Meet our Inaugural Advisory Board

Rooted Philanthropic is excited to announce its inaugural Advisory Board of five members.  This group of individuals brings extensive experience in small business development, community organizing, capital activation, East Side knowledge, and philanthropy. 

Rooted Philanthropic is excited to announce its inaugural Advisory Board of five members.  This group of individuals brings extensive experience in small business development, community organizing, capital activation, East Side knowledge, and philanthropy.  Rooted Philanthropic is committed to engaging representatives from the broader community who bring lived experience of Saint Paul’s East Side, content expertise of the funding areas and/or knowledge of philanthropic and nonprofit best practices to serve on an Advisory Board.

“We look forward to learning alongside these seasoned and connected individuals as we fully launch Rooted Philanthropic and articulate our vision and funding priorities,” said Patrick Troska, Executive Director.  “Our founders, Shannon Runyon and Chuck Runyon, understand that they alone do not know what the East Side communities need to actualize their potential. By engaging these diverse voices, our grantmaking and overall philanthropic activities will be more authentic and more connected to the community.”

The Advisory Board members are:

  • Andre Creighton

    Andre is a graduate of Harding High School and has an MBA in Finance from Augsburg University. He is the Head Football coach at Harding Senior High. He sits on the advisory board of the Page Education Foundation, the Minnesota Vikings High School advisory board, and the Board of Directors for the Saint Paul Area Chamber. He is currently the Chief Financial Officer for TurnSignl.

  • Indira Garmendia Alfaro

    Indira is the co-founder of Learning to Transform consulting. Indira has dedicated her life to defending justice for women, immigrants, workers, and people of color. She is a proud Nicaraguan feminist and organizer with 12 years of professional experience organizing in Central America and the U.S., who believes in the collective power of everyday people.

  • Marcq Sung

    Marcq is a senior program officer with the Vibrant & Equitable Communities program at McKnight Foundation. He was previously with the Community Reinvestment Fund, USA and the City of Saint Paul in the Planning and Economic Development department as a director of business development, highlighting cultural business corridors.

  • James E. Terrell

    James is an experienced executive with more than 30 years of proven success in business, banking, development, finance and economic development. He is retired from the Minneapolis Center for Planning & Economic Development and is currently the Co-Founder and President of Fortis Capital.

  • Kayla Yang-Best

    Kayla is the CEO of Seasoned Specialty Foods.  She formerly led education initiatives at the Bush Foundation and charitable giving at Cargill Foundation.  She has her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law.

The Advisory Board will work with the Board of Directors and the staff to assist the Board in setting priorities and provide recommendations related to the foundation’s charitable activities. Additionally, the Advisory Board will review program and community data in order to provide recommendations for grantmaking and program improvement, including evaluation and impact reporting on the foundation’s grants. Lastly, the Advisory Board will review grant applications and provide recommendations about how grant funds are distributed, including impact investing.

The Advisory Board role is advisory and is governed by the Advisory Board Charter, accountable to the Board of Directors as outlined in the Charter.  Advisory Board members cannot be members of or connected to an existing or future grantee of the foundation.

For more information, please contact Patrick Troska at [email protected].