The Connectors
Meet the 2022 Cohort & Core Connectors
Our inaugural 2022 Cohort joins our Core Connectors in this adaptive and emergent journey of creating meaningful exchange in and across our Minnesota communities.
2022 Cohort Connectors
Our 2022 Cohort is composed of 15 Minnesotans with varied experiences of leadership, career, geography, age, ability, expertise, gender, race, sexuality, culture, and class.
These leaders in the arts, community development, education, environment, healthcare, and business sectors represent many regions of Minnesota, including Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Hubbard, Lake, Ramsey, Scott, Winona, and Yellow Medicine counties. They commit to four community intensive weekend gatherings over a two-year period, where they set out to understand and value the culture, landscape, context and people of each place. This year’s cohort members look forward to Community Intensive weekends in the Frogtown/Rondo Neighborhood of St. Paul and Mahnomen County/White Earth Nation.
Cate Belleveau
Puposkytheater director, ecologist, writer, INFJ Jungian and Artemis archetype, rural art maker, educator, MUM of Millenials, kayaker & backpacker, alpine areas lover
Conie Borchardt
St. PaulListener-Vibration. Heart Artist. Luth-opalian Sufi Dancer. Mixed Asian. Rural-Urban. Gen X-er. Community Song & Dance Leader. Budding Organizer & Storyteller.
Autumn Cavender
Granite FallsDakota, mother, partner, midwife, decolonization activist, Indigenous animist, artist, ancestral femme, Sci-fi/high fantasy nerd
Julie Drechsler
St. PaulMom, sister, favorite aunt, friend, keen quilter, farm kid, community builder, youth advocate, Aussie/American, LGBTQIA ally
Laura Joseph
St. Paulmother by choice, appreciator of slowness and rest, hoosher/small world maker, believer in embodied knowledge, seeker of meaningful/deep connections, curator
Penny Kagigebi
Detroit LakesAdvocate for JOY and Mino-Bimaadiziwin (good life/good health) through Ojibwe Culture+Arts, QUEER2-Spirit, Relative-Grandmother-Wife-Niece-Sister-Auntie
Marcus Larson
JordanGardener, Painter, chameleon, Social Butterfly, YouTube addict.
Su Legatt
Moorheadartist, mother, daughter, photographer, rural advocate, connector, baker, love of the outdoors, musician
Guillermo Enrique Narváez
St. PaulCommunity advocate and activist - educator - parent - environmentalist - food explorer
Ginger Porcella
St. Pauldevil-may-care rebel cowgirl; art instigator; dog snuggler; comedic relief; music maker and dreamer of dreams
Jeremy Radtke
Granite FallsChronic optimist, Designer, Fun-haver, Communicator, Western MN advocate, Family guy, Lover of Adventure
Joy Davis Ripley
WinonaWriter, photographer, artist, professor, mother, life partner, daughter, friend, cyclist, gardener, Southerner, introvert, person with disabilities
Laura Seter
LaporteMom, partner, daughter, granddaughter, sister, gardener-in-training, podcast junkie, journal keeper, evolver. Double Scorpio
Dan Thewis
Two HarborsFather, Husband, Son, Brother, Teacher, Coach, Friend, Cook, Christian
Core Connectors
Our Core Connectors, or Steering Committee, have been meeting virtually for over a year to ideate, co-create, and generate a pathway forward for the Minnesota Rural Urban Exchange.
Thankfully, we do not do this work from scratch. Launched first in Kentucky by Art of the Rural and Appalshop in 2014, the Minnesota Rural Urban Exchange leans heavily on the values, framework and insights of our friends in Kentucky. Through a virtual learning exchange, our Core Connectors received direction, guidance and experiential knowledge from our fellow Kentuckians. With their own perspectives, vision, and grounded reality of Minnesota, our Core Connectors are building off of this base to adapt the model for our place and people.
Joe Allen
Mahnomen; White Earth NationProject Director, Gizhiigin Arts Incubator
Father, Lakota, Ojibwe, Artist, Rural, Mentor, Entrepreneur, Introvert
Anna Claussen
MinneapolisFounder, Voices for Rural Resilience
Farmers daughter, mother, tomboy, social strategist, twin, scarf hoarder
Dawn Espe
StaplesEquitable Development Specialist, Region Five Development Commision
Wife, mother, planner, gardener, cook
Maddy Fisher
NorthfieldEconomic Development Specialist / Lead for MN Fellow, Southern MN Initiative Foundation
leader, dancer, friend, daughter and deep conversationalist
Matt Fluharty
WinonaExecutive Director, Art of the Rural
father, visitor, writer, artist, curator, zen wanderer, listener
Ashley Hanson
Granite FallsFounder and Director, Department of Public Transformation and PlaceBase Productions
theater artist, enthusiast, climber, Leo, extrovert, adventurer, yogi
Emma Higgins
MinneapolisLead for Minnesota Fellow, Grant and Program ResearcherNew Yorker, Runner, Improviser, Extrovert, Traveler, Barista, Rural Advocate, Advocate for Women
Cheryal Hills
BrainerdExecutive Director, Region Five Development Commisionrural, feminist, gardener, bridger, spiritual, atheist, change agent, equity advocate
Salma Ahmed Ibrahim
HibbingLead for Minnesota Mental Health FellowSomali, Black, Muslim, Community Organizer, Writer
Teresa Kittridge
MarcellFounder 100 Rural Womenmother, sister, aunt, rural advocate, rural woman, curious, traveler, community servant, seasoned
Benya Kraus
WasecaCo-Founder & Minnesota Executive Director, Lead for AmericaDaughter, sister, Rural Advocate, Catholic, Thai-Midwest Fusionist, Eating with Hands Enthusiast
Jane Leonard
St. PaulPresident, Growth & JusticeTwin, community builder from birth, family kin-keeper, Rurban advocate, flashlight/duct tape gal
Jonathan Locust
WinonaAssociate Vice-President, Office of Equity & Inclusive Excellence, Winona State UniversityBlack American man, Father, Husband, Meditator, Entrepreneur, Committed to bringing higher vibrations to the world.
Kathy Mouacheupao
St. PaulExecutive Director, Metropolitan Regional Arts CouncilHmong American woman, daughter of refugees, arts administrator, auntie, Saint Paulite, creative collaborator, optimist
Jeremy Staab
MinneapolisDirector, National Advancement at Artspace Projects, Inc.Dakota, Arts Administrator, Social Justice Advocate, Brother, Uncle, Friend
Erik Takeshita
MinneapolisInterim Executive Director, Arrowhead Regional Arts CouncilSon, grandson, husband, father, Community builder. committed to social justice
Moira Villiard
DuluthCommunity-engaged artist, freelancer, and muralista community organizer, muralist, a descendent of both Indigenous and settler heritage, emo/punk kid at heart, a pluralist, a sweet potato and squash chef
Cassie Williams
Inver Grove HeightsLabor Educator, University of Minnesota
Black woman, mother, artist, poet, educator
Coffee + Connection
Not a part of our 2022 cohort but still wanting to grow social capital, and cultivate relationships across racial, economic and geographic divides? Join us virtually the second Friday of every month for informal connection over coffee, lightly facilitated by our Core Connectors and intended to remove barriers that set us apart from others.
Register
Meet the 2022 Cohort Connectors!
In 2022, after two years of virtual learning, ideating and co-creating the Minnesota Rural-Urban Exchange, we welcomed our inaugural cohort at Community Intensives in Rondo and Frogtown in St. Paul, and in Mahnomen and the White Earth Nation.Meet
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