Atlese Robinson is a writer, performer, director, producer, and the founding artistic director of Ambiance Theatre Company. Atlese completed her Master of Science in Strategic Marketing at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK in 2024 and is currently the Grant Associate for the Open Road Fund at Nexus Community Partners, where her aim is to work with Black folks so that we can all prosper educationally, financially, and communally.
I have spent my career doing operations, database, and finance work in nonprofit organizations. I love supporting great programmatic work with strong systems and processes. I also believe in complexity, and in sitting in the tension of the fact that many of the financial tools we have available have long been used in systems of harm for marginalized communities. I have learned so much from folks who have thrived and built economies of care despite the odds.
Tiffani Daniels is a business and social impact leader. She is currently the Director of Consumer Loyalty & Rewards at General Mills after a three-year tenure leading the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE) as its inaugural managing director. She led the organization’s operations, partnership development and member engagement strategies to advance racial equity
Sam Ndely joined the Minneapolis Foundation as a philanthropic advisor in 2022 and now serves on the Impact Team as the Program Officer for Impact & Collective Giving. Previously, he worked at the Center for Economic Inclusion and Meda, where he supported entrepreneurs of color in growing their businesses. A Minneapolis native, Sam is also
Georgia Fort is a three-time midwest Emmy award-winning journalist. She was one of two journalists in the courtroom for the sentencing of Derek Chauvin. Her reporting has been published on national networks like CNN, ABC and NBC affiliates. Her mission as a storyteller is to change the narrative by amplifying truth, citing diverse sources, and
Damon Jenkins serves as senior vice president and Twin Cities regional market president for First Independence Bank (FIB), Minnesota’s first Black-owned minority deposit institution and full-service commercial bank. He has fiscal and operational responsibility for all Twin Cities retail branch offices. In this role, Jenkins oversees sales and service initiatives for the region and ensures
Theodore Rose (he/him) partners with communities to develop strategies for people-powered change. He uses data and storytelling to help communities address finance, knowledge, and relational resource challenges. As Managing Director for Policy at the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, he advises government on issues affecting African-heritage people and leads research and communications for the
As part of the communications team, I love engaging with our community online, creating content that lifts up Nexus’ programs and tells the stories of our staff and fellows—the changemakers building more engaged and powerful communities of color every day.
Megan Teare has been working in the community development field for 25 years. She is currently a managing director with the Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment group where she manages the program that provides enterprise-level capital to community development financial institutions (CDFIs), minority depository institutions (MDIs), and nonprofit housing developers. Megan also serves as a
In her role, Andrea focuses on talent acquisition, full-cycle recruitment, onboarding, and employee engagement.
I joined Nexus in 2023 as an Administrative Assistant, providing support to the operations team and assisting with office management and database maintenance. I am now the Program Assistant for the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI), which supports, trains, and helps place BIPOC and other underrepresented community members on city and county publicly appointed boards and commissions.
I joined Nexus as the Grant Admin Assistant for the Open Road Fund, and am now the Grant Program Manager. I support the grant-making process that provides funds intended to help the Black communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota build generational wealth.