Tiffani Daniels, as the Managing Director of the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity, exemplifies a dedication to service. With over a decade of experience in the Twin Cities, she has been instrumental in building brands and advocating for underrepresented groups. Known for her prowess in crafting consumer-centric strategies, Tiffani has consistently driven remarkable growth.

Episode 89 : Building Partnerships & Collective Action

In April, I spoke on a panel on pay transparency hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.  

It was a lively conversation that brought together academics, business leaders, and policy experts to explore what’s going on behind the scenes with our current  labor market, and how it affects the experiences of low- and moderate-income workers. 

I wanted to share with you some of my take-aways from this important discussion:  

• Pay transparency is good for business. Employers that share what everyone is paid  are more likely to retain and attract Black talent and foster inclusive workplaces. This can lead to  greater productivity and better morale, improving business outcomes. According to Ernst and Young, equitable pay may be one of the fastest routes to addressing inequity in the workplace. 

• Pay transparency highlights the power of information. For employers, pay transparency is an opportunity to reduce wage disparities.  For Black employees, this information can increase their negotiating power, and help them identify job opportunities that align with their wealth building goals.
  
• Pay transparency is one of many levers that can  improve economic growth and Black wealth creation in Minnesota. Last year, MBCRE successfully advocated for another: passage of the CROWN Act, which banned race-based hair discrimination in Minnesota, including in the workplace.  

MBCRE  will continue to advocate for policies — including pay transparency — that improve workplace belonging and inclusion. If you’d like to watch the recording of the Federal Bank of Minneapolis panel on pay transparency click here. 

Resources

• Status of Women + Girls MN – Women’s Foundation of Minnesota

• Pay Transparency in Job Postings – MN Federal Reserve 

• Is Pay Transparency Good – Zoe Cullen 

This guest blog post by Tiffani Daniels is part two of a four-part blog series about our partnership with the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE). Subscribe and follow the Building Community blog at https://www.tchabitat.org/blog.

In my first blog post with Habitat, I discussed the importance of creating and sustaining an ecosystem to generate wealth in Black communities. Earlier this year, the Brookings Institute reported that “…in 2022, for every $100 in wealth held by white households, Black households held only $15.” A gap that wide requires transformational thinking, collaboration, all the wealth building tools we know about and the ones we haven’t created yet.

At the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity, we work to direct resources from the business community toward positive economic outcomes for Black Minnesotans. As a group of some of Minnesota’s largest employers, we must focus on employment and how companies are disrupting their existing practices to create greater, boundary-less opportunity for Black employees, which can lead to higher-paying jobs, increased household incomes, and ultimately wealth creation.

Pay equity and transparency are key components of this effort. As we come out of Women’s History Month, where we also celebrated Equal Pay Day, and look ahead to Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, I am sensitive to the needs of a particular group of people in our state, women, specifically Black women. The 2024 Status of Women and Girls+ in Minnesota report revealed that Black women earn $0.62 on the dollar relative to white men, amounting to just under $1 million in lost earnings over a career. In a state where almost 60% of Black mothers are breadwinners in their families, that’s an issue that will show up for generations of Black families. How we pay workers is a critical aspect of closing the wealth gap.

Source: Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.

My experience and observations also showed me that true pay equity goes beyond the misaligned bar graphs. Equitable solutions can and should be, just as diverse as those affected.

I moved to Minnesota fifteen years ago for an internship. On my first day, I realized two things: I was the ONLY Black person in my organization, and I would only be paid twice in a 10-week period. I struggled. I needed money to support myself, but I didn’t want my coworkers to think that this young woman raised by a single mother in Detroit was a poor Black girl, which might suggest that I didn’t belong there in the first place. Eventually, I had to request a pay advance. Without the company’s willingness to review their systems and take action, I would have been forced to quit the internship. As we uncover how systems do not serve everyone equitably, we must act. We must each be willing to play our role in connecting the dots for the growth of our organizations, the well-being of the families our work touches and, ultimately, the sustainability of our economy.

