16 Finalists Emerge for 2026-2027 Initiators Fellowship
Sixteen social entrepreneurs have been chosen from a pool of nearly 120 applicants to move to the next stage of the 2026–2027 Initiators Fellowship selection process. The Fellowship brings together innovators from across central, northwest, west central, southwest and—new this year—northeast Minnesota, thanks to a partnership with Northspan, based in Duluth.
The Fellowship now serves 60 counties and nine Native Nations in Minnesota. It is offered through the partnership of the Initiative Foundation, Northspan, Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Southwest Initiative Foundation and West Central Initiative.
“The passion and creativity of this year’s finalists is inspiring,” said Christine Metzo, Initiators Fellowship program manager. “Through the Fellowship, and with the expansion of our regional partnerships, we’re excited to walk alongside these social entrepreneurs as they launch and grow initiatives that make a lasting difference in Minnesota communities.”
On Oct. 30, the 16 finalists will participate in Finalist Day in St. Cloud. From the field of 16, up to nine Fellows will be selected for the 2026-2027 Initiators Fellowship cohort. The Fellows will experience comprehensive programming, executive-level mentoring, leadership training, ongoing entrepreneurial education and support from dedicated staff members to advance their mission-driven businesses or nonprofit endeavors. Each Fellow will also receive an annual $30,000 stipend during the two-year program.
The Initiators Fellowship originated with the Little Falls-based Initiative Foundation in 2017 to help aspiring social entrepreneurs fast-track their ideas, grow their social and professional networks, and develop their business and community leadership skills. Eighteen Fellows have graduated from the program since inception. In December, nine Fellows will graduate from the 2024-2025 cohort.
The 2026-2027 finalists represent a diverse range of interests—from a food business incubator to water stewardship and youth empowerment. Here’s a closer look:
Initiative Foundation
Wayne Birkholz | St. Cloud | Climate-friendly Outdoor Recreation
Wayne Birkholz’s social enterprise, SunCycles, expands access to outdoor recreation and sustainable transportation through affordable e-bike rentals offered via a mobile, solar-powered, trailside service in Stearns County. Inspired by his lifelong love of cycling and the outdoors, Birkholz aims to make trail experiences more accessible for families and visitors while supporting community wellness, boosting local tourism and promoting environmental stewardship.
Lilly Goyah | Big Lake | Christian Music Platform
Inspired by her own journey through depression and healing via Christian music, Lilly Goyah’s social enterprise seeks to elevate diverse voices in Christian music and media. Through an immersive platform offering music therapy, journaling and faith-centered experiences, the project promotes wellbeing, inspires youth in media and the arts, creates local jobs and builds a spiritually grounded, creative community.
Jennifer Jimenez-Wheatley | St. Joseph | Food Business Incubator
A lifelong “foodie” who grew up with the street food of the Philippines and later immersed herself in Chicago’s diverse food culture, Jennifer Jimenez-Wheatley is inspired by the stories people tell about why food matters. Her social enterprise, Kitchen Unleashed, helps underserved food entrepreneurs—particularly women, immigrants, and people of color—grow sustainable businesses through training, community engagement and access to a commercial kitchen.
Hallie Pond | Pine River | Conflict Resilience
After nearly two decades working across cultures and contexts—from Minnesota to New York, San Francisco and Senegal—Hallie Pond founded Truespace Consulting to strengthen relationships and reduce polarization. Based in Pine River, Truespace Consulting provides workshops, consulting and coaching that build conflict resilience in workplaces and schools, fostering curious, compassionate communities that transform difficult conversations into opportunities for connection, healing and resilience.
Northspan
Terrell Grier | Duluth | Youth Empowerment
Terrell Grier’s social enterprise, World of Music, empowers underprivileged and justice-involved youth across Greater Minnesota by teaching them to write, compose and perform original songs. Drawing on his own journey from Detroit to Duluth, and enriched by his work as an author, artist and entrepreneur, Grier uses music to build confidence, resilience and hope while reducing depression, anxiety and cycles of incarceration.
Jeff Ruprecht | Hermantown | Water Stewardship
Inspired by a deep love of Lake Superior and the natural beauty of the region, Jeff Ruprecht founded Unsalted Seas, a lifestyle apparel brand based in Hermantown. Drawing on his skills as a graphic designer, Ruprecht uses meaningful design to connect people to place while raising awareness of microplastic pollution, supporting water conservation, and inspiring pride, stewardship and action to protect the Great Lakes for future generations.
