About Us
Committed to inclusive retail change
As a private-public group dedicated to the experiential and economic vitality of downtown Minneapolis, we pursue:
- Short-term pop-ups and long-term incubation with BIPOC- and women-owned businesses
- Co-designed spaces that are flexible, fun and fabulous
- Breakthrough marketing for increased interest, excitement and traffic
Worthy beginnings for a new business approach
A 2016 study called “State of Minority and Immigrant Business Ownership” showed significant disparities for minority- and women-owned businesses. To change our city’s entrepreneurial narrative, the Chameleon Consortium is implementing strategies for BIPOC- and women-owned businesses that:
- Focus on the intersection of perpetually vacant retail spaces
- Reflect the phenomena of emerging pop-up retail
- Incubate and accelerate targeted business participation in the downtown sector
Channel partners build broad support
Nonprofit incubators and small business organizations will provide important support services for Chameleon projects. These channel partners include:
- Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON)
- West Broadway Business and Area Coalition
- Impact Hub MSP
- Mercado Central
- Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD)
- Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA)
- Grow North
- Metro IBA
- Juxtaposition Arts
- Neighborhood Development Center
- Quorum: The Minnesota LGBT + Allied Business Community
- Appetite for Change, Inc