Leading With Purpose

Write-Up: Nelima

Driving Change: The journey of leadership and community impact with Nelima Sitati Munene

Nelima Sitati Munene’s story embodies a commitment to community empowerment and social justice. As the Executive Director of ACER (African Career, Education & Resource, Inc.), Nelima has dedicated her career to addressing inequities and fostering economic and social development within underserved communities emerging as a strategic innovator and thought leader in her work.

Born and raised in Nairobi, Nelima moved to Minnesota over two decades ago for educational opportunities and family connections. Her academic journey laid the groundwork for a career driven by a passion for mission-driven work. Nelima’s immersion in the nonprofit sector was sparked by a desire to build agencies within communities of color to realize their fullest potential, leading her to volunteer at ACER before assuming leadership in 2015. Denise Butler, the current associate director of ACER, and her passion for the work and the community was an inspirational force behind Nelima’s decision to work at and lead ACER.

Under Nelima’s stewardship, ACER has become a leader and catalyst for community-driven change. ACER stands out for its community-centered approach, empowering local residents to address challenges and build innovative sustainable solutions. Acting as a strategic convenor, ACER applies a multi-stakeholder approach on Economic and Community Development, and Social Justice initiatives, from workforce development to housing justice and civic engagement, promoting health equity, enhancing community resilience and empowerment. Through building real estate cooperatives, ACER enables micro-businesses to own affordable commercial spaces, thereby nurturing generational wealth within the community. The recent acquisition of the Shingle Creek Center symbolizes the organization’s commitment to building generational wealth in the community.

Nelima’s leadership style embodies servant leadership, fostering a supportive team environment and leading by example. She credits ACER’s successes to the diverse and strong relationships and partnerships built over time, her team’s dedication and community support. The most rewarding aspect of her role is witnessing the tangible impact on individuals’ lives and the community’s overall progress.

Navigating the nonprofit landscape hasn’t been without challenges. Nelima identifies securing sustainable funding as a persistent hurdle, despite the organization’s impactful work. Fluctuating funding streams often dictate what community priorities can be accomplished, requiring transparent communication with stakeholders. Leadership also comes with sacrifices. Nelima balances demanding schedules with family commitments, drawing strength from their unwavering support, essential in sustaining her leadership journey.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Nelima is deeply introspective and values personal growth. Her commitment to social justice transcends organizational metrics; it’s a personal ethos ingrained in her daily life. Nelima’s authenticity and dedication shine through in her interactions, challenging misconceptions and inspiring others to join in creating meaningful change.

​​Looking ahead, Nelima envisions ACER’s continued evolution grounded in cultivating community leadership, strengthening organizations and partnerships, and building long-term generational wealth. Her goals include increasing community leaders’ capacity and scaling economic development initiatives across the region to deepen their impact.

Nelima Sitati Munene’s journey exemplifies innovation, resilience, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to uplifting marginalized voices. Through ACER, she continues to redefine community empowerment, one initiative at a time, reminding us that impactful leadership fosters equity and opportunity for all.

Interview: Nelima

1. What is Nelima’s African Heritage lineage?

Nelima Sitati Munene was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. Around 27 years ago, Nelima moved to Minnesota to pursue higher education, a decision supported by the fact that much of her family already lived in the state. She got an opportunity to build her career and her family, and made Brooklyn Park, Minnesota her home.

2. What first drew Nelima to work in the non-profit sector?

Nelima had always been drawn to work in a mission driven environment. During her studies, her curiosity and passion for her community led her to pursue understanding why communities of color were not as prosperous or had fewer opportunities. When given the opportunity, she chose to work at a community organization as she wanted to be able to interact with the community directly. This decision shaped the rest of her career.

3. Was there a specific experience or person who inspired Nelima to lead this organization?

Nelima took over as Executive Director of ACER in 2015 but she had been involved with the organization as a volunteer prior to that. Denise Butler, the current associate director of ACER was the one who pulled her into the organization, inspiring Nelima with her passion for the work and the community. Nelima was also working on the Mayoral campaign for Joy Marsh, which inspired her to learn more about the Brooklyn Park community and work in the area.

