Northspan, a regional economic development nonprofit and private consulting firm based out of Duluth, strives to take a holistic, inclusive approach toward economic development in the communities we work in across Northeast Minnesota. Through decades of experience, we’ve recognized that thriving, vibrant communities can’t happen without a strong foundation of embracing diversity, promoting equitable outcomes, and cultivating a sense of belonging.
To begin our work in intentionally supporting regional welcoming and inclusion efforts, Northspan launched the Welcoming Community program in 2021. This program began with the goal of increasing belonging among historically underrepresented groups and building trust between people from different backgrounds and lived experiences, aiming to provide opportunities for greater connection across group boundaries and develop intercultural competence among community leaders and members in the region.
In 2025, Northspan’s Welcoming Community, along with our NORTHFORCE and Northland Connection programming, was consolidated under the umbrella of the new Driving Access to Wealth and Networks (DAWN) program. Northspan’s DAWN program promotes the development and growth of communities across Northeast Minnesota by focusing on three interconnected areas: forming connections, building capacity, and accessing capital. The principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are key components that extend beyond our core Welcoming Community initiatives into all areas of Northspan’s work, including our programming supporting entrepreneurship, workforce development, and more.
Paired with an understanding of the changing demographic makeup and economic challenges facing the Northeast Minnesota region, Northspan incorporates both academic and community-based research into our inclusion efforts. Regional connections are another key component of our work, including leveraging long-standing relationships and building new relationships based on a foundation of authenticity and trust. Northspan has established itself as a central hub for inclusion-based community and economic development work throughout the Northland. We proudly work to reflect our diverse strengths, promote mutual understanding, and address barriers to success by connecting resources and creating an enduring support network across the region.
Northspan’s Welcoming Community initiatives, aiming to positively impact the civic, economic, and intercultural health of the Northeast Minnesota region, have included:
- Conducting intentional outreach, relationship building, and information sharing among regional partners across seven counties and six Tribal Nations in Northeast Minnesota.
- Hosting a regional annual Equity Summit for four consecutive years, attracting hundreds of attendees and highlighting inspiring local efforts to promote inclusion and belonging.
- Launching Inclusion Learning Cohorts (ILCs) in four of the seven counties in Northeast Minnesota, giving rural community members in those locations the opportunity to build relationships across differences and learn tangible practices for an inclusive community. An ILC for regional elected leaders is also being planned for 2025.
- Introducing a regional Lyceum model as a forum for community gathering and discussion around important topics of our day related to history, philosophy, science, and politics.
- Developing and circulating a newsletter with over twenty equity-related evergreen topics, connecting community members with resources to support regional inclusion and belonging work.
- Coordinating a diverse, 30+ member Welcoming Community Advisory Committee, serving as a launch point for expanding networks and building connections between those committed to inclusion across the region.
In many ways, the work of addressing biases and disparities, increasing intercultural competence, and reducing social fragmentation is more important than ever. At Northspan, we continuously aim to refine our Welcoming Community initiatives through the DAWN program and make effective use of the local trust we hold, aligning with our belief that promoting inclusion, welcoming, and belonging will always remain an essential part of building up the economic success and cultural vitality of the communities we serve.