Meet our Conference speakers and panelists! Participants are listed alphabetically by last name, and include their panels. Thanks to all our speakers and panelists for sharing their expertise and insight. Register here today!
Kate Barr
Senior Advisor, Minnesota CDFI Coalition
Kate Barr advises nonprofits locally and nationally on strategy, finance, and governance as a speaker, author, and trainer. She currently serves as Senior Advisor for both the Minnesota CDFI Coalition and the national Nonprofit Financial Commons. Previously, she was the President and CEO of Propel Nonprofits, a Minnesota-based nonprofit whose mission is to fuel the impact and effectiveness of nonprofits with guidance, expertise, and capital. She joined Propel after serving as a bank executive and began her professional life as business manager of a performing arts nonprofit. She teaches courses on nonprofit governance and finance at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She currently serves on the boards of directors of the Jerome Foundation and Center for Victims of Torture and the advisory board for Minnesota Bank & Trust.
Speaking on: Conversation on Coalition work, fraud narratives, and meeting the moment
Rory Bidinger
Community Development Officer, Stearns Bank
Rory Bidinger is Vice President and Community Development Officer for Stearns Bank N.A., focused on bringing the bank’s vision of economic empowerment to life through economic development, community investment, and innovative partnerships. Leading the bank’s efforts to establish business growth and delivery strategies by emphasizing the enhancement of access to banking services and capital for underserved markets.
Before his current role at Stearns Bank, Rory served as Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing brand marketing and public relations and leading a multidisciplinary team to advance the bank’s growth strategy.
Rory has over 25 years of sales, marketing, and community-building experience throughout the financial services and consumer packaged goods industries. He is passionate about dismantling barriers and building strong collaboration in public, private, and nonprofit sectors to fuel inclusive growth.
Speaking on: Bank and CDFI Partnerships – A conversation with Stearns Banks and regional partners
Alex Christensen
Energy Smart Program Manager, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Alex Christensen is the Program Manager for Energy Smart, the energy efficiency consulting service of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. He enjoys helping businesses reduce energy use and cost, access valuable funding, and improve their staff and customer experiences. Alex grew up in Minneapolis; attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, MN; and now lives in North St Paul with his wife and their 11-month-old son.
Speaking on: Partnering for Impact: A Case Study on Lending and Clean Energy
Mesude Cingilli
Chief Financial Officer, Metropolitan Economic Development Association
Mesude Cingilli is the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance of MEDA. Before MEDA, Cingilli served as the Assistant Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Cingilli’s accomplished financial background encompasses expertise in corporate finance, strategic and financial planning, teaching, and consulting. During her 20 years with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, she served as Assistant Vice President, Financial Manager of Treasury Retail Services, and Finance Manager of Financial Management Group. She also has experience with Target Corporation and US Bank.
Speaking on: CFOs & Financial Leaders Conversation
Trish DeAnda
Chief Financial Officer, Propel Nonprofits
Trish DeAnda brings a strong track record of leadership across nonprofit and community development organizations, with deep expertise in finance, operations, and lending. Most recently, she served as CFO at the Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers, where she led financial strategy and operations and oversaw a $9 million lending program. In that role, she helped expand MCCD’s impact statewide, growing fundraising, capital flow, and overall organizational capacity.
Trish has also held leadership roles at the Neighborhood Development Center and The Resurrection Project, a Chicago-based community development nonprofit and CDFI with more than $100 million in assets under management. Across these roles, she has built operational infrastructure, scaled programs, and supported sustained organizational growth.
Speaking on: CFOs & Financial Leaders Conversation
Peter Ebnet
Director of Policy & Program Development, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund
Peter is leading the work to create and implement GMHF’s policy and program activities. Additionally, he supports emerging policy and program development including stabilizing affordable housing properties that are experiencing distress. He spent the past 13 years working for the City of Minneapolis in various capacities at the nexus of affordable housing, social inequality, and climate. He most recently served as Chief of Staff and, prior to that, was the Director of Policy and Government Affairs in the Mayor’s Office. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and Saint John’s University.