According to an EY Survey, equitable pay may be the fastest route to addressing inequity; 40% of respondents cited pay equity as the top contributor to a sense of equity at work. Our model at MBCRE is framed around creating solutions with, not just for, the communities we serve. We have been working directly with our members and partners to make sure Minnesota companies can continue to hire, retain, and advance Black Minnesotans into well-paying roles. Building a career can transform the wealth position of a family and create lasting change for generations.

Our efforts and impact have been encouraging:

• MBCRE began the conversation with companies and legal experts about the Supreme Court affirmative action rulings after Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard in 2023 and the implications for corporate hiring
• In February, we welcomed our second cohort of Black Minnesota Fellows with The Partnership. The program supports Black mid-level employees with strategic professional and leadership development opportunities to build the next generation of Black corporate leaders.

As a coalition of business leaders, we are compelled to act based on data. The data is clear:

• The wage gap begins as early as 16 for Black talent;
• Minnesota’s gender wage gap is larger than most other US States; and
• Pay transparency is an approach to equity that benefits both employers and employees.

It’s expensive to be poor. As we think about pay, it’s important to consider over 20% of Minnesota’s Black population live in poverty, and only 29% own their home. Today fewer Black Minnesotans own a home than in the 1950s. As business leaders, MBCRE members understand the need to attract and retain talented people to Minnesota by providing a quality of living that includes the opportunity to own a home. And we know there’s an opportunity to educate more people on how home equity is key to building wealth.

Source: Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.

Last year, we supported the First Generation Homebuyers Fund, which provides financial support even in cases of past foreclosure. Especially in today’s real estate market, as we see homelessness on the rise in the Twin Cities, it’s critical to create more opportunities for flexible financing to close the gap for potential homebuyers.

I’m grateful for all partners in the ecosystem that make progress towards increased Black wealth possible, and I’m inspired when our work collides. As part of the ecosystem, Twin Cities Habitat and MBCRE share a partner in First Independence Bank. I encourage you to learn more about how Twin Cities Habitat is advancing Black homeownership through the Special Purpose Credit Program to educate and connect Black Minnesotans with the tools and resources to purchase and stay in their homes. And consider ways you, your organization or partners can help create even greater impact in the ecosystem. It takes all of us.

About Tiffani Daniels: A native of Detroit, Michigan, Tiffani Daniels is a brand builder, strategist, and racial equity advocate. It was her formative years in Detroit and training as a business leader that prepared her to serve as the inaugural Managing Director for the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE), where she is responsible for building the organization’s strategy, structure and operational plans to drive economic impact by leveraging the resources of Minnesota’s business community. In two years, she has positioned MBCRE for unprecedented impact and action.

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Twin Cities Habitat Partners with MBCRE to Advance Racial Equity in Minnesota’s Ecosystem:
An Exclusive Interview with Tiffani Daniels, Managing Director of the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity

Habitat: Let’s start with the basics: what is MBCRE? How did it come about—who (besides Twin Cities Habitat) were the first catalysts and how were they connected to each other prior to the formation of MBCRE?

Daniels: The Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE) was formed in 2020, just weeks after the murder of Mr. George Floyd in the city of Minneapolis. None of us knew what to do, but as leaders in the business community, we knew that we had a role to play in addressing inequities for Black Minnesotans. General Mills, U.S. Bank, 3M, Best Buy and Children’s Minnesota were among the early catalysts of what would become a more than 60-member organization.

Habitat: MBCRE’s work focuses on equity, stability, and generational wealth creation through a business lens, centering Foundational Black Americans at its core. What is the perception of this broad work, in collaboration with other equity initiatives that center marginalized groups?

Daniels: An ecosystem is required when we’re talking about wealth generation. We cannot put a magnifying glass on just one piece of the puzzle. We have to talk about wages and pay transparency, homeownership, and entrepreneurship at all stages. All of these things contribute to closing the wealth gap and are required to achieve the sort of transformation we need in this region and beyond. We bring the private sector together with community organizations like Habitat to identify ways that resources from the business community can amplify or accelerate the great work already happening in our communities. That requires connectivity, collaboration, and an appreciation of the work that all partners are doing to address the wealth gap.

