2013 Un/Conference: Breakout Sessions Slate!

Announcing Minnesota Rising 2013 Un/Conference Sessions! We put out a call for the best 50-minute presentations for and by emerging leaders on topics relevant to the Millennial generation and the 2013 Un/Conference theme of Cultivating Capacity for Collective Leadership, and we're amazed and delighted by what our incredible presenters came up with. See below for the 2013 Un/Conference sessions and get a glimpse of the conversations you can contribute to on November 16th!  11:00AM Session #1 | Leading through New Models of Social Change: A Look at Social Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives Millenials are ready to admit that with social disparity rising and environmental degradation, we need to re-think our economic models. An economy that's led by hierarchy and focused on the bottom-line of profit can be re-modeled, and our generation will be the architects. As leaders in creating this new economy, we need tools, and one tool is new business models. Social entrepreneurship and Cooperatives are two business models that can serve as tools for a new economy. Come to this session to learn the basics of Social Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives so that you have additional tools in your toolkit for building social change.    Jenny Kramm assists donors across the nation to achieve their charitable goals as the Grants Associate at the Lutheran Community Foundation through awarding grants to mission-driven non-profits. For play, she equips social entrepreneurs with tools to grow their triple-bottom line organizations (fiscal, environmental, and social good) as Co-Chair of the Programming and Events Planning committee of the Social Enterprise Alliance. Emily Lippold Cheney began her work in the cooperative movement with the founding of a community cooperative housing network, followed by years of managing and developing others on national and regional scales. Her service as the Executive Director of North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO), a federation of housing cooperatives rooted in social justice and anti-oppression, equipped her for her current work building a national cross-sector organization for cooperative youth, USA Cooperative Youth Council. USACYC seeks to both strengthen the engagement and amplify the voice of youth in the national and international cooperative communities. She also serves on the Board of CooperationWorks!, a US network of cooperative developers, and on the inaugural Board of the Data Commons Cooperative, an international movement-building organization seeking to maintain robust, accurate, and useful technological platforms for sharing information. As a cooperative organizer, Emily also spends her time as an educator and trainer, provides development consultation, and serves on various national and international working groups in a range of fields. Session #2 | Lazy, Entitled, and Vain – How to Work Through Generational Bias (And get your career off the ground!) Young professionals are graduating into a fundamentally changed work landscape from young adults a generation ago. Temp jobs, unpaid internships, and contract positions are the new norm, not the exception for us. We will cover what misconceptions are out there about our generation (and why they're wrong), what's changed in the economy for us (and how we have to change with it), and how we use our strengths to create a career when even a steady job seems impossible. Alex Tsatsoulis is currently the Development Director at the Minnesota AIDS Project. He graduated in 2007 right before the economic crash in 2008, and has weathered the waves of job uncertainty and unpaid internships – and managed to carve out a career path through it. Alex has also been on the hiring side, and watched as resumes have changed over the past few years from the predictable blocks of employment to the ever-changing landscape of temp jobs and internships today. Session #3 | Community Consulting: Bringing the Power of Consulting to Resource Poor Communities Consulting is great. The consultant gets paid to help people. But what if the people who need the help can't pay enough for the consultant? Community Consulting is one way to bring consultant services to people who can't support a traditional consultant. Eric's experience with his "Rural Food Co-co", that serves young food entrepreneurs, is examined as a case study. Eric Sannerud graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2013 with an individualized degree in Food Systems. He is a member of the winning Forever St.Paul $1 Million Competition Idea, Urban Oasis, and is now working to build a Local Food Hub in St.Paul Minnesota. His entrepreneurial energy and love of all things food have led him to start Mighty Axe Hops Hub, Sunny Brothers farm CSA and an urban aquaponics operation, Twin Fin Aquaponics. His latest project is a rural food community consultancy to connect young food entrepreneurs to markets, experience, and land. 12:00PM Session #1 | Millennials &  the "P" word Philanthropy isn't just relevant to your pearl-wearing grandma or affluent boss. Every nonprofit in existence relies on, or at the very least could benefit from, private funding. The millennial generation should not be discounted in non-profits' fundraising endeavors. Is the organization your work for or volunteer with making the most of this opportunity? In this session, Anna Burgason will present current trends in fundraising with a specific focus philanthropy and millennials. Anna N. Burgason is a project associate at Bentz Whaley Flessner, a philanthropy consulting firm based in Minneapolis. Her work includes analysis of philanthropic and economic trends, peer comparisons and benchmarking, survey development and administration, and overall philanthropy research. She has worked with clients from all categories including the National Park Foundation, the University of Minnesota and other colleges and universities, the Minnesota Orchestra, Regions Hospital Foundation and more. Prior to joining the firm, Anna worked in the higher education sector in the Alumni Relations office at the College of Saint Benedict. Session #2 | Lucky Number Twenty-Something: Navigating Organizational Culture as a Freshman Colleague This workshop will include discussion on the benefits of successful navigation of organizational culture including the opportunity to cultivate capacity for collective leadership through encouraging inclusiveness as well as sharing ideas and best practices. Examples will be reviewed collectively to gain a well-rounded understanding of the various kinds of cultures that exist. Additionally, attendees will learn and share best practices for navigating these cultures as a young professional and emerging leader. Passionate about education and access to opportunity, as well as professional development and networking Ernest has several years of experience in coaching, consulting and mentorship. With a degree in Communication Studies and an emphasis in African and African American Studies Ernest brings his proven ability to build capacity for businesses through making connections, building partnerships and empowering others.  