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Introducing Our 2025-26 North Stars!

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This fall, we welcomed our ninth North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship cohort—and we’re excited to announce our newest fellows! Get a preview below, and read more about their work here.

* Denotes group members not participating in the fellowship.

Black Liberation Lab

James Arroyo Miller, Stephanie Williams, Jeanine Weekes Schorer,* Terri Hardaway*

Seeing past the frameworks that white supremacy constructed for how to lead, how to live, how to work, and how to be in community—to a true liberation for ALL Black people.

blakQuity

Imane Soubiane, Jamila White

A Black-led social impact organization advancing economic justice and cooperative development so Black communities can thrive.

D&D Healing

Dawn Burns, DeAnna Smith

A community-driven cooperative dedicated to holistic wellness (including healing and food access), economic empowerment, and building generational wealth.

Elephant & Turtle Collective

Precious Wallace, Laura Mann Hill

A wellness-centered initiative dedicated to helping people navigate grief, healing, and self-discovery.

Emi Coffee and Tea Bar

Cayden Black, Sumer Powell, Sara Chesak,* Samara Jones,* Drenaia Pittman*

Combining healthy food and drink, cooperative business practices, and programming that uplifts local artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders to create a sustainable gathering place where community, culture, and resilience thrive together.

MAMA (Metro Atlanta Mutual Aid) Fund

Kerrissa Vaughn, Dannielle Thomas, Sanae Lahgazi Alaoui, Darley Sackitey, Jovan Julien,* Nia Mosby,* Angel Torres*

Amplifying mutual aid networks; cultivating relationships and conversations toward achieving the redistribution of wealth; and creating just systems and infrastructure to share skills, knowledge, and resources to meet our current and future needs.

Mama Moyo Collective

Shétu Rose, Sammie Joseph-Fredericks, Jamesetta Diggs,* Asneth Omare,* Esthella Ajayi-Nicol,* Caroline Njau,* Jarinat Thorpe*

A cooperative founded by mothers of African descent, united in the pursuit of economic freedom and generational wealth for themselves, their children, their families, and their communities.

Nourish Collective

Trinice McNally-Hair, Destiny Hodges

Sustaining healers, educators, and community practitioners through cooperative ownership, economic projects, and workforce development that nurture ancestral traditions, wellness, and wealth in Black and Brown communities.

Pachipamwe

Blessing Chirimbani, Tapiwa Manjengwa

Nurturing the whole student by combining education, mentorship, family support, and community care, ensuring every child in Zimbabwe can learn, grow, and lead with confidence.

S-E-W Cooperative/Onyx Collective

Alicia Rufus, Jeanine Wiley, Rose Johnsongale, Victoria McWane-Creek,* Jackie Hill,* Heather Hill,* Jennifer Aranda*

Creating spaces where Black individuals in rural communities can connect, support one another and thrive.

Spectrum Cleaning Cooperative

Terrence White, Steffanie White

A Detroit worker-owned cleaning cooperative that provides stable, dignified employment and transformative job training.

STAR

Alea McDuffie, Jonathan A. Osei

A multi-disciplinary artist collective that focuses on the creative distribution and economic well-being of Black artists.

Toledo Regenerative Agriculture Association

Walter Davis III, Erelah Davis, Ivy Pitts,* Maurice Hardiman,* Feliciano Pop*

A collection of Black and Indigenous small-scale farmers in Belize seeking to improve the health conditions of the people of Toledo District by increasing the availability of high-quality, nutrient-dense annual organic vegetables.

Womxnist Liberation Cooperative

Aisha Truss-Miller, Cynthia Piphus, LaTierra Piphus, Mariah Barber

An Afrofuturist reimagining of Labor & community for Black women and femmes, providing workplace and wellness benefits for folx working for themselves and on behalf of the community.

