PFund Foundation
PO Box 3640
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 870-1806
We invest in Minneapolis LGBTQ BIPOC owned businesses!
PFund Foundation teamed up with Quorum–the LGBTQ+ and Allied chamber of commerce in Minnesota–to create an LGBTQ BIPOC Business Capacity Fund to assist queer business owners of color in Minneapolis who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and/or the unrest following the killing of George Floyd.
With support from the Minneapolis Foundation, BIPOC community reviewers selected the first cohort of grant recipients to receive a total of $80,000 in funds to help support their businesses. They will additionally receive wrap-around services such as training, a Quorum membership, mentorship, and consultation.
Here are the 2021 LGBTQ BIPOC Business Capacity Fund Recipients:
Roxanne Anderson
RARE Productions
Roxanne Anderson is a 2018 Bush Fellow, an award-winning community activist who has been working in social justice/service for 30+ years. Anderson lives in South Minneapolis on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary ceded land of the Dakota people. Rox believes vital, visible transgender leaders of color make our communities stronger. Currently Roxanne is the Director of Programs of Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, the co-founder and director of RARE Productions, a Core Team Member of REP, and sits on several boards and committees. Rox is a skilled and highly sought consultant and facilitator their topics of expertise include Understanding LGBTQ Identities, Creating Safer Spaces, Building Racial Equity, Mental Health First Aid, Cultural Competency, Trans Awareness, ally-ship, Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, and Business Start Ups. Rox loves art, spinning music, community, riding their scooter and is a certified reiki practitioner.
Carl Billingsly
Jan I Clean
Carl started Jan I Clean in 2012 after quitting his job due to discrimination. By the grace of god, he was able to get on groupon and sell promotional cleaning packages. He went from just himself working, to being able to employ at least 10 people over the years--a couple of them have also dealt with discrimination and that makes him just as proud as the work they do.
Belo Miguel Cipriani, Ed.D.
Oleb Media
Belo Miguel Cipriani, Ed.D. is a digital inclusion strategist who became passionate about making online spaces accessible after being blinded by a group of men in 2007. His books and articles on disability issues have received numerous awards and international recognition. He has guest lectured at Yale, and, in 2020, he was appointed by Governor Tim Walz to the Minnesota Council on Disability. Through his digital access consulting firm, Oleb Media, he has helped countless organizations build inclusive websites and apps. HuffPost referred to him as an "Agent of Change," and SF Weekly named him one of the best disability advocates. Tony Coelho, the primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, called him an "important voice" in disability writing. You can follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Wanjiku Jua
JikuCleans
Wanjiku Jua is a local resident of Minneapolis and a small independent business owner in the Twin Cities that provides residential and commercial cleaning services. With the chaos of Covid-19 and the state of America’s political unrest maintaining a clean and organized space has fallen on the list of priorities. Jiku Cleans aims to solve that by offering thorough non judgmental cleaning services to Minneapolis and Saint Paul residents. Having a clean and organized space fosters a real peace of mind while simultaneously creating room for productivity, and creativity. For a quote please email [email protected] and let Jiku Cleans take care of your sacred space.
Blanca Margarita Dahlin
Tough Cookies Art
Blanca (Blanx) is an Indigenous Mexica, Two Spirit, Trans, Autistic and invisibly disabled artist coming from Mexico who is currently living in the city of Minneapolis with their partner Leo and their 4 cats. Adversity and advocacy are what we do here at Tough Cookies Art! Services ranging from reproductive rights, resources and support for prenatal, labor, post natal, loss, and abortion work to using herbalism for general health with transitional hormones along with making protective symbols and items made in embroidery beadwork. Everything is on a sliding scale for BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ folx and is charged in moonlight and saged before being sent out. Drop a line if you need support or want a custom.
Felix Foster
Lexicon Writing & Consulting
Consulting practice done by coupling my wide range of experience in the fields of writing, project management, and planning, with personal interests in the arts, philosophy, technology, and community engagement.
Mykela Jackson
Keiko’s Kitchen
We are an alkaline plant-based pop-up in North Minneapolis, striving to bring affordable and accessible health foods to majority- Black communities. Our food is made with love and light with flavors from the soul. Our mission is to inform, educate and empower BIPOC people on wholistic health + wellness in order to maintain prosperity among those communities. Keiko, our founder is also the curator of Trio Plant-Based (the first Black vegan restaurant in MN) menu. Her love for food, health and community brought together the B.E.C (Black Enrichment Collective) to dismantle the food wars on BIPOC communities.
Sammy Mcdowell
Sammy’s Avenue Eatery
Sammy Mcdowell has been in Restaurant management roughly 21 years before opening Sammys 9 years ago in the heart of North Minneapolis--one of our most underserved communities in Minneapolis and also a food desert not offering many healthy whole food options! He decided to help change that and begin a silent crusade to enlighten our community on something a little different and a little healthier than we were used to but with still great flavor! We have become the “Cheers” bar of our beloved NorthSide community and have no plans of leaving anytime soon!
