Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

Last week, MCCD staff Jeena and Howard attended the Immigrant Entrepreneur Summit (IES)! They spent the day meeting small business owners, sharing MCCD's small business development resources, and hearing from a variety of speakers - including Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Thank you to the hosts of IES for putting on a great event! The MCCD team was thrilled to show up in support of local immigrant-owned small businesses.

06/01/2026

MCCD's Community Engagement Manager Howard Bailey will be speaking at African Career, Education and Resource, Inc. (ACER)'s monthly Let’s Talk Business Tuesday event tomorrow. This virtual info session provides information on business funding opportunities, loan readiness, community wellness initiatives, and other resources for entrepreneurs and families.

Join this event to connect with experts sharing real resources to help your business thrive!

05/29/2026

The residential homes that line the intersection of 3rd St. and 12th Ave. were not built with small businesses in mind. But this didn’t stop Positively 3rd Street Bakery from setting up shop there in 1983. For over forty years, the bakery has operated from a converted residential home—with workers lugging flour and other ingredients up and down flights of stairs to meet the demand of an ever-growing customer base.

Learn more about Positively 3rd Street - Duluth's worker-owned cooperative - and their work with MCCD below.

The residential homes that line the intersection of 3rd St. and 12th Ave. were not built with small businesses in mind. But this didn’t stop Positively 3rd Street Bakery from setting up shop there in 1983. For over forty years, the bakery has operated from a converted residential home—with worke...

05/22/2026

Late Sunday night, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned the 2026 legislative session sine die. With a tied Minnesota House and a 1-seat majority in the Senate, expectations for major action were modest at best heading into the year, but lawmakers ultimately delivered several significant agreements on infrastructure, tax relief, housing, HCMC, and government oversight.

With every legislative seat on the ballot this November and a historic number of retirements, the outcomes of this year’s session will likely shape campaign conversations across Minnesota in the months ahead.

Get the full updates on this session's housing, economic development, and insurance policies at

Late Sunday night, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned the 2026 legislative session sine die. With a tied Minnesota House and a 1-seat majority in the Senate, expectations for major action were modest at best heading into the year, but lawmakers ultimately delivered several significant agreements on...

05/19/2026

MN CDFI Coalition and MCCD Statement on the Legislative Session Ending Without Small Business Relief

The Minnesota legislative session ended without a deal to pass relief for small businesses impacted by the ICE surge. While lawmakers and advocates pushed until the final hours, the House did not have the votes to take up a $100 million small business recovery bill passed by bipartisan vote in the Senate.

In Minnesota, we come together when times are hard and have a long history of legislative action supporting communities and industries hit by unforeseen economic hardship. Small businesses across the state experienced sharp declines in revenue, workforce interruptions, the wiping out of personal and business savings, and in some cases permanent business closures.

This legislative failure reflects a lack of political will, not resources. We urge Minnesotans to continue supporting businesses in their community, and spending locally. We call for leadership from philanthropic, corporate, and public officials to support economic recovery for main street businesses at the scale it is needed.

05/18/2026

Join our team!

MCCD is now hiring a Director of Advancement to lead our fundraising efforts. We are looking for a self starter who has existing relationships with local and national philanthropy, experience developing donor cultivation strategies, and excellent communication skills.

Read the full position description and learn how to apply at

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW MCCD works collectively to advance racial and economic justice by leveraging and stewarding community development resources. We are a 35-member consortium of non-profit affordabl...

05/11/2026

This month, MCCD is partnering with Elevate Hennepin to offer up to 30 minutes of business support per business at the Minnetonka Thriving Thursday.

This Thriving Thursday event is an in-person, office hours-style pop-up for Minnetonka-based businesses provided by Elevate Hennepin, where business owners and entrepreneurs can drop in to receive one-on-one support. Connect face-to-face with MCCD, Elevate Hennepin consultants, and city economic development staff for guidance on the next right step for your business.

Learn more and sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elevate-hennepin-thriving-thursday-in-minnetonka-tickets-1988481130590

This Thriving Thursday event is an in-person, office hours-style pop-up for Minnetonka-based businesses provided by Elevate Hennepin, where business owners and entrepreneurs can drop in to receive one-on-one support. Connect face-to-face with Elevate Hennepin consultants, Business Navigators, and ci...

05/11/2026

Across the state, small businesses employ 1.3 million Minnesotans, creating the heart of our economy and the soul of our communities. And the impacts of the federal immigration surge have done unprecedented harm to our local entrepreneurs.

According to the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California, federal actions this year have resulted in at least $600 million in lost business revenue in Minneapolis-Saint Paul alone and an estimated $240 million in wages.

Right now, state legislators have the opportunity — and obligation — to pass $100 million in relief to help small businesses recover statewide. Take action today to tell your lawmakers to support our Main Street economies: bit.ly/sb-mn-2026

05/09/2026

A Burnsville construction company on the brink of closing after 15 years. Mom-and-pop shops in Long Prairie have faced a sharp decline in sales. A restaurant in Wilmar closing for two months out of real fear of the owner being detained—despite being a U.S. citizen.

These are the devastating realities Main Street businesses are facing across Minnesota—and why state lawmakers need to pass small business relief before the legislative session ends on May 17!

Take action today! Contact YOUR lawmaker and tell them to pass $100 million in small business relief:

Tell state lawmakers to pass $100 million in small business support before the end of the legislative session!