2023 Notable BIPOC Executives

Diversity drives creativity and innovation. It sets the stage for a culture of inclusivity that’s essential to retaining today’s top talent. TCB’s 2023 Notable BIPOC Executives are dynamic leaders from a wide range of industries and expertise, and they’re influencing change beyond office walls. Introducing 31 BIPOC executives you’ll want to know.

Methodology: The individuals featured did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list is not comprehensive. It includes only people who were nominated and accepted after editorial review. To qualify for this list, individuals must self-identify as BIPOC, be serving in a C-suite or senior-level role in Minnesota, have at least five years of experience in their current industry, and have shown the ability to create significant, positive, and measurable results in their field.

To nominate other best-in-class executives in their fields, click here.

2023 Notable BIPOC Executives

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Leisbel Lam

Leisbel Lam

Principal, Michaud Cooley Erickson
An executive with an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for transformational leadership, Leisbel Lam leads government, higher education, and corporate market sectors at Michaud Cooley Erickson, a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
Glen Lloyd

Glen Lloyd

CEO/executive director, Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota
As CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota (EFMN), Glen Lloyd has demonstrated a strong commitment to racial equity and public health, particularly in serving marginalized individuals in the community.
Michelle Maryns

Michelle Maryns

Founder/CEO, We Sparkle Co.
Inspired by her mother’s experiences as an immigrant and businesswoman, Michelle Maryns founded We Sparkle Co., a public benefit corporation with the aim of building a more inclusive economy by
Caroline Njau

Caroline Njau

Senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Children’s Minnesota
Caroline Njau leads patient care operations across the two largest pediatric hospitals in Minnesota, as well as nursing strategy, education, and professional development. Njau led the recruitment of more than
Verna Price

Verna Price

Founder, Power of People Leadership Institute
Eighteen years ago, Verna Price and her husband, Brother Shane Price, founded the Power of People Leadership Institute (POPLI) in North Minneapolis to empower youths and adults. POPLI offers three
Sandra Pulles

Sandra Pulles

Vice president of equity and inclusion, ServeMinnesota
Sandra Pulles provides direction to move ServeMinnesota toward more inclusive and just practices. Based in Minneapolis, ServeMinnesota is the hub for AmeriCorps in Minnesota, placing more than 2,000 individuals in
Jacinth Smiley

Jacinth Smiley

Chief financial officer/executive vice president, Hormel Foods Corp.
Jacinth Smiley leads all aspects of finance for Hormel Foods Corp., including accounting, internal controls, strategy, performance, treasury, tax, and information technology. She brings more than 25 years of global
Nadege Souvenir

Nadege Souvenir

Chief operating officer, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
Nadege Souvenir leads internal operations at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, a community organization with $1.7 billion in assets. As COO, Souvenir has sponsored an enterprise-wide technology transition and
Angela Spranger

Angela Spranger

Senior diversity officer/director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
Angela Spranger is the first senior diversity officer at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, marking a new era of DEI engagement. She’s met with hundreds of external
Artika Tyner

Artika Tyner

Founder/CEO, Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore
As a civil rights attorney, Artika Tyner saw that many of her clients learned to read in prison. So in 2017, she launched the social enterprise Planting People Growing Justice
Ka Vang

Ka Vang

Vice president of equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, Meet Minneapolis
Ka Vang is the first person to hold the title of vice president of EDIA at Meet Minneapolis, the city’s tourism board. She brings deep industry experience to the role.
Ramona Wilson

Ramona Wilson

Diversity director, Knutson Construction
Ramona Wilson has been building Knutson Construction’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy from the ground up since she joined in 2013. Prior to her tenure, Knutson averaged 10–12% minority workforce
AsaleSol Young

AsaleSol Young

Executive director, Urban Homeworks
As executive director of Urban Homeworks, a community development-focused nonprofit in Minneapolis, AsaleSol Young has become a powerful voice in the pursuit of housing justice. Their advocacy during the spring