Our North Star program team smiles with new fellows at the Cohort 9 hybrid orientation session. Top row, left to right: Nexus Community Wealth Building Director Nonkululeko Tabata, fellows Precious Wallace, Jonathan A. Osei, Laura Mann Hill, Blessing Chirimbani, DeAnna Smith, Dawn Burns, Sammie Joseph-Fredericks, Cayden Black, and North Star Program Manager Leanna Browne. Bottom row, left to right: Fellows Shétu Rose, Tapiwa Manjengwa, and Sumer Powell.

 

This fall, our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship team jetted to Oakland, CA, for the Repaired Nations 7th Annual Black Solidarity Cooperative Conference, running Oct. 10-11, 2025. Over the long weekend, Program Director Nkuli Tabata and Program Manager Leanna Browne built new relationships, learned about exciting cooperative work happening throughout the country, and reconnected with folks from the 2023 conference in Ghana.

This year’s theme, Leaving a Legacy: Land, Wellness, Cooperative Futures, came to life in every moment, from the opening drumming and libations to the closing reflections that reminded us our work is both historical and visionary. Being surrounded by so many Black cooperative leaders, organizers, and culture bearers reminded us that this movement is rooted in generations of collective care, resource sharing, and imagination.

A couple standouts from the many amazing groups in attendance:

  • Aleta Toure with Parable of the Sower Co-op, a Black women-led, worker-owned, intentional community cooperative for Black women and their families. Their mission is to develop a Black land housing model for Black women organizers and worker-owned intentional communities.
  • The REAL People’s Fund, a $10 million community-powered fund and entrepreneurship program that includes non-extractive capital, holistic business support, and opportunities to build political power for BIPOC East Bay communities (Black, Indigenous, Spanish-speaking/Latine, Asian/AAPI, low income, immigrant, undocumented, formerly incarcerated and working-class communities of color)

Each session wove together practical learning with cultural and spiritual grounding. Conversations about ownership, land stewardship, and building community-based institutions were layered with song, poetry, and ancestral honoring.

“It reminded me that cooperation is not just an economic model; it is a cultural practice and a way of being that has sustained our people for generations.”

— Nkuli Tabata, Director of Community Wealth Building

Cultivating Our Cooperative Roots: A Gallery Walk of Black Cooperative Journeys

Nkuli and Leanna closed the first day with their session, Our Cooperative Roots: A Gallery Walk of Black Cooperative Journeys, highlighting people, moments, and groups in Black cooperative economics past and present.

The activity invited people to reflect on what cooperation looks like in practice, what sustains it, and what makes it hard. It moved us to see people recognize themselves in one another’s stories, the shared challenges, the moments of growth, and the deep commitment it takes to build something together. The gallery became a space of storytelling and connection, showing how our experiences are part of a larger story of Black cooperative work and collective possibility.

“It was powerful to share the story of the Black Panther Party’s Survival Programs while in Oakland, where the Black Panther Party was founded. It was also inspiring to hear and learn from Charlotte O’Neal, also known as Mama C, who shared about leading with love. Mama C and her husband, Pete O’Neal, were Black Panthers and live in Tanzania, where they co-founded the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC), an NGO based in Arusha, Tanzania, providing programs and projects for both rural and urban communities and connecting communities in America to the world.”

— Leanna Browne, North Star Program Manager

On Sunday, Leanna joined a day trip to Oaxxanda, a sanctuary of holistic healing and restoration in Berry Creek, CA. This Black-led land co-op is an exciting site of possibilities for Black people to center land stewardship, self-determination, and healing.

It was much needed to experience Black people gathering in nature to rest, be in community, and just be. We enjoyed a nourishing meal prepared by some of the organizers and connected with each other through fellowship. Some people took naps and played in the creek. Some folks went on a tour of the land to experience its fullness and see the progress of the land project. The children played, running around with laughter and joy. The fresh mountain air, quiet, and stillness were healing.

“I’m grateful I had this time and space to experience the land in community with other Black people. Much gratitude to Mia Jackson, Shayara Etter, Gregory Jackson Jr., Mikhael Ali, and the rest of the Repaired Nations team for the opportunity to share and continue building the Black cooperative ecosystem together.”