Ernest was awarded the 2013 Emerging Leader Award by Pillsbury United Communities, a long standing resource in the Twin Cities Community, and brings years of experience and insight to share. Session #3 | Low Cost/No Cost Cool Spatial Analysis/Mapping Tools This workshop will introduce participants to spatial analysis tools that are free and/or affordable; most of these tools are user friendly. Participants will leave with a plethora of new resources and knowledge and will feel inspired to pursue learning and using these tools in the near future. These tools are relevant for individuals from all fields and disciplines from public health to education to community development to use for programming, planning, and outreach. Some of these tools provide information and details about the Minnesota population on a multiple scales of geography. Nahila Ahsan works as a Research Associate at Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research (HACER) doing research, evaluation, GIS mapping, grant writing, and more. She recently received my Masters in Urban and Regional Planning. My education and work required use of ArcGIS, which is the reason for her excitement with maps, data, and interactive web resources that incorporate mapping and data! Through Nahila's work, she has realized how useful and powerful data is and what impact maps can make on audiences and in reports.  Session #4 | Building Cross-Sector Relationships: Lessons from the Generation Now Leadership Visit Rarely are there intentional opportunities to collaborate across sectors and industries. In August, current and rising leaders within Minnesota's professional community traveled to Milwaukee for three days as a part of the Generation Now Leadership Visit. This action focused session will be an opportunity to share lessons learned from the trip, broaden the conversation and discuss how young professionals can work across sectors to move Minnesota forward. Topics may include collaboration among young professional groups, the perceived Twin Cities/MSP identity crisis and innovation in community collaboration. Session facilitators are delegates of the 2013 Generation Now Leadership Visit (GNLV). As a part of GNLV, the delegation learned about innovative ideas and programs in Milwaukee and then discussed how to bring those ideas back to MSP to move the region forward. Facilitators represent young professionals from diverse sectors and industries such as nonprofit, state agency, chamber of commerce, small business and public relations. 2:00PM Session #1 | Holding the Room: Facilitation Tools for Group Leaders Leaders are often asked to stand in front of a room and bring groups of peers from point A to point B. A strong grounding in facilitation can ensure a leader can get groups to where they need to go. This session explores how knowing yourself, your audience and your co-facilitators can help you achieve your group's goals.    Alfonso Wenker has been facilitating conversations for social change for nearly 10 years. Professionally he's been geeking out in fundraising/philanthropy since 2007 and currently works for the Bush Foundation. He  has completed the One Ummah Consulting "Facilitating Cultural Change" training program, Bush Foundation's "Art of Hosting" and was trained by The Saint Paul Foundation in its "Facing Race New Conversations on White Privilege" curriculum. His work is featured in the book, "Become a Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Career" and he was named a MinnPost/Pollen "under the radar" community leader to know. Becky Saltzman recently completed her Masters of Arts in Nonprofit Management from Hamline University with a focus on how to further social justice within the constraints of traditional nonprofits. She is a freelance consultant whose involvement in intercultural activism spans many years and is rooted in her Jewish identity. Becky has previously worked with OutFront Minnesota, PFund Foundation, and the Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance. Becky was the recipient of the 2010 Breaking the Silence Award from the University of Minnesota GLBTA Programs Office. Session #2 | Building Your Career and Network through Peer Mentoring Finding a mentor is important. Finding peer mentors is essential. Connecting with peers allows you to share burdens, brainstorm ideas, connect and discuss trends, and geek out over the nuances of your field. Learn how to find and establish a peer mentor group and hear about the first-hand benefits of connecting with your peers.    Sarah Sheldon, Kristin Skaar, Kristin Swedlund and Lindsay Bacher are  development professionals at nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis/St. Paul. They met and formed a peer mentor group one year ago. They have listened and offered advice to each other through workplace transitions, performance reviews, new jobs and life in general. Session #3 | Leading Together: Cases and Theory of Collective Leadership in Member Associations We are members of a generation who grew up participating in multiple team sports, joining clubs, and doing group work in all of our classes at school. From those experiences, we have learned to function collaboratively and seek opportunities for leading within a group. Membership associations have embraced Millennials' collective leadership style—with varying degrees of success. Come to this session to learn about the successes and pitfalls of collective leadership from a mix of leadership theory and case studies of real organizations. Sarah Townsend Morris works as a project consultant for Impact Strategies Group, where she helps create and share sustainable strategies for social impact. Her expertise lies in nonprofit management, with a focus on education/youth development and membership associations. Sarah currently serves on the board of directors of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network's Twin Cities chapter, and previously helped found Middle Tennessee's only young nonprofit professionals group. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs and led the school's Nonprofit Management Association while enrolled there. Copyright © 2013 Minnesota Rising.