Speaking on: 21st Century ROAD to Housing
Heidi Hagel Braid
CEO, First Children’s Finance
Heidi Hagel Braid is a national child care nonprofit executive with a distinguished track record of leading and scaling innovative programs that support child care business development. Currently serving as President and CEO of First Children’s Finance, Heidi has spent over a decade at the organization in senior leadership roles, driving strategic expansion, forging national partnerships, and delivering high-impact programs.
Speaking on: Child Care – The challenges, needs and opportunities facing child care partners and providers in 2026
Fu Hang
Senior Loan Officer & Business Advisor, Neighborhood Development Center
Speaking on: Partnering for Impact: A Case Study on Lending and Clean Energy
David Heneke
Principal, CLA St. Cloud
David is a principal with the CLA Financial Services Group, primarily dedicated to financial statement audits, internal audits, merger and acquisition consulting, and ACL/ALM model validations. David began his career in 2005, and has spent his entire career working with financial institutions. David holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a major in accounting from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, a Masters of Accountancy with an emphasis in management of information systems from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa and attended the Graduate School of Banking, Boulder, Colorado.
Speaking on: CFOs & Financial Leaders Conversation
Catherine Higgins Whiteside
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Sunrise Banks
Catherine Higgins Whiteside is the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Sunrise Banks. She is responsible for creating strategic marketing programs that build brand awareness and loyalty for Sunrise Banks and its mission to improve financial wellness for all.
Prior to joining Sunrise Banks, Catherine served as Vice President, Marketing for Radisson Hotel Group Americas. There, she built strategic marketing programs to drive consumer awareness, increase brand loyalty and deliver exceptional guest experiences for Radisson Hotel brands throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Catherine was named to the 2026 Top Women in Communications list by Ragan Communications, and as a 2025 Notable Leader in Marketing by Twin Cities Business Magazine.
Catherine earned her MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and her B.A. in Communications and Spanish from the College of St. Benedict. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and daughter.
Speaking on: Marketing, Communications & Storytelling Conversation
Cristen Incitti
CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota
Cristen Incitti serves as CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota and brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, housing, and community development. Throughout her career, she has led programs, operations, and strategic initiatives that help families access safe, affordable housing. She is an active board and community leader who believes in the power of partnership to create meaningful and lasting impact.
Speaking on: 21st Century ROAD to Housing
Christina Jennings
Executive Director, Shared Capital Cooperative
Christina Jennings is the Executive Director of Shared Capital Cooperative, a national CDFI that finances the growth of cooperatives across the U.S. With over 25 years of experience in community development finance in the U.S. and internationally, she has dedicated her career to advancing economic justice and expanding access to capital. Christina joined Shared Capital in 2008. Under her leadership, the fund has tripled in size, undergone a successful national expansion and rebranding, and introduced innovative lending and investment strategies to better serve cooperatives.
Previously, Christina worked with U.S. CDFIs as well as with investment funds supporting local microfinance organizations in Central America. She has also launched and managed small businesses and social ventures. She holds a Master’s in Community Economic Development from the University of Minnesota and a BA from Hampshire College. She currently serves on the boards of directors of NCBA-CLUSA, the Cooperative Development Foundation, and the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, as well as the loan committee of the Latino Economic Development Center.
Speaking on: Individual & Impact Investors – Individual investors in CDFIs
Kari Johnson
Director of State Policy, Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers
Speaking on: Small Business Coalition – Updates and discussion of coalition work in the next session
Jamie (Schumacher) Kalakaru-Mava
Program Officer, Creative Placemaking & Communications
Jamie (Schumacher) Kalakaru-Mava is LISC Twin Cities’ Program Officer for Creative Placemaking. She joins LISC from the West Bank Business Association (WBBA), a nonprofit organization that serves the West Bank / Cedar-Riverside community of Minneapolis. The area is one of Minneapolis’ key Cultural Districts, and Jamie has been an active participant in the LISC’s Creative Placemaking program for nearing a decade. Her role at LISC is to oversee the Twin Cities’ creative placemaking program and cultural districts. Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University of Fullerton and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota.
