Nexus Community Partners

10/15/2026

What does it look like when communities have a real stake in their own future?

Last month, St. Paul welcomed leaders from across the country for New Growth Innovation Network's LEAP (Learn. Explore. Activate in Place), a gathering focused on shared ownership and the ways communities are building wealth, creating opportunities, and keeping more of that wealth close to home.

Nexus' Christina Nicholson, Nkuli Tabata, and Benjamin Tsai joined as speakers, sharing lessons from the work happening right here in the Twin Cities.

Benjamin's session, pictured here, explored what it really takes to bring a shared-ownership project to life. From the first idea to financing, launch, and long-term sustainability, he walked through the process and the people, partnerships, and resources needed along the way.

➡️ Learn more at https://buff.ly/k0Ur41f



📷️ Photos by Venio Studio

10/14/2026

The new Minnesota Coalition for Community-Owned Real Estate (MC-CORE) is a collaborative network of real estate cooperatives, nonprofits, community organizations, and industry experts working together to build the foundation for a thriving community-ownership ecosystem. 🏘️ 🌱

Meet one of MC-CORE's founding members, South Como Community Investment Cooperative (SCC)!

South Como Co-op purchased its first property last winter. Not only were they able to keep the building accessible and affordable for current residents, but they’ve since welcomed two commercial tenants on the first floor: WaldHaven Mental Health and MinnePrairie Ecoscapes.

SCC joins a growing movement to collectively improve our neighborhoods one investment at a time.

👉🏼 Learn more at www.mc-core.org!

10/07/2026

If you haven't yet caught the coverage of the Minnesota Cooperative Summit, check out this piece from Minnesota Women's Press! https://buff.ly/nwL7Ykv It explores the shared blueprint of Black collectives, the rich cooperative history and practice of Indigenous communities, and how we can expand co-op culture.

Our Director of Community Wealth Building, Nkuli Tabata, shares an important reminder that success isn’t only about how many co-op businesses are built. It’s also about the leaders who grow through this work, the relationships that are nourished, and what people carry forward into the larger cooperative community.

She also speaks to the deep history of cooperation in Black communities—and how that history continues to shape our North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship work. 💫

10/06/2026

October is National Co-op Month—otherwise known as Co-optober! Celebrate with our friends at CoMinnesota, Minnesota Coalition of Community Owned Real Estate, and other co-op partners on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 4–7 p.m. at Broken Clock Brewing.

Meet 20+ local co-ops, enjoy free snacks and swag, play co-op bingo, add to a cooperative art project, and more. The first 150 people to register get a free drink ticket! 🎟️

✨️ Whether you're co-op curious or already a fan, come see what cooperative businesses are all about. Register at https://buff.ly/XFeOTGZ

10/01/2026

Ready, set, launch! 🚀 This Co-optober, we’re thrilled to announce the Minnesota Coalition of Community Owned Real Estate (MC-CORE), a new resource and movement convener of real estate cooperatives and partners.

Communities are using co-ops to reclaim properties from predatory landlords. Minnesota has the most real estate co-ops in the nation—offering Minnesotans the chance to own buildings collectively and have real power in shaping their neighborhoods.

With support from the McKnight Foundation, the Shared Ownership Center @ Nexus convened real estate cooperators, nonprofit partners, and industry experts to strategize on how to best move this unique body of work forward. From these conversations and connections, MC-CORE was born.

💡 Learn more at nexuscp.org/mc-core, and stay tuned for other MC-CORE news this Co-optober!

10/01/2026

In September, our own Chai Lee joined Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and Wintana Melekin for Metro State University’s "Our Dream for Democracy" conversation. The evening brought people together to reflect on democracy, civic engagement, and the future.

At Nexus, we believe our communities already hold so much of the wisdom, leadership, and imagination we need to shape what comes next. Chai brought that spirit to the conversation, drawing from his work with Nexus' Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) and the community leaders stepping into spaces where decisions are made. BCLI is rooted in creating opportunities for people historically excluded from formal power to serve on public boards and commissions and help shape the policies that affect their communities.

We’re grateful for spaces like this one—to be in conversation and imagine what’s possible together.

📸 Metro State University

09/23/2026

In our latest Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute Issue Series session, Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip shared the important role of the Minnesota Secretary of State, and the work their office does to ensure we have safe, free, and fair elections. She urges us to remember: When you vote, you claim your power. 🗳️ ✊🏽

🎤 "Democracy’s being tested, and we all must participate. Every vote really does count."

▶️ Watch the recording at https://buff.ly/mSWK77a

09/22/2026

One of our program alumni, Victoria, recently shared that Nexus has been “a companion in [her] remembering of power, of land, of joy.” https://buff.ly/D7Fb97Q Their words got us thinking about the many people and moments that make up our Nexus story—and what stays with us after a program, conversation, or gathering ends.

We’d love to know what has stayed with you. ✨️ Share a Nexus memory at the link below, and we'll randomly select 10 people to receive a Nexus T-shirt as a token of our appreciation! https://buff.ly/Glh7Xe9 ✨️

Thank you for being part of the Nexus story—then, now, and in what comes next.

09/17/2026

Three cheers for Danielle—our Vice President of Programs & Strategies! 👏🏽👏🏽

Danielle has a track record of working on some of the region’s most innovative community wealth-building initiatives, and she's using that experience to dream big for the region!

She is advancing new models of wealth grounded in culture, care and collective power. She wants to transform how Black women define, create and sustain wealth — personally, organizationally and across generations.

Read more about Danielle's experience and expertise here: bit.ly/4i0qmAA

We've been celebrating the 2026 Bush Fellows all summer long ... but there are so many talented leaders in this group, we have to keep going into the fall! Check back soon for more intros.

09/17/2026

The Humphrey School of Public Affairs Remedies to Racial & Ethnic Economic Inequality Conference brought together activists, scholars, and leaders from around the world. Our Nexus team went to learn, connect, and present:

💡 "From Survival to Solidarity: Reclaiming Cooperative Traditions to Build Collective Futures"
📝 Co-op development can be a pathway to economic opportunity, community ownership, and self-determination, particularly for communities that have historically been excluded from traditional economic systems. What can we learn about supporting people as they build cooperative businesses and strengthen their communities?

💡 "Leadership & Democracy Building through Boards & Commissions"
📝 Publicly appointed boards, committees, and commissions are a hidden layer of political power that most people don’t know about or consider. But they play a critical role in decision-making that impacts your life. How can you affect policy change through these avenues?

Learning from one another across disciplines and across borders is how some of the most meaningful innovation happens. Read our reflections at https://buff.ly/Z8Yjc1z

📷️ Photos by Atomickphotography