Anna Meyer
Formation Healing Arts
Formation Healing Arts works for healing justice through supporting the restoration of healthy connections within our own systems, with the natural world, with other living beings and the systems we live within. Anna Meyer, founder of Formation Healing Arts, has worked for justice within LGBTQ black, indigenous and other communities of color for over 25 years. Trained in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki, HeartMath and Alchemy Alignment, Anna works with individuals, groups and collective community to support accessing the inherent health we all have within our systems and help orient our systems toward mind, body, spirit alignment for healing, renewal of energy and greater ease in our systems and lives. You can learn more at www.formationhealingarts.com
Anna Suehee Min
Min Enterprises Photography
Anna Min is a community connector and owner of Min Enterprises Photography, LLC. Born in Minneapolis, Anna’s photographic work has supported philanthropic organizations & businesses locally and nationally over the past decade.
Anna also enjoys cycling, reading, listening (to music and people) and is focused on living the good life – including flavorful (real) food, fabulous friends, quiet time, and good old-fashioned sleep.
Billy Navarro Jr.
Casa de los Bebes
Casa de los Bebes is a sliding scale daycare founded in the summer of 2012 by Billy Navarro Jr, a Puerto Rican, queer, genderqueer trans man. He is incredibly passionate about providing supportive care for a small crew of kids from infancy on up. He has education degrees and a teaching, youth work and social justice community organizing background that he uses to guide the children’s development. He works with all kinds of families that look all kinds of ways with all kinds of income levels to ensure that they all have access to quality childcare.
Raina Rae
Her Aura
Her Aura is based on natural healing starting with body products the soaps are natural based on herbs and natural oils. We live in a world to day where everything has preservatives in everything that we use. I started with just making these products for myself and family I have sensitive skin so I can’t use a lot of products that say for sensitive skin because of what is in them. I provided allergy free soaps and candles that come with healing crystals to protect our vibrations, energy and most importantly our health. Her aura is based on the values of being natural bringing everything back to looking in our own backyards for healing and body products. Iam proud to say that I have been able to help a lot of my consumers/clients in areas of their life’s to were its was limited to have things they desired with candles , soaps ,hair oils, body scrubs. It brings me joy and peace to know that have started something I love and can share with the rest of the world.
Clara Sharp
Ahavah Birthworks
Chef K. Taylor
K’s Revolutionary Catering
Chef K and Mariam Omari, the proud owners of K‘s Revolutionary Catering, bringing 35 years of culinary and restaurant experience to offer wholesome food that tastes great. Home of the locally brewed Stay Well Tonic and award-winning catering services, K’s Revolutionary provides communities with food that is good for the mind, body and soul.
Markisha Herrod
Vanita Vanelle
Vanita Vanelle is that hug you long for from grandma/mom/dad, that comfort you need in the midst of confusion, that calm before/during/and after the storm. Vanita Vanelle is your home away form home!
Quorum and PFund Foundation offered a capacity building grant paired with education sessions and technical support to Minneapolis LGBTQ+ BIPOC owned businesses impacted by the protests following the murder of George Floyd and the outbreak of COVID-19.
Our community Review Committee selected 15 business that meet our guidelines to receive a $5,000 grant and 3-5 education sessions with complementary technical support to help re-invigorate impacted businesses.
To qualify, your business must:
- Be located in Minneapolis
- Be owned (minimum 50%) by a person who is
- LGBTQ+
And
- BIPOC
- And the business must have been in operation before February 1, 2020
In addition to the $5,000 grant, recipients will be offered a series of hour-long education sessions on topics important to business development, such as human resources, finances, legal, and technology. Following each education session, recipients can sign-up for a free 1-hour consultation with the session consultant to receive advice and strategies unique to their business.
The goal of this fund is to build capacity and invest in our diverse business community. This program is offered due to support from the Minneapolis Foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I find out if I was selected?
We will contact you in Mid-February if your application was or was not selected.
I did not receive email confirmation that my application was submitted. What should I do?
When you submit via Google Forms, you would have been brought an application submission page. If you are concerned that we did not receive your application, please email us.
What if I am a part owner of the business?
The purpose for these funds is to re-invigorate and support Minneapolis LGBTQ+ BIPOC Businesses. We have a question in the application which allows you to share more information the ownership structure of your business to help clarify your role.
When does the application close?
Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 10:00 PM.
Can non-profits apply?
Unfortunately, not at this time.
Can artists and other independent contractors apply?
Yes, you are welcome to apply but please share information about the business activities you do.
Can I apply in another language?
Please contact us at PFund Foundation to coordinate other method for application. For more information, email Aaron, [email protected].
I have additional questions. Who can I contact?
Please email Aaron, [email protected]. Please allow time before the deadline for email responses.