About Nexus Community Partners
Our Team

Danielle Mkali

  • Senior Director of Community Wealth Building
  • Pronouns: she/her
  • Year Hired: 2024

About Danielle

At Nexus:

I am a Senior Director of Community Wealth Building at Nexus Community Partners. I lead Nexus’ Community Trust Fund, which is designed to redistribute $50 million to the Black community in Minnesota, North and South Dakota. Previously at Nexus, I developed and led the North Star Black Cooperative Fellowship, a 7-month program that connects participants with the rich history of cooperative economics in the Black community, while receiving technical skills and support for emerging cooperative business ideas. In addition to the Community Trust Fund, I actively support the practices and models of cooperative ownership of land, labor and housing. My mission is to uplift the resources needed to unleash self-determination, freedom and our legacy of Black Economic Cooperation.

Prior to joining Nexus in 2013, I directed the media justice and community building efforts at Main Street Project and was co-founder of S.P.E.A.C., an eight-month community organizing training with Hope Community.

In addition, I chair the Partnership in Property Commercial Land Trust Board and was an organizer on the national campaign to expand low power fm radio and a founding advisory board member of KRSM Radio.

I studied education at Minneapolis Community & Technical College and African and African American Studies at the University of Minnesota.

 

About:

My work has revolved around the simple and powerful notion that we, the people hold the insights and solutions to the problems we face and hold a responsibility to create them. Joining Nexus provided me with an opportunity to elevate this work with a great team that shares this worldview. For the past 21 years, I’ve lead youth organizing efforts, helped launch SPEAC, a community organizing training program in the  Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis, and served as a media justice and communications program director working locally and nationally. When I’m not at Nexus, I am with my husband, chasing, eating, playing or reading with our five children in North Minneapolis.

Click here for Danielle’s professional bio

In no particular order: ancestors, children, art, music, great books and mother earth.