Civic Leadership
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Here is MPLS
Here is MPLS celebrates the many dreamers, doers, and world builders who are addressing our community’s toughest challenges in a spirit of hope and healing. The Minneapolis Foundation is proud to uplift this storytelling movement.
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Cities are dynamic places and we have an opportunity to think about how we want them to work for us.- Mary Ceruti
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Artika Roller
Artika Roller is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA). In this episode, Chanda and Artika discuss how MNCASA addresses sexual violence through advocacy, prevention, racial justice, and systems change.
Communities are stronger when everyone participates in public discussion and decision-making about issues that affect their lives and our society as a whole. Explore how we partner with others to foster civic engagement, discourse, and advocacy.

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Advancing the Genius of Black-Led Change
Read the story of the creation and vision of Minnesota's first Black community foundation, which was made possible by Chanda Smith Baker, our Chief Impact Officer, and Lulete Mola and Repa Mekha.
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Artika Roller
Artika Roller is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA). In this episode, Chanda and Artika discuss how MNCASA addresses sexual violence through advocacy, prevention, racial justice, and systems change.
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Abundant Cities: Inclusive Cities
Inclusive Cities is the second of three Abundant Cities events copresented by the Minneapolis Foundation and Walker Art Center. This panel focused on Minneapolis as a place where everyone is valued and seen as essential to our city’s economy and culture.
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“Abundant Cities” Series Brings Together Community Changemakers
The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Foundation are joining forces to elevate the ongoing community dialogue about what’s next in the revitalization of downtown and our city as a whole. Learn more about the series in this article in the Sahan Journal.
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Is downtown MPLS on the rebound?
Minneapolis Foundation President and CEO, R.T. Rybak, appeared on WCCO Radio to discuss why he's hopeful about the future of downtown.
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Big Ideas for Downtown
Best known for his celebrated tenure at the Star Tribune, retired restaurant critic Rick Nelson is also a longtime student of urban design and one of his home city's most vocal fans. Watch this video to hear some of his ideas on how we can bring energy and new ideas to downtown Minneapolis.
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Abundant Cities: Evolving Downtowns
Our first Abundant Cities event brought together local leaders with deep knowledge of our community’s history, diverse perspectives on the importance of art and economic equity as drivers of regional prosperity, and visionary ideas about what downtown could look like in the future.
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Five Cities with New Ideas
An author, professor, and director of the Minnesota Design Center, Thomas Fisher specializes in urban design, systems design, and ethics. In this video, Tom discusses how cities around the world are thinking creatively about how they use space.
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An evolving downtown
Abundant Cities was featured in MinnPost following the first of three talks put on by the Minneapolis Foundation and Walker Art Center.
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Abundant Cities brings together innovators working in Minneapolis and around the country to define new visions for urban areas. Join a cohort of changemakers who will help the best new ideas become reality here in Minneapolis.
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