About Longfellow Rising
Mission
Rebuilding Longfellow with equity, sustainability and belonging
Vision
A revitalized, diverse and
sustainable downtown Longfellow
Values
Generate long-term, sustainable wealth through deep, meaningful relationships and diverse ownership: prioritizing people over profit
Actively center marginalized voices and communities in decision-making, planning and actions
Promote the role of the arts and culture in creating and sustaining justice for all
Prioritize long-term planning over short term gains
Guiding Principles
Practice anti-racism and inclusion to achieve equity
Work collaboratively in a spirit of respect and support
Committed to transparency, access and support of diverse stakeholders in Longfellow
Build and sustain relationships in downtown Longfellow, knowing that solid and communicative relationships lead to sustainable outcomes
Solve problems through engagement and action, while recalling past historical inequities
Seek to bring about meaningful change through inclusive and equitable business practices
Who We Are
We are a diverse group of business owners, property owners, nonprofit leaders, economic developers, and community partners who have either lost buildings and businesses due to fire and civil unrest, or whose businesses have been closed or impacted by fire and civil unrest, and/or who are deeply involved with supporting and providing relief for the residents and business and property owners in the neighborhood.
Where We Are
Longfellow Rising is focused between Lake and 31st Street,
Snelling Avenue and the alley between 28th & 29th Avenue
Board of Directors
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Ayanna Muata
Ayanna Muata is a longtime South Minneapolis BIPOC resident who has lived in the Longfellow neighborhood for over 30 years since moving to Minnesota from Chicago in 1989. She is a composer, artist, and musician (The Muatas, Waning Moon Photography), and she has worked for both academic and public libraries since 2006. Ayanna also served as a DEI consultant and is skilled in helping others understand benefits and burdens on folks who are underrepresented in our community. She is passionate about advancing racial and gender equity, and cultivating positive relationships with neighbors and community members thoughtfully advocating for social change.
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Chris Mozena
FIREHOUSE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Firehouse Performing Arts Center Founder/Executive Director, Chris Mozena, has been involved in nearly every facet of the music and entertainment industries, from independent record promoter and national radio programming conference coordinator, to record label owner, club GM and arts curator. Chris continues to dedicate himself to developing, educating and promoting the emerging artists in our community through his work at FPAC’s Hook & Ladder Theater.
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Cristina Montoya
Cristina Montoya was born and raised in central Colorado. They like to consider themselves a first and half generation Chicanx. Their dad immigrated from Mexico and their mom is first generation to her parents from Mexico, as well. Cristina graduated University of Denver with a focus on Classical Performance on the upright bass. They’ve always had an affinity for bikes and during college they were a bike courier/bike mechanic at their local bike shop. After graduation, they moved to Red Wing, Minnesota for Violin Repair School. They continued to work on bikes, eventually settling in Minneapolis. After Quarantine, they started working for the Hub in 2021, where they have taken on a bigger role as the Education Coordinator and Worker-Owner.
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Daniel Kennedy
Dan Kennedy has been practicing law in Longfellow since 1995. He helped found Longfellow Rising and has served on five other Longfellow-based nonprofit boards. Dan attended high school in Longfellow, got some degrees from Minnesota schools, taught law in Prague for two years, then returned to Longfellow. He and his wife have two adult children.
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Ingrid Rasmussen
Reverend Ingrid C. A. Rasmussen was ordained in 2013 and serves as Lead Pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis. She is committed to the work of justice and believes the church is called to be active in the public square. She is a leader with a number of place-based organizations and is active in the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She has written for The Christian Century, Duke University’s Faith and Leadership, Journal of Lutheran Ethics, and other publications. Ingrid lives in Longfellow with her husband Paul, and together they run to keep up with their two sweet and lively children.
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Jamie Schwesnedl
Jamie Schwesnedl is co-owner (with his wife Angela) of Moon Palace Books, opened in Downtown Longfellow in 2012. Before moving to South Minneapolis in 2007, Jamie worked as a cab driver, a property manager, a novelist, a book publisher, a community-based pirate radio station facilitator, and a trainer and consultant with family foundations. Jamie created the Beyond Prisons Fund at Funding Exchange in 2007, a fund that supported abolitionist alternatives to police and prisons. Jamie lives one mile from Downtown Longfellow with Angela and their daughter.
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Kate Winkel
Kate Winkel is co-owner of Arbeiter Brewing Co. Kate was born in South Korea, but raised in Minneapolis since 1979. She graduated from South High School in 1997. Her children also attended Minneapolis Public Schools in the Longfellow neighborhood. Kate has spent more than a decade in our craft beer industry as a leader and advocate of DEI. South Minneapolis is very much a part of Kate’s roots and she leads Arbeiter Brewing Co. with the love and dedication she has for this community.
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Meena Natarajan
Meena Natarajan is a playwright and director and the Co-Artistic and Executive Director of Pangea World Theater, a progressive, international ensemble space that creates at the intersection of art, equity and social justice. Meena has co-curated and designed many of Pangea World Theater’s professional and community-based programs. She has written at least ten full-length works for Pangea, ranging from adaptations of poetry and mythology to original works dealing with war, spirituality, personal and collective memory. Her play, Etchings in the Sand co-created with dancer Ananya Chattterjea has been published by Routledge in a volume called Contemporary Plays by Women of Color: The Second Edition. She is a recent recipient of the Women in Business Award by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Meena, her husband Dipankar Mukherjee and puppy Jilipi Chellam live in the Longfellow neighborhood and are deeply invested in the neighborhood and the work of co-creating an equitable neighborhood with our community.
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Ruhel Islam
Ruhel is an organizer, a founder and past president of Longfellow Rising. He is the owner and Executive Chef of Gandhi Mahal, an award-winning Bangladeshi/Indian restaurant dedicated to embodying environmental sustainability and the peaceful principles of Gandhi. Ruhel has served as President of Lake Street Council, on the Board of Directors of Green Card Voices, and currently serves on the boards of Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light and Longfellow Rising, to make the world a better place for all. He has also appeared on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives as well as Guy's Grocery Games. Ruhel is currently navigating the redevelopment process which strives to build a location that is environmentally sustainable, provides space for healing, reflection and a model for community empowerment.
Staff
Lisa Boyd, Longfellow Rising Project Manager
Lisa started working for Longfellow Rising in early 2024. Her role is to develop goals, strategies and outcomes that reflect the priorities of the organization and move our initiatives forward. Steeped in the principles of human-centered economics, Lisa Boyd has a natural talent for tackling the fundamental causes of poverty and inequality by challenging bias and creating equal economic opportunity. Prior to joining Longfellow Rising, Lisa worked for nearly 12 years at Second Harvest Heartland doing capacity building and resource development with a network of MN nonprofit organizations focused on food security programs. Before that, she worked for nearly 10 years in senior housing. Lisa worked internationally over a period of 10 years and has a long history with both nonprofit and government organizations. She has academic training in international sustainable development and applied economics. Lisa grew up in Central Illinois and after living in various parts of the U.S. and internationally in three different countries, she has been a resident of the Longfellow neighborhood since 2004. When not using data to change the world, you will find Lisa volunteering with her neighborhood organization.
Community Partners