Speaking on: Programs & Evaluation Conversation
Matt Kazinka
Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager, Lake Street Council
I develop programs that connect small businesses in the Lake Street corridor with resources they need to succeed through challenging situations. I have specialized in helping businesses access tools, assistance, and grants to use energy more efficiently and to recycle more effectively, allowing them to save money and fight climate change. I’ve also gotten involved in shaping transportation decisions to ensure that people traveling by foot, wheel, bike, or bus can arrive to the Lake Street corridor safely and comfortably. After a civil uprising impacted Lake Street businesses in the summer of 2020, following George Floyd’s murder, my colleagues and I raised and deployed millions of dollars to help businesses recover and reopen.
Speaking on: Partnering for Impact: A Case Study on Lending and Clean Energy
Talia King
Director of Lending, Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers
Talia King brings over two decades of expertise in strategic lending and specialized training in community development, giving her a unique ability to design solutions that strengthen businesses, communities, neighborhoods, and families. At MCCD—and through her service at other CDFIs—she leads initiatives that expand access to capital across Minnesota, breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for sustainable growth.
Beyond her professional role, Talia is a devoted mother who finds joy in cooking and creating meaningful family experiences. Her passion for impact extends into her personal life, where she provides expanded community level support focused on financial literacy, coaching, and consulting — helping others gain the knowledge and confidence to achieve financial empowerment and long-term success.
Speaking on: Portfolio Management – Practical discussion on managing loan risk and growth in this environment
Anne Leland
Director of Lending, Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers
Anne Leland (she/her) is Executive Director of Exodus Lending, where she leads the organization’s mission to advance economic justice through consumer lending, community organizing, and advocacy. She joined in early 2022 after four years of service on the board, bringing deep institutional knowledge and a long-standing commitment to the organization’s work.
Anne is a passionate advocate for financial inclusion and wealth justice, with over a decade of experience designing programs that expand economic opportunity. Before Exodus Lending, she spent ten years as Financial Capability + Learning Director at Prepare + Prosper, where she designed and led financial coaching and inclusion programs that helped underserved communities access the tools they needed to build financial stability.
Anne holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey School (2010). Earlier in her career, she ran an English language school for immigrant and refugee adults at Literacy Minnesota — work that laid the foundation for her lifelong commitment to equity and justice.
Speaking on: Credit Building – Discussion on credit building activity to get clients ready for loans and banking
Bob McClintick
Marketing and Communications Director, Initiative Foundation
Bob joined the Initiative Foundation in 2013 as marketing and communications manager. He gets the all-too-fun job of pumping out good-news stories about the people, partnerships and progress that lead to greater prosperity for all in Central Minnesota.
Bob oversees the Initiative Foundation’s public-facing media content—from email marketing to social media to specialty promotions for the organization’s entrepreneurial and nonprofit training opportunities. Bob also gets to work with talented writers and editors from Central Minnesota and beyond to produce twice-a-year editions of IQ Magazine.
“I love that there’s so much variety to the work we do,” he said, “and I love that I get to work with so many smart, inspirational people every day. The Initiative Foundation offers one of the best workplace cultures I’ve ever had the opportunity to enjoy. It makes signing on every day a truly enjoyable work experience.”
During his time away from the office, Bob is an avid woodturner and enjoys adventures with his family and his travel-writing wife, Lisa Meyers McClintick.