— Leanna

Listening to organizers from Oakland, Richmond, and beyond reminded us how much possibility lives within this movement. People are reclaiming land, developing cooperative businesses, and creating new models for shared wealth and belonging. These stories affirmed that our work is not only about ownership, but about building community and ensuring that our people have the power to shape their own futures.

“Leaving the conference, I felt renewed and grateful to be part of this broader journey. The experience affirmed that the work we are doing at North Star and Nexus is connected to something much bigger than ourselves. Land and legacy are not abstract ideas; they are living commitments that require care, trust, and continued practice. This gathering reminded me that the future we dream about is already unfolding in the ways we collaborate, care for one another, and choose to keep building together.”

— Nkuli

Repaired Nations has built something powerful and lasting, a living example of what it means to invest in cooperative ecosystems that center Black voices and creativity. We give our deep gratitude for hosting and curating this beautiful gathering with so much intention and care!

A new cohort year, a new Black Study Session! Join our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 5-7 pm CT, to learn how we can create a solidarity economy and rise together through mutual aid.

Fill out the form below to register!

North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship Black Study Session: Ujima, Ujamaa, and Mutual Aid

A dark blue banner reading "North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship Black Study Session: Ujima, Ujamaa & Mutual Aid." Dec. 3, 5-7 pm CT, Zoom. A group of North Star alumni stand together in a line, smiling.

Join the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship for a Black Study Session exploring Ujima, Ujamaa, and mutual aid!


Wednesday, Dec. 3

5:00 - 7:00 pm CST

Zoom (virtual)


This Black Study Session will be a space for participants to learn how we can create a solidarity economy and rise together through mutual aid. We will be joined by Julia Parker, Managing Director of the Ujima Fund with Boston Ujima Project, who will share an introduction to solidarity economy. Then, we will facilitate an abbreviated offer and needs market—a type of mutual aid used to identify and exchange knowledge, skills, resources, opportunities, and needs within our community. Join us as we learn and put into practice Kwanzaa principles Ujima (collective work & responsibility) and Ujamaa (cooperative economics) as well as mutual aid!


Black Study Sessions are free, virtual, live, and open to all while centering Black people and Black experiences. This is a Black-centered space where we will prioritize uplifting Black voices and safety. 













Contact Information

Meet Our Guest Speaker

Julia Parker

Julia has worked across the public and private sectors in community development and impact investing, with a passion for financing and supporting BIPOC enterprises through non-extractive debt capital and equity financing. Her focus on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) investing has guided her work with mission-aligned institutions.

A trained community-based lender, Julia began her career in city government in the mayor’s office before transitioning to a nonprofit addressing the impact of poverty on Black youth. She fell in love with the nonprofit sector and eventually moved into consulting with her firm Park4029 Consulting. Julia holds fractional consulting roles at several nonprofits, including Boston Ujima Project and Transform Finance.

With almost two decades in lending, Julia thrives on collaborating with clients and organizations that prioritize Black and Brown wealth creation and support nontraditional entrepreneurs. She holds a BA from Creighton University, an MS in Urban Studies from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Boston College.

October is National Co-op Month! For people who have been intentionally shut out of mainstream economies, cooperatives and cooperative economics present a tried and true alternative.

Our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship provides training, education, and networking for new and emerging Black cooperative leaders, while our Shared Ownership Center provides in-depth technical assistance and resources for local worker and real estate investment cooperatives.

Nexus’ Community Wealth Building Director Nonkululeko (Nkuli) Tabata, North Star Program Manager Leanna Browne, and Cooperative Developer Christina Nicholson share what led them to cooperative work, the cooperators who’ve inspired them, and some of the key co-ops they’ve supported along the way.

What inspired you to get involved in the cooperative movement?

Nkuli

“The cooperative movement, for me, has been an evolving journey shaped by a deep desire for collective liberation and self-determination. It started with recognizing the power of unity and the potential of people coming together to create systems that reflect their values. The concept of Ubuntu, ‘I am because we are,’ has resonated with me deeply, as it speaks to the interconnectedness of our lives and struggles. This philosophy of shared humanity aligns perfectly with the cooperative principles of mutual aid, solidarity, and democratic decision-making.

