Welcoming Community: Entrepreneurial Equity 

In the May edition of the Welcoming Community newsletter, in observance of National Small Business Month, we explore the topic of entrepreneurial equity. In the context of welcoming efforts throughout the Northland, entrepreneurial equity aims to help build a thriving and inclusive economic ecosystem by ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds have access to the resources, opportunities, and support necessary to start and grow their businesses.

Entrepreneurship can provide economic benefits while opening space for individuals from diverse backgrounds to experience a sense of connection, belonging, and stability within our region. The ability to access the knowledge and resources to become a successful entrepreneur in northeast Minnesota provides opportunities for underrepresented community members to find economic security and build wealth. Promoting equitable entrepreneurial opportunities also improves the overall diversity and appeal of the businesses and services our region has to offer.

Many efforts are currently underway to promote entrepreneurial equity across the Northland, including Northspan’s Driving Access to Wealth and Networks (DAWN) program. Formerly known as Innovate 218, DAWN is the Launch Minnesota Regional Hub for northeast Minnesota serving six Native Nations and ten Minnesota counties. It aims to foster innovation and inclusion by addressing entrepreneurial barriers and supporting the successful entrepreneurship of socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in the region.

Further welcoming efforts to promote entrepreneurial equity might include:

• Supporting local businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals by purchasing or recommending their products and services
• Attending and promoting local entrepreneurial events to increase their visibility
• Sharing encouragement and information about business resources with aspiring entrepreneurs in your network

Considering the relationship between entrepreneurship opportunities and inclusion is essential to understanding a more complete picture of equity across the Northland. Visit the Resources to Explore section to learn more about DAWN and its partners and explore current initiatives around entrepreneurial equity in the Northland.

“Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” ―Farrah Gray

The goal of the Welcoming Community program is to provide the community with continued opportunities for learning and connection related to topics relevant to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our region. In our monthly updates, we highlight a specific equity topic and provide resources related to the monthly theme.

The theme for the month of May is entrepreneurial equity. When exploring the learnings in the Resources to Explore section below, we ask you to consider the following question:

“In terms of entrepreneurial equity in northeast Minnesota, where have we come from, where are we now, and what steps do we need to take to reach an equitable future?”

What kinds of tensions have you noticed in your community? Do you believe you have the tools to de-escalate an unsafe situation? These are the types questions community members in the Cloquet and Cook County areas have been answering as part of the Rural MN Community Safety Project.

The project began in March with a community wide-survey that was distributed in each community. In April and May, community members were given the opportunity to participate in a Story Circle. The Story Circle is an in-person opportunity for participants to share more depth about their stories and experiences in connection to safety in their communities. The survey and story circle data are anonymous and will be used to inform training tailored to the community from the international non-profit humanitarian organization Nonviolent Peaceforce. Training is slated to begin before the November elections in each community.

If you live or work in the Cloquet or Cook County Areas and would like to participate in the survey or project, please do so at the links below or contact alewis@northspan.org.

Cook County Area Rural MN Community Safety Project Survey

Cloquet Area Rural MN Community Safety Project Survey

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Welcoming Events Across the Northland

New Iron Ranger Gatherings
Various Dates, Various Venues
Learn more here

3rd Annual Trans Joy Fest
June 9, 2024, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Park Point Public Beach House, Duluth, MN
Learn more here

Twin Ports Juneteenth Celebration
June 15, 2024, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Harrison Community Center, Duluth, MN
Learn more here

4th Annual Iron Range Juneteenth Celebration
June 19, 2024, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
500 Block of Chestnut Street, Virginia, MN
Learn more here

50th Annual Juneteenth Jamboree
June 19, 2024, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Central Hillside Community Center, Duluth, MN
Learn more here

Grandma’s Marathon
June 22, 2024, 7:45 AM – 3:00 PM
Two Harbors MN to Duluth, MN
Learn more here

Park Point Art Fair
June 29, 2024, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Park Point Public Beach House, Duluth, MN
Learn more here

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