2026 Notable Diverse Leaders

These 21 notable leaders across industries not only represent a range of diverse groups; they also work to ensure everyone has a place at the table at their institutions and in their communities.

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 have at least five years of experience in their field and have shown the ability to effect change in their roles or areas of practice.

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

2026 Notable Diverse Leaders

Darryl Barnes

Darryl Barnes

Co-founder, chief transformation officer, chief technology officer, Sonex Health
Darryl Barnes, a former Mayo Clinic physician, co-founded Sonex Health in 2014. At the Eagan-based company, he developed a minimally invasive treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome and other common and debilitating conditions.
Erin Bryan

Erin Bryan

Partner, Dorsey & Whitney
At Dorsey & Whitney, Erin Bryan advises banks, financial institutions, and other financial services clients on complex legal and regulatory matters. All along, she has built her career on the
Anjuli Cameron

Anjuli Cameron

CEO, SEWA-AIFW
SEWA-AIFW, based in Brooklyn Center, bills itself as Minnesota’s largest South Asian-serving nonprofit, dedicated to family wellness and safety-net services for vulnerable community members, including seniors, refugees, and survivors of
Shanaya Dungey

Shanaya Dungey

Chief operating officer, African American Leadership Forum
Shanaya Dungey has helped guide the African American Leadership Forum through organizational growth, executive transition, and institutional change. As chief operating officer since 2023, she has supported the organization’s evolution into a
Michelle Edgerton

Michelle Edgerton

Executive vice president and chief advancement officer, YMCA of the North
Michelle Edgerton has reshaped the oulook for fundraising at the Minneapolis-based YMCA of the North, one of the five biggest YMCAs globally. Specifically, Edgerton has recently driven record fundraising performance while strengthening
Luisa Fuentes

Luisa Fuentes

Founder and CEO, Rayito de Sol
Luisa Fuentes has been working to advance the professional contributions of educators across the Spanish-speaking world for more than two decades. With the Minneapolis-based Rayito de Sol, Fuentes has created
Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard

Founder and CEO, Victory Business Solutions
Since 2020, Brittany Howard has led Victory Business Solutions, a Minneapolis-based accounting and tax firm, with a mission in mind: to help close financial literacy and generational wealth gaps for
Nicole Konikow

Nicole Konikow

Vice president of operations and HR, Claros Technologies
At Claros Technologies, Nicole Konikow has built the Minneapolis-based company’s human resources function from the ground up while also expanding into strategic operations leadership, thus creating the operational and cultural foundation behind one
Saron Leul

Saron Leul

Founder and CEO, Just Kids Autism Center
Saron Leul founded Just Kids Autism Center to remove barriers to high-quality autism services for children. The behavioral health organization in Bloomington specializes in applied behavior analysis therapy and early intensive developmental
Brittany Lewis

Brittany Lewis

Founder and CEO, Research in Action
As founder of the Minneapolis-based Research in Action, Brittany Lewis has built an organization dedicated to research grounded in reciprocal relationships with communities; hundreds of families have trusted Lewis, a
Rene Madrid

Rene Madrid

Vice president and branch manager, U.S. Bank
Rene Madrid has worked to advance financial inclusion across the Twin Cities throughout his nearly 30-year career, fueled by his own experience as an immigrant from El Salvador. For more
Alex Merritt

Alex Merritt

Vice president of program operations, Twin Cities R!SE
Alex Merritt has led Twin Cities R!SE to new heights in its mission of workforce development, particularly for individuals facing employment barriers. Merritt joined the Minneapolis-based nonprofit five years ago,
Mohamed Omar

Mohamed Omar

Chief operating officer, ServeMinnesota
Mohamed Omar is the first chief operating officer at ServeMinnesota, which is responsible for annually securing and sub-granting tens of millions of dollars in federal funding. Omar has grown the
Keisha Powell

Keisha Powell

Director of equity and inclusion, Children’s Minnesota
Keisha Powell is strengthening equity, inclusion, and diversity at Children’s Minnesota. Over the past year or so, Powell has advanced the Minneapolis-based organization’s employee resource group (ERG) strategy, including its
Miguel Alexander Pozo

Miguel Alexander Pozo

Shareholder and litigation partner, Cozen O’Connor
With nearly 30 years’ experience as a trial lawyer, general counsel, chief compliance officer, and strategic advisor, Miguel Alexander Pozo has helped clients ranging from nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies.
Elvis Rivera

Elvis Rivera

Community leader, author, and public speaker
Elvis Rivera has been building bridges across the business, nonprofit, education, and government sectors, working to create opportunities for others. As a 2025 Bush Fellow, he has focused on expanding his leadership
Matthew Robinson

Matthew Robinson

Partner, Maslon
Matthew Robinson, a partner in Maslon’s Financial Services Group, helps financial institutions maximize recoveries when commercial borrowers or guarantors default on their loans or become insolvent. With over a decade
Julien Sharp

Julien Sharp

General manager, U.S., Asmodee
Julien Sharp leads one of the largest tabletop gaming businesses in North America, overseeing sales, marketing, logistics, forecasting, and distribution across the U.S. and international English-speaking markets. Amid industry-wide challenges,