Habitat: You state on your website “we are here to honor existing work already being done in the community.” Could you give some examples of the kind of work you are referring to? Twin Cities Habitat has partnered with TurnSignl, introduced to us by MBCRE. We’d love for readers of our blog to know about other work you’d like to elevate.

Daniels: One of the longest-standing challenges to achieving racial equity is the number of people who step into a community with intention to change everything. However, MBCRE is committed to achieving equity for and with communities. That means listening to the solutions they’re already exploring and identifying ways to support good work that’s already being done. Platforms like TurnSignl are great, and they can do more with the right amplification and more capital. We applied the same principle to First Independence Bank with our deposit challenge. Earlier this year we rolled out a partnership with plural to ensure more citizens have access to what’s going on legislatively. We are leveraging our network and resources to scale solutions that already exist. These solutions are already here; MBCRE helps figure out how to accelerate them to achieve even greater reach.

Habitat: Can you speak about the value to MBCRE of partnering with Twin Cities Habitat?

Daniels: One of our primary focus areas is on elevating community-centered solutions to some of the most common problems. In the case of our partnership with Twin Cities Habitat, we are addressing one of the most pressing issues in our community: access to homeownership. We collaborated with Twin Cities Habitat and others to support downpayment assistance for first generation homebuyers in the 2023 legislative session. We’re happy to listen to the long-standing partners and experts with close proximity to the community to inform our policy priorities, especially those with a focus on Foundational Black Americans.

We also had the pleasure of having Shereese Turner’s leadership in one of the MBCRE pillars, Community Well-Being, last year. Shereese brought her insight, network, and expertise to help identify opportunities for the corporate community to take action. We’re grateful for partnership at all levels.

Habitat: Do you see your work also influencing businesses that are not (currently) MBCRE members? Are you actively recruiting other corporations to join MBCRE?

Daniels: We regularly host open forums on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our events reach beyond our members and demonstrate the power of the ecosystem. No single organization or sector can affect the level of change that we can collectively. Our doors are open for current members to renew membership, new members to join the coalition, and old members to return to the mission. We invite organizations to learn more about the commitment by visiting https://mbcre.org/#get-involved. We absolutely cannot do this alone.

Habitat: You articulate a commitment and a challenge not just to reflect but to act and have developed an Allyship Toolkit to help members become better allies to Foundational Black Minnesotans. Can you talk a little bit about the development of the toolkit? How is it currently being used? How do you see that evolving?

Daniels: Our members have been very vocal about their desire to take action. The toolkit leverages resources from several MBCRE member companies and democratizes the information. We took what several companies were using internally pulled it together, and made it available to the public. The toolkit gives allies language and resources to take back to their companies. Additionally, our quarterly All-Hands meetings offer an opportunity to discuss our challenges and efforts in real time. We also just announced the creation of our Institute for Growth-Driven Equity which will offer members an opportunity to learn and apply best practices on a larger scale.

Habitat: In a February 2021 Star Tribune op-ed piece by MBCRE’s co-chairs, you stated:

To Black Minnesotans: We are penning these priorities and commitments so that you may hold us to them. As we build out our strategic plans over the next year, we will be listening to you, measuring progress against our goals and amplifying the work that is already being done, rather than simply duplicating efforts.

How are you soliciting/collecting feedback from Foundational Black Minnesotans (via both individuals and member organizations) about your work? What does being accountable and committed look like in practice? What do you think has been the impact of MBCRE’s influence on your identified issue areas?

Daniels: Many organizations take the summer off. We took the summer on and hosted a series of listening sessions to hear from our members about their experiences and community observations. As a result, we have been able to pivot our approach to action, ongoing meetings, and member learning sessions. So far we have been able to: gather Black Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), support passage of legislation to benefit the community, and increase spending with Black businesses, just to name a few.

Habitat: In your 2022 Impact Report you articulate as a goal “fill the missing gap of building local Black media.” Can you talk about that gap and what MBCRE is doing to fill it?

