Wednesday, May 28 | 12-2pm | At Zeitgeist
Free! | Hors d’oeuvres provided
How might we create accessible, equitable, and welcoming open spaces in our neighborhoods? Spaces that help activate economic development, climate resiliency, social connectedness, and civic engagement? Strategic investments in public spaces can connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust, and create more resilient communities. In a time when loneliness, distrust, harmful climate impacts, and economic segregation are on the rise, transforming places of untapped potential into ones that bridge differences, reflect community values and history, share prosperity, and contribute solutions to national challenges is critical.
Zeitgeist’s annual Building Great Places event invites community organizers, city planners, developers, local leaders, and engaged citizens to learn about and discuss ways to embed community vision in equitable, resident-focused neighborhood redevelopment.
This year’s event features keynote speakers R.T. Rybak, President & CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation and Evelyn Burnett, Co-Founder & CEO of ThirdSpace® Action Lab; along with local representatives of the Clayton Jackson McGhee Memorial and Lincoln Park Craft District Pocket Park. Event participants will come away with an inspired framework for approaching public space activation for the common good and contribute to a mapping of Twin Ports public space potential to elevate our shared history, beautify our neighborhoods, increase our access to green space, and create opportunities for coming together.
REGISTER HERE: zeitgeistarts.com/community
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
- Welcome from Zeitgeist
- Keynote Conversation with R.T. Rybak of The Minneapolis Foundation & Evelyn Burnett of ThirdSpace® Action Lab
- Local Panel with Representatives from the Clayton Jackson McGhee Memorial & Lincoln Park Craft District Pocket Park
- Address by Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert & Superior Mayor Jim Paine
- Third Space World Café with Local Partners
SPEAKER BIOS
R.T. Rybak is the President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. He has led the Foundation since July 2016, deepening its community impact and launching a strategic framework that more directly focuses on using multiple impact levers to dismantle inequities. R.T. spent 30 years in journalism, publishing, and marketing before serving as Mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 to 2013. His most significant career focus has been developing equitable career paths for youth of color. That work has included being a founding partner of: Step Up, which has provided summer jobs to 20,000 high school students; Urban Scholars, its companion program for college students; the Power of YOU, which provides free community college tuition; ConnextMSP, an alumni association helping participants of high-performing programs serving youth of color connect to careers; and Generation Next, a coalition of civic, business, and school leaders focused on racial equity, where R.T. served as Executive Director from 2014-2016.
Evelyn Burnett is Co-founder + CEO ThirdSpace Action Lab (TSAL) and ThirdSpace Reading Room (TSRR) headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to TSAL, Evelyn served as Vice President of Economic Opportunity at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Associate Director for Program Strategies with Admiral Center at Living Cities, Project Director in the City of Cleveland’s Office of Sustainability, and as a 2007-2008 Cleveland Executive (Coro) Fellow. Evelyn is a 2022 Aspen Institute Ideas Fellow, Unreasonable Group Mentor, 2018 German Marshall Fellow and sits on the board of several organizations throughout Northeast Ohio and nationally including ioby (In Our Back Yards) + RidAll Green Partnership. Evelyn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Organizational Communications with a double minor in Sales & Marketing and Dance from The University of Akron during which time she studied abroad in Ghana, Africa; and a master’s degree in Public Administration from The University of Akron.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Aspirus St Luke’s, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN), Citon, Conservation MN, Duluth Aging Support, Duluth Transit Authority (DTA), JS Print Group, LISC Duluth, Mardag Foundation, MPECU, National Bank of Commerce, Northland Foundation, SHIP, St. Louis County Public Health, United Healthcare, Whole Foods Co-op
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