My path was also deeply influenced by the work of Black cooperators and organizers who have long recognized that cooperatives offer a path to economic justice and community empowerment. From the teachings of our elders to the modern-day initiatives, I’ve seen how cooperatives can dismantle oppressive structures by redistributing power and resources in ways that honor the wisdom and strength of communities.

What inspired me most was seeing firsthand the transformative potential of cooperatives, not just as businesses, but as spaces of cultural and political resistance. It’s about more than just economic exchange—it’s about shifting our relationships with each other and with the land, and imagining a world where we can live with dignity, freedom, and equality. By embracing the cooperative model, we tap into our collective power, building a future rooted in cooperation, justice, and liberation.”

Leanna

“I’ve seen the familiarity of cooperative work in my life before I had the formal, specific language for it. My family is from Montserrat, in the Caribbean, and I’ve seen the ways family has come together to support each other. Examples include living in multi-family and multi-generational households when folks first move to new places where family already is; pooling resources; savings circles. I’ve also seen cooperative work in different artist communities I’m a part of.”

Christina

“I was first introduced to cooperatives through the Twin Cities’ natural foods cooperative scene when I moved to Minneapolis. Since that time, in my work, I have learned about the expansive global history of cooperatives, formal and informal. I have been able to study cooperative structures that value the labor, production, and creativity of the individuals involved in building their communities and how those contributions enrich the communities they serve.”

Who are the key figures or mentors that influenced your path toward cooperative work?

Nkuli

“Steve Biko and Black Consciousness Thought have been incredibly influential in shaping my path. Biko’s philosophy, which emphasizes the need for Black people to reclaim their sense of self-worth and power, aligns deeply with the cooperative movement’s focus on self-determination. His call for a radical shift in how Black people see themselves and their communities resonates with the principles of cooperatives, where we build systems that reflect our values and needs, and where collective ownership and decision-making are tools for liberation.

The leadership and courage of Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hamer have also played a significant role in my thinking. Tubman’s fierce resistance to oppression and her work on the Underground Railroad are examples of how liberation requires not just fighting against systemic forces but also building alternative systems of support and care. Hamer’s tireless work for voting rights and her advocacy for economic justice, particularly for Black farmers, speak to the importance of political action and community-based economic solutions. Both women exemplified the kind of collective action and organizing that is at the heart of the cooperative movement.

The work of these figures, along with others, reminds me that cooperative work is not just about creating businesses or economic models; it’s about building movements rooted in collective action, solidarity, and the pursuit of liberation. Their legacies inspire me to continue pushing for systems that empower communities, foster agency, and challenge the structures of power that seek to keep us divided.”

Leanna

“Harriet Tubman, as well as the Black women in my family such as my Auntie Venoreen, Grandma Browne, and my mom.”

Christina

“My introduction to Fannie Lou Hamer and the Freedom Fund Cooperative while studying the history of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in the United States, formed in 1967. The Federation was shaped by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and focused on both economic and policy changes that historically punished Black grassroots farming communities in the South. Since that time, the Federation has worked to leverage and pool economic access to markets as well as focusing on legislation that improves the lived experience of the farmers they serve. The Freedom Farm project was started in 1969, formed with a $10,000 grant. During the time that the Freedom Farm was in operation, it had over 1500 members and helped improve the economic lives of the participating members through taking aggregated crops to market and creating a pig bank that allowed farmers to access livestock at fair prices to grow their farm size and incomes.

I first met Professor Jessica Gordon Nembhard when I attended an event at the Capri Theatre in 2015, when she was on a book tour for her powerful and groundbreaking book, Collective Courage. It was an exciting and robust conversation that helped me to further my understanding of how the history of cooperatives has always been and continues to be multifaceted and global. I have continued to follow Dr. Gordon Nembhard’s work in emerging worker cooperatives in incarcerated spaces.