Daniels: Corporations are well aware of the power of advertising and so committed that they invest hundreds of millions of dollars annually to amplify their messages. Yet Black media channels only receive about 1.16% of that. To address this, we convened local Black media outlets and MBCRE member companies to rebuild trust and create partnerships. We encouraged our members to join MBCRE in committing a percentage of their annual ad spend to Black-owned media companies. In 2023, we sponsored Black media outlets, including Insight News, Sahan Journal, and the Spokesman-Recorder to amplify the work of our members in the community.

Habitat: With regard to police accountability/police officer standards and training, you’ve stated, “The work we do today is just as vital as it was in the days, weeks and months after George Floyd’s murder. I’m committed to maintaining that fierce sense of urgency, so that when the conversation lags, MBCRE re-energizes it. When our focus drifts, we come back to center.” What does re-energizing look like in this context?  In what ways can other allies, community members and businesses make tangible steps to build forward from here?

Daniels: Re-energizing is not forgetting why MBCRE was created and the calls for justice in 2020. Re-energizing is asking direct and hard questions. How much of what we said we were going to do in 2020 has been done as of 2024? What action will I take today that will get us closer towards our definition of progress for tomorrow? MBCRE is constantly revisiting the promises and progress. We are opening the lines of communication and offering best practices as solutions. We are challenging ourselves, our members to do something. Host conversations. Make financial investments. Hire and promote Black talent. Participate in policy making. Evaluate the systems and practices that may be harmful and change them.

About Tiffani Daniels: A native of Detroit, Michigan, Tiffani Daniels is a brand builder, strategist, and racial equity advocate. It was her formative years in Detroit and training as a business leader that prepared her to serve as the inaugural Managing Director for the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE), where she is responsible for building the organization’s strategy, structure and operational plans to drive economic impact by leveraging the resources of Minnesota’s business community. In two years, she has positioned MBCRE for unprecedented impact and action.

This Q & A is part one of a four-part blog series about our partnership with the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE). Subscribe and follow the Building Community blog at https://www.tchabitat.org/blog.

Closing the racial wealth gap means directly investing in bold thinkers, builders, and leaders of Black wealth. Meet a panel of grantee-partners and leaders in the field and learn how they’re moving communities from scarcity to abundance. LaCora Bradford Kesti will welcome guests to a conversation on economic justice led by Denisse Pachuca, Sr. Regional Manager at BMO Zero Barriers to Business. Panelists include: – Kenya McKnight-Ahad, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Black Women’s Wealth Alliance & CEO/owner of the ZaRah Integrative Root Center, Minnesota’s first Black-owned holistic wellness complex – Tiffani Daniels, Managing Director, Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity – Renay Dossman, President & CEO of Neighborhood Development Center & owner of Renay Dossman Coaching and Consulting

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From housing insecure to helping others become homeowners

As a part of her role as Chief Program Officer for Habitat for Humanity Twin Cities, Shereese Turner seeks to advance Black homeownership. She brings that same concern to the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity’s Community Well-Being pillar. Here, in her own words, she speaks about the road she’s traveled, and why it makes her so well-suited to the work she does.

After two decades in Corporate America, I started my non-profit career in 2007 at Twin Cities RISE. It was by far the hardest, most rewarding work I’ve ever done. 

As a coach and mentor, I refused to just go through the motions. If I told you I was going to show up, I would show up and give it everything I had, but I also looked to you to show up and give it everything you had to get you and your family to a better place. That’s why people said: “Shereese don’t play.”

Leading with empathy came out of my own personal experiences. For many years before I remarried, I was a single mom raising three kids. It was a struggle to get my life together and create stability for my family. Housing was a major issue. One of the places we lived during those rocky times was the emergency shelter at St. Anne’s Place, run by Haven Housing.

Today I’m chair of the board at Haven Housing and passionate about the work they do because they had my back. I also served on the board for several years at Bridging Inc., which helped me furnish my first apartment.

I continue to partner with the non-profit organizations that were there for me when I needed it most. I share my expertise, drop off food and diapers, or offer a word of encouragement.

A meal on the table

Nikki Robertson is a young woman I connected with when she came to Twin Cities RISE after Hurricane Katrina. She was dealing with her own trauma, living in a shelter, and in need of career training. I took her under my wing. Nikki became not only my mentee, but my little sis.

