Building Communities That Work for Everyone for Conferences & Summits

Built for the main stage: a national story told through local mechanics, with the honest ledger intact — what worked, what didn't, and what it cost. The version conference audiences remember is the one with specifics; this one has them.

Brooklyn Center is one of the most diverse cities in Minnesota — Liberian, Hmong, Latino, and African American communities sharing a working-class suburb. Leading it meant building coalitions across communities that rarely shared a table.

His community-centered approach predates office by years: before running for mayor, he organized and established the Brooklyns Youth Council — a joint youth council for Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park — serving as its original advisor and facilitator.

This talk is about the practical work of belonging: how institutions can genuinely include the communities they serve, why representation changes what a city prioritizes, and what 'community engagement' looks like when it's more than a checkbox.