Cooperative Energy Futures' (CEF) is a member-owned cooperative business focused on advancing energy democracy through community-controlled renewable energy and energy efficiency. Our mission is to empower communities across Minnesota to build energy democracy through solutions that are clean, local, and ours.

CEF was established in 2009 as a member-owned cooperative that makes clean energy accessible to all. CEF develops and operates community solar gardens, currently with 8 projects across Minnesota offsetting the electricity needs of 700 member households at an immediate net savings to our members. CEF has a particular focus on economic and racial justice, working to ensure that all projects are developed using an economic model that is deeply accessible to members regardless of income or credit and including options available at no upfront cost and net monthly savings, as well as prioritizing workforce equity in the solar industry.

CEF uses member participation in these projects to build community wealth and activate members from many different communities around a vision for our energy future that is rooted in community-controlled clean energy. Our program and project management service areas include community solar gardens, rooftop solar for low-income households (renters and

homeowners) and home energy upgrades (energy efficiency and electrification). CEF also provides community-based education, outreach, and recruitment services around these energy services along with general context on understanding utility bills and the energy utility system, navigating programs for energy efficiency and energy affordability, and participating in the regulatory process. Finally, CER provides technical assistance for other community-based organizations seeking to advance equitable and community-controlled clean energy solutions.

Women Supporting Women

Mary’s Pence was founded by women to support women on the margins at a time when women-led social justice projects were overlooked and under-funded. Women includes cis women, trans women and non-binary people. More than 37 years later, a women-led board and staff – along with the women, men, churches, and religious congregations who support Mary’s Pence – continue the still necessary work of our founders by providing funding and holistic support to women working for justice in Central America, Mexico, the United States.

Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC) Refugee Services welcomes refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and other new Americans into new lives of freedom, hope and opportunity in Minnesota. Based in Minneapolis and Mankato, MCC Refugee Services has resettled those with refugee status in Minnesota since 1984. Through services providing

resettlement, case management, employment, education and immigration legal services, MCC’s multi-cultural, multi-lingual and inclusive staff works to ensure our newest neighbors are “abundantly supported as they move from addressing basic needs to achieving their dreams.”

MCC Refugee Services currently has 50 employees and several AmeriCorps volunteers working in our programs, serving over 1,500 individuals with refugee, asylee, humanitarian parole and other statuses annually. Those we serve come to Minnesota from over 20 countries, including Somalia, Congo, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Burma and countries of Central America.

Rondo Community Land Trust (CLT) is a community based affordable housing and commercial land trust operating in St. Paul and Suburban Ramsey County. Rondo CLT builds community wealth and neighborhood stability through the development and stewardship of permanently affordable homeownership opportunities, rental housing, commercial space, and other community assets.

Fellow Position Description:

This individual will be one of three team members working on Rondo CLT's commercial community land trust work. Specifically, we are launching a small business incubator in summer 2024 which will provide space to 4-5 entrepreneurs and be the site of a second location of a coffee shop the organization operates and is working to transition to a cooperative ownership model. As an incubator, entrepreneurs will have access to a suite of resources and services that grow their business operations and Rondo CLT will also be an amplifier of marketing, social media and engagement for the space.

Therefore, the Small Business Support Program Associate's work will include the following overall job functions:

• Branding, Marketing, Communication and Social Media. 

Help elevate the profile of this new space on the Selby Avenue corridor, ensuring social media is captured on a weekly basis (ie. pictures of vendors, client spotlights etc), news about the incubator is highlighted in Rondo CLT's monthly  newsletter etc.

• Research and Connect Resources to Small Businesses: 

Tapping into the suite of technical assistance providers, the fellow can support researching small business micro grants and similar resources to amplify their success.

• Event Support and Coordination

Rondo CLT will curate events in the space to draw traffic to the retail vendors. The Fellow will provide support for planning and day of logistics. Events may include Small Business Saturday events, #ShopBlack campaigns, art exhibit openings with artist talks (part of the aesthetic of the space).

• Survey and Evaluation: Working with supervisors to establish an entrepreneur intake processing form with a focus on commercial space needs assessment and business needs assessment. Fellow will conduct intake one on ones.Additionally, we are tracking several impact metrics that will be reported to funders and community stakeholders. The fellow will help gather, analyze and visualize that data.

• Overall stakeholders engagement to connect with other businesses along the Selby Avenue commercial corridor, recruit volunteers etc. The individual will be a self-starter, have the ability to work on a team and independently, be a natural relationship builder, demonstrate attention to detail and ease/desire to relate across lines of difference including race, gender, sexuality, religion etc.