ABOUT NEON
Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) began working to advance the efforts of underserved entrepreneurs in our community more than two decades ago.
Launched in 2006 with a grant from NorthWay Community Trust, NEON began as a working coalition of eight like-minded groups that joined together to strengthen and expand the entrepreneurial development system that served North Minneapolis at that time.
The coalition stayed intact until 2009, when NEON was incorporated as a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and hired its first executive director.
Mission
NEON’s Mission is to
Build Wealth for
Low- to Moderate-Income Entrepreneurs
in North Minneapolis
and Surrounding Communities.
Vision
NEON’s Vision is to Transform North Minneapolis
and the Surrounding Area into a Prosperous,
Visible, Sustainable, and
Highly Diverse
Multicultural Community of Entrepreneurs.
Values
The Best
Customer Service
in the World
The Relentless
Pursuit
of Excellence
Respect
for the Individual
We Believe...
Small business ownership is a viable path for many low-income residents to generate income and wealth for themselves and their families.
New business development is a desired strategy toward the physical and economic revitalization of North Minneapolis.
To the greatest extent feasible, Northside residents should have an ownership stake in new businesses in their neighborhoods.
We support diversity and inclusion within the business community and welcome innovative ideas.
To be successful, new business development should place an emphasis on honesty, trust, dignity, and integrity within the business community, which is best shown by “meeting people where they are” with responsive approaches and customized solutions that respect the individual.
We work collaboratively with existing organizations to leverage mutual talents and abilities in order to maximize investment in entrepreneur-serving organizations across the Twin Cities.
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