Since becoming executive director of African Career Education & Resources (ACER) in 2015, Nelima Sitati Munene has grown the organization into a model of community-led development. She successfully advocated for $5.5 million in appropriations for Brooklyn Park-based ACER, which will support business development, community ownership models, and the creation of an Innovation and Catalyst Center in Brooklyn Center. Through a partnership with the Ignite Businesswomen Investment Group Cooperative, ACER facilitated the purchase of the Shingle Creek Center; this space will serve as a hub for BIPOC-owned microbusinesses. In the past year, Sitati Munene’s leadership was pivotal in securing $31 million for economic growth and $2 billion in housing investments, mainly for rental assistance, as part of the Minnesota state budget.