Two residents of our region are among eight individuals in Greater Minnesota who have been chosen as Fellows for the two-year Initiators Fellowship, which assists social entrepreneurs in fast-tracking their ideas, growing their social and professional networks, and further developing their business and community leadership skills.

The eight Fellows selected for the 2022-2023 cohort represent 53 counties and six sovereign tribal nations in central, northwest, southwest, and west central Minnesota. They will receive an annual $30,000 stipend during the two-year program, which also includes comprehensive programming, executive-level mentoring and leadership training, ongoing education, and support from dedicated staff members to advance their mission-driven business or nonprofit endeavors.

West Central Region Fellows

Alex Ostenson, Evansville
Food Access
Douglas County

To end food insecurity in the Evansville area, which has lacked a grocery store for more than four years, Alex Ostenson founded Main Street Market. With a swipe of a key fob or a scan of the grocery store’s cellphone app, members can have 24-hour access. The store also offers traditional hours for non-members, fulfilling a community need while also providing locally-produced food.

Noreen Thomas, Moorhead
Sustainable Farming
Clay County

Caring deeply about the land she and her husband farm near Moorhead, Noreen Thomas wants to convert local food waste into fertilizer. The biodigester process, she says, would provide a community-based resource and eliminate the need to import fertilizer from miles or even continents away while also promoting clean waterways and sustainable farming practices.

Meet All Eight Fellows

Visit fellows.greaterminnesota.net for a map of all of the Fellows’ locations and question-and-answer responses about their social enterprise ventures.

From a community journalist with a goal to surface community-centered challenges and solutions to a grocery store owner creating food access, the field of eight fellows for the 2022-2023 Initiators Fellowship cohort has exciting ideas to positively impact their communities!