Speaking on: Marketing, Communications & Storytelling Conversation
Diana McKeown
CERTs Co-Director, Great Plains Institute
Diana McKeown joined the Great Plains Institute in July 2013 and is one of three Co-directors for the statewide CERTs (Clean Energy Resource Teams) partnership. Diana led the metro region of CERTs since October 2007, before becoming CERTs Co-director in 2023. Over the past 30+ years, Diana has coordinated and participated in several clean energy initiatives, campaigns, partnerships and coalitions including GreenStep Cities and Cities Charging Ahead! which evolved into the National Charging Smart program. Currently, she has helped build the Small Business Equitable Energy Decarbonization Initiative (SBEEDi) and is coordinating the MN TA Collaborative on behalf of CERTs. Prior to joining the CERTs team, Diana worked for over 14 years at Clean Water Action Alliance of MN. Diana holds a BS in environmental studies from the University of Minnesota.
Speaking on: Partnering for Impact: A Case Study on Lending and Clean Energy
Katie Messerli
Director of Child Care Programs, WomenVenture
Katie earned her undergraduate degree in political science from Iowa State University and her master’s degree in education from the University of Iowa. She worked as a preschooler teacher through graduate school and after graduation, continued to work in the field of early childhood education as a center director for 8 years. Before joining the staff at Women Venture, she worked for more than 20 years at a local college teaching and mentoring adult learners.
Katie lives with her husband, 3 boys, and 2 dogs (Elton and Guido) in Golden Valley. When not at work, she loves cheering on her beloved Minnesota Vikings. She describes herself as a hockey/soccer mom and as a super-sized history nerd.
Speaking on: Child Care – The challenges, needs and opportunities facing child care partners and providers in 2026
Bethany Nagan
Director of Lending, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and TCHFH Lending, Inc.
Bethany has been with Twin Cities Habitat since March of 2017 and brings five years of mortgage industry experience. Bethany manages the portfolios of mortgages for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and TCHFH Lending, Inc. after origination through the life of the loan. She works directly with homeowners regarding their mortgage for any issues or needs that arise. Bethany received her BS in International Economics and BA in Finance and French Language Studies from the University of St. Thomas. When not working, Bethany enjoys sunshine, water, and traveling the world.
Speaking on: Portfolio Management – Practical discussion on managing loan risk and growth in this environment
Julia Nelmark
Speaking on: 21st Century ROAD to Housing
Michael Norton
Principal, Norton Policy & Analytics
Michael H. Norton, Ph.D., helps organizations answer complex questions involving housing, community development, capital investment, and public policy through rigorous research, evaluation, and strategy. His work has supported public agencies, nonprofit organizations, foundations, financial institutions, and national intermediaries seeking to better understand markets, evaluate programs, deploy capital effectively, and improve decision-making through evidence.
For nearly two decades, he has worked alongside foundations, community development organizations, financial institutions, and public agencies to help translate data into better decisions. His career continues to be grounded in a simple belief: Better evidence leads to better decisions.
Speaking on: Programs & Evaluation Conversation
Dave Nozal
Speaking on: Disaster Planning Exercise – A tabletop simulation of loss of loan software access
Allie Palmer
Allie brings experience in economic development, consulting, and organizing. She’s passionate about bridging divides by building relationships and finding common goals. Allie will work alongside Minnesota’s small business community on Paid Leave implementation and strengthening the local economy.
Speaking on: Small Business Coalition – Updates and discussion of coalition work in the next session
LeeAnn Rasachak
CEO, WomenVenture
LeeAnn Rasachak is CEO of WomenVenture, a leading Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), SBA Women’s Business Center, and nonprofit advancing women and minority entrepreneurs through business development and access to capital.
Rasachak chairs the Minnesota CDFI Coalition and serves on the board of Planned Parenthood North Central States. She brings 20 years of corporate leadership experience in digital transformation, communications, marketing, and enterprise strategy.
A Minneapolis–St. Paul Business Journal 2024 Women in Business Honoree, Rasachak holds an MBA from Hamline University, degrees from the University of St. Thomas, and certifications from Cornell and Georgetown Universities. Rasachak resides in Inver Grove Heights with her husband, their four children and labrador retriever.
