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.
Team Category: Team Member
Andrea Callendar
In her role, Andrea focuses on talent acquisition, full-cycle recruitment, onboarding, and employee engagement.
Christine Lian
I joined Nexus in 2023 as an Administrative Assistant. In my role I provide support to the operations team, assisting with office management and database maintenance.
Olivia Funkhouser Reynolds
I joined Nexus as the Grant Admin Assistant for the Open Road Fund. 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.
Sherine Onukwuwe
Sherine Onukwuwe is a media producer, photographer, vocalist and graduate of Temple University’s Film and Media Arts program. Her career as a producer in front of and behind the camera spans over 30 years. She has produced numerous documentaries for a variety of nonprofits, government agencies, small businesses and fellow creatives. She engages in work
Duaba Unenra
Duaba is the Grants Manager for the Open Road Fund. He helps to coordinate everything related to grantmaking operations for the fund. Duaba also facilitates the process design of the fund, in collaboration with the ORF Team and community members. His work contributes to Nexus’ greater efforts in Community Wealth Building, Self-Authorship, and Ownership.
Sook Jin Ong
I co-direct Reclaiming Our Own Time (ROOT) with Rosalva Hernandez. Growing from the wisdom and work of Rest as a pathway toward liberation and justice movement, the work of ROOT envisions ecosystems of wellness, rest, and rejuvenation for BIPOC changemakers. This work supports BIPOC leaders toward dreaming, reconnecting with self, visioning, and resting as a means to value our gifts and restorative cycles. We also aspire to strengthen and build the capacity of organizations and movements to hold that healing space.
Rosalva Mujwid Hernandez
I co-direct ROOT (Reclaiming Our Own Time) with Sook Jin Ong.
Growing from the wisdom and work of Rest as a pathway toward liberation and justice movement, the work of ROOT envisions ecosystems of wellness, rest, and rejuvenation for BIPOC changemakers. This work supports BIPOC leaders toward dreaming, reconnecting with self, visioning, and resting as a means to value our gifts and restorative cycles. We also aspire to strengthen and build the capacity of organizations and movements to hold that healing space.
Diana Siegel-Garcia
I joined Nexus Community Partners in February 2023 as a Communications Specialist, where I managed Nexus’s social media channels, monthly newsletters, and collaborated on internal projects. In May 2024, I joined the Shared Ownership Center as their Program Manager. In this role, I support the LOCAL Fund, employee-owned cooperatives, and real estate investment cooperatives in the Twin Cities. I previously crossed paths with Nexus while at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation AmeriCorps VISTA C3 program.
Kaisy Jo Nuñez
In my capacity as Office Coordinator, I support my work companions mainly on the administrative side. I help with office management, basic IT, along with various other things. I believe in the work that Nexus is doing and am happy to lend my skills to this community.
Leanna Browne
I am the Program Manager for the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship (NSBCF). I support community wealth building initiatives that honor and reclaim the legacy of Black cooperative economics and invite alternate ways of being.
Patty Viafara
I joined Nexus to lead the Worker Owner Initiative (WOI), which is part of Nexus’ Community Wealth Building Strategy. I help companies assess employee ownership as a model for stronger businesses and create employee and community wealth. Our vision is to raise awareness of these models so that business ownership, quality jobs, and community self-determination are accessible to all of us.