Empowering our next generation of leaders.
While Minnesota may be a leader in education, our children of color are too often left behind. With one of the largest opportunity gaps in the country, we made a promise to our community—we will be there for you.
At Way to Grow, we support families with children from birth to age eight, empowering our next generation of leaders. We are proud to work with more than 1,700 individuals in Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs—neighbors who work hard to provide for their children and are active in their community and their child’s education. With a team of talented Family Educators, we provide year-round services every day to Way to Grow families and their surrounding communities.
Meet Our Team
Carolyn Smallwood, CEO
Programming
Preschool Pals
Administrative
Board of Directors
Carolyn Smallwood, CEO
Carolyn Smallwood joined Way to Grow in 2004. She previously served as vice president for Sales and Marketing at Twin Cities Rise! and Executive Director of the Minnesota Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) Prior to entering the nonprofit field, she was the Director of Supplier Diversity with ADC, the Broadband Company, and a senior business banker at U.S. Bancorp.
In 2014, the Star Tribune named Carolyn on one of the Twin Cities’ “Top African-Americans of Influence.” She currently serves on the Ciresi and Walburn Foundation Board of Directors, the African American Leadership Forum Board of Directors, Minnesota Comeback Board of Directors (where she serves as Co-Chair), and the MinneMinds Executive Committee. Carolyn also sat on Governor Mark Dayton’s Early Learning Council for four years. In 2014, she was selected by Mayor Betsy Hodges to co-chair the Cradle to K Cabinet. Other previous board positions include the MacPhail Center for Music, the College of Saint Benedict, the Jeremiah Program, the Citizen’s League, and the Children’s Theatre Company. She also served as a member of the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s Early Learning Executive Committee, as well as the Promise Neighborhood Solution Action Group.
Programming
Program Leadership
Ronel Robinson
rrobinson@mplswaytogrow.org
Patricia Hayes
pross@mplswaytogrow.org
Programming Staff
Alexa Rodriguez
arodriguez@mplswaytogrow.org
Alison Dakota
adakota@mplswaytogrow.org
Amanda Erickson
aerickson@mplswaytogrow.org
Amina Ammi
aammi@mplswaytogrow.org
Anthony Allen
aallen@mplswaytogrow.org
Eveline Rojas
erojas@mplswaytogrow.org
Jamesetta Diggs
jdiggs@mplswaytogrow.org
Juliet Cha
jcha@mplswaytogrow.org
Maria Soto
msoto@mplswaytogrow.org
Michelle Christofore
mchristofore@mplswaytofrow.org
Pamela Khang
pkhang@mplswaytogrow.org
Roxanne Bell
rbell@mplswaytogrow.org
Ruth Gishen
rgishen@mplswaytogrow.org
Sadia Abdullahi
sabdullahi@mplswaytogrow.org
Santa Rodriguez
srodriguez@mplswaytogrow.org
Shany Fahiye
sfahiye@mplswaytogrow.org
Tatiana Buckner
tbuckner@mplswaytogrow.org
Preschool Pals
Preschool Pals Staff
Craig Allen
callen@mplswaytogrow.org
Eka Nagoya
ehanif@mplswaytogrow.org
Marisa McKinley
wlane@mplswaytogrow.org
Nichole Jensen
njensen@mplswaytogrow.org
Willie Lane
wlane@mplswaytogrow.org
Administrative
Development & Communications
Kim Bowman
kbowman@mplswaytogrow.org
Melissa Meyer
mmeyer@mplswaytogrow.org
Liz Woods
lwoods@mplswaytogrow.org
Kate Kinkade
kkinkade@mplswaytogrow.org
Chelsea DeLong
cdelong@mplswaytogrow.org
Community Relationships
Tavyer Buechler
tbuechler@mplswaytogrow.org
Data
Andrew Lindvall
alindvall@mplswaytogrow.org
Daniel Hanson
dhanson@mplswaytogrow.org
Tom Frank
tfrank@mplswaytogrow.org
Office and Administration
Sara Brandt
sbrandt@mplswaytogrow.org
Mark Henderson
mhenderson@mplswaytogrow.org
Roggie Robinson
r.lrobinson@mplswaytogrow.org
Board of Directors
Leadership
Sophie Kelley, Chair
Retired, Senior Vice President, Associated Bank, Market Director
Michael Garrett, Vice Chair & Secretary
Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Laurie Lafontaine, Treasurer
Retired, Former Vice President
Gaye Adams Massey, Past Chair (Emeritus)
Chief Executive Officer
YWCA of St. Paul
Directors
Angela Slaughter
Senior Director, Counsel, Aetna, Inc.
