Category

Building Community Wealth One Co-op at a Time

Fred

Together, we are building Community Wealth for a just and liberated future.

Over the last 20 years, Nexus has worked to usher out the rigged rules, attitudes, and practices that concentrate wealth and power in fewer and whiter hands. For folks who have been intentionally shut out of mainstream economies, cooperatives present a tried-and-true alternative.

Cooperatives embody the idea that wealth is more than the success of any one individual—that wealth is owning what we produce. To us, wealth is building and inventing for our families and community, not only in crisis, but also in the pursuit of our dreams.

Meet Denise Butler

For more than a decade, Nexus Community Partners and African Career, Education, & Resource Inc. (ACER) have been partners in organizing, funding, and community wealth building. When Denise Butler, Associate Director at ACER, approached Nexus to work with an emerging collective of 24 Black immigrant women and business owners, we jumped at the opportunity.

With the help of Nexus and ACER, these women formed a cooperative: The Ignite Business Women’s Investment Group. Last year, Ignite purchased their first property: Shingle Creek Center in Brooklyn Center.

At the beginning, the Shared Ownership Center at Nexus (SOC@N) helped Ignite determine their cooperative structure, articles of incorporation, and bylaws. As the project developed, SOC@N worked closely with ACER, Ignite, their legal team, and project manager to provide flexible support wherever necessary, from weaving together knowledge, resources, and connections to successfully acquiring the 18-unit shopping center.

“Nexus was instrumental in supporting ACER’s work in building the first Black women’s cooperative in Minnesota. The infrastructural support provided by Nexus speaks to their expertise in the cooperative development landscape.” – Denise Butler, ACER

This milestone was years in the making. It has been an honor to walk alongside Ignite and ACER as they expand their work to meet the needs of their community. Join us in scaling up BIPOC-led cooperative development!

Make a donation

Whether you can contribute $20 or a story about what Nexus means to you, you will continue to make our work possible!

Share your story

Have you participated in one of our fellowships? Been a longtime partner? However you’ve crossed paths with Nexus, we want to hear from you!

When we founded Nexus Community Partners 20 years ago, we did something simple yet powerful—we turned to community to reclaim our strength and to reimagine what power looks like when it is rooted in truth and relationships. We are unique because of how we’re positioned and how we work: We take the long view, and everything we do is focused on creating lasting impacts.

At Nexus, we are igniting BIPOC leadership for transformational change.

When we established the Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) 10 years ago, there was nothing like it in our region. But we believe that when we make decisions that affect all of our lives—across race, place, gender, and more—we must share the power in making those decisions. BCLI helps Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) and other historically oppressed people get seats at the table and serve at all levels of government.

Today, of our 157 diverse alumni, many have gone on to high-profile roles including U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Voice Executive Director HwaJeong Kim, and MN First District Judge Luis Rangel Morales.

Meet HwaJeong

Eight years ago, HwaJeong Kim was volunteering at her local library and serving on her neighborhood district council. She loved her community, and she was motivated to do more to give back. That’s when she found BCLI.

“I tell everyone the BCLI changed my life. It was a turning-point training that helped me understand how to navigate power and place with people. This completely catalyzed my professional and personal trajectory.”

The leadership skills and professional connections with like-minded people helped HwaJeong build confidence and take her next steps. She went on to serve on The Saint Paul Planning Commission and work as the Legislative Aide for Saint Paul’s Ward 5 City Councilmember before being elected to the role herself in 2024.

“My greatest takeaway [from BCLI] continues to be how to actualize values in our work and deliver community-driven solutions. Since graduating, I have nominated one person per cohort and will continue to do so—the BCLI produces highly skilled, connected, and values-driving community changemakers. Now more than ever, we need more of us in this fight!“

Make a donation

Join us in helping historically marginalized and oppressed people have a seat at the table. Whether you can contribute $20 or a story about what Nexus means to you, you will continue to make our work possible!

Share your story

As we reflect on the last two decades and look toward the years to come, we want to know: What does Nexus mean to you? Whether you were part of Payne-Lake Community Partners at the beginning or discovered Nexus this year, we want to hear from you!

Life moves fast. Let’s take time to reflect and appreciate where we have been! From cohorts to conferences, we worked together to build engaged and powerful communities of color this year.

In 2024, we…

Launched ROOT (Reclaiming Our Own Time)

All people deserve joyful and abundant lives filled with the rest that our bodies, minds, and spirits need. We hosted four Reimagine Rest events, two Heal the Healers workshops, and a first-of-its-kind Continuous Sabbatical Fellowship, welcoming 10 new fellows!

