A respected and celebrated business leader, Dorothy Bridges brings more than 40 years of banking experience to the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), a Minneapolis business organization that supports BIPOC entrepreneurs. Within a few months of stepping into the CEO role at MEDA last year, she implemented a strategic plan to increase the volume of lending capital to $220 million over the next three years. MEDA is now on track to raise $245 million in funding to support the plan’s implementation, demonstrating Bridges’ effectiveness in driving growth and securing critical resources. Her long list of community commitments includes the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, the U.S. Bancorp board of directors, the University of Minnesota Foundation board of trustees, and the executive leadership council of the Itasca Project.