Speaking on: The State of CDFIs – A National and Local Perspective
Felicia Ravelomanantsoa
Chief Financial & Operating Officer, African Development Center
Felicia has been involved with ADC® since it’s early beginnings. She started as a volunteer in 2010 and officially joined the loan committee a year later. A couple of years after that she joined the Board of Directors. A few years later she became part of the Executive and Finance Committee, during which she provided guidance and advice. She has worked closely with the leadership at ADC for over a decade and has a fervent passion about the mission of the organization.
This native of Madagascar has a Master’s Degree in Economics with a Minor in Finance from the University of Paris X Nanterre (France). She also has over 20 years of experience in operations, business lending and business development which she acquired from her previous careers in the banking and finance industry and multiple leadership positions.
Felicia oversees daily operations and finances. She focuses on maintaining sustainable growth. She develops and executes short-term and long-term goals to bring the vision of the organization and strategic growth to fruition.
Previously, Felicia worked for BCU – Branch Operations Manager, Associated Bank N.A – Branch Manager, BMO Harris Bank MN – Small Business Banker, Branch Manager, V.P and U.S Bank – Branch Manager. She speaks English, French, Spanish and Malagasy.
Speaking on: HR & Internal Operations Conversation
Jeffery Robinson
Senior Program Director, Build Wealth MN
Jeffery Robinson oversees all programing under the Family Stabilization Plan at Build Wealth MN. Jeffery’s relationship with Build Wealth MN began as a client who was inspired by the company’s mission, motivated by the company’s impact, and called by the company’s founder to move beyond being a client to a contract coach in 2009. After 6 years as a contract coach and 15+ years as a mortgage professional, Jeffery was hired full-time in 2015 as Build Wealth’s Budget Assessment Coach Manager. As the company grew so has Jeffery’s roles and responsibilities. The once client is now the Senior Program Director.
Speaking on: Credit Building – Discussion on credit building activity to get clients ready for loans and banking
Andrés Salinas
Lending Program Director, LEDC
Andrés is originally from a Zapotecan community in Oaxaca, Mexico. He graduated from the Universidad Autónoma Benito Júarez de Oaxaca with a degree in accounting. He has been a public servant for over 15 years in the areas of economic growth and small business development in Mexico.
As Lending Program Director, his job is to ensure that entrepreneurs have access to more financing opportunities that allow them to start or to expand their businesses. Andres is also responsible for maintaining a healthy loan portfolio to ensure the availability of resources for future generations with an entrepreneurial spirit.
In his six years as a resident in the State of Minnesota, Andres has enjoyed Twins games and the Minnesota State Fair. He also has found living in the Twin Cities to be a very enriching experience.
Speaking on: Portfolio Management – Practical discussion on managing loan risk and growth in this environment
Andrea Sanow
Marketing & Communications Director, Propel Nonprofits
Andrea has worked in the nonprofit sector for almost 15 years; her previous roles were at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Arts Midwest. She is one of the founding members, and board vice chair of the Radical Health Alliance. She also serves on the board of directors for GMCC in South Minneapolis.
Outside of work, Andrea likes to read, write, spend time with friends, weight lift, embroider, try new restaurants, and watch sports with her partner and their dog.
Andrea has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Augsburg University.
Speaking on: Marketing, Communications & Storytelling Conversation
Joanna Schnedler
Chief Financial Officer, WomenVenture
Joanna Schnedler joins the WomenVenture team as Chief Financial Officer with over 20 years of nonprofit management experience, which has culminated in a passion for the financial side of nonprofits. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Theater from Simpson College, and a Master of Nonprofit Management and Master of Business Administration from Hamline University.
Immediately prior to WomenVenture, Joanna served as Chief Financial Officer and COR Administrator for ELEA HEALY, a women-owned home renovation design and build firm. Much of Joanna’s career has been focused in the performing arts, including Executive Director of the Minnesota Music Coalition and Executive Director of the Minnesota Theater Alliance, both statewide arts service organizations that included building industry-wide partnerships, creating tourism initiatives, implementing various resources for artists, and convening conferences and workshops on career development for professional artists and administrative competencies for performing arts organizations.