When she got on her feet, she walked in one day and I could tell things were coming together for her. She said, “Hey Ms. Shereese!” I could see how happy she was, and it was a reminder of why I was called to this work.

Nikki has had ups and downs, but she’s got her kids with her, gone back to school, and become a manager at a facility where she once got treatment.

Along the way, I’ve always reminded her, “If you run into a little snag, don’t hesitate to call me.” Then one day, two days before Thanksgiving, her car broke down and she called me. She didn’t ask for anything, but I sensed there was a reason she was telling me about her car. I said, “What’s your Cash App? Because what you’re not going to do is you’re not going to have Thanksgiving without a meal on your table.” So, I sent her the money to make sure that was covered. Among the success stories, she’s one person who really stands out for me.

MBCRE and community well-being

I co-lead MBCRE’S Community Well-Being Pillar. A secure home is an important component of being safe in one’s community.

Public Safety should be a priority for all of us. We have all borne witness to the devastation that’s happened over the years when citizens are not only unsafe, but are murdered at the hands of those who are sworn to serve and protect them.

That’s why, as MBCRE co-chair, I’ve encouraged MBCRE members to offer the TurnSignl app within their organizations. TurnSignl can get an attorney on the line immediately during a police stop to provide support and guidance, which can be a form of de-escalation and a life saver. We’ve made the app available to our local Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity workforce.

‘Always trying to get stuff’

When I think about community well-being, I sometimes reflect on what happened to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the 1920s. That was a thriving, self-sufficient community known as Black Wall Street, and it’s painful to know that it was destroyed. The pathology of that.

In many ways we’re still dealing with what’s been stolen from us. I had an “ah ha moment” not long ago. I was trying to understand why I was always trying to get stuff. I was reliving my childhood again. I loved Minnie Mouse; I collect Minnie Mouses. My husband collects gym shoes.

Sometimes I’m like, “How much of this stuff can we buy?” But when you grow up not having had a whole lot, you may be trying to fill that hole with gold jewelry, Minnie Mouses, gym shoes, etc. It can be ingrained in us to spend and be consumers. But unlike homes, many of the things we buy are not real investments that have lasting value.

That kind of thinking goes way back for me. I was raised by a mom and dad who didn’t have means. My dad never had a bank account, so I didn’t know anything about banking. I had to catch up. I was a grown woman with children before I figured that out. I made a lot of mistakes. I had to find resources I could tap into such as Pillsbury United Communities and financial workshops, where I learned to understand budgeting, saving and credit and all of that. So, when I see the MBCRE offering a webinar to make the connection between financial wellness and social justice, or its Deposit Challenge with First Independence Bank to bring much-needed resources into our community, I know the value of that.

I feel so fortunate to be on this side of the struggle. To offer my children stability that I didn’t have growing up. It’s allowed them to build healthy relationships and to blossom. Now all three of my children are homeowners and living their best lives.

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A campaign launched earlier this spring to raise $1 million for First Independence Bank (FIB), the first Black-owned banking institution with a footprint in Minnesota, has yielded $3.2 million in deposits.

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It’s been three years since George Floyd was murdered. Our work to end racial disparities isn’t close to being done. And it can’t be solved without Minnesota’s business community. Tiffani Daniels leads the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE), a group of 50 companies (including Children’s Minnesota) working to build a more just and prosperous state with and for Black Minnesotans.

Why Black Minnesotans? Because, as MBCRE says, “Across a whole range of economic, education, and health measures, the gaps between Black Minnesotans and white Minnesotans are among the widest in the country.”

Three years after Floyd’s murder, we’re no longer in crisis mode, but we can’t lose focus. How do we stay committed? Daniels shares her thoughts on that and more.

What progress have you seen in the last three years?

Tiffani Daniels: I have seen Minnesota acknowledge the amazing work that Black leaders are advancing and the MBCRE has had the opportunity to work alongside a handful of those leaders. 

