Anisa Hajimumin is the Assistant Commissioner for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs with Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. She is State of Minnesota’s primary specialist on immigrant and refugee affairs. Anisa was born in Somalia and like many immigrants, she spent most of her life in Minnesota. Hajimumin is an entrepreneur who has founded and led two businesses with a focus on providing technical and strategic support to entrepreneurs from communities of color and immigrants and refugees. She also returned to her home country for three years, when she served as the Minister of Women, Development and Family Affairs in Puntland, Somalia from 2014-17.
Hajimumin holds a Masters in Public Administration from Hamline University and BA in Gender Studies with minors in Creative Writing. Hajimumin has an executive experience in leading collaborations with local, state, national and international agencies and government entities to move policies forward.
In Somalia: Anisa led an effort that increased women’s political participation, oversaw building centers to serve women, youth and people with disabilities, and launched and implemented policies for gender development, Female Genital Mutilation and Girl/Women Empowerment.
Hajimumin is a mother of three, two daughters and a son. She is a writer and public speaker. She is currently working on short stories anthology to be published in early 2021.
Hajimumin holds a Masters in Public Administration from Hamline University and BA in Gender Studies with minors in Creative Writing. Hajimumin has an executive experience in leading collaborations with local, state, national and international agencies and government entities to move policies forward.
In Somalia: Anisa led an effort that increased women’s political participation, oversaw building centers to serve women, youth and people with disabilities, and launched and implemented policies for gender development, Female Genital Mutilation and Girl/Women Empowerment.
Hajimumin is a mother of three, two daughters and a son. She is a writer and public speaker. She is currently working on short stories anthology to be published in early 2021.
Dr. Felix K Acquah is the Director of Corporate Finance and Assistant Corporate Controller at Oportun Financial Corporation, a San Francisco based financial services company. Dr. Acquah has served in various leadership roles throughout his career. Prior to joining Oportun, he served as Vice President of Finance at Citigroup, Inc and Auction.com. Over the years, his focus included Controllership functions/oversight, Asset-Backed Securitization, and Capital Adequacy monitoring.
Dr. Acquah earned a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc.) in Chemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana. He holds a Master of Science (MS) degree in Accounting, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from the University of Dallas' graduate School of Business. He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration with Corporate Finance concentration from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Dr. Acquah earned a Bachelor of Science degree (BSc.) in Chemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana. He holds a Master of Science (MS) degree in Accounting, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from the University of Dallas' graduate School of Business. He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration with Corporate Finance concentration from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Dr. S. Miata Getaweh is a Human Resources Manager at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and an Adjunct Professor in the Human Resources Program at the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Dr. Getaweh has worked in the human resources field for over a decade, providing strategic human resources planning and support to organizations. Prior to joining Lutheran Social Service, she worked as the Director of Human Resources at AccessAbility. Dr. Getaweh is passionate about changing the narratives of the African Immigrant and event planning, which led her to transform her dissertation findings into the African Immigrant Professional Development Conference, combining both of her passions while making a difference.
Dr. Getaweh holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Bethel University, St Paul, Minnesota, a Master of Arts in Human Resources and a Doctor of Business Administration with Strategic Management concentration from the Saint Mary University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Dr. Getaweh holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Bethel University, St Paul, Minnesota, a Master of Arts in Human Resources and a Doctor of Business Administration with Strategic Management concentration from the Saint Mary University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Lauren Hunter is the Director of Diversity Recruitment and Retention at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the State’s largest government agency providing services intended to help people live as independently as possible. In this role, Lauren oversees a comprehensive recruitment and retention strategy that focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). This includes managing partnerships with internal and external constituents; establishing relationships with diverse organizations; managing the agency’s presence at career fairs working to ensure a culture of inclusion and belonging. Prior to joining DHS, Lauren worked in talent acquisition for a variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, healthcare and nonprofit. Her experience includes developing comprehensive recruitment plans and strategies to reach diverse candidates, creating tools to measure effectiveness of these strategies, and managing the integration of diversity in full-cycle recruitment and retention initiatives.
