Adair Mosley
CEO, GroundBreak Coalition
THE BUILDER AWARD
Doing the long lasting, often unglamorous yet deeply meaningful work of making change in a specific place or community
Area of focus: Economic OpportunityGroundBreak Coalition is a cross-sector collaboration of more than 40 institutions committed to creating Black economic prosperity in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region. GroundBreak is mobilizing $5.4 billion over ten years to produce 11,000 new homeowners, grow and scale 5,000 businesses, and invest in 80 commercial real estate developments. The strategy scales catalytic capital, aligns systems players, and increases access to private market capital.
Learn moreAbout
groundbreak coalition
get to know adair
What inspired you to do this work? Was there a particular moment or person or incident that sparked a new level of commitment?
I am unapologetically focused on creating better outcomes for Black people. We deserve to inherit a future of boundless possibility.
What drives you to keep questioning the status quo and building new ways to overcome tough challenges?
We can redesign what was designed, and this moment calls for our boldest solutions. Reimagining and reengineering is a mandate, so the status quo has to be disrupted constantly to produce different outcomes.
What solutions are you working on that make you excited and hopeful for the future?
There are immense opportunities to create more capital float in our community. The blended capital we are bringing to the table de-risks and incentivizes investment in entrepreneurs, developments, and homebuyers, which is a promising answer to entrenched problems.
What are the "unlocks" — approaches, practices, or principles — that have helped you be effective in building this innovative approach to place-based opportunity development?
Radical collaboration. The coalition itself is the unlock. No single institution could carry this, and 40 of them moving together changes what is possible.
Willingness to pivot. Everyone at the table has to be committed to change and ready to shift policies and practices in pursuit of the broader mission.
Expert advisor
Chanda Smith Baker
President and CEO, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
I’ve known Adair through different seasons of his leadership, and what has remained constant is his drive to grow, to stretch himself, and to make a meaningful difference. He is a gifted leader with a big vision, but what I respect most is his willingness to keep learning, evolving, and challenging his own thinking. I hope others learn from Adair that great leadership is not about arriving, it is about continuing to grow, having the courage to pursue bold ideas, and effectively partnering with others along the way.
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