I learned about the Rochdale Pioneers while working in retail cooperatives here in the Twin Cities. My understanding of the Rochedale cooperative movement is rooted in the labor movement and the desire of the members of the cooperative to be able to buy clean products at a fair price, outside of the control of the industry barons they were controlled by. Their commitment to building a decision–making system that was democratic, transparent, and fair was a new model to me, and helped me understand that the way decisions are made in community can be an impactful counterweight to unchecked power.”

What roles have you played in the development and support of cooperatives?

Nkuli

“I’ve been deeply involved in supporting Black-led cooperatives by helping build strong leaders, sustainable models, and powerful networks. Through my work leading the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship at Nexus, I’ve supported Black cooperative leaders with education, connections, and strategic tools to help them grow and sustain their work.

As a founding board member of the Taproot Investment Cooperative, I’ve helped shape community investment strategies, making sure Black and BIPOC communities have access to sustainable, locally driven real estate opportunities that build long-term wealth.

Beyond these roles, I’ve been hands-on in program leadership and strategy, managing and expanding cooperative fellowships to make sure they have lasting impact. I’ve also designed and facilitated curriculum on cooperative economics, helping communities understand and apply cooperative principles in real ways. And because this work is bigger than any one program, I’ve been active in policy and movement building, pushing for Black-led cooperative development on a broader scale and staying engaged with national networks to help grow the movement.”

Leanna

“I am a member of BLAQ, a dance company for Black people that is founded and led by DejaJoelle, that centers healing and liberation. I was also an artist in the first and second year programs for Body Prayers: For Artists, also led by DejaJoelle, a Poly-Realmic (RECLAIM, SURRENDER, CONJURE) practice that centralizes Black dancers and utilizes dance, healing, community collaboration, and transmission of knowledge to guide Black artists to their most powerful version of themselves and artistic voice.”

Christina

“I spent 20 years, from 1995 to 2015, in retail cooperatives here in the Twin Cities, supporting cooperative staff and organizations through a range of positions from Front–End Manager, Project Manager, Owners Representative, and General Manager. After completing my MBA, in the last five years I have been able to expand my work in the cooperative ecosystem through the development of worker-owned cooperatives, focusing on improving the economic and democratic infrastructures of locally owned businesses.”

In celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives, CoMinnesota, Minnesota Farmers Union, the University of Minnesota Morris, and West Central Initiative launched the first-ever Minnesota Cooperative Summit at the end of July!

The two-day gathering uplifted Minnesota’s rich history of cooperation—and invited new voices to shape its future. The event welcomed those deeply rooted in cooperative work, like Nexus, as well as those exploring it for the first time. Attendees heard real-life success stories, discovered cooperative strategies, and connected across sectors and geographies. It was a launchpad for cooperative action, showcasing how cooperation can help address Minnesota’s economic and social challenges and shape a stronger, more inclusive future.

Diana Siegel-Garcia, Christina Nicholson, and Nkuli Shongwe from our Community Wealth Building team presented on North Star and our Shared Ownership Center, connected with fellow changemakers, and left with tools and inspiration for our future work!

Attendees pose in a large group, smiling, with a banner to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives.
Shared Ownership Center Program Manager Diana Siegel-Garcia and Cooperative Developer Christina Nicholson table with brochures about Nexus Community Partners.
Community Wealth Building Director Nonkululeko Shongwe laughs onstage with Christina as they give a presentation.
Diana, Christina, and Nkuli smile together as they mingle with other attendees.

Photo credit: Heather Elaine Fotography

North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship applications are open now through Aug. 25! Interested in applying? Watch our information session below, where we share a brief history of North Star, discuss fellowship requirements, provide a curriculum overview, and answer questions.

North Star is a place for Black-led cooperatives, collectives, housing, commercial, and land trusts to learn and reclaim the history of Black cooperative economics. Fellows come together for seven months of co-learning, storytelling, and skill-building. If you’re part of a Black-led co-op—or dreaming of starting one—this fellowship is for you!