An Indiana native, Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Indiana University-Bloomington and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, specializing in Human Resources Management. Lauren is also a Certified Diversity Professional through the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC). Lauren is an active community leader, serving as the Board Chair of the University YMCA and a member of the Ramsey County Workforce Innovation Board. Most recently, Lauren was selected as a 2020 Honoree in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for Women in Business.
An Indiana native, Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Indiana University-Bloomington and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, specializing in Human Resources Management. Lauren is also a Certified Diversity Professional through the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC). Lauren is an active community leader, serving as the Board Chair of the University YMCA and a member of the Ramsey County Workforce Innovation Board. Most recently, Lauren was selected as a 2020 Honoree in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for Women in Business.
Pitman A. Kennedy, is the owner and CEO of Sweat Equity Athletic & Leadership Development, LLC, an organization that provides a holistic approach to athletic skill and character development through individual, group, and organizational leadership consulting; personal fitness training; keynote and motivational speaking services; and philanthropic initiatives.Born and raised in Liberia, West Africa, Pitman speaks of how he escaped his homeland due to civil war and sought refuge in neighboring Sierra Leone for two years prior to entering the United States as a refugee, in his recently published memoir and an Amazon bestseller, The Audacity of Resilience: A Refugee Memoir. In his quest to continue his education and reconstruct his life, Pitman quickly obtained his GED, entered the University of Houston and subsequently joined the United States Air Force.
After 21 years of honorable service, Pitman retired from the Air Force in 2016, where he held a myriad of leadership roles. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology, from Bowie State University, Maryland, a Master of Science in Management from National Louis University, Illinois, and is currently completing his Doctor of Education in Organizational Behavior at Grand Canyon University, Arizona. He also has obtained Graduate Certificates in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Project Management from Villanova University. Pitman is certified as a USA Basketball Youth Development Gold License coach and a Certified Vertimax Trainer. In addition, Pitman is a professional member of the National Speaker’s Association, Toastmasters International, the Black Doctoral Network, the and the National Association of Sports Medicine.
After 21 years of honorable service, Pitman retired from the Air Force in 2016, where he held a myriad of leadership roles. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology, from Bowie State University, Maryland, a Master of Science in Management from National Louis University, Illinois, and is currently completing his Doctor of Education in Organizational Behavior at Grand Canyon University, Arizona. He also has obtained Graduate Certificates in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Project Management from Villanova University. Pitman is certified as a USA Basketball Youth Development Gold License coach and a Certified Vertimax Trainer. In addition, Pitman is a professional member of the National Speaker’s Association, Toastmasters International, the Black Doctoral Network, the and the National Association of Sports Medicine.
Margretta Getaweh is the Director of Community Outreach and Partnerships at Planned Parenthood North Central States. Margretta has worked with Planned Parenthood since January 2015 and is responsible for leading parent programs and supports staff working in the African Immigrant and Latinx communities. Previously, she delivered the African youth sex education program at PPMNS. Prior to joining PPMNS, she worked as the Program Coordinator for the Miss Teen African Pageant for 5 years, a pageant that inspires young women to take pride in their identity, build positive self-esteem and be significantly involved in their communities by becoming advocates for public health in the African community. She was the Youth Leadership Facilitator for the Minnesota African Women’s Association, African Girls Initiative for Leadership and Empowerment. A program that focused on sexuality education, civic engagement, and helped African girls connect with education and other resources. Margretta currently serves on the organizing team for the African Immigrant Professional Development Conference a conference gear toward providing African immigrant professionals and students with skills and resources to attain professional success. Margretta attained a Master of Arts Degree in International Development and Service from Concordia University in 2014. She has experience working with adolescents in and out of the United States. Margretta was recently promoted to Director.