• It was an honor to partner with Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten — one of the first Black woman senators in our state’s history — to design and launch a leadership development program for Black mid-level corporate employees in collaboration with The Partnership, Inc.  
• We’ve partnered with the Black co-founders of TurnSignl, an app motorists can use to contact an attorney during a police stop. 
• We launched a Deposit Challenge with First Independence Bank of the Twin Cities, and it’s been a gift to see Damon Jenkins’ leadership up close and help him realize the vision he has for this community.  
• I have also been tremendously inspired by the vision for Minnesota’s first Black community foundation under the leadership of Lulete Mola.  

Progress looks like empowering and supporting Black leaders and that has been on full display in the last three years.  

What’s been the biggest challenge?

Tiffani Daniels: Keeping people engaged. As James Burroughs noted in this feature on his work: “People tend to be motivated by crisis, and the further away you get from the crisis, the more the signal fades.” As the pace of our lives has picked up again, as the macroeconomic environment puts pressure on other aspects of businesses, we lose the fire we felt so acutely in 2020.  

What’s been the biggest surprise?

Tiffani Daniels: One of the core values of MBCRE since its inception has been to center Black Minnesotans unapologetically. For the corporate community to thoughtfully and intentionally engage with Black communities, there is a significant amount of trust that needs to be re-established. I have been surprised at how the presence of a Black-led, Black–centered MBCRE can help build and smooth pathways from corporations to engage and invest in the community.  

What’s been the most gratifying moment for you as managing director?

Tiffani Daniels: There have been a few moments that have demonstrated the transformational potential of MBCRE. A moment that will stick with me is the passage of the CROWN Act in Minnesota earlier this year. The CROWN Act was first introduced a few years ago and while it has passed the House before, it had not been heard in the Senate. This year, MBCRE partnered with Children’s Minnesota to bring the story of the CROWN Act to the Senate and why businesses cared about its impact. I had the opportunity to share my testimony, alongside Dr. Marc Gorelick (Children’s Minnesota’s president and CEO), about how the CROWN Act supports an inclusive workplace and why inclusivity is good for business. I told my personal story of wearing braids in a corporate setting and how it made me feel. That was one of the first times my personal story collided with my role as Managing Director and it reminded me why it’s so important for Black people, especially women, to continue to lead.  

What keeps you motivated to do the work?

Tiffani Daniels: I believe in the power of business and how it can help Minnesota be a great place for everyone to live.  

How do we keep the business community, policymakers, the general public, etc. focused and motivated long enough to make substantial change?

Tiffani Daniels: That is an important question. It starts with shifting the narrative from racism as a moral issue to an economic issue. Citigroup estimates the economy would see a $5 trillion boost over the next five years if the U.S. were to tackle key areas of discrimination against African Americans. In Minnesota, the opportunity cost of racism is $287 billion because of the wage gap, loss in lifetime earnings because of the achievement and skills gap, loss in home ownership and loss in business revenue because of the capital gap. Our economy depends on us addressing the disparities that Black people face. After we establish the “why,” it’s about showing glimpses of progress to compel more progress.  

In the past three years have your thoughts about the work evolved?

Tiffani Daniels: I was more encouraged three years ago. Now, I’m more clear-eyed and strategic. I also recognize that there is opposition for the progress we’re working towards. Acknowledging your opponent helps strengthen your game.   

Thank you, Tiffani, for candidly sharing your experiences and reflections.  

Children’s Minnesota CEO Marc Gorelick and I recently sat down with our counterparts from other Minneapolis health systems to talk about the impact George Floyd’s murder has had on our work to advance health equity. 

The conversation was hosted by the American Hospital Association. You can watch it here. 

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James Burroughs seeks to strike a work-life balance between his job at Children’s Minnesota, caring for a 10-year-old daughter, and his commitment to give back.

He plays a major role at Children’s: Senior Vice President of Government Community Relations and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer. He’s also been deeply involved with the founding of the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE), formed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020. While no shortage of entities expressed early outrage and a desire to foster change after the tragedy, many have already left the table.

“It’s the history of this country for people to be motivated by crisis,” says Burroughs. “The closer you are to one, the more motivated people are, and the further away you get from it, the signal seems to fade.”

