We’re so grateful you joined us for Education Is Power, Way to Grow’s annual spring luncheon. Your presence helped make this event a powerful gathering of community, conversation, and commitment to educational equity in Minnesota.
This year, we explored the real pressures families face and shared meaningful strategies to drive change. Together, we’re building a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive.
To continue this vital work, we invite you to support Way to Grow. Your generosity helps ensure more families have the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed—now and for generations to come.
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS
PANEL DISCUSSION
EMPOWERED PARENTS EMPOWER CHILDREN
Our esteemed panelists will explore the realities families face, share strategies for resilience, and discuss how communities, educators, and policymakers can work together to create meaningful change. We look forward to a lively discussion and Q&A moderated by our new CEO, Coco Du.
ALEXANDRIA ANG, Youth Mental Health Advocate and Content Creator
The first time Alex Ang found the words to talk about her mental health was in a fiction book she found at a Little Free Library. Now she’s on a mission to change the way young people have access to storytelling when it comes to their mental health through her work as an advocate and content creator. In 2022, she was one of 30 creators to attend the Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House, hosted by the Biden-Administration and MTV Studios. She served on NAMI’s youth mental health board, NAMI Next Gen, and NAMI’s StigmaFree Workplace Mental Health Advisory Board. In 2024, she was presented with the 2024 Young Innovators in Behavior Health Awards to recognize her contributions in addressing mental health challenges and driving efforts for change in digital mental health. She currently hosts her podcast, a is for anxious: a podcast diary.
COMMISSIONER TIKKI BROWN, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Tikki Brown serves as the commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. She is responsible for services and policies that facilitate adoption, foster care, child protection, child support, child care and early learning, cash and food support, and youth justice. She will focus on supporting Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan’s stand to make Minnesota the best place for children to grow up while advancing equity and inclusion for the children and families we serve. Brown previously served as assistant commissioner of the Children and Family Services Administration at the Minnesota Department of Human Services where she led programs that supported housing and shelter, food shelves, nutrition education, outreach, employment and training, community action and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and worked with her team to deliver programs and strategies designed for Tribal Nations, counties and partner agencies to serve hundreds of thousands of individuals and families with low incomes. Brown is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, the Senior Leadership Institute at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Enterprise Learning and Development, and a fellow of the Equity Leaders in Action Network Fellowship, BUILD Initiative. She has volunteered for numerous organizations, including the American Swedish Institute, where she is vice chairperson on the board of directors.
BRANDON JONES, Executive Director at Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health
Brandon Jones, M.A., CPPM, is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH), where he leverages extensive experience in consulting, mental health, and leadership development. His expertise spans Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), historical and intergenerational trauma, social and emotional intelligence (EQ), leadership development, and the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). Brandon holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in Community Psychology from Metropolitan State University, and a master’s degree in Psychotherapy (Marriage and Family Therapy) from Adler Graduate School. As a 2013 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, he is committed to impactful leadership and community transformation. Guided by his motto, “Live life with purpose, on purpose,” Brandon continues to inspire growth and resilience in the communities he serves.
RONEL ROBINSON, Program Director at Way to Grow
Ronel Robinson oversees home visiting staff, the maternal child and health education curriculum and programming, the Dream Tracks Youth Program, and other parent education classes. She is a member of the Minnesota Coalition of Family Home Visiting, Northside Achievement Zone (Early Childhood and Executive Leadership Committees), The Prenatal to Three Coalition, Birth Equity Community Council and other education and health initiatives. She is the previous President of the MN Association of Black Social Workers. She received her BA in Organizational Management and Communication from Concordia University and additional studies in Business Administration, Family Social Science and Nutrition from Mankato State University.