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
Dacia Dauner | Bemidji | Family Nature Connections
Dacia Dauner’s social enterprise, Apple Blossom Village, helps families and children unplug from screens and reconnect with nature through outdoor experiences rooted in mind, body and spirit. Drawing on more than 20 years in early childhood and Waldorf education, Dauner offers family classes, mobile forest school, and retreats that promote health, foster stewardship and inspire joy and wonder in the natural world.
Joshua Jones | Bemidji | Indigenous Mentorship
With a background spanning motocross racing, touring music, vineyard management, IT and hydrology, Joshua Jones brings a wealth of experience to mentoring Indigenous youth. His social enterprise engages young people on the Red Lake reservation and across northern Minnesota in construction projects and community events, providing job training, fostering cultural connection, and strengthening communities for the future.
Jessica Saucedo | Bemidji | Community Empowerment
Drawing inspiration from the resilience, creativity, and craftsmanship of rural Minnesota life, Jessica Saucedo is developing a social enterprise in Bemidji to empower artistic and entrepreneurial ventures. Through a cooperative ownership model and shared services, her project reduces startup barriers, promotes collaboration and education, and strengthens community pride, inclusivity, and local resilience.
Bjorn Solberg | Halstad | Expanding Local Food System
Shaped by his agricultural upbringing and personal experiences with food insecurity, Bjorn Solberg is passionate about strengthening food access in the Red River Valley. His social enterprise expands the local food system by increasing the variety and volume of regionally grown products that are stored, processed and distributed locally, supporting farmers, improving equity and building a resilient, sustainable food supply chain.
Southwest Initiative Foundation
Charlotte Heinz-Hoefert | Worthington | Mental Health
Inspired by her own experiences navigating significant life changes without adequate emotional support, Charlotte Heinz-Hoefert founded a social enterprise to expand mental health care in southwestern Minnesota. Focused on underserved BIPOC and immigrant communities, her project provides telehealth therapy and outreach to reduce barriers like language, stigma and transportation, fostering culturally responsive care, stronger families and more resilient communities.
Marcella Prokop | Beaver Creek | Cultural Connection
As an artist, educator and farmer in rural Minnesota, Marcella Prokop is building programming that blends creativity, education and fellowship to strengthen community health and belonging. Her social enterprise provides free and low-cost culturally sustaining events that bring together young families, elders and diverse neighbors—enhancing wellbeing, fostering cultural understanding and supporting resilient local economies.
John Salgado Maldonado | Willmar | Building Inclusive Communities
John Salgado Maldonado’s social enterprise seeks to build inclusive, connected rural communities through arts-based, wellness-centered and culturally rooted experiences. Grounded in his journey of reclaiming and honoring his Afro-Latinx identity, he addresses racism and exclusion by fostering healing, cultural awareness and collective care. His work supports local artists and promotes healthier, more inclusive environments across Greater Minnesota.
West Central Initiative
Sophi Gilliland | Browns Valley | Community Building
With a lifelong passion for creating spaces of belonging—from helping transform an abandoned Soviet hotel in Lithuania into a thriving community center to leading inclusive groups across cultures—Sophi Gilliland now brings that spirit to Browns Valley. Her social enterprise will open an inclusive café offering job training, healthy food and connection for Native youth while supporting local farmers and revitalizing community life.
Megan Gilsdorf | Detroit Lakes | Community Through Art
Growing up in a 100-year-old family department store and with a father who is a self-employed artist, Megan Gilsdorf learned both the challenges and rewards of creative entrepreneurship. Her social enterprise, Creative Studio Co. in Detroit Lakes, provides affordable studio space, mentorship and shared resources to foster collaboration, empower artists, and strengthen the local creative economy through connection and opportunity.
Erika Gilsdorf | Detroit Lakes | Climate Storytelling
Erika Gilsdorf’s social enterprise builds climate leadership and resilient communities across Minnesota by sharing local environmental stories through podcasts, social media and events. Drawing on her experiences traveling the U.S. in electric vehicles to document people driving change, and recognition from Telly and international film festivals, Gilsdorf connects people with nature and with one another to inspire hope and collective action.
About the Initiators Fellowship
The Initiators Fellowship is a collaborative program of the Initiative Foundation, Northspan, Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Southwest Initiative Foundation, and West Central Initiative. The Fellowship is made possible by generous funders, including Granite Partners, an original founding funder and partner, along with the Bush Foundation and Sourcewell.