Speaking on: Bank and CDFI Partnerships – A conversation with Stearns Banks and regional partners
Brett Simmons
Principal, Blue Aster Advising
Brett is the principal and founder of Blue Aster Advising. His clients have included the Aspen Institute, Opportunity Finance Network, as well as CDFIs of all sizes. Prior to Blue Aster, he co-founded Scale Link in 2020 to create a first of its kind secondary market for CDFI originated small business microloans. In his time leading Scale Link as CEO, it provided more than $75M in capital and more than $7.5M in new revenue to its CDFI partners by selling over $46M million to banks via its secondary market.
Prior to Scale Link, he held positions in program management, planning, and start-ups across industries. He also worked with several start-up engineered systems companies and in operations strategy and planning for Cummins Power Systems, a fortune 200 manufacturing firm. Brett earned a joint B.A. in Economics and History from Xavier University and has both a Master of Business Administration and Master of Philosophy of Religion from Yale University.
Speaking on: Metrics That Matter – Connecting Risk, Cost, and Impact in CDFI Performance and Programs & Evaluation Conversation
Barb Sporlein
Chief Operating Officer, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund
Barb manages GMHF’s day-to-day operations and priorities, facilitates internal coordination, maintains accountability, and aligns financial resources to achieve organizational goals.
She brings extensive leadership experience from similar roles at the City of Saint Paul and Minnesota Housing, and as Planning Director for the City of Minneapolis.
Barb holds a B.S. in Geography from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master in Planning from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She has completed the Minnesota Tribal-State Relations Training through the University of Minnesota Duluth and is a certified Housing Development Finance Professional with Grow America.
Speaking on: HR & Internal Operations Conversation
María Steffel
Executive Director, Neighborhood Development Alliance, Inc. (NeDA)
María is a Mexican-born leader with more than 25 years of experience serving immigrant and historically underserved communities across the Twin Cities. As Executive Director of Neighborhood Development Alliance (NeDA), she brings lived experience and deep professional expertise in finance, business administration, housing, and community development to her leadership.
Throughout her nonprofit career, María has worked to expand equitable access to housing, financial tools, mental health support, and resources that help families build long-term financial stability. At NeDA, she leads organizational strategy, program development, and community-centered initiatives connecting financial empowerment, homeownership, and economic opportunity. She is particularly committed to addressing systemic barriers that limit families’ ability to fully participate in financial systems and build wealth.
María’s leadership centers culturally rooted, bilingual engagement and strong community partnerships. Her approach combines practical solutions with a deep belief in dignity, representation, trust, and belonging. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, bowling, cooking shows, and is a lifelong Star Trek fan.
Speaking on: Credit Building – Discussion on credit building activity to get clients ready for loans and banking
Carl Swanson
Coalition Strategist, Minnesota CDFI Coalition
Carl Swanson is a strategic facilitator and a practical optimist with over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit, arts & culture, and entrepreneurship sectors. He is the founder of Cast Consulting, a firm focusing on strategy, communications, and creative work. Swanson has served as the Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Foundation, and as Associate Director at Springboard for the Arts. He has presented on leadership and community engagement for Americans for the Arts, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and others. He holds a BA in Studio Art from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business.
Speaking on: Conversation on Coalition work, fraud narratives, and meeting the moment and Small Business Coalition – Updates and discussion of coalition work in the next session
Zach Tabatt
VP for Economic Opportunity, Initiative Foundation
Zach is vice president for economic opportunity at the Initiative Foundation, where he oversees small business lending, the organization’s Certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) work, training and technical assistance programs, and the Initiators Fellowship. He previously managed the Foundation’s community philanthropy and nonprofit development programs. Zach has experience in public safety and finance. He serves on the Baxter City Council and previously chaired the Crow Wing County HRA board. He holds degrees from the University of Minnesota Duluth and Creighton University and was a 2022-2023 Humphrey School Policy Fellow.