You're Invited | AALF IX: The Covenant for Black Families

Join the African American Leadership Forum for their 9th bi-annual convening, "AALF IX: The Covenant for Black Families." Featuring Marian Wright Edelman, the summit will engage community members in advancing the work of the AALF blueprint for action. See below for more details on the critical questions this event will explore!

AALF IX: The Covenant for Black Families

African American Leadership Forum

Saturday, November 9, 2013 from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM (CST)

Brooklyn Center, MN

Join the African American Leadership Forum for "AALF IX: The Covenant for the Black Family" our 9th bi-annual gathering.

This is a day for members of the black community to reconnect and renew our commitment to supporting our children and our families.

Two years ago, we ratified the AALF's "blueprint for action" after working for two years with the Kirwan Institute.

That blueprint started by asking this critical question: 

What if the African American community harnessed its full potential? 

What if we reclaimed our youth?

What if we were the ones to lead humanity to wholeness, health, and sustainability?

What if we embraced our own cultural health and wellness, became the authors of our own story, embraced and articulated the vision of our priceless values, of our intrinsic selves, without comparison of being “less than”?

Now we want to commit ourselves to each other and to admit that without struggle and sacrifice there will be no progress for our people.

We honored to have Marian Wright Edelman as our keynote speaker.

Ms. Wright Edelman is Founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund and she has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, Edelman was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar and directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi. 

She has received over a hundred honorary degrees and many awards including the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize, the Heinz Award, a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her writings which include: Families in Peril: An Agenda for Social Change; The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours, Lanterns: A Memoir of Mentors, I'm Your Child, God: Prayers for Our Children; I Can Make a Difference: A Treasury to Inspire Our Children; and The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation.