Ann Yates
Senior Marketing Manager, 3M
Art Rolnick
Senior Fellow, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Bob Barnett
Senior Fellow & Principal Consultant, MDA Leadership Consultants
Brian Crosby
Vice President, Community Accountability Officer, Associated Bank
Chris Mongeon, (Emeritus)
Wealth Advisor, Parable Wealth Partners
Darrell Ellsworth
Control Management Sr. Manager, Wells Fargo
Dave Nassif
Retired
Frank Schweigert
Professor in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts, Metropolitan State University
Jaime Stilson
Partner, Dorsey & Whitney
Janis Clay
Retired, Executive Director, Board Chair, Civic Caucus
Jeanne Ravich
Community Volunteer, Books to Grow Project
Jim Boyle
President, James R. Boyle & Associates
Julia Halberg
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dean’s Cabinet, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
Julie Baker (Emeritus)
Retired
Karen Contag
Community Volunteer
Kevin Nilan
Retired, 3M, Global Assessment Manager
Kyle Green
Senior Manager, National Department of Professional Practice, KPMG LLP
Laura Bohlander
President, LRE Foundation
Luis Moreno
Co-Founder, The TCBPN
Malcolm McDonald (Emeritus)
Retired
Nasibu Sareva (Emeritus)
Executive Director, African Development Center
Randy Sauter
Senior Manager, Information Security, US Bank
Vanessa Laird (Emeritus)
Executive Director, University of Minnesota Center for Integrative Leadership
Vickie Mattys
Community Volunteer
Yohuru Williams
Distinguished University Chair, Professor of History & Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative, University of St. Thomas
"Alison and Way to Grow give us access to resources, opportunities, and events that we never would have been able to experience otherwise."
Sydney, Way to Grow Parent
Our Stories
Paying it Forward
An early start and so much support truly paid off for Octavio. A fast learner, he would pick up new skills quickly and his comprehension consistently challenged his Family Educator to bring different and interesting lessons to the home.
Now a seventh-grader, Octavio’s performance in math and science far exceeded grade level. Yet rather than coasting through his classes, he stepped up to help those around him. “I was just able to grasp what was being taught and then helped others understand it as well,” he explains. Octavio was such an asset to his class that he was asked to help tutor kids in a summer school program.
All for One, One for All
With the help of Patricia, her Family Educator, Lauren was able to get her son Zachariah into speech and occupational therapy, then into a Head Start program. “He first came to us not talking and now we cannot get him to be quiet,” Patricia laughs. “Even this early, I think he knows he has some obstacles, but he is determined to overcome them.”
“Miss Patricia is my backup, my resource. I know I can count on her,” expresses Lauren. Patricia agrees: “We all just have a tight knit bond. Working with them has elevated my experience as a Family Educator.”
People to Look Up To
Often the first and last Way to Grow employee our preschool students see, Mr. Willie makes it a point to be not just a driver, but an integral part of their lives every day.
“We bond because I listen to them. Sometimes they have problems, sometimes they have concerns, and sometimes they just want someone to talk to,” Mr. Willie explains. “Each child is different, and they are so intelligent and energetic. When I look at our bus, I see that we have the makings of future lawyers, doctors, politicians—almost every type of position that will contribute to our community in the future.”
Culture to Culture
“Having Alison, having a native person as my Family Educator, has positively contributed to my experience at Way to Grow. There is something about sharing a culture; she just understands where I am coming from and what I am going through,” Sydney expresses. “She makes it easy and comfortable…. Alison and Way to Grow give us access to resources, opportunities, and events that we never would have been able to experience otherwise. They have been able to show us what community really is, and we are so grateful.”
