On KFAI 90.3 FM’s The Conversation with Al McFarlane, Warren McLean, President of the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON), shared how Black entrepreneurs are transforming vacant properties into beacons of ownership and wealth.
“Our mission is to build wealth for low to moderate income entrepreneurs,” said McLean. “Our vision is to transform North Minneapolis into a prosperous, visible, and sustainable multicultural community of entrepreneurs.”
NEON is doing more than envisioning change; it is building it. McLean highlighted the nearly completed NEON Collective Kitchens, a $21 million commercial kitchen facility next to the Capri Theatre. “Forty percent of our clients are in food. When Kindred Kitchen changed its model, our clients had nowhere to cook. We had to fill that gap.”
The debt-free facility will include licensed kitchens, four retail food stalls, and training classrooms. “This isn’t just about food. It’s about ownership,” McLean emphasized. “It’s about making sure our entrepreneurs have access to the same opportunities others do.”
McLean also spotlighted the Black Developers Fund, which provides early-stage capital to Black developers in North Minneapolis. “There were about 100 idle properties here. Our developers didn’t have the funds to acquire and improve them,” he said. “Now they do.”
Al McFarlane described the effort as a “seismic shift” in the economic trajectory of the community. McLean agreed. “This is unprecedented. You’ve got people like Tim Baylor building Satori Village. Houston White is building a mixed-use project in Camden Town. Kenya McKnight Ahad went from being a tenant to owning her building. Tito Wilson is transforming the Fourth Street Saloon into a restaurant. That’s the shift. That’s wealth-building.”
McLean underscored that this change is intentional. “We’re seeing developers with vision and purpose. People are no longer asking if we can. They’re saying we are doing this.”
He stressed that corporate partnerships are playing a key role. “US Bank, Target, and Wells Fargo aren’t just writing checks. They’re helping us make calls. They’re creating pitch decks with us. They’re showing up.”
These partners will speak at NEON’s upcoming Community Conversation on June 25. “We want people to hear directly from them. Too often, these corporations invest quietly. It’s time the community understands how much they’ve contributed.”
For McLean, the goal is long-term. “This isn’t about short-term programs. This is about changing the culture. We’re creating a tipping point.”
McFarlane nodded. “The energy is different. We’re not just surviving. We’re building legacy.”
In the midst of statewide sorrow, North Minneapolis is asserting itself with power and purpose, demonstrating that local leadership, when combined with access to capital and clear vision, can redefine a neighborhood’s future from the inside out.