Apply Now

 

Are you passionate about Black economic justice? Are you involved in a Black-led collective, cooperative, or land trust? Apply to our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship! Together, we will learn and reclaim the history of Black cooperative economics over seven months of co-learning, storytelling, and skill-building. Cohort 9 applications are open Monday, Aug. 4 through Monday, Aug. 25, 11:59 pm 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:

  • Grounding in the history of Black cooperative economics in the US and a history of cooperation and Black feminism
  • 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 2025 – May 2026

  • Saturdays, 10 am – 2 pm, one to two sessions per month
  • Wednesday Black Study Sessions, 5 – 7 pm, 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.

Information Session

Interested in applying? Watch our video below to learn more!

Rooted in Legacy, Owning Our Future was the second event in our 20th anniversary series, highlighting how sharing bounty and abundance is everything—and together, we can create a brighter, more cooperative future. Thank you to everyone who took the time to join us on June 5!

During the two-hour gathering, we shared the history of Community Wealth Building at Nexus; gave overviews of our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship and Shared Ownership Center; and we listened to an incredible panel of Nexus alumni and partners:

Some key takeaways:

  • Collective solidarity is how we take care of each other.
  • Owning our labor means having control over the work we do and how the value we create is shared. It’s about making decisions together, getting a fair share, and not just working for someone, but working with others to build something we all benefit from.
  • Worker-owned cooperative models help communities push back against systems that concentrate power and wealth in the hands of a few. By giving workers collective control over their workplaces, these models build local power, promote self-determination, and create alternatives that prioritize people over profit.
  • Our families have been involved in cooperatives for generations. Collectivism has been in us for generations.

We wrapped up by asking, what does Community Wealth Building mean to you? Answers ranged from abundance, healing, and connection to strength, sustainability, and cooperation. Check out the full word cloud below!

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 was exciting to cultivate a space continuing this tradition and practice! 

“What a joy, what a privilege, and what an honor it is to have witnessed this circle of powerful people,” says Nonkululeko (Nkuli) Shongwe, Director of Community Wealth Building. “The brilliance, clarity, and commitment lit up every space we shared!”

North Star Program Manager Leanna Browne reflects, “It was powerful to see multiple groups consisting of family members—sisters, mothers and daughters—coming together to cooperate. It was also powerful to see newer bonds and people who had worked together for several years moving through this fellowship together.” Take a journey through our 2024-2025 fellowship below! 

The Journey Begins

Rooted in Sankofa and guided by purpose, Cohort 8 didn’t just show up to learn. They came to build. Over seven months, we grew into a community of learners, dreamers, and doers. It wasn’t about consuming knowledge. It was about living into the legacy of Black cooperative power, honoring the past to create a freer future. 

Nkuli explains, “There is a deep Black cooperative history that flows through your work. From washerwomen unions and mutual aid societies to the Underground Railroad and the Freedom Farm, this fellowship stands on the shoulders of Black women who built what they needed to survive and thrive.” 

Session One: Honoring Black Cooperative Memory

We kicked things off with stories, food, music, and connection. Places like Greenwood weren’t treated like distant history; they were real and alive in the room. We grounded ourselves in the truth that Black brilliance and self-determination have always been here. Dreaming together was the first radical step. “We were reminded that Black women have always been at the heart of liberation—not just resisting systems, but creating new ones in their place,” Nkuli says. 

Session Two: What is Black Wealth?

We expanded the definition of wealth beyond money to include care, ancestry, connection, and love. Grounded in Black feminist thought, we looked to foremothers like Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Harriet Tubman, and Ida B. Wells not just as icons, but as everyday teachers whose lessons still guide us. 

Session Three: Naming Harm and Building Alternatives

We named the systems that harm us: capitalism, scarcity, control. We also looked at how even nonprofit spaces can replicate those patterns. But the focus wasn’t just critique. We moved into imagining and building alternatives like mutual aid, land trusts, and worker-owned businesses rooted in care and trust. 