Through the participation of 50-plus member organizations, MBCRE has been stepping up to lead a number of initiatives, such as the First Independence Bank Deposit Challenge. The goal of it is to increase community investment in a Minority Deposit Institution that, in turn, invests in community by offering mortgages and loans. There’s the MBCRE program with The Partnership that’s training a cohort of mid-level Black managers. And there’s a new, weekly MBCRE policy newsletter, which partners with local Black-owned press to send out updates on the current Minnesota Legislative session.

IN THE BEGINNING

Burroughs was first recruited to help found the MBCRE by his colleague James Momon, who led Global Inclusion at General Mills, and is now Chief Equity Officer at 3M.

“This tragedy happened in our backyard and James said, we gotta do better in this space of diversity and inclusion,” recalled Burroughs.

As colleagues, they imagined the state’s business community being more responsive to the underlying disparities that Floyd’s murder had laid bare.

Burroughs served as one of the MBCRE tri-chairs alongside allies, Reba Dominski of U.S. Bank, and Lee Anderson of General Mills. The three met weekly with other leaders from the Twin Cities as part of an all-volunteer operation. Shawntera Hardy served as interim director, until Tiffani Daniels came aboard in 2021 as managing director. She’s an executive on loan from General Mills.

“We talked about what needed to get done,” said Burroughs, “narrowing it down to philanthropy, economic development, and public safety.”

Initially, more than 70 large and small businesses and nonprofits joined the MBCRE, including Children’s Minnesota, U.S. Bank, Target and General Mills.

“One thing that stood out right away is that Minneapolis might not have looked like the best city to move to if you were Black,” Burroughs observed. “It looked like a concentration of Black men, mostly unarmed, had perished at the hands of local police. So potential talent might think: ‘I don’t want to come to a state where this is happening to a particular population and they’re not addressing it.’”

Burroughs said it made the coalition ask itself, “What responsibility does the MBCRE have to help improve conditions, so that Minnesota is a better place for people to move, start or continue their careers, and also feel valued?”

JOBS BUILD COMMUNITIES

“Black people with living-wage jobs contribute to the economic viability of neighborhoods, and people investing in their communities helps narrow disparities. So we said, ‘Okay, let’s make that a priority.’”

The coalition has also made its presence felt at the Minnesota State Legislature, supporting such issues as raising standards for policing and speaking out in favor of the recently passed CROWN Act.

In his role at Children’s Minnesota, Burroughs is responsible for advancing equity and inclusion across the organization, as well as leading advocacy, government affairs and community relations.

One aspect of his work is Community Connect, which goes beyond the doctor’s office, to look at other determinants of health, from housing, to food security, to gun safety.

“Last year, in partnership with other community organizations, we held a successful gun buy-back program. It was an opportunity for people to turn in their firearms with no questions asked, have them disposed of by the proper law-enforcement authorities, and get a gift card,” he said, adding: “The goal there is to get more guns off the street for a safer environment.”

TIME WITH FAMILY

For years Burroughs, who is a Morehouse grad and has a law degree from Georgetown University, held a variety of jobs from nonprofit general counsel, trial attorney, to being Governor Mark Dayton’s first chief inclusion officer.

Though Burroughs no longer practices law, he says, “I want to make sure that those who are underserved get served by those in political office.”

During winter months, he enjoys traveling to sunnier climates where he can get in a few rounds of golf.

He also enjoys hanging out with his daughter, Teresa, who’ll turn 11 in May. She’s a fan of ice skating and drawing.

“She forces me to draw with her, but she’s a much better artist than I am. We also watch a lot of Anime movies,” said Burroughs.

As the ice thaws and the season transitions to spring, the third anniversary of George Floyd’s murder is fast approaching in late May.

“We shouldn’t be waiting for a crisis to say, ‘Hey, this is what we need to do.’ Business should always reflect our values and our core. And yet,” he said, “sometimes it’s just true that it takes a crisis to get us going.”

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The Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity has launched a campaign to drive $1 million in deposits to First Independence Bank, Minnesota’s first Black-owned banking institution.

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