ECONOMY

INITIATING LEADERSHIP Flagship Programs Prepare Future Greater Minnesota Leaders

As baby boomers march toward retirement—in both their professional and civic lives—a shortage of rural community leaders has been steadily emerging. Two Initiative Foundation programs, the Initiators Fellowship and the Enterprise Academy, are helping to develop future business, nonprofit and community leaders. The two-year Initiators Fellowship serves social entrepreneurs in Central, Northwest, Southwest and West Central Minnesota. Seven Fellows spent 2020 learning and growing their enterprise ventures. At the heart of the Enterprise Academy is a 12-week educational course with follow-on lending and technical assistance for early-stage entrepreneurs. Since its launch in 2018, the program has graduated 84 students who hail from St. Cloud, Brainerd and the Mille Lacs Tribal Economy areas.