Black Study Session: Solidarity Economy and Kwanzaa

North Star’s Black Study Sessions are Black-centered spaces open to all, where we dive deeper into topics related to Black cooperative work. Our December session featured Ebony Gustave with Art.coop and Kenna Cottman and Jayanthi Rajasa with Voice of Culture—two alumni from North Star Cohort 6!

“During the session, Ebony invited us to reflect on how the solidarity economy shows up in our ancestry, shared how Black communities are meeting their needs in the solidarity economy, and encouraged us to consider how we can put Ujamaa, the fourth principle of Kwanzaa representing cooperative economics, into practice,” Leanna explains.

“These were powerful examples that invited us to reflect on our lineages, honor how Black communities practice the solidarity economy, and invite us to practice cooperative economics in our lives and with our communities. Kenna and Jayanthi also reviewed the Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa), and helped us reflect on how we can utilize the principles as a daily practice. It was a necessary reminder to return to and practice these values.”

Sessions Four & Five: From Vision to Structure

These sessions were about grounding our ideas in real infrastructure. We explored governance, consensus, democratic decision-making, and back-end systems—not as boring logistics, but as ways to practice dignity, shared power, and collective care. Structure became a container for imagination. 

“We were reminded that structure doesn’t have to be rigid,” Nkuli reflects. “It can be a vessel for our values: a space where dignity, imagination, and collective care thrive.” 

Session Six: Learning from the Diaspora

We zoomed out to look at Black cooperatives in Ghana, Tanzania, Jamaica, and the U.S. These weren’t just inspiring stories—they were reminders that across the diaspora, we’ve always known how to build together. It felt like reconnecting with something ancient and still very much alive. 

Session Seven: Funding the Future

We explored how to move money in ways that reflect our values of justice, community, and care. From grants and loans to presales and bartering, we talked through creative and grounded ways to fund our work that feel aligned and liberatory. 

Session Eight: Legal Tools for Liberation

Legal frameworks weren’t treated as barriers. They were tools we can shape. We explored bylaws rooted in equity and shared power. We also talked about restorative justice and conflict transformation as necessary parts of community. Liberation lives in the details, too. 

Black Study Session: Self-care and Community Care

Our second Black Study Session was all about coming back to ourselves, featuring Priscilla Momah with Coco Womb Wellness and Alanna Morris with I A.M. Arts and Roots and Wings Institute for Embodied Wisdoms. Through sound healing, breathwork, and somatic practice, we centered rest, softness, and pleasure not as an afterthought, but as strategy. Boundaries were honored and healing was held as essential. 

“It reminded me of the importance of taking care of our bodies, minds, and spirits individually and collectively and how embodied practices can support us in our cooperative work,” Leanna says. “The sound bath and guided meditation Priscilla facilitated was dynamic and restorative. The sounds of the singing bowls and instruments Priscilla played washed over me in unexpected and impactful ways. Alanna rooted us in the values of Black Light Research, a methodology for ritualized living and performance practice, and guided us in embodied practices that connected us to the power of movement. She invited us to reflect on what we are giving and receiving and shared powerful takeaways that we could continue to explore and move through.”  

Final Presentations: Seeds Planted in Community

These weren’t just presentations; they were offerings. We shared what we’d been building with love and intention. It felt like a beginning more than an ending—an invitation to keep going together.

The Legacy of Cohort 8

We’re leaving the program with tools, relationships, and deep vision. But more than that, we’re carrying forward a legacy of Black cooperation. Not just to preserve it, but to grow it. What we built here is just the beginning. 

Thank you for letting us walk beside you. Thank you for trusting us with your visions. The work you are doing is nothing short of liberation work and we remain excited and energized for all to come!

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 Building: Rooted in Legacy, Owning Our Future on June 5, 10 am – 12 pm CT on Zoom. 

Over the past 13 years, we have been carefully laying the foundation for Community Wealth Building to grow inside and outside of Nexus. Now, in a time of ever-increasing privatization and the erosion of public resources, we are poised to meet the moment. Sharing bounty and abundance is everything.  

