·       Launched Reckoning to Rise, a series of forums for employers to gain the knowledge, tools and relationships necessary to take action and unite in pursuing shared accountability for investments to increase shared prosperity and inclusive economic growth. Through the series, we elevate the voices of Black, Indigenous, Asian and Latino workers, business owners, investors, bankers, and executives working on the front lines to accelerate business growth and close racial wealth gaps.

o   In 2021-2022, we held a series of Reckoning to Rise digital workshops that reached more than 12,000 people.

·       Supported more than 55 regional and national employers in embedding anti-racist talent, procurement, investment, and philanthropy strategies through the Center’s Regional Anti-Racism and Economic Justice Trust and employer cohorts.

·       Facilitated Ramsey County community engagement analysis and design of racial equity strategies for the first county-wide economic competitiveness and inclusion plan. The plan’s goal is to advance equitable housing, economic development, and land use policies and investments.

·       Advocated for state Racial Equity Impact Notes to assess every bill for its impact on racial disparities, securing additional authors for the bill and launching a community work group that is almost complete in their research of racial equity impact assessments, methodology design, case studies and report to support advocacy and implementation efforts.

·       Developed a racial equity and inclusion report and 10-year analysis for Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.

2022

·       Launched Project Vanguard, a multi-sector accelerator committed to maximizing wealth-building and job creation with Black and Latina women business owners in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, with the support of an Advancing Cities award from JP Morgan Chase.

o   At the Powering Inclusion Fall Series forum on Sept. 22, released new research, Accelerating Wealth Creation for Black and Latina Women, data-informed recommendations for building anti-racist, systematic changes in procurement, lending, and ecosystem resources that can foster a resilient, local, inclusive supply chain.

·       Launched the Racial Equity Dividends Index, a comprehensive tool that businesses opt into to measure their progress toward building inclusive workplaces in Minnesota, including performance on the leading standards of racial equity, inclusion and belonging.

o   49 businesses participated in the first-ever Index in spring 2022

o   Collectively, companies employed more than 200,000 workers in Minnesota and an additional 550,000 employees elsewhere in the world

§  1 in every 12 non-government employees in Minnesota works for a company participating in the Index

  • Launched the Indicators of an Inclusive Regional Economy™ and a corresponding online platform to equip local and regional governments and employers with a multi-dimensional illustration of economic inclusion in the MSP region. The Indicators disaggregate key measures of race, place, and income to facilitate data-informed decisions.

    • The Center engaged more than 50 community leaders and regional partners to refresh the Indicators, launched on June 21.

  • Launched the Reckoning for Truth, Trust, and Racial Justice Tour, its first experiential learning tours for executives to learn the ways America’s history of wealth extraction, slavery, and land theft is inextricably tied to our challenges today. We hosted 47 civic, philanthropic, and business leaders on a four-day experiential peer learning tour to Montgomery, Alabama.

  • The Center trains and educates public and private sector leadership through participation in external workshops and conferences. Since October of 2021, the Center has trained more than 4,000 people.

  • Hosted three Powering Inclusion Fall Series, the Center’s online platform to elevate new voices and strategies, foster deeper cross-sector connections, and promote immediate ways to drive growth and inclusion in Minneapolis-St. Paul. More that 500+ people registered for the Sept. and Oct. forums.

  • The Center convened, educated, and equipped policymakers with investment frameworks, policy examples, and evaluation models to understand and advance equitable ARPA investments. The Center has held convenings and participated in advocacy efforts which had engaged more than 300 Minnesotans across multiple jurisdictions.

  • Released a comprehensive report on Racial Equity Impact Notes and featured a discussion of REIN at the Powering Inclusion Fall Series forum on Oct. 27.