Cooper Grahek joined the Northspan team part-time in January 2025 as an associate consultant with a focus on business development. Now a full-time associate, Cooper contributes to the Northspan team’s economic and community development work, providing consulting services to form connections, build capacity, and access capital.
Here’s a quick Q&A with Cooper: 
How did you join the Northspan team? What drew you to your role?
Following my graduation from the University of Minnesota, I was drawn to my current role because of my interest in business and finance. Being from northern Minnesota, I wanted to move closer to home and assist in my own community, and surrounding communities. Northspan allows me to work on my business interests and help assist those communities.
What projects are you most excited about right now and in the months ahead?
I’m excited to continue helping businesses with business valuation and underwriting projects. I look forward to learning from the team and gaining hands-on experience on different projects.
How’s it going so far?
Everything is going amazing so far! Having such a supportive and hard-working team of professionals around me has helped me settle into this new chapter of my life. The support and insights they offer have assisted me greatly in this transition and I am excited about what the future holds for me at Northspan.
You can connect with Cooper at cgrahek@northspan.org or (218) 481-7737