Distributed $5 million to 100 Black families across Minnesota and the Dakotas

We celebrated Juneteenth by opening our second round of applications for the Open Road Fund!

“I am so excited that we have 100 more Black families that will be receiving $50,000 Black-wealth gifts by the end of 2024. This second round will bring the total Open Road gifts to $10 million! Having 200 Open Road Black families across MN, ND, and SD is a good thing for all of us. During these horrific and dark times it brings me some peace knowing that these gifts can be transformative in helping our communities to continue to stay strong!” — Danielle Mkali, Senior Director of Community Wealth Building

Introduced the LOCAL Fund

This spring, the Shared Ownership Center @ Nexus (SOC@N) launched the LOCAL Fund in partnership with the City of Saint Paul. The LOCAL Fund aims to build community wealth, anchor jobs locally, grow the local economy and tax base, and center a cooperative ownership culture that uplifts St. Paul residents now and for generations to come. Applications are still open!

Co-hosted the National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda

In June, Black cooperators from around the country gathered to learn and discuss the power of Black cooperative enterprises. Several Nexus staff members spoke at the conference, including CEO Repa Mekha, who reflected, “If we don’t ground ourselves in our own sense of culture and cooperation, then we will teach people in the wrong way.”

Graduated North Star Cohort 7 This Spring…

And launched Cohort 8 this fall! Our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship is a place for Black-led cooperatives, collectives, housing, commercial and land trusts to learn and reclaim the history of Black cooperative economics through seven months of co-learning, storytelling, and skill-building. We love getting to know new cooperators each cohort, and have been honored to work alongside our 112 alumni (and counting)!

Graduated BCLI Cohort 11 and Started Recruiting for Cohort 12

Our Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute took a half-year pause to look back on how far we’ve come, celebrate all we have achieved together, and reflect on our future programming. We are so proud of our 157 alumni we have supported these past 11 years, and we’re feeling refreshed and ready for our 2025 cohort!

Co-hosted the St. Paul Shared Ownership Equity Summit

This fall, SOC@N and North Star co-hosted the Saint Paul Shared Ownership Equity Summit with the City of Saint Paul, Project Equity, and Living Cities. About 65 people attended, Mayor Carter and Living Cities President Joe Scantlebury had an engaging “fireside chat,” and Council President Mitra Jalali made it to the summit at the end of the day!

Talked Philanthropy with NDN Collective

At the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council on Foundations Joint Conference in October, Repa had a thought-provoking conversation with Nick Tilsen, CEO of NDN Collective. They laid bare the hard work ahead and revealed what is possible when philanthropy takes risks and trusts in the authority and expertise of community-centered organizations.

And Hit a Milestone Anniversary!

Nexus turned 20 this year! Throughout 2025, we will be offering opportunities for you to join us for online learning and in-person celebrations of all that you have helped make possible as part of Nexus. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

20th Celebration Story Submission

20 years of joyful and abundant communities

What does Nexus mean to you?


Maybe you were part of Payne-Lake Community Partners at the very beginning. Perhaps you made a deep connection through one of our fellowship cohorts. Or Nexus supported you on your journey to get a seat at the table and lift your voice for your community. However you've crossed paths with Nexus, we want to hear from you!

We invite you to share your story in whatever way resonates with you, from a selfie you took with other fellows to a picture of the zine you made about reclaiming your own time. You can write in the text field below, attach a Word document, record a short video talking about your favorite Nexus memory, or make a social media post tagging @nexuscp. 

Whether you write a couple sentences or a couple paragraphs, we thank you for sharing your story! 




Contact Information

Dear Community,

Our vision is for each and every person to flourish in a joyful and abundant life. All the creative and innovative work we do reflects the brilliance gifted to us by our people—our staff, fellows, partners, and supporters like you.

To help us usher in nourishing ways of living, owning, and working, our friends at Voqal Partners are matching year-end donations up to $20,000 in honor of Nexus’ 20th anniversary. Starting today, we hope to raise $20,000 and unlock the full potential of their match offer! Any gift you make between now and the end of the year will be doubled thanks to their generosity!

We have never asked for donations before, and $20,000 feels like a big goal. But we feel inspired by this opportunity and hope you do, too! Thank you for walking alongside us on this journey.

Make a donation

Whether you can contribute $20 or a story about what Nexus means to you, you will continue to make our work possible!

Share your story

Have you participated in one of our fellowships? Been a longtime partner? However you’ve crossed paths with Nexus, we want to hear from you!

Artwork by Lora Hlavsa

 

Applications for the Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) are open now through Jan. 20! 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 decision-making table!

