Announcing the 2026 Health Equity Accelerator Fellows
We are thrilled to introduce the 2026 cohort of the Center for Community Health Equity Accelerator Fellowship. These eight fellows represent a diverse cross-section of leaders committed to strengthening health equity in communities across our service area.
Each Fellow brings deep lived experience, community connection, and a vision for advancing health and wellbeing in Minnesota.
Program overview
The Accelerator Fellowship is a 12-month leadership development program designed to support community leaders in advancing innovative projects that promote health equity and address the social determinants of health. Fellows receive structured support to build and grow their leadership capacity, sharpen their vision, and turn ideas into action.
Each fellow will receive up to $10,000 in project funding to help bring their project to life. You do not need to have a fully developed project to apply—fellows will have the full year to build, test, and refine their approach with guidance from coaches, experts, and peers.
Eight fellows will be selected to form a cohort. The cohort learns and grows together for the duration of the fellowship and each fellow receives comprehensive support in designing and implementing their projects. The fellowship includes:
- Educational curriculum on health equity, program development, and implementation.
- Coaching and technical assistance from field experts.
- Financial support to carry out a community project.
- Networking opportunities with peers and professionals aligned with fellows’ interests.
Meet the fellows
2026 Accelerator Fellows
Zeinab Alol, Healing Begins on Your Plate
Zeinab Jama earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Minnesota in 2014 and completed her Master of Science in Nutrition in 2021. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care dedicated to serving individuals living with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. Her professional approach emphasizes culturally responsive nutrition care, honoring traditional foods while guiding clients toward sustainable, evidence-based lifestyle changes that support the prevention and management of chronic disease.
Healing Begins on Your Plate is a community-based initiative committed to improving access to culturally familiar, nutritious meals and nutrition education within the East African community. The project supports elderly individuals who live alone or attend adult day care centers, as well as children enrolled in childcare programs.
In addition to providing education for families, the initiative collaborates with center owners and food vendors to enhance meal quality and ensure offerings are both nourishing and culturally appropriate. Our mission is to make healthy eating practical, accessible, and deeply rooted in the traditional foods and cultural values of the East African community.
Davonce Ambers, Universoul Barbers
Davonce Ambers is the founder of Universoul Barbers and Haircuts for a Cause, a community-centered initiative that uses barbering as a pathway to connection, mentorship, confidence, and opportunity. With experience building relationships across communities, Davonce focuses on creating spaces where grooming, personal growth, and support come together. His work is rooted in service, leadership, and the belief that barbers can play a powerful role in uplifting individuals and families beyond the chair.
Universoul Barbers is a growing community-based barber initiative focused on connecting skilled barbers with individuals, families, youth, and organizations through accessible grooming services, mentorship, and supportive programming. The project is designed to go beyond haircuts by creating trusted spaces where people feel seen, supported, and encouraged. Through community events, wellness-centered engagement, and barber-led outreach, the project helps strengthen confidence, connection, and opportunity while also creating meaningful pathways for aspiring and professional barbers to grow and serve.
Christy Dreshar, HERO Program
As Executive Director of Mesabi Fit, Christy leads a nonprofit community fitness center dedicated to improving access to health and wellness opportunities in rural northern Minnesota. Her role focuses on developing programs and partnerships that make it easier for people in our community to engage in healthy, active lifestyles.
The HERO Program is a group-based wellness and resilience initiative designed for veterans, first responders, EMS and public servants. It combines physical training with guided peer connection in a non-clinical setting to help participants manage stress and reconnect with others who understand the weight of answering the call to serve. The goal is to create a sustainable, prevention-focused model that supports those who are used to showing up for others, not themselves, and who face limited resources in rural communities.
Seretha Lee, The Real View
Seretha Lee is a community advocate, a housing commissioner, a public health fellow dedicated to advancing health equity through housing stability and systems change. Her work focuses on amplifying community voices, strengthening tenant protections, and bridging the gap between residents and decision-makers. She is passionate about creating spaces where lived experience drives policy, engagement, and sustainable community solutions.
