VENTURE
NORTH
A full-service bike and coffee shop owned and operated by RCFL, Venture North is committed to community reinvestment, workforce development, youth leadership, and vibrant community engagement. Steadily becoming a self-sustaining business, Venture North combats North Minneapolis’ economic disadvantage by employing North Minneapolis residents (training professional mechanics and top-notch baristas), engaging neighborhood youth rich summer programming, and serving as the only Northside bike shop. Venture North prioritizes increasing racial, economic, and gender equity within the biking community, and is fully invested in the Harrison neighborhood of North Minneapolis as an empowering, healthy place to live. RCFL understands that investment in equitable, self-determined growth allows neighborhoods to resist the push of gentrification, and empowers community development that honors existing excellence and integrity.
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
NORTHSIDE
LENS
Northside Lens is an after-school program which offers Harrison youth the opportunity to gain basic video production skills, editing, and documentary filmmaking skills, while focusing on issues affecting youth in North Minneapolis. It is our aim to engage our young people in content creation so they might amplify their voices and raise awareness to their stories. We run this program in collaboration with Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).
In the summer of 2019, Northside Lens was a part of RCFL's Step Up program. Our Youth Media Interns enrolled in classes and workshops to learn video production and documentary filmmaking whilst being exposed to a nonprofit work environment.
Northside Lens continued as an after school program over Fall 2019. This youth cohort met every Monday, 1-3 PM throughout the school semester.
For inquiries or to enroll in the program, please send an email to northsidelens@redeemercenter.org
"IT'S LIKE I GET TO
GROW HERE...
I GET TO BE WHO I
WANT TO BE, HONESTLY."
— Calvin, former Bike Mechanic at Venture North
