EMERGE Community Development Information

Mission: Our mission is to reveal the potential in people and communities through skill building, employment, and economic opportunity. Vision: We envision a world where all people have the opportunity to emerge and thrive. History: EMERGE was established as a division of Pillsbury United Communities in 1995 and spun-off as an independent entity in 2007. In 2015, we opened the EMERGE Career and Technology Center (ECTC) in North Minneapolis and merged with non-profit partner Momentum Enterprises, bringing three additional social enterprise businesses into our portfolio. In March 2017, we opened Cedar-Riverside Opportunity Center in partnership with the city, county, local colleges, and other partners. Today we operate a broad spectrum of workforce development and social enterprise businesses in the Twin Cities with the intertwined goals of better jobs, better lives, and better communities. In 2017, EMERGE served 2,979 people: 662 gained jobs, 305 participated in career training, 499 people accessed financial education and services, and 162 formerly homeless individuals and families received services to directly support them in gaining or maintain housing. We offer adult and youth workforce services, combined with a range of other services tailored to the specific needs of the participant. In 2017, 94% of those we served identified as people of color with the largest groups served African American (55%) and African, primarily Somali (25%). Our participants are 84% low-income with 76% under the poverty line. About 35% are overcoming a criminal background; 26% have no high school diploma/GED; 21% speak a primary language other than English, and 13% indicate immigrant/refugee status.