After months of preparation and planning, I am writing today with bittersweet news: I will be leaving my role at Minnesota Youth Collective effective February 15th. Rahhel Haile, co-founder and co-Executive Director of MNYC, will be transitioning to sole Executive Director at that time. 

Founding and working at this organization has been the most incredible learning experience of my life. It has changed me profoundly, and I’m so thankful. Rahhel and I founded this organization three years ago, and have poured everything we have (plus a little more) into it. I feel so grateful for all of the people I’ve gotten to work with and learn from in my role, from our staff, fellows, and board members to our donors and community members.

I’m incredibly proud of the work that we’ve accomplished. We started with an idea and three years later we are a team of 14 permanent staff members, running large-scale leadership development, issue advocacy, and electoral programs. 

The purpose of our organization is to empower young people to lead. I always knew I wanted to help build the foundation of this organization and then hand it off to other young people. It’s time for that, and I’m so excited to see where MNYC goes under Rahhel’s leadership. I don’t know what’s next for me, besides some rest and maybe a vacation, but I know I’ll always be a passionate supporter of MNYC as a community member and will, of course, become a monthly sustaining donor (and so should you!!). 

The vision that Rahhel has for the future of MNYC is really beautiful and powerful, and I’m so proud to have been part of getting it set up for our team. In 2021, MNYC is going to be expanding its leadership development fellowship, investing in municipal elections, continuing community aid work, and prioritizing policing and the housing crisis in its issue advocacy work. To help build the senior team that will lead MNYC into this next phase, we will be announcing and hiring director-level positions early next year. As an organization, we’re looking forward to the future, and I hope you’ll join us for it.

It’s an incredible feeling to step back from Minnesota Youth Collective feeling so confident in our organization’s future — sometimes I just can’t believe how lucky we are to have Rahhel and the powerful team surrounding her. 2021 is going to be good, I can feel it.

With so much gratitude,

Emily

P.S. If you have any questions moving forward, please feel free to reach out to Rahhel or myself.