2026 Minnesota and National
Young American Leaders Program

Cohort Announcement

After a highly competitive selection process, we are pleased to announce the 2026 Minnesota and national Young American Leaders Program cohort. More than 240 outstanding leaders applied to be a part of this year’s cohort, each of whom is committed to working across sectors to help their communities and our region prosper inclusively.

Please join us in congratulating these leaders and recognizing their commitment to collaborate across differences for the shared prosperity of our region and our state! Together these leaders represent a unique force for expanding the power of cross-sector collaboration. Read on for more information about the Programs:

Minnesota Young American Leaders Program

Greater Duluth

Janie Dunckley Moore, Brico Works
Delaney Gagnon, Essentia Health
Luis Islas, University of Minnesota Duluth
Jenna Kowaleski, Whole Foods Co-op
Cassandra Liubakka, Family Services Collaborative of St. Louis County
Michael Scharenbroich, Minnesota Power

Greater Fargo-Moorhead

Laura Ascheman, First International Bank & Trust
Michelle Carney, Clay County Attorney's Office
Ahmed Makaraan, ESHARA (Ethnic Self-Help Alliance for Refugee Assistance)
Emma McIntyre, Minnesota Public Radio
Sean Syverson, Swing Barrel Brewing Co.
Sylvanus Teboh, University of North Dakota / Sanford Health

Greater Mankato

Brent Christopherson, Taylor Corporation
Devan Mortwedt, Mankato Dept. of Public Safety
Alayna Osborne, Mayo Clinic Health System
Anna Pollock, Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council
Michael Stalberger, Blue Earth County, MN
Leah Thiele, Compeer Financial

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul

Andrew Baumgartner, Grace Lutheran Church of Northeast Minneapolis
Monica Cruz Zorrilla, Imagine Deliver | Imagine Commons
Chris Iles, The Minnesota Star Tribune
Binta Kanteh, Hennepin County
Jazmine Logan, Cargill
Beth Pfeifer, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Rinal Ray, Minnesota Housing
Priscilla Stallings, State of Minnesota
Libby Stegger, Civic Bridgers
Sara Swenson, Goff Public
Benjamin Waltz, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Stephanie Weber, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Greater Rochester

Muse Abdi, Olmsted County
Stacy Brumfield, Gilbane Building Company
Kenneth Bush, Bush Companies
Leticia Flores, City of Rochester
Natalie Hamilton, Mayo Clinic
Brittany Hennessy, Habitat for Humanity serving Winona County

Greater St. Cloud

Sabrin Ali, CAIRO-Minnesota
Uvini Amanthi Demuth, Demuth Spinal Care & Concussion Center
Shantelle Kane, Saint Cloud State University
Alberto Ramos, St. Cloud Technical & Community College
Clarinda Solberg, United Way of Central Minnesota
Kimberly Windschitl, Creative Apparatus, LLC

Young American Leaders Program

Minneapolis - St. Paul

Nicole Archbold, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Ron Hall, Preston Spire
Meghan Kober, U.S. Bank
Munira Maalimisaq, Inspire Change Clinic
Nadia Mohamed, City of St. Louis Park
Maria Ploessl, University of Minnesota - Technology Commercialization
Elvis Rivera, Small Business Empowerment Network
Malik Rucker, V3 Sports
Nonoko Sato, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Aaron Sinner, UnitedHealthcare

About the Programs

The Minnesota Young American Leaders Program (MYALP) is hosted by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Integrative Leadership (CIL). Established in 2019, MYALP convenes annually in May and gathers leaders from six regions across Minnesota. MYALP shares core themes, select faculty, and curated content with Harvard Business School’s national Young American Leaders Program (YALP), established in 2015.

This connection reflects the shared mission to advance U.S. competitiveness and prosperity through cross-sector collaboration. Harvard’s foundational research underscores the importance of city-level partnerships between business, government, and non-profit leaders to drive meaningful and sustainable change. Together MYALP and YALP participants comprise one cohort, fostering a robust network of cross-sector leaders committed to improving their communities. To date, over 390 Minnesota leaders have participated in one of these Programs, building bridges and catalyzing progress across the state.

For the 2026 cohorts, selection committees led by local partners considered applications from a wide range of leaders from across business, government, and non-profit organizations. Final cohort selections were based not only on an individual’s application and experience, but also on the Program goal of connecting individuals and organizations across a range of roles, organizations, and sectors.

Thank you to our city selection partners:

Greater Duluth: Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater Fargo-Moorhead: Downtown Moorhead, Inc.
Greater Mankato: Greater Mankato Growth
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul: GREATER MSP
Greater Rochester: Destination Medical Center
Greater St. Cloud: Greater St. Cloud

The 2026 Minnesota Young American Leaders Program will be held May 17 - 20, 2026, at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. The 2026 national Young American Leaders Program will be held June 23 - 26, 2025, at Harvard Business School.

2026 Minnesota and National
Young American Leaders Program

Cohort Announcement

Contact

Important Links

2026 Minnesota and National Young American Leaders Program

Cohort Announcement

Contact

Important Links

2026 Minnesota and National
Young American Leaders Program