landscape, discovering your purpose, and following the calling. Watch or read below! What has leadership looked like to you this last quarter—inside Nexus, in the field, and beyond? These last three
Our Business Planning Webinar Series is in full swing! Join our fourth session, Conversion Basics, on Thursday, May 22, 3-4:30 pm CT. We’ll dive into the feasibility of converting existing businesses into cooperatives and go over the transition process. Each webinar builds upon the last and is aligned with the LOCAL Fund application. By the
In March, we kicked off our 20th anniversary event series with a celebration of the Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute. Now we’re gearing up for our second event—and you’re invited! Our next virtual gathering will highlight our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship and the Shared Ownership Center @ Nexus. Mark your calendar for Community Wealth
Our friends at CoMinnesota, Minnesota Farmers Union, the University of Minnesota Morris, and West Central Initiative are launching the first-ever Minnesota Cooperative Summit this summer! Hear from speakers (including Nexus!) on how co-ops have been powering progress for generations. Nkuli and Christina from our Community Wealth Building programs will lead the session, “How Co-ops Can
Center your health and healing in the final workshop of our 2025 Community Education Session lineup! Fill out the form below to register. Our guest speaker is Dr. Aja King, LPCC, Ed.D, a counseling psychologist and founder of Brave Defiance. Dr. King creates retreats and healing spaces for those seeking to be nurtured to their
We kicked off our LOCAL Fund webinar series with a business plan breakdown and co-op creation guidelines. Our third session, Finance 101, takes place Thursday, May 8, 3-4:30 pm CT on Zoom. Learn the ins and outs of budgeting, balance sheets, and cash flows! Each webinar builds upon the last and is aligned with the