Charles Dennis is from Liberia, West Africa, and has been in the Twin Cities for 25yrs. He currently hosts the African Roots Connection Talk Show on KMOJ FM 89.9 on Saturday mornings, Charles also works at Ameriprise Financial as a Manager for Risk in Technology Infrastructure. In 2009, Charles participated in the MN Collegiate Cyber Defense competition which had the goal to defend complex business network infrastructures from hackers. He holds a Masters of Science in Security Technologies from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelors in Information Assurance from the Metropolitan State University. Charles is currently a Community Faculty at the Metropolitan State University and has also been a guest lecturer at St. Olaf College and Globe University speaking on African and African American History and ITT Technical Institute on Information Risk Management. He enjoys reading, golfing and music.
Philomena serves as Director of Diversity & Inclusion and External Strategic Partnerships. She joined Land O’Lakes June 2017, bringing more than 30 years of human resource experience in diversity and inclusion, community relations, work life and wellbeing. Before joining Land O’Lakes, she worked at Wells Fargo &Company. Her previous roles included VP of Organizational Effectiveness Development, Diversity and Inclusion; Community Outreach Consultant; and Senior HR Consultant. Philomena recently joined the Board of Directors for the Cookie Cart organization. She co-leads the Leadership Advisory Board for SHIFT and formerly served on the Board of SHIFT (nonprofit focused on people in midlife) for 8 years. Philomena serves on the Agriculture D and I Consortium and co-chairs the Twin Cities D&I Roundtable. Philomena was recently named to the Minnesota Workforce Citizen Commission on Aging. She previously served on the Minneapolis Workforce Council, the Executive Leadership Council for Honoring Women Worldwide, the Goodwill Easter Seals, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), Lifeworks, HIRED and Resource Inc. Advisory Boards. She also co-led the 2020 Women on Boards initiative for Minnesota.
Busisiwe “Busi” Hands is a community development professional and principal consultant of Akhani Consulting, which she launched in early 2020 after working with non-profit organizations in North Minneapolis. Busi’s passion for social impact and community-led change is what led to her starting Akhani Consulting, which exists to partner with non-profit start-ups, established non-profits and businesses to help them design, implement and monitor programs that are relevant to their communities’ needs. Busi is from South Africa and moved to the US in 2016. In the same year, she became involved with Cultivate International which is a twin Cities-based non-profit organization that provides training in community development and social impact to people leading community-based programs globally. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for the organization and chairs its program committee. She is currently doing her Masters in Public Policy at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Ann Taylor is Director of Talent Acquisition at Land O’Lakes, and in this role, leads recruitment for the organization as well as oversight for College Relations recruitment services for our member owners. She contributes to the broader talent management initiatives for the Land O’Lakes enterprise, including as a member of the Talent Management Steering team at Land O’Lakes, as well as an active member of the Diversity Enrichment Council and part of the Recruitment Advisory Board for Minorities in Agriculture, National Resources, and Related Sciences. Prior to her current position, she held the role of Human Resources Director for Dairy Foods, Purina Business to Business, and the Corporate Centers for Land O’Lakes, Inc. In addition to spending more than 18 years in her career at Land O’Lakes and through various roles within the HR organization, she previously held roles as Division Director for Robert Half, International and in Human Resources for Merrill Corporation. Ann holds a College of Liberal Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.
As a first-generation American, Ose Sesay enjoys aiding professional foreign candidates because she understands how difficult it can be to pursue career opportunities on your own. Ose ran a high-profit division placing international employees from around the world in employment opportunities around the United States. If you are looking for personalized help for your employment sponsorship, then Ose is your choice! In addition to coaching individuals, Ose offers her career development services to companies. Through helping many foreign candidates, Ose became an expert turned consultant on educating HR managers, company presidents, and vice-presidents, associates, healthcare facilities, universities and students on the steps to become sponsored and create sponsorship programs in institutions.