Space is very limited. Parking is free. A delicious breakfast and lunch will be provided. If you have any questions about this event, please email info@aalf-tc.org.

You're Invited | Leadership in the Twin Cities: Our Networks. Our Future.

I'm delighted to be speaking at the first of the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) Thursday Night Issue Series in partnership with the Neighborhood Leadership Program (NLP) Link-Up Sessions. As part of the theme of "Leadership in the Twin Cities: Our Networks. Our Future," my panel-mates and I will speak to the topic of, "Capitalizing on the Collective Network: Social Capital and Opportunity Structures." See below for more details and register to join in on the conversation!

BCLI Thursday Night Issue Series & NLP Link-Up Present:  Leadership in the Twin Cities: Our Networks. Our Future. Part 1 of 2:  Capitalizing on the Collective Network:  Social Capital and Opportunity Structures How do we recognize and leverage our collective networks to advance leadership opportunities for people of color? Join us for this interactive session to explore why social and human capital matters in the development of leadership and leaders of color in the Twin Cities. Panelists include: Kristin Johnstad Owner, Johnstad and Associates, LLC Jay Kiedrowski Senior Fellow at the Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, Humphrey School of Public Affairs Diane Tran Project Manager, Grassroots Solutions;  Founder, Minnesota Rising

When: Thursday, November 7, 2013 5:30 - 8:00 pm Networking and Appetizers: 5:30 - 6:00 pm Program: 6:00 - 8:00 pm Where: Center for Changing Lives 2400 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404 Free street-parking and in lot west of building.  RSVP HERE About: Leadership in the Twin Cities: Our Networks. Our Future.  This event is part of the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) Thursday Night Issue Series, and the Neighborhood Leadership Program (NLP) Link-Up Sessions. For more information about the BCLI, click here, or contact the program associate, Ms. Angie Brown, at abrown@nexuscp.org, or the program director, Ms. Terri Thao, at tthao@nexuscp.org.  For more information about NLP Link-Up, contact Damon Shoholm at damon.shoholm@wilder.org.

Build a new reality

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos 

"You never change things by fighting existing reality. To change something, build a new reality that makes the existing reality obsolete."

-R. Buckminster Fuller

You're Invited: Cooperatives = Community Development Conference

In August 1973, former Governor Wendell Anderson graced the cover of Time Magazine under the headline, "Minnesota: A State That Works." And folks from CoMinnesota would likely add that Minnesota is a state that works - together! Join them at their upcoming Cooperatives = Community Development conference to learn about how cooperatively owned businesses have been a vibrant part of Minnesota’s
economy, strengthening our local communities, creating jobs, and building wealth equitably for people throughout the state for over 150 years.

Registration is now open! REGISTER HERE

WHEN:  November 8, 2013

WHERE:  Thrivent Financial, 625 4th Ave S., Minneapolis, MN

WHAT:   For over 150 years, cooperative businesses have been a vibrant part of Minnesota's economy, strengthening our local communities, creating jobs, and building wealth equitably for people throughout the state. Yet, despite their impressive track record of creating social and economic capital in multiple ways, cooperatives remain little understood and largely untapped as a strategy for community and economic development.

This one-day conference will begin to address that gap by providing a practical introduction to cooperatives, and by featuring stories about the many kinds of co-ops in the state, and the diverse ways that they contribute to community vitality. Attendees will come away with new appreciation of the cooperative sector's surprising depth and rich potential, and with connections to regional resources and expertise that can support new and existing cooperative enterprises in their communities.

 This conference made possible thanks to major underwriting by:

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

And contributions from our generous event sponsors:

• Cooperative Development Services, Inc.
• CHS Foundation
• Northcountry Cooperative Foundation
• South Metro Federal Credit Union
• Nexus Community Partners
• Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund
• Triangle Park Creative