Seretha's community engagement project centers on educating tenants about their rights while connecting housing stability to public health and wellness. Through outreach events, conversations, and culturally responsive education, she works to empower residents with knowledge, resources, and a stronger voice within housing systems. The goal is to build informed, resilient communities where residents feel supported, protected, and equipped to advocate for themselves.
Mike Moua, Roots of Wellness
Roots of Wellness at 3 Branch Farm is a culturally grounded “farm-to-health” program connecting Hmong youth in rural Minnesota to hands-on farming and nutrition education. In partnership with North Branch Public Schools, students will plant, harvest, and prepare fresh produce while learning how healthy eating supports physical and mental well-being, integrating Hmong traditions and storytelling.
Derek Nicholas, Advancing Health Through Indigenous Food and Knowledge Systems
Derek Nicholas is a proud member of the Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe and has been a Minneapolis resident since 2021. Furthermore, he is founder of Wiisinig LLC, an organization that focuses on revitalizing indigenous food systems amongst tribal communities. Through his leadership, Derek brings integrity, cultural values, and a forward-thinking approach to the initiatives he undertakes.
Advancing Health Through Indigenous Food and Knowledge Systems centers on revitalizing and practicing Indigenous foodways and knowledge systems as a pathway to improved health, wellbeing, and community prosperity. Through a series of facilitated events, workshops, and gatherings, the initiative will create spaces where communities can come together to share traditional practices, stories, and teachings connected to food, land, and identity.
Jeff Powell, Minnesota Hope Dealerz
Jay Pee, BSW, LADC, LSW, CPRS is the founder and executive director of the Minnesota Hope Dealerz Organization, where he combines professional training and lived experience to support individuals and families impacted by addiction, homelessness, and trauma. A person in long-term recovery, Jay Pee holds a Bachelor of Social Work and is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Licensed Social Worker, and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. Through Minnesota Hope Dealerz, he leads community-driven, peer-centered initiatives rooted in authenticity, dignity, and hope. Guided by the belief that connection and consistency fuel transformation, Jay Pee meets people where they are and helps them believe in what’s possible.
The Minnesota Hope Dealerz Organization (MHD) Transitional Housing Program provides immediate housing stabilization for individuals experiencing housing instability and substance use recovery needs in St. Paul, Minnesota. The program offers five transitional housing rooms within a shared residence where utilities are included. Participants receive housing navigation support, connections to recovery services, employment assistance, and individualized stabilization planning. Housing serves as the foundation for long-term recovery and economic stability.
Princess Titus, Grief and Trauma Doula Training
Princess Titus is an educator, community leader, and healer with over three decades of service in the Twin Cities. Her educational path includes a BA in Early Childhood Education from Metropolitan State University, multiple professional certifications in career development, fundraising, public health, and sound healing, and extensive training in community organizing. Her leadership has been recognized through honors such as National Philanthropy Day (2022), Black Legacy Leadership, and selection as an IDEA Fellow, and she is currently part of the M Health Fairview Accelerator Fellowship. She is a co-founder and Senior Engagement Officer at Appetite For Change, serves on the Steering Committee for Fostering African Americans in Total Health, and facilitates a Grief Circle for Parents of Murdered Children in the Twin Cities.
The Grief and Trauma Doula Training is a structured, community-based program that equips participants with practical tools to navigate grief and trauma and support others’ healing. Building on a successful pilot, the next phase seeks to finalize and expand the curriculum to include brain, child, and emotional development across the lifespan, with attention to how grief and trauma impact individuals from preconception through adulthood. The project aims to produce a finalized curriculum, professionally edited materials, recorded training modules, participant workbooks and facilitation guides, and to implement a fully supported pilot cohort of 20 participants, including a closing healing retreat. By the end of the project period, the training is intended to be fully developed, tested, and positioned for replicable use in community settings.
