[Minnesota Rising Dispatch] March 2014

[#mnrising Dispatch] March 2014 Spring has sprung, and we're aiming to engage the renewed energy in our next steps! Join us this month in strategy sessions for the 2014 Minnesota Rising Cascading Conversations Tour Advance Team and our latest efforts to refine our core purpose and communications. As Minnesotans and the natural world around us emerge from winter slumber, we hope to work with you to make new things come alive! #mnrising Cascading Conversations Tour 2014 Advance Team Strategy Session Thursday, April 3 | 5:30 - 7:30pm | Grassroots Solutions #mnrising Sounding Board Session Tuesday, April 15 | 6:00 - 8:00pm | Grassroots Solutions RSVPs appreciated to minnesotarising[at]gmail.com "Minnesota Rising Story Lab: Our Story, Our Future" Recap James Horsman, Torch Community Torch Community's annualDiversity and Inclusionevent took place on March 11th and this year featured Minnesota Rising's Story Lab: Our Story, Our Future. After an initial mix of networking and good food, Diane Tran kicked off the evening by showing a TED Talk video of Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian immigrant who moved to the United States. Adichie told many revealing and sometimes humorous stories how people would assume her background and experiences based on what they knew or thought they knew of her culture. When she moved to the United States to attend college, for example, her American roommate was surprised she knew English so well despite it  being the official language of Nigeria and she showed her a Mariah Carey CD when she asked to hear her "tribal music." [Read more.] Red Hot Hack Red Wing Ignite Do you have geeky skills or geeky curiosity that you'd like to develop in a constructive, community-centered environment?Red Wing Ignite, a nonprofit business accelerator located in Red Wing, Minnesota, is hosting Red Hot Hack, April 25-27, 2014, in beautiful Red Wing. The organization is looking for "civic minded geeks and geeky wannabes in pursuit of using technology to help address community issues and ignite innovation to advance the way we live, learn, and work." RWI is aligned with US Ignite, an initiative organized by the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology, to promote and accelerate the development of next generation applications. You don't have to know how to code in order to participate. [Read more.] MN Campus Compact's 20th Anniversary Summit Minnesota Campus Compact What kind of education works for all students? What will effectively prepare them for work, life, and citizenship in a world changing at dramatic speed? Both research and experience tell us - it's active learning that has real consequences, that encourages collaboration, that relates to students' interests and develops their skills through community-based projects. In 2014, Minnesota Campus Compact (MNCC) is commemorating twenty years of advancing that important work with colleges and universities across the state. Join us in looking back at this coalition's successes, celebrating the good work of students, staff, faculty, and community partners across the state, and discussing key issues and strategies for moving forward together. [Read more.] Inaugural EPIP-YNPN Leadership Institute Cohort  YNPN-TC Blog YNPN-TC and EPIP-MN have partnered to launch a 10-month cohort learning experience for young professionals working in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. The experience is aimed at encouraging exploration of participants' big career questions while doing some serious skill swapping and network weaving across the local foundation and nonprofit worlds. We were thrilled by the overwhelming number of truly stellar applications, but are only able to manage logistics for a small number of participants in this year's pilot program. We are excited to announce our roster of 2014 participants! [Read more.] Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend News from the Network Updates and events with our esteemed partners and collaborators! "Invite a Woman to Run" Webinar Women Food & Ag Network Featuring Deb White & Erin Vilardi Wednesday, April 2, 2014 2:30pm Accepting Applications: LEAD Project Board of Directors Deadline: Friday, April 4 at 11:59pm CT April Networking & Happy Hour MN Young Food Professionals Wednesday, April 9, 2014 8:00pm Red Stag Supperclub EDTalks: Why Art Matters + Discovery of Self AchieveMpls & Citizens League Thursday, April 10, 2014 6:00pm - 7:30pm Honey Lounge 8 Golden Rules for Sure-Fire Success with Facebook Ads SMBMSP #65 Monday, April 14, 2014 8:00am - 10:00am 514 Studios btb10: Two Things that Describe Me Break the Bubble Wednesday, April 16, 2014 6:30pm - 9:00pm The Loop Affirming Authenticity: Identity-Driven Leadership [at Work] LOCUS Thursday, April 24, 2014 5:30pm - 7:30pm Rondo Community Outreach Library Generation Now Leadership Visit Citizens League September 10-12, 2014 Fargo, ND $1250 pp   Making Our #MNRising Mark! Don't forget to tag your upcoming emerging leader events, thoughts, musings, and more, #mnrising, on Twitter and Facebook. Let's aggregate and organize ourselves for increased interaction and potential for collaboration!

