Skip to content
At Coco, Minneapolis’ original coworking space since 2009, our community thrives on founders and leaders creating meaningful change—often well beyond our shared desks and meeting rooms in the historic Grain Exchange Building downtown or the Van Buren Building in Northeast Minneapolis.
One standout member is the founder of Young Hearts Open Minds, a Minnesota-based organization dedicated to helping children thrive in a racially diverse world by preventing bias at its earliest stages. We sat down with them on February 9, 2026, for an inspiring conversation about their lifelong commitment to equity, their career journey, and how Coco supports their work as a flexible, community-focused coworking space in Minneapolis.
From Civil Rights Roots to Nonprofit Impact
The founder’s path in social justice stretches back to the civil rights era, including participation in the historic Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. They went on to co-found influential Twin Cities nonprofits:
- Jeremiah Program — Supporting single mothers and their children.
- Twin Cities Rise — Originally focused on African-American men, later expanding to workforce development for high-skilled jobs.
- Ujamaa Place — Serving young African-American men (ages 18–28) without a GED or high school diploma.
These experiences fueled a deep focus on equity and inspired a shift toward prevention over reaction in addressing racial injustice.
Why Early Childhood Is the Critical Window
Research shows racial bias begins forming in children as young as three months and solidifies between infancy and age seven. While laws since the 1960s tackled overt discrimination, covert bias—how people unconsciously think and feel about those different from themselves—remains under-addressed.
A pivotal “click” moment came from reflections on ongoing racial injustices, including high-profile cases and President Obama’s comments: “We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.”
Rather than targeting busy parents directly, Young Hearts Open Minds focuses on early childhood centers across Minnesota—reaching hundreds of thousands of children daily. Minnesota has approximately 1,700–1,800 licensed preschools, providing a powerful scale for prevention.
Their audience includes the child, parents, teachers, and the center’s environment. Programs partner with centers to train staff over 2–3 months, with ongoing support for a full year—because real change takes time.
They’ve collaborated with instructional design experts at Six Red Marbles, integrated materials into programs like Minneapolis Community & Technical College’s early childhood curriculum, and are developing parent book series to reinforce lessons at home.
Learn more about their work at youngheartsopenminds.org.
A Career Bridging Academia, Corporate, and Consulting
Before launching Young Hearts Open Minds, the founder built expertise across sectors:
- Early roles in higher education at Macalester College, Carleton College, and Loyola University Chicago.
- Transition to corporate: Director of Training & Development at Land O’Lakes, then 12 years at General Mills (starting on the Yoplait team—described as their “business school”—spanning national sales, marketing, and internal consulting).
- 20 years running their own strategy consulting firm, initially serving for-profits for financial stability, then shifting to nonprofits.
This blend of mission and business acumen shines in how Young Hearts Open Minds operates today.
Why They Choose Coco Coworking in Minneapolis
The founder first joined Coco about a decade ago after closing a prior business, attracted by affordable rates and prime downtown access. After a stint at WeWork (appreciating the North Loop vibe), they returned to Coco and found the current team—especially Gabriela Ephrem and Colleen Moselle —”wonderful people” who deliver professional, effective support.
As an extrovert who enjoys ambient energy without constant interruption, they love Coco’s respectful balance. Standout perks include:
- Convenient downtown parking
- Reliable coffee machine
- Easy room reservations for distributed teams (included in membership)
These features let them focus on high-impact work in a welcoming Minneapolis coworking environment.
Explore Coco’s coworking memberships or book a tour at our Downtown or Northeast locations.
Ideas to Strengthen Community Connections
The founder shared thoughtful suggestions for enhancing member connectivity at Coco—ideas that could benefit mission-driven organizations like theirs:
- Share member business categories (e.g., communications, marketing, nonprofits) to spark relevant synergies.
- Offer optional, organized meetups for similar functional areas (education, social media), with quick 5-minute shares to foster collaboration.
These align perfectly with Coco’s community ethos and could turn chance encounters into powerful partnerships.
Building Meaningful Work in a Supportive Space
Young Hearts Open Minds is addressing one of society’s deepest challenges—starting with the youngest hearts and minds. Coco is proud to provide the flexible, inspiring workspace where such work can flourish.
This is coworking in Minneapolis at its best: diverse missions, shared spaces, and people doing work that truly matters—together.
Ready to join a supportive community for your mission-driven or growing business? Schedule a call or tour at Coco today and see why founders choose us.
By Gabriela Ephrem, Sales Manager at Coco – Minneapolis’ Original Coworking Space