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TurnSignl was born out of bridge-building. To make it truly effective, we needed to bring communities of color and police to the same table. I met with police chiefs across the country, trained a national network of attorneys in de-escalation and built trust on both sides of the windshield. The goal remains simple: to help everyone, drivers and officers alike, get home safely. The result has been remarkable: more than 200,000 covered lives and a sustainable model built on accountability, with calls being answered across the country every day. Through my work I’ve learned real progress means investing in people as much as in ideas. That principle guides my work at the University of St. Thomas teaching entrepreneurial finance: How to make smart, values-driven decisions with limited resources. I started teaching because I wanted more Black students to see themselves at the front of the classroom, leading and shaping the future of business and law. Bridge-building also means bench-building and creating pathways for the next generation of leaders to guide Minneapolis forward. The same commitment to collaboration and impact has defined my work with Catholic Charities. As the housing crisis deepened and homelessness became an emergency, I didn’t just talk about solutions, I partnered with an organization with a long track record of compassionate, effective service. Together, we brought different parties to the table to address emergency homelessness through housing-first approaches with wraparound services. Minneapolis stands at a crossroads. While our communities face urgent challenges — affordable housing, immigrant families torn apart, small businesses paralyzed with fear for their workforces — a deep divide exists between the mayor’s office and City Council that threatens any progress. Property taxes have risen as the City Auditor’s Office is defunded, unchecked police overtime has spurned wage theft investigations and our homelessness response team operates with just four employees. I’m not part of the established political structure, and I see that as a strength. We need a mayor who has spent his career actually building bridges and finding solutions to create a city that will stand strong in the face of federal overreach and fiscal challenges. The coin in my pocket reminds me that in our darkest moments, Minneapolis has always chosen to rebuild. I’m running for mayor because I believe Minneapolis deserves leadership that unites rather than divides. Leadership that prepares for challenges rather than reacting to crises.
