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Melvin Carter

Senior Advisor

Melvin is a nationally recognized systems innovator and two-term Mayor of Saint Paul known for advancing equity-centered, community-driven change. As chief executive of an $800 million municipal enterprise, he has led transformative public-private partnerships, guided the city through overlapping crises, and launched nationally recognized models such as Community-First Public Safety and CollegeBound Saint Paul. Melvin brings operational rigor and a deeply human leadership philosophy focused on generational impact and inclusive economic growth.

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Drinal Foster

Chief Impact Officer

Drinal oversees performance measurement, operational excellence, and long-term impact tracking for GroundBreak Coalition, ensuring its transformational goals are matched by disciplined execution. A 30-year Wells Fargo veteran and Senior Vice President, she has led enterprise-wide operational and customer engagement initiatives with a strong focus on equity and inclusion. An award-winning executive and civic leader, Drinal brings deep systems expertise to align strategy, accountability, and innovation in building a more inclusive financial system.

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Mike LaFave

Chief of Staff

Mike serves as Chief of Staff for the GroundBreak Coalition, overseeing governance, operations, and coordinated implementation as the organization expands its impact. With more than 25 years of senior leadership in community development—including roles at Family Housing Fund, Project for Pride in Living, and Neighborhood Development Center—he has dedicated his career to expanding access to housing, capital, and entrepreneurship. Mike brings strategic discipline and partnership-driven leadership to advance equitable wealth building across Minneapolis–St. Paul.

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Gwen King-Lunde

Executive Administrator & Operations Coordinator

Gwen serves as Executive Administrator and Operations Coordinator for the GroundBreak Coalition, strengthening cross-functional coordination and ensuring the organization’s operations run seamlessly in service of its mission. With a background in nonprofit administration, executive support, and program management, she brings expertise in stakeholder engagement, budget oversight, and high-level communications.

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Eric White

Chief Investment Officer

Eric leads the Capital Mobilization aspects of the GroundBreak Coalition, ensuring that our financial institution and community lending partners in entrepreneurship, homeownership, and neighborhood development are working seamlessly in support of the wealth builders we serve. With nearly 20 years experience in impact and investing, mobilizing hundreds of millions of dollars for economic justice at Cogent Consulting, the Bush Foundation, and The Financial Services Consulting Group, mobilizing capital equitably is his life’s work.

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Adair Mosley

CEO

Adair leads the GroundBreak Coalition with a deep commitment to equity-driven transformation and creating new pathways for generational prosperity across Minnesota. With more than a decade of experience leading social impact organizations—including serving as CEO of African American Leadership Forum and President & CEO at Pillsbury United Communities—his career has been dedicated to rallying talent, launching innovative initiatives, and building a more equitable financial system for all.

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What is ABH (Advancing Black Homeownership)?

This first-of-its-kind program combines flexible underwriting criteria with financial assistance to help Black or African-American buyers overcome historically inequitable housing practices and buy their first home. The ABH Community Fund is a collaboration between the Minnesota Homeownership Center, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, Build Wealth Minnesota, NeighborWorks Home Partners, PRG, Inc., Project for Pride in Living (PPL) and GroundBreak Coalition.

Unlocking prosperity for all in the Twin Cities region.

When culture has capacity, the impossible becomes possible. By removing the barriers to financial access, GroundBreak empowers ownership, entrepreneurship, and generational wealth for those our financial system has not served.

+
homeowners
businesses
developments in pipeline

as of 12/31/25

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History in the Making

2020-2022

Galvanized by George Floyd and COVID, we rallied 232 regional leaders to address racial disparities.

2023

We engaged over 170 individuals and 120 organizations to identify pain points and prototype solutions.

2024

We built the sophisticated
infrastructure needed to enable and sustain wealth-building.

2025

Capital deployment begins across the region, reaching hundreds of wealth-builders.

2026

Scaling up the model to direct $5B in community investment by 2034.

MOBILIZING DOLLARS AND CHANGE.

GroundBreak weaves together financial resources with other key forms of capital. Our multi-pronged strategy is designed to close generational wealth gaps now and create a more equitable system long term — in MSP and beyond.

Economic Capital

Deploy dollars and
financial tools at scale to open prosperity for all.

Cultural Capital

Shift norms, narratives, and behaviors to repair harmful systems.

Social Capital

Nurture connections, knowledge, and skills that build community trust.

Symbolic Capital

Grow MSP’S reputation and become the model for inclusive prosperity.

“We’ve tried to fix disparities in our region for 100 years. In GroundBreak, we’re thinking and working at the scale needed to get it done.”

R.T. Rybak, President, Minneapolis Foundation

Bringing everyone to the table.

GroundBreak is proof that when sectors align, real transformation is possible. Our coalition of corporate, civic, and philanthropic leaders is stepping up to do what none us can achieve on our own.

Investors

  • Bremer Bank
  • Bush Foundation
  • Carlson Family Foundation
  • GHR Foundation
  • Huntington
  • Greater MSP
  • J.P. Morgan
  • Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
  • McKnight Foundation
  • Minneapolis Foundation
  • Mortenson Construction
  • PNC
  • Pohlad Family Foundation
  • Securian Financial
  • Target
  • The Nathan Cummings Foundation
  • US Bank

Community Partners

  • Advancing Black Homeownership Community Fund
  • Land Bank Twin Cities
  • LISC Twin Cities
  • Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD)
  • Neighborhood Development Center (NDC)
  • Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON)
  • Project For Pride In Living

Leadership Team

Adair Mosley

CEO

Eric White

Chief Investment Officer

Drinal Foster

Chief Impact Officer

Mike LaFave

Chief of Staff

Gwen King-Lunde

Executive Administrator
& Operations Coordinator

Melvin Carter

Interim Senior Advisor

Project Partners

  • Brand + Marketing
  • AMA Consultants
  • Houston White Ventures
  • Acre Design
  • Fund Development
  • Financial Services Consulting Group
  • Policy and Advocacy
  • O’Connell Consulting
  • African American Leadership Forum

Board of Directors

Tonya Allen

McKnight Foundation
President

Susan Bass Roberts

Pohlad Foundation
President

Donald Dennis

Huntington Bank
EVP, Community Development Director

Peter Frosch

Greater MSP
CEO

Jen Ford Reedy

Bush Foundation
President

Jennifer Ho

Minnesota Housing
Agency (EX OFFICIO)
Commissioner

Suzette Huovinen

Securian Financial
EVP, Enterprise Risk & Capital, President

R.T. Rybak

The Minneapolis Foundation
President and CEO

Tim Welsh

CCC Intelligent Solutions
EVP, President

Jim Zappa

McKnight Foundation
General Counsel

Mohammed Lawal

LSE Architects
CEO & Principal Architect

Ling Becker

Ramsey County
County Manager

Resources & Reports

GroundBreak Coalition: Economic Impact Analysis Report (2025)

Social Return on Investment of the GroundBreak Homeownership Initiative (2025)

Social Return on Investment of the GroundBreak Business Development Initiative (2025)

GroundBreak Coalition: a Case Study of Systemic Investing from TransCap Initiative (2025)

GroundBreak Coalition MEL Report from Terraluna Collaborative (2025)

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