ABOUT MINNESOTA CENTER FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

The Minnesota Employee Ownership Center (MNCEO), a member of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network of state centers, serves the entire state of Minnesota as the central hub for free, unbiased information on employee-ownership. Its primary mission is to educate business owners and their advisors on the benefits of employee ownership. MNCEO provides resources, case studies, articles, and a list of service providers who can assist with employee ownership transitions.

 “We’re on a mission to turn the state of Minnesota into a place where every working person can also be an employee-owner.”

Kirsten Kennedy is the executive director of the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership.

As executive director, Kirsten is responsible for leading MNCEO’s networking, fundraising, and programming initiatives to educate business owners, their employees and financial advisors, and elected officials across Minnesota on the prospect of and long-term benefits of employee ownership.

Prior to joining MNCEO, Kirsten served as the mayor of North Branch, a city in Central Minnesota with more than 10,500 residents. During Kirsten’s tenure as mayor, her public policy initiatives were focused on economic development, affordable housing, infrastructure repair and development, and supporting housing for people with chronic mental health challenges and homelessness.

An ardent advocate for grassroots community building and social justice, Kirsten was recently selected from a pool of 946 candidates to complete a prestigious Bush Fellowship focused on improving community health. During this time, she served as a statewide health improvement partnership administrator in Chisago County, where she was responsible for supporting the implementation of policy, systems, and environmental changes focused on healthy living.

Kirsten holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Political Advocacy and Leadership from the University of Minnesota. She also holds certificates in Continuous Improvement Management and as a Six Sigma Lean Black Belt in Healthcare from the Management and Strategy Institute.

Active in local and statewide business and community organizations, Kirsten is the board chair of the Women’s Environmental Institute, as well as a founding board member of the Chisago AgeWell Coalition. She has also served on the boards of the East Central Regional Development Commission and the Chisago County Housing and Redevelopment Authority-Economic Development Authority. Kirsten is also an active member of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Economic Development Association.

Born in Norway and raised in East Central Minnesota and Southern California, Kirsten is engaged to the love of her life, Mark, and the mother of five adult children. When Kirsten is not busy helping business

owners navigate their employee ownership journeys, she enjoys reading, theater, travel, and spending quality time with her loved ones.
kkennedy@mnceo.org
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Darren Mozenter is the Northern Regional Program Director for the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership, a free and unbiased hub for information and resources on all forms of employee ownership, including employee stock ownership plans, employee ownership trusts, and worker-owned cooperatives.

Passionate about social justice issues, Darren is directly responsible for developing strategic, community-based partnerships, as well as expanding the organization’s presence in the Northland through community conversations, lunch and learns, panel discussions, town hall meetings, and topical webinars.

Prior to joining MNCEO, Darren was a Worker-Owner at the Arizmendi Bakery in Oakland, Calif., where he helped to grow the business by 400%, while simultaneously creating internal structures that solidified operations and governance. Earlier in his career, he served as an Operational Support Associate at the eight-member Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives (AAC), where his team successfully brought back one partner from the brink of disbanding to being a profitable business with solid internal systems, processes, and high morale.

A nationally recognized business consultant and mediator, Darren holds a bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from University of California-Berkeley with a concentration in Business Administration. He is also the proprietor of Darren Mozenter Mediation and Facilitation, which has served as a trusted, reliable, and neutral mediator, facilitator and facilitation trainer for more than a dozen companies, including several worker-owned cooperatives and conferences. Today, his company primarily works with the Conflict Resolution Center of Minnesota in their Housing and Harassment Court Mediation programs.

Originally from Southern California, Darren resides in Duluth with his wife and child. When he is not busy helping business owners navigate their employee ownership journeys, he enjoys skiing, ice skating, and snow shoeing in the winter, as well as hiking, mountain biking and canoeing in the warmer months. He also enjoys cooking and exploring new foods and beers, as well as reading and playing cards and dominos with his family and friends.