4. What are some of the biggest challenges Nelima faced in this role, and how did Nelima overcome them?

Nelima has always been a visionary, always looking at the big picture. She believes we have to work by thinking globally and working locally to facilitate working globally while thinking locally. Some of the bigger challenges in her role have been getting others on the same page and bringing people along at a pace that works for everyone. Shifts in funding streams is another challenge she faces. As a leader of a community-led organization, she often has to be the face explaining how changes in funding structures change the priority areas of work, even when the community may not be ready to move on. She has found that open communication and transparency is the best solution in navigating these challenges. 

5. Describe a success story of how the organization has helped the community.

Over the past 15 years, ACER has had many significant successes benefiting the community. The recent successful purchase of the Shingle Creek Center is a great example of that. Micro-businesses in the community did not have access to affordable commercial spaces, needed technical assistance, and were interested in owning commercial property. Through ACER’s economic development work, ACER was able to facilitate the creation of two real estate co-operatives, one of which successfully purchased the commercial property. ACER hopes to be able to build generational wealth in the community through this work.

6. What sets the organization apart from others working on similar issues?

ACER is a community-led and driven organization. We see ourselves as a conduit and catalyst that helps the community build power, build agency, and address challenges that they experience. This community-centered outlook where ACER works with the community and not just for them, that sets ACER apart. 

7. What is one big challenge the organization faced in achieving its mission?

ACER, as an organization, is very mission focused and we tend to stick to our mission on a daily basis. Regardless, the biggest challenge continues to be the lack of adequate and long sustaining resources. The community requires, and deserves, a strong commitment toward improvement along with resources. The challenge is that that commitment is often lacking from funders. Maintaining community trust that we are always advocating for what’s best for the community when we have little to no control over funding decisions is also a major challenge.

8. What are Nelima’s priorities for the organization in the next few years?

Nelima plans to ensure that the organization continues to be grounded in community. She is hoping to establish more community committees that would act as advisors to the board of directors and help shape the work. Her focus is on long-term sustainability of the organization. She wants to focus on a long-term budget of the organization, scaling up the economic development work to continue generational wealth building, and also nurture the next generation of staff to carry forward this work. 

9. What specific program or initiative does the organization run and the impact?

ACER’s work is categorized into two pillars — Economic and Community Development (ECD) and Social Justice. The ECD department focuses on building community economic power, provides technical assistance to micro-businesses, provides workforce development opportunities, etc. The Social Justice department focuses on housing justice, health equity, and civic engagement. 

10. What is Nelima’s leadership style, and how does Nelima motivate her team?

Nelima considers herself to be a servant leader, someone who leads by example and is an avid cheerleader for her team. She enjoys coaching her team, learning from them, and ensuring that they always feel supported. 

11. What are the most rewarding aspects of being executive director?

The community’s appreciation for ACER’s work and the staff is the most rewarding aspect of being the executive director for Nelima. She really appreciates hearing about the community’s experience working with ACER, the relationships built with ACER staff, and the overall enthusiasm for ACER’s success.

12. What sacrifices has Nelima had to make to lead this organization?

When looking back at the sacrifices made to lead ACER, Nelima feels like the sacrifices were not just hers but also of her family’s. Leading an organization like this means long hours, and sometimes an unpredictable schedule. She has had to miss a lot of family time, sometimes on short notice, due to her commitments to her work. From the time she started at ACER as an unpaid Executive Director to today where her time is often stretched thin, her family’s support, has been critical in ensuring that Nelima’s ability to grow and lead the organization.

13. What does Nelima wish more people knew about her and her work?

A highly introverted person in a very extroverted position and space of work, Nelima has to coach herself constantly to be able to put herself out there. She is very intentional about her actions, loves the work she does and the community she lives in. She considers her work in community to be some of the most important work of her life. 

14. What drives Nelima beyond just the facts about the organization?

Nelima is a very inquisitive and curious person. She loves to learn about people — their stories, motivations and dreams. Doing work that she is passionate about makes separating work and life difficult, but she still finds time for things beyond work. She enjoys watching documentaries, studying data and reports, and is passionate about living life to the fullest. For Nelima, social justice is a personal value and she lives her life guided by it everyday.