Our Shared Ownership Center supports local worker and real estate investment cooperatives to change the face of ownership, while the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship approaches Community Wealth Building from a reparative framework rooted in Black culture.  Come learn about our work and how we envision a brighter, more cooperative future!

Guest Speakers:

  • Amoké Kubat, Yo Mama’s House Founder
  • Carl Johnson, Storehouse Grocers & Coffee Founder
  • Joe Vital, East Phillips Neighborhood Institute Interim Executive Director

Nexus Community Partners Event Registration

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Meet Our Speakers

Amoké Kubat

Creative culture bearer, artist, and activist Amoké Awele Kubat is a Minneapolis “Northsider for life” who has been empowering mothers and families since 1987. She uses writing and art-making to speak truth to power and to hold a position of wellness in an America sick with inequalities and inequities. Amoké’s co-op, Yo Mama’s House, is an art and healing space for mothers of all ages.

Carl Johnson

Carl Johnson is a dynamic and visionary leader serving as the Lead Pastor of Faith City Church in St. Paul, MN. He is a key figure in addressing food insecurity and fostering economic development in St. Paul. Pastor Johnson is the driving force behind Storehouse Grocers and Coffee, an innovative initiative that functions as both a grocery store and a community hub.

Joe Vital

Joe Vital is an Indigenous land defender, leader, and speaker from South Minneapolis. An enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation and a proud Mexican focused on bringing Indigeneity to the mainstream, Joe is committed to promoting the protection of Turtle Island and elevating voices of Indigenous stakeholders. He serves as the Interim Executive Director of East Phillips Neighborhood Institute.

Congratulations to North Star Cohort 8! Our latest fellows represent 10 cooperatives, with missions focused on housing, community wealth building, solidarity and connection, life skills, empowerment, art, healing, and mental health. Come wish them well at our virtual graduation Wednesday, May 7!

North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship Cohort 8 Graduation

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Meet Our Guest Speaker

LaDonna Sanders Redmond is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and Intercultural Organizational Development Consultant and Coach with Columinate. She is the former Diversity and Community Engagement Manager for Seward Co-op in Minneapolis, MN. LaDonna led the co-op’s diversity and engagement initiatives that contributed positively to organizational culture, marketplace competitiveness, and social responsibility.

LaDonna is a community activist who worked on several public health issues throughout her career, such as substance abuse, violence, and food justice. LaDonna successfully worked to get Chicago Public Schools to eliminate junk food, launched urban agriculture projects, started a community grocery store, and worked on federal farm policies to expand access to healthy food in communities of color. LaDonna is a 2003 WK Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow. In 2009, she was one of 25 citizen and business leaders named a Responsibility Pioneer by Time Magazine. LaDonna has a popular Tedx talk, “Food + Justice = Democracy.”

Join our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship for a Black Study Session on April 30! The session will hold space for participants to experience self-care and community care, with guest speakers guiding participants in different practices.

North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship Black Study Session: Self-care and Community Care

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Meet Our Facilitators

Alanna Morris

Alanna Morris is a dancer-choreographer, educator, and artist organizer. After a 10-year career with TU Dance, she founded an arts & cultural organization, I A.M. Arts, to support critical dance performance, wholistic education, and community life. Alanna is the director of the Roots and Wings Institute for Embodied Wisdoms, which launched in 2024, empowering creatives and nonprofits with project management and integrated health services. Alanna is also an adjunct professor at Hamline University.

Priscilla Momah

Founder of Coco Womb Wellness, Priscilla Momah is a wellness practitioner, certified yoga instructor, Reiki practitioner, and Thai yoga bodyworker who offers a range of healing experiences throughout the Twin Cities. She curates soulful embodiment experiences that fuse music, sound healing, and mindfulness practices into unique workshops designed to cultivate care and connection. Through breathwork, meditation, sound baths, and somatic movement, Priscilla creates immersive journeys that invite participants to tap into deep relaxation and healing. Her offerings include group sound baths, private 1:1 Thai yoga bodywork sessions, and carefully crafted workshops that nourish the body, mind, and spirit.