Speaking on: Bank and CDFI Partnerships – A conversation with Stearns Banks and regional partners
Megan Teare
Managing Director, Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Megan Teare has been working in the community development field for 30 years. She is currently a managing director with the Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment group where she manages the program that provides enterprise-level capital to community development financial institutions (CDFIs), minority depository institutions (MDIs), and nonprofit housing developers. Megan also serves as a board member of Neighborworks Capital Corporation, Fund Community Institute, and Nexus Community Partners. Before joining Wells Fargo, she served as senior loan officer at the McAuley Institute and as a consultant to non-profit housing developers. She has an undergraduate degree in architectural history from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Virginia.
Speaking on: The State of CDFIs – A National and Local Perspective
Amy Trombley
Vice President for Community, Initiative Foundation
Amy oversees the Initiative Foundation’s community-focused programs, which include nonprofit programming, community development, grantmaking, disaster recovery, and clean energy initiatives. She joined the team in 2025 and has a wealth of experience in coalition-building and collaborative community work.
“The Initiative Foundation’s vision of fostering economic growth, supporting community organizations, and creating opportunities for all is a mission that resonates deeply with me,” she said. “I’m excited to contribute my experience and expertise to help further those goals. I am truly fortunate to love the work that I get to do every day and that I can leverage my skills and talents to make Central Minnesota an even greater place to live, work and play.”
A native of St. Cloud, Amy lives with her family in Sartell. During her free time, she enjoys being with family and friends, attending community events, volunteering, technology, and walks outside—when it’s above 50 degrees.
Speaking on: Child Care – The challenges, needs and opportunities facing child care partners and providers in 2026
Brian Voerding
President, Initiative Foundation
Brian is the president of the Initiative Foundation, which invests in the people and places of Central Minnesota by providing a rich toolbox of resources for everyone to imagine, decide on, and build solutions for economies and communities where people and place prosper. The Foundation operates one of the largest CDFIs in rural Minnesota, delivering $5-$7 million in loans annually and training hundreds of underserved entrepreneurs. The Foundation supports community wealth-building and local ownership across a variety of strategies, including grants, loans and charitable funds; free and low-cost programs and trainings ranging from small towns, rural leaders, childcare and clean energy; and the Initiators Fellowship, which develops leaders using social enterprises to solve problems across rural Minnesota.
Speaking on: Individual & Impact Investors – Individual investors in CDFIs
Shawn Wellnitz
President & CEO, Entrepreneur Fund
Wellnitz is CEO of the Entrepreneur Fund, which provides small business financing and strategic support for entrepreneurs in northern Minnesota.
Speaking on: Individual & Impact Investors – Individual investors in CDFIs
Dafina Williams
Executive Vice President, Chief Public Policy Officer and Head of Government Affairs, Opportunity Finance Network
Dafina Williams is the Executive Vice President, Chief Public Policy Officer and Head of Government Affairs at Opportunity Finance Network (OFN). With a keen focus on advocacy, she drives the organization’s efforts in public policy, legislative affairs, and regulatory initiatives. Prior to assuming her current role, Dafina played a pivotal role in shaping OFN’s policy agenda, concentrating on federal appropriations, small business policy and fair lending practices.
Dafina serves on several boards, including the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL), CDFI Coalition, National Association of Community Economic Development Agencies (NACEDA), First Children’s Finance, and the Responsible Business Lending Coalition. She also lends her expertise to the New Markets Tax Credit Advisory Board of Self-Help Ventures Fund and the Community Advisory Board of the American Fintech Council.
Dafina graduated magna cum laude from Temple University, where she received a BBA in Economics.
Speaking on: The State of CDFIs – A National and Local Perspective
Thank you to our sponsors!
Sponsorship opportunities are still available! To support the Conference and the work of the MN CDFI Coalition, contact Carl Swanson, Coalition Strategist at carl@mncdficoalition.org