We are honored to support this inaugural group of leaders as they launch and strengthen community-driven health equity projects throughout the region.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to frequently asked questions were developed for the 2026 program, responses will be updated for 2027 program. Details to come.
We seek fellows that have a history of contributing to their community, either professionally or on their personal time. Fellows are committed to health equity and have an approach that is open-minded, curious, and solution oriented. Applicants from all backgrounds, professions, and career stages are welcome.
- Community-oriented: Understanding of and commitment to the needs of a specific community.
- Equity-driven: Passionate about addressing structural racism and advancing health equity.
- Collaborative: Willing and able to work with partners, organizations, and teams.
- Resourceful: Demonstrates awareness of and ability to leverage resources and support.
- Committed: Ready to fully engage in the fellowship’s in-person and virtual components.
- Authentic: Honest about their needs, challenges, and areas where they seek support.
- Community-rooted: Clearly addresses a real, identified need within a specific community. Demonstrates community engagement in shaping the idea.
- Equity-focused: Aims to reduce health disparities or address structural barriers to equity. Aligns with the Center for Community Health Equity’s focus priorities and our community health needs assessments.
- Center for Community Health Equity priority areas:
• Food is Medicine.
• Housing is Health.
• Connection is Cure. - Community health needs assessments priority needs:
• Accessing and navigating care and resources.
• Addressing structural racism and barriers to equity.
• Cultivating trust, belonging, and healing.
- Center for Community Health Equity priority areas:
- Feasible and actionable: Has a realistic scope for implementation within the fellowship timeline with achievable goals and reasonable budget.
- Innovative or adaptive: Introduces a new approach or adapts existing strategies in a creative way. Responds to emerging needs or gaps in services or resources.
- Sustainable: Shows potential for long-term impact beyond the fellowship period. Identifies resources, partnerships, or systems that support sustainability.
- Collaborative: Involves partners, team members, or organizations that strengthen the project.
- Scalable or replicable: Has potential to be expanded or adapted to other communities or settings.
We welcome a broad range of applicants, including advocates, organizers, artists, educators, health workers, social service providers, entrepreneurs, and more. We value diversity of perspective over formal titles.
A cohort is a group of individuals that progress through a structured program or experience together. Cohort experiences are collaborative, relational, and encourage co-learning and community building. The cohort exposes fellows to individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and industries, leading to new ideas and perspectives.
You may be ready to apply for the fellowship if:
- You can commit to attending the scheduled in-person and virtual sessions.
- You have a project idea you're excited to pursue and implement.
- You’re at a moment in your personal or professional journey where additional support, funding, and structured learning would help move your idea forward.
The Accelerator Fellowship will accept project ideas that will be implemented in geographies that are aligned with Fairview’s service area, which includes the following Minnesota (unless otherwise specified) counties:
- Anoka
- Benton
- Carver
- Chisago
- Dakota
- Hennepin
- Isanti
- Itasca
- Kanabec
- Mille Lacs
- Pine
- Pierce (WI)
- Ramsey
- Saint Louis
- Saint Croix (WI)
- Scott
- Sherburne
- Washington
- Wright
The total in class time commitment is about 94 hours. Additional time will be needed outside of the classroom for project implementation. This amount of time will vary depending on the project.
The fellowship will accept eight applicants into the 2026 program selected through a competitive review process.
No, this is not a degree or credit-bearing program.
The Accelerator Fellowship offers a year-long learning journey designed to equip fellows with the tools, knowledge, and support to lead community-driven health equity initiatives. The curriculum blends in-person retreats, monthly workshops, and virtual learning sessions, covering the following core themes:
- Foundations of health equity and public health systems.
- Community engagement and collective action.
- Project design and strategic planning.
- Storytelling and messaging for impact.
- Funding, budgeting, and sustainability.
- Implementation coaching and leadership development.
- Evaluation and impact measurement.
- Peer learning and showcase preparation.
Contact us
Email with questions to CCHE@fairview.org