Khadijah Cooper grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis as an only child. Working as a Sexuality Educator with teens, her confidence in public speaking coupled with her quick wit gave her all the fuel she needed to burst onto the comedy scene in February 2018, making her name known. In March 2019, Khadijah was in the top five for the Best comedian for the City Pages Best of the Twin Cities. Her point of view in her stand up as a mother, a Sexuality Educator, and someone that has the confidence and comfort in her skin makes her irresistible to laugh with and relate to.

Kelly Drummer is the president of MIGIZI, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that nurtures the development of Native American youth. Prior to joining MIGIZI in November 2018, Kelly Drummer served as founding President and CEO of the Tiwahe Foundation for seven years. Tiwahe is an American Indian community foundation which focuses on providing micro grants to American Indian communities, strengthening leadership initiatives and network building. During her 20 years of philanthropy and non-profit work, Kelly has worked with the Jewish Community Foundation, The Family Partnership, Headwaters Foundation for Justice, and New Foundations – a Project for Pride in Living program. Kelly currently serves on the Saint Paul Foundation Community Impact Grants Committee, The Family Partnership Board of Directors and other projects that benefit American Indian Woman and youth. She holds a M.A. degree in Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary’s University and a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Minnesota. Kelly currently lives in NE Minneapolis with her husband and two children.

CEO, author, and speaker, Nancy Lyons has been at the forefront of the work culture conversation for more than twenty years. “People-first as a business strategy” is the guiding principle that fuels the unique, award-winning culture at Clockwork. 

Nancy has led employees and clients through thousands of business, team, and work culture challenges. As a digital veteran, she has witnessed the dramatic change technology brought to both businesses and people, and yet also sees people and companies struggling to figure out how to adapt.

She speaks and writes about the crucial role work culture plays in delivering meaningful and effective results. Work culture — our feelings, behaviors, and interactions — is core to how we work. It’s a primary determinant of personal and professional success. Nancy has watched people go from being a victim of work to being the agent of work with simple shifts. 

Her first book was Interactive Project Management: Pixels, People, and Process, a human-centered approach to producing digital products. Her current book, Work Like a Boss: A kick-in-the-pants Guide to Finding (and Using) your Power at Work, is the little book everyone needs to remember the actions, attitudes, and attributes that will make work better, for individuals and everyone around them.

Nancy is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including “100 People to Know” from Twin Cities Business, “Most Admired CEO” from Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Business Owner of the Year from National Association for Women Business Owners. 

Noel Nix is a community development professional who has dedicated his career to advancing economic and social equity. He currently serves as the Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Community Relations in the Office of Mayor Melvin Carter, working to design and lead the city’s work to bring diverse voices into governing. Previously, he served as Assistant to Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter and Legislative Aide to several Saint Paul city council members. He also held engagement roles with the Metropolitan Council and the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers.

Noel considers his work in government as a continuing exploration of how the public sector can be an effective partner in advancing community development goals. He has had the opportunity to collaborate with electeds and neighborhood leaders on projects including Frogtown Park and Farm, Frogtown Community Center, the Rondo Commemorative Plaza, Roots of Rondo: Black Artists Rising, the ReConnect Rondo land bridge initiative, the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, the first ever African American Historical Context Study of Saint Paul, and Ramsey County’s local artist designed Dale Street Bridge, as well as Springboard for the Arts’ SpringBOX project. 

Noel and his wife Theresa live in the North End neighborhood of Saint Paul. In his free time he enjoys photography, cooking, and traveling. He is a proud Golden Gopher, with a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. He graduated from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs in 2010 with a Master of Urban and Regional Planning.

Felicia Perry joined the WBC team full time in 2018. She now serves the Northside business community as the Executive Director. She brings a wealth of experience in Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Project Management, Finance/ Accounting and Community Engagement to the corridor.

In her previous role as Program Manager, Felicia’s dedication to community transformed her work as an activator of vacant spaces into a vehicle of economic and social development. Using Art as a catalyst to create a vibrant business corridor, she managed projects such as the 3-day FLOW Northside Arts Crawl and Open Streets West Broadway. Felicia serves on the Executive Committee of the Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP), the May Day Council and is a Northside Awesome Fund Trustee.

Felicia is an ARTreprenuer based in Minneapolis specializing in fashion  design, performance art, and curating spaces. She builds on her passion for journalism as an on air host of “DesignHER Life” at KRSM Community Radio station, where she interviews women and non-binary identifying ARTreprenuers about designing and creating their unique life and career paths. Felicia is a current Springboard for the Arts 20/20 Artist Fellow.