Copyright © 2014 Minnesota Rising, All rights reserved.

You're Invited: Events from Minneapolis Community Education

The latest Minneapolis Community Education newsletter offers a few exciting opportunities for community service, house-hunting, and ice cream in the months ahead! If you're looking to continue your lifelong learning, visit their catalog now to register for Spring 2014 classes. Or, consider submitting your application to teach a course in Fall 2014 and be head of the class when school is back in session!

SPRING 2014 South Minneapolis Housing Fair This annual event features vendor displays, community resources and educational demonstrations. Stop by the "Ask an Expert" area for advice on a variety of home and garden topics. Saturday, April 5 10 am-3 pm | Free Minneapolis Sports Center, 2121 E. Lake St., Minneapolis For more information, visit housingfair.org *    *    *    *    *    * Southwest Community Clean-Up Join the Southwest Community Education Advisory Council and Southwest High School students to help clean up around the community. Meet at Southwest at 8:30 am for juice, coffee, and rolls, followed by the clean-up from 9 am-12 pm. We will clean up around the school and the shoreline along Minnehaha Creek, Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun. Enjoy a picnic lunch at Southwest following the clean-up. Saturday, April 26  |  8:30 am-12 pm  |  Free Southwest High School, 3414 W. 47th St. If you wish to participate, call 612.668.3100 or email tom.neiman@mpls.k12.mn.us. Pratt Ice Cream Social   Join us for this community event with activities, games, food and fun for all ages. This is the one night of the year that you can climb the "Witches Hat" Tower in Prospect Park for a spectacular view of the Minneapolis/St. Paul skyline. Bring your camera and walking shoes! Friday, May 30 5:30-8:30 pm Pratt Community School 66 Malcolm Ave. SE Call 612.668.1100 for more information. Hope to see you there! Community Education Programs  ·  Minneapolis Community Education   lifelong.learning@mpls.k12.mn.us   |   www.mplscommunityed.com

[Blog Buddies] Welcoming the Inaugural Cohort of EPIP-YNPN Leadership Institute Participants

I'm excited to be a part of the planning team coordinating the EPIP-YNPN Leadership Institute and thrilled to announce the roster for our inaugural cohort in 2014! See below for more details about this innovative new learning institute focused on cohort experience and co-creation. And if you see one of your friends or colleagues on the list below, feel free to reach out and congratulate them on taking next steps in their leadership journeys!

Welcoming the Inaugural Cohort of EPIP-YNPN Leadership Institute Participants

Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 7:59AM

YNPN-TC and EPIP-MN have partnered to launch a 10-month cohort learning experience for young professionals working in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. The experience is aimed at encouraging exploration of participants’ big career questions while doing some serious skill swapping and network weaving across the local foundation and nonprofit worlds. We were thrilled by the overwhelming number of truly stellar applications, but are only able to manage logistics for a small number of participants in this year’s pilot program. We look forward to exploring the ways we can work together to create a broader array of these kinds of opportunities in future, now that you, the YNPN-TC members, have demonstrated such strong interest. (If you are interested in joining in this exploration and planning, we'd love to hear from you!)

