St. Paul residents named Bush Fellows

St. Paul residents named bush fellows
Abdiaziz Ibrahim and Dr. Artika Tyner are among 24 extraordinary leaders who have been named the 2022 Bush Fellows for Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.
The Bush Fellowship provides Fellows with up to $100,000 over 12 to 24 months to pursue education and learning experiences that help them develop the skills and relationships to foster large-scale change in their communities and region. The fellowship is distinctive in its flexibility, allowing Fellows to define what they need to become more effective and equitable leaders. Fellows can use the funding to pursue such things as education, leadership training, networking and mentorship.
This year, 468 people applied for the Bush Fellowship.
Abdiaziz Ibrahim is passionate about connecting immigrant families and families of color to resources that build economic mobility, especially safe, decent and affordable housing. As founder of Immigrant Housing Solutions, and with deep experience with property management and federal rentaI subsidy, he is in a unique leadership position to help families access affordable housing in Minnesota. He sees a significant need for property management companies that are owned and operated by people from his community. He knows how difficult it can be for families to find decent housing and to understand their rights as tenants. He wants to expand affordable housing through outreach to landlords and property managers and by providing a holistic combination of tenant education and financial literacy training. To lead this significant change, he will pursue a master’s degree in business administration, obtain certificates in community building and leadership development, and work with a coach to build stamina and well-being.
Artika Tyner is an accomplished educator, civil rights attorney, law professor and award-winning children’s book author who beat the odds as a child growing up surrounded by incarcerated family members. She immersed herself in books from an early age and became a first-generation college student. Now, she seeks to share the gift of reading with children of color who are growing up in conditions similar to those she experienced. She sees that Minnesota’s educational system continues to experience some of the most significant racial disparities in the U.S. and that those disparities show up in the people she serves in the criminal justice system. She wants to employ a cross-sector, intergenerational approach to address the literacy crisis at a statewide level. To lead this change, she will take time to strengthen her leadership and communication skills and build a professional network in the education community. She also will gain organizing skills to raise awareness and mobilize others who share her passion for racial equity.