Alafia-CLNE Fellowship Program
CLNE partnered with Alafia Foundation in sponsoring its fellowship program. The Alafia-CLNE Fellowship Program champions purpose-filled leaders who transform life in north Minneapolis through investing in the ideas, enterprise and inspiration of visionary nonprofit, small business, and social entrepreneurial leaders. The two-year fellowships provided professional executive coaching, educational scholarships, workshops and peer support. In addition, local congregations in partnership with CLNE provided expanded networks of support as the fellows develop their personal goals and their organizations for maximum community impact.
KENYA MCKNIGHT
Black Women's Wealth Alliance
Kenya McKnight is the founder, CEO and President of The Black Women’s Wealth Alliance (BWWA), Minnesota’s first Black Woman-owned Public Benefit Corporation. BWWA leverages Black culture as its core resource and educational tool to facilitate cooperative economics through wealth literacy, home ownership, and cooperative and procurement business education. The BWWA team brings more than 40 years of impactful community wealth building knowledge, skills, strategies and networks, and consists of experienced entrepreneurs, educators, grassroot and professional leaders working across the business, wealth and community development sectors.
Visit Black Women's Wealth Alliance site.
CHRISTOPHER WEBLEY
New Rules Benefit Corp
Christopher Webley is the President and CEO of New Rules Benefit Corp, a collective built on the idea of developing ecosystems and solutions for Black and Brown communities where economic, health and wellness, and education disparities breed. On October 15, 2016, New Rules on Lowry opened its doors to the public, providing retail, event and creative coworking space. New Rules is much more than a physical space though - it is the nexus between arts, culture, community and technology – and a destination location for fresh ideas, organic networking and curated events grounded in the shared experiences of the Northside’s communities.
Visit New Rules website.
JOE DAVIS
The New Renaissance, The Poetic Diaspora, and H-Cubed
Joe Davis is a nationally touring writer, speaker and performer based in Minneapolis, MN. He is the CEO of The New Renaissance multi-media production company, the frontman of emerging soul, funk, and spoken word ensemble, The Poetic Diaspora, and the co-founder and Artistic Director of H-Cubed: Harrison, Healing, and Harmony, a monthly event series centered on healing through the arts. As a student and educator, he has served as teaching artist at dozens of high schools and universities and, most recently, as the Artist-in-Residence at Luther Seminary, receiving a Master's in Theology of the Arts.
Visit Joe Davis Poetry website.
TAMERA WILLIAMS
Legacy Keepers
Tamera Williams is the founder and executive director of Legacy Keepers Inc., a nonprofit grass roots organization that was started in 2004 with a vision of creating social, educational and economic achievement opportunities by leveraging and remembering the legacy of the African-American experience—a legacy of achievement, perseverance, courage and faith. Legacy Keepers Inc. has grown into an organization of couragous community leaders seeking to develop a sense of agency among young people and families through the Griot Leadership Project, Legacy Keeper Tours,and Legacy Keeper Summers initiatives.
Visit Legacy Keepers website.
MARY JOHNSON-ROY
From Death to Life
Mary Johnson-Roy is the mother of a murdered child, and the founder of From Death to Life, an organization dedicated to ending violence through facilitating healing and reconciliation between families on both sides of the tragedy of homicide. Through participation in the restorative justice process, Mary transformed the hatred she had for O’shea Israel, the 16-year-old boy who took her only son's life, into forgiveness and love. She now considers him her “spiritual son”, and together they share their powerful story of healing and reconciliation in forums around the country.
Visit From Death to Life website.