We are excited to announce our roster of 2014 participants:

Andy Brown, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Anthony Parrish, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Courtney Algeo, Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Desralynn Cole, Project for Pride in Living

Eleonore Wesserle, Line Break Media

Elizabeth Fei, Minnesota Humanities Center

Eriks Dunens, University of Minnesota Extension

Erin Gavin, The McKnight Foundation

Erin Sapp Leitheiser, Target Corporation

Gina DiMaggio, Pohlad Family Foundation

Jennifer Song

John Fetzer, Bush Foundation

Joni Chacich, The McKnight Foundation

Julia Quanrud, ServeMinnesota Action Network

Kara Balcerzak, Corporation for National and Community Service

Kate Thomas-Tielke, Headwaters Foundation for Justice

Kyle Bozentko, Jefferson Center

Lauren Ignaut, Guthrie Theater

Naaima Khan, Greater Twin Cities United Way

Salena Acox, The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota

Seth Goodspeed, Carleton College

Tara Kumar, Minnesota Council on Foundations

Tiffany Wilson-Worsley, Minnesota Council on Foundations

Yaomee Xiong

The institute will kick off in April 2014 and continue through January 2015. YNPN-TC and EPIP-MN are excited for this year’s pilot and hope to offer applications for a second cohort in early 2015. Stay tuned for updates on the adventures of this year’s participants!

Accepting Applications: Calling All LEADers - Join Our Board!

The LEAD Project is on the lookout for new members of their board of directors. Do you have a passion for nonprofit leadership and a desire to contribute to your community? Read on for additional details and consider applying by their April 4 deadline!

Join LEAD's Board of Directors   We are looking for talented leaders to join our Board of Directors. This is a fabulous opportunity to help LEAD advance its mission connecting young professionals with nonprofits in a collegial, entrepreneurial context. We're particularly interested in adding talent in the areas of marketing, website development, project management, and law. If you have experience in these areas OR simply a passion for nonprofit leadership, we want to meet you! Sound fun? We certainly agree - it is! Learn more about this opportunity here and email if you have questions. Applications for the LEAD Board will close on Friday, April 4 at 11:59 P.M. Apply Here Get excited... LEAD's hosting a Cinco de Mayo Happy Hour at Fulton Brewery! More details to come. Copyright © The LEAD Project.  All rights reserved.

You're' Invited: The Eighth Annual Facing Race Ambassador Awards

I was honored to serve on the Selection Committee for the 2014 Facing Race Ambassador Awards and am delighted to share the Award Recipients and Honorable Mentions below. Join the Saint Paul Foundation to celebrate and recognize the amazing work of these community leaders working for a more racially just community. See below for details and RSVP by this Friday, March 28!

2014 Ambassador Awards

The Eighth Annual Facing Race Ambassador Awards

Monday, April 7, 2014
6:00-7:00 p.m. – Conversation and Appetizers
7:00-8:00 p.m. – Program

Crowne Plaza Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel
11 Kellogg Boulevard East, Saint Paul, MN 55101 Map

$5 parking: Crowne Plaza and Capital City Parking Ramps
$10 valet parking: Crowne Plaza

RSVP by March 28, 2014

Admission is free; seating is limited.

• Register online — tips:
  • Select the number of attendees (seats).
  • If you are registering for yourself, select the option "myself." Enter the name of each guest.
  • Enter your name, address, phone number (use dashes) and email address.
• Register by calling 651.325.4265

2014 Ambassador Award Recipients

• Jada Sherrie Mitchell, Tartan High School Student and Youth Leader
• Justin Terrell, TakeAction Minnesota

2014 Honorable Mentions

• Jennifer Godinez, Minnesota Minority Education Partnership (MMEP)
• Bukata Hayes, Greater Mankato Diversity Council
• Dr. Cecilia Martinez, Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy

Keynote Speaker

Celebrated photographer Wing Young Huie documents the socioeconomic and cultural realities of American society. Wing engages contrasting points of view when he presents photographs and asks, “What do you see?” He then facilitates dialogue around cultural and personal perceptions, creating a challenging yet safe environment for discussion.