How It Works

For too long, systems of governing have rigged the rules to concentrate power and wealth in fewer and whiter hands. They’ve put up barriers to shut out Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) from decision-making, as well as women, queer folks, disabled folks, low-wealth folks, and other historically marginalized and oppressed people. BCLI is a seven-month leadership program working to change this. We support, train, and help place BIPOC and other underrepresented community members on city and county publicly appointed boards and commissions.

Fellows commit to making governing decisions from the inside to nourish communities for this generation and generations to come. At a time when civic participation and democracy-building is most preciously needed, we must be engaged at every level of decision-making that affects all our communities. And that starts with boards and commissions!

Time Commitment

April – October 2025

  • Attend three, hour-long meetings per month on Zoom, plus our launch event and graduation
  • Work outside of sessions includes readings, online discussions, webinars, and commission meetings
  • Total time (including trainings and assignments) is approximately 80 hours
  • Fellows receive a small stipend of $500 to honor their time and commitment

See all dates and times

Info Sessions

Join us to learn more about the program, nomination, and selection process!

Nexus (noun): a connection or series of connections linking two or more things.

Dear Community,

Nexus has turned 20!

In 2004, we created Payne-Lake Community Partners to build engaged and powerful communities of color, connect BIPOC communities to economic and political power, and to usher in a world where each and every person can flourish with joy and abundance.

As our work grew in geography and scope, we realized we had outgrown our name. Guided by our elders, we were renamed Nexus Community Partners in honor of our ability to hold so many strong relationships.

Twenty years later, we still hold relationships at the center. So, what better way to celebrate this milestone than by gathering in community? Throughout 2025, we will be offering opportunities for you to join us for online learning and in-person celebrations of all that you have helped make possible as part of Nexus. Keep an eye out for more details to come!

As we prepare to celebrate our 20th anniversary and step into 2025, we know these times may feel impossible. Through it all, know that Nexus is still here at your side, working alongside you to usher in a more just and liberated future.

Stay tuned for ways to join our 20th celebration by coming to one of our events, donating $20 for our next 20 years, or sharing a story about your experience with Nexus. We value all the ways people show up for us, and we can’t wait to connect with you!

It’s Native American Heritage Month! November and year-round, we affirm and celebrate the existence, rights, and sovereignty of Native nations in Mni Sóta Makọce, Turtle Island, and around the globe.

Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) celebrates the cultures, deep histories, and immeasurable contributions of Indigenous people. It honors their resilience in the face of genocide, land theft, and colonization. The Dakota, Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Oto Hidatsa, Arikara, A’aninin, Cree, Blackfeet, Assiniboine, and Sac & Fox Tribes all have ties to Mni Sóta Makọce (Minnesota) spanning over 10,000 years.

Today, 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations share their geography with Minnesota. We at Nexus Community Partners live and work on the ancestral and occupied territories of the Dakota and Anishinaabe people — past, present, and future. Acknowledgement is just the first step in disrupting the ongoing violence of colonization and genocide.

Looking for ways to honor NAHM? Check out these community events!

  • Saint Paul Public Library’s Arts and Culture Bearers Series, in partnership with local Indigenous artists, uplifts the voices and stories of the Native American community in Saint Paul. See their upcoming events, plus recommendations for Indigenous books, movies and music.
  • Seward Community Co-op and Indigenous Food Lab are offering free, virtual cooking and lecture workshops throughout November. Local members of Native-led organizations share their ancestral knowledge while exploring the nutritional and cultural significance of traditional recipes.
  • All My Relations Arts, Emerging Curators Institute, and the Native American Community Development Institute have opened Niimiwin: All My Relations Arts Exhibition in Minneapolis. Inspired by dance and powwow, Niimiwin (Everyone’s Dance) is a multimedia showcase of contemporary Indigenous artists who work within the theme of kinetic movement and how it relates to the body, land, and community.
  • Meet Minneapolis has created a directory of Indigenous businesses, art and events in the city.
  • Hennepin County Library is hosting film screenings throughout the month, plus an artist talk with Ojibwe and Ottawa artist Gordon Coons!

 

What does it mean to build power, change systems, and create abundance? At the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Minnesota Council on Foundations Joint Conference earlier this month, Nexus CEO Repa Mekha had a thought-provoking conversation with Nick Tilsen, CEO of NDN Collective. Guided by facilitator Leah Lemm from MPR, they explored how they build power in their communities while navigating philanthropy and its power dynamics.

Repa and Nick’s conversation laid bare the hard work ahead and revealed what is possible when philanthropy takes risks and trusts in the authority and expertise of community-centered organizations. It was an honor to participate!