As the founding executive director of the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership, a free and unbiased hub for education and resources on all forms of employee ownership, Sue successfully introduced the growing nonprofit organization to more than 500 business owners and their advisors throughout Minnesota. Since 2020, she has also developed meaningful partnerships on behalf of MNCEO with such community-based organizations as Nexus Community Partners, the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Employee and Economic Development, Otto Bremer Trust, St. Thomas Family Business Center, the University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining MNCEO, Sue served as the executive director of the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of The ESOP Association for 30 years. Under her financial stewardship and decisive leadership, the organization was named Chapter of the Year an unprecedented three times.

scrockett@mnceo.org
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Steve is the current Executive Director, Secretary, and Treasurer for the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (“EOX”). Storkan brings 25 years of experience in the employee ownership community. Prior to joining the EOX, he was the Director of ESOP Administration Services for Alerus Retirement Solutions. Storkan has also spent over 15 years in volunteer duties for the MN/Dakota’s Chapter of the ESOP Association including past President as well as Vice President of the chapter’s Government Relations Committee.

sstorkan@eoxnetwork.org
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Fred is the CFO of Landscape Structures Inc., a manufacturer of commercial playground and waterplay equipment. Fred has been with the company for 29 years during which he had the pleasure of working through three ESOP transactions with the founders. The company became 100% ESOP owned in 2012. Fred is passionate about ESOPs and loves to share the story of the founders’ incredible gift of employee ownership. 

Fred is an advisory board member of Bauer Design Build and board member of Teal Lake Insurance Company, a Vermont captive. He also served as  Board Chair and Finance Chair during his 12 years on the Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin board.

Andy is an ESOP lawyer in Minneapolis. He regularly advises clients on ESOP feasibility, plan design and formation, purchases and sales of stock, ongoing administration and compliance, and repurchase obligation. Andy also has extensive experience with 401(k) plans and nonqualified deferred compensation. He draws on his experience as a CPA to help his clients understand the financial challenges involved in the transition to employee ownership and the ongoing administration of ESOPs.

Kyla Hansen is a partner and heads the Audit and Assurance services department at John A. Knutson & Co., PLLP (JAK). She helps her clients navigate their financial statements by providing audit, review, and compilation services and assisting with GAAP compliance and implementation. In addition to being a CPA, Kyla is also a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). She uses her experience with value calculations and ESOP’s to help guide her clients through ownership transitions and tax related matters, using the additional expertise of the tax partners at the firm when needed. Kyla prides herself in being a trusted advisor for her clients.

Nicole is an experienced investment banker with a strong focus on business development and client relationships. She excels in guiding clients through the acquisition process and ensuring successful deal closures while overseeing operations to maintain efficiency and effectiveness.

Driven by her father’s values, Nicole believes in the importance of businesses giving back to their communities. She actively serves on various association and nonprofit boards, including the Immediate Past Board President of the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG) Minnesota, Vice President for the Minnesota-Dakotas Chapter of The ESOP Association Officer Group, Board Member of the Minneapolis Club, and the James Sewell Ballet. Nicole generously volunteers her time with WomenVenture, the Printing Industry Midwest Education Foundation committee, and the Northwest Suburban Chapter of Pheasants Forever.

Before joining Quazar in a full-time capacity, Nicole served as the HR Business Partner to New Ventures at Ecumen, a non-profit provider of Senior Housing and Services. In this role, she successfully managed HR responsibilities for in-house and third-party senior housing start-ups across multiple states, overseeing the entire process from proforma development to building opening. During her tenure of over six years at Ecumen, Nicole provided invaluable HR consulting to senior management, field leadership, and employees.

Nicole’s professional journey includes notable HR leadership positions at Next Day Gourmet, a division of US Foodservice, and Target Corporation. Her expertise in human resources, combined with her solid background in investment banking, contributes to her holistic understanding of business operations. With her unwavering dedication to her clients, her commitment to community involvement, and her well-rounded skill set, Nicole continues to thrive in the field of investment banking.

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