More about the Ambassador Awards

The Facing Race Ambassador Awards celebrate and honor individuals and organizations working to create a racially equitable community. By highlighting the valuable work of award recipients and honorees, we hope to inspire discussion, dialogue and action around critical issues of race and racism.

• History of the Ambassador Awards

Dare mighty things

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” 

-Theodore Roosevelt

You're Invited: Debt is Not a Four-Letter Word!

Social Enterprise Alliance Twin Cities wants to help you put a different spin on debt by considering how it can be used for social enterprise. Hear from Kate Barr, Director of Nonprofits Assistance Fund, at "Debt is Not a Four-Letter Word!" about the productive use of debt for social enterprises, how lenders evaluate your social enterprise, and where to go to raise debt capital. Details to register below!

You are invited to the following event: DEBT IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD! THE USE OF DEBT FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE                                                            Event to be held at the following time, date, and location: Thursday, March 27, 2014 from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM (CDT) Northwest Area Foundation, The Drake Bldg. Louis Hill/Maud Hill Room, 4th Floor 60 Plato Blvd St Paul, MN 55107 View Map Attend Event                               Share this event:                                                               Debt is Not a Four-Letter Word!  The Use of Debt for Social Enterprise Kate Barr, Executive Director of Nonprofits Assistance Fund, talks about the productive use of debt for social enterprises, how lenders evaluate your social enterprise, and where to go to raise debt capital. Kate will also discuss with a panel of social enterprise leaders how they have used debt as part of their financial... Share this event on Facebook and Twitter We hope you can make it! Cheers, SEA Twin Cities

You're Invited | Affirming Authenticity: Identity-Driven Leadership [at Home]

I'm excited to share about LOCUS, a meeting ground for people from diverse backgrounds to engage with one another and to examine our common needs and common opportunities. Through the pursuit of stronger connection and purpose, we aim to create a community that welcomes and supports all. One of our first endeavors is the Affirming Authenticity Series for women of diversity, a three-part conversation that explores identity-driven leadership at home, in the workplace, and for yourself. See below for details for the first in our series, and consider joining us!

Affirming Authenticity: Identity-Driven Leadership [at Home]

Thursday, March 27, 2014 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM (CDT)

Rondo Community Outreach Library

Register online.

LOCUS presents the "Affirming Authenticity Series" and invites women of diversity for a three-part conversation on identity-driven leadership. Diverse women live and operate in multiple contexts and are challenged to bring all of who we are to each role we play. Identity-driven leadership involves contributing our valuable experience and unique perspectives to our workplaces, communities, and families. Join us for this series of engaging and uplifting conversations!

As women of diversity, many of us grew up in families and communities that exposed us to diverse outlooks and provided us with rich heritage and customs. Encouraged to prioritize family duties and traditional values, we can find it challenging to showcase our cultural identities in the outside world where we are not considered part of mainstream American culture.

We often face similar challenges explaining our professional and public endeavors to family members who aren't always familiar with the career paths we choose to pursue. Do you ever find yourself feeling conflicted by your obligations to family and community and your personal aspirations for your career and life goals?

                                                   

Join us for a stimulating conversation with Asma Lori Saroya, co-founder and president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota (CAIR-MN), and Minerva Munoz, Director of TRIO Upward Bound at the University of Minnesota. We will discuss how our family values as well as public purpose can jointly inform our senses of identity and how we can bring our whole selves to our leadership styles and contributions.

Light refreshments will be provided. 

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Save the dates for the next two in the three-part "Affirming Authenticity: Identity-Driven Leadership" Conversation Series:

• Affirming Authenticity: Identity-Driven Leadership [at Work] on April 24, 2014 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at Rondo Community Outreach Library
• Affirming Authenticity: Identity-Driven Leadership [for Yourself] on May 13, 2014 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at Rondo Community Outreach Library