A graphic harvest illustrating the conversation between Nexus CEO Repa Mekha and NDN Collective CEO Nick Tilsen. Handwritten quotes and key points read "All money ain't good money," "philanthropy must fund Black and Indigenous people," and "Private philanthropy can be on the leading edge," among others.

Happy Latine Heritage Month! Also called Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 honors the achievements, histories, and diversity of folx who trace their ancestry to Mexico, countries in South and Central America, and Caribbean countries like Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

At Nexus, we relish our distinctive cultural practices, traditions and needs, offering year-round programming and funding by and for Latine and other BIPOC communities. We’re also dedicated to supporting Latine-centered offerings from our local partners — mark your calendar for these community celebrations!

Are you passionate about Black economic justice? Are you involved in a Black-led collective, cooperative, or land trust? Apply to the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship! Together, we will learn and reclaim the history of Black cooperative economics over seven months through co-learning, storytelling, and skill-building. Cohort 8 applications are open through Sept. 8, 11:59 p.m. CT.

How It Works

The North Star curriculum grounds fellows in Black cooperative economic history locally and nationally, challenges them to analyze and rethink capitalism, and supports them in building their own cooperatives, leadership skills, and networks.

As a cohort, fellows explore and receive:

  • Black feminist history: Grounding in the history of Black cooperative economics in the US + history of cooperation and Black feminisms
  • A power and landscape analysis of Minnesota cooperative and financial institutions
  • Cooperative skills and tools, like governance, decision-making structures, and conflict resolution
  • Access to alumni funds post-fellowship
  • Support in designing and creating a strategy for a cooperative economic project
  • A $1,000 stipend for participating in the fellowship
Time Commitment

October 2024 – May 2025

  • Saturdays, 10 am – 2 pm, one to two sessions per month
  • Black Study Sessions, 5 – 7 p.m., two per cohort year
  • Total time: Approximately 85-100 hours, including reflection, co-op work, and research outside of meetings

See all dates and times

It is important that our program participants have not only the passion and willingness to join North Star, but also the time and capacity to fully participate. We understand that life can be a lot of things for us, including stressful, traumatic, and isolating. Our staff work hard to cultivate a sacred Black space for cohort members to participate as fully as they can.

Dear community,

We have officially entered the next phase of the Open Road Fund 2023. We have informed all 11,000 of our applicants of their decisions. Our team felt excitement and hope as we reached out to the 100 finalists who were randomly selected to receive $50,000 to invest in their Black wealth plans. We were also filled with sadness turning so many people down. All Black folks’ dreams for their abundant futures are worthy and deserving of resources.

From the beginning, we have been clear that this is not reparations. While this $50 million is an important step towards cultivating black wealth, it is not close to enough to repair all the harm done to the Black community over the last 400 years. When we do get reparations, it should be for all descendants of enslaved African people, not just 800 folks from Minnesota and the Dakotas.

purple background with Minnesota, north and South Dakota. Various hands of different shades of brown holding flowers. yellow text reads: open road fund. Forging paths toward liberation on roads paved by our ancestors. Launching June 19, 2023.

How were finalists selected?

We used a random selection process to choose finalists because of our inherent belief that all the eligible Open Road Fund applicant’s’ dreams and plans for creating and sustaining Black wealth deserved an opportunity to be chosen. For example, Oone family’s plan to buy a home does not have more or less merit than another person’s plan to invest in a business or to pursue higher education.

We worked with software developers to design a randomization tool built for our grantmaking process. Using this tool, we randomly selected finalists—50% of finalists are from the Twin Cities metro area and 50% are from Greater Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Will finalists be publicly announced?

For those of you who were not chosen this year, we understand the grief and the skepticism you may be feeling right now. With only 100 people selected across 3 states, some of us may not yet know anyone who was selected. Out of respect and concern for finalists’ privacy, Nexus will not make finalists names public, although finalists are free to share if they wish.

What’s next?

Phase 2 of the Open Road Fund includes finalists submitting their Black wealth plans, and once approved, disbursement of funds. After finalists receive their awards, we plan to consensually share grantee stories and evaluate grantee experiences in partnership with Research in Action, a Black-led research and evaluation firm.

The Open Road Fund will be distributing funds for the next 7 years. We hope you will continue to follow the Open Road Fund and Nexus Community Partners—across our organization, we work to nurture the prosperity of our communities, including our health, joy, peace, love, safety, and the needs of future generations. We will continue to share Black wealth building opportunities hosted by Nexus and our partners.

In Solidarity,

The Open Road Fund Team

If you have not heard back about your Open Road Fund application, please email us at ORFsupport@nexuscp.org. If you have questions, please reference our FAQ page.