NACCE Names R.T. Rybak 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Date postedOctober 29, 2024
R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, is named the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. Pictured (left to right): Dr. Sharon Pierce, President of Minneapolis College; R.T. Rybak; Minnesota State Senator Zynab Mohamed; and NACCE President and CEO Dr. Rebecca Corbin, celebrating this prestigious honor at the 2024 NACCE National Conference.
Minneapolis, MN, October 14, 2024 -- The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) Awards Lifetime Achievement Award to Minneapolis Foundation’s R.T. Rybak
Champion of Collaboration and Inclusion Named 2024 Award Winner
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), North America’s leading advocate for entrepreneurship education and programming for community and technical colleges, has awarded R.T. Rybak its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.
In his role as President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, Rybak has demonstrated an entrepreneurial leadership style that embraces empowerment, collaboration, and inclusion. He accepted the award during NACCE’s annual conference in Minneapolis.
“NACCE’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes R.T. Rybak’s commitment to partnering with philanthropic organizations, businesses, and others in the community to enhance opportunities for individuals,” said NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin, Ed.D. “His many contributions to expanding pathways through community and technical colleges align well with NACCE’s mission of uplifting communities by elevating prosperity for all.”
NACCE’s Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually to an individual who has achieved entrepreneurial success and played a pivotal role in the community through involvement and support of civic and philanthropic activities.
“Expanding equitable career pathways for young people is one of my deepest passions, and so I am deeply honored at NACCE’s recognition of the efforts I have made in partnership with many others in our community,” Rybak said.
About R.T. Rybak
R.T. Rybak is President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. He has led the Foundation since July 2016, deepening its community impact, significantly growing its donor base and contributions, and launching a strategic framework that more directly focuses on using multiple impact levers to dismantle inequities.
A Minneapolis native, Rybak spent 30 years in journalism, publishing, marketing, and the Internet before serving as Mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 to 2013. His most significant career focus has been developing equitable career paths for youth of color. That work has included being a founding partner of: Step Up, which has provided summer jobs to 20,000 high school students; Urban Scholars, its companion program for college students; the Power of YOU, which provides free community college tuition; ConnextMSP, an alumni association helping participants of high-performing programs serving youth of color connect to careers; and Generation Next, a coalition of civic, business, and school leaders focused on racial equity, where R.T. served as executive director from 2014 to 2016.
About NACCE
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents, and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and on their campuses. NACCE has two main goals: to empower the college to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset; and to grow the community college’s role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem. The association represents 330+ community and technical colleges and 2,000 faculty, staff, administrators, and presidents who serve more than 3.3 million students. Visit: www.nacce.com.
About the Minneapolis Foundation
The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. The Foundation cultivates generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs - partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities. Visit: www.minneapolisfoundation.org.
Champion of Collaboration and Inclusion Named 2024 Award Winner
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), North America’s leading advocate for entrepreneurship education and programming for community and technical colleges, has awarded R.T. Rybak its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.
In his role as President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, Rybak has demonstrated an entrepreneurial leadership style that embraces empowerment, collaboration, and inclusion. He accepted the award during NACCE’s annual conference in Minneapolis.
“NACCE’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes R.T. Rybak’s commitment to partnering with philanthropic organizations, businesses, and others in the community to enhance opportunities for individuals,” said NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin, Ed.D. “His many contributions to expanding pathways through community and technical colleges align well with NACCE’s mission of uplifting communities by elevating prosperity for all.”
NACCE’s Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually to an individual who has achieved entrepreneurial success and played a pivotal role in the community through involvement and support of civic and philanthropic activities.
“Expanding equitable career pathways for young people is one of my deepest passions, and so I am deeply honored at NACCE’s recognition of the efforts I have made in partnership with many others in our community,” Rybak said.
About R.T. Rybak
R.T. Rybak is President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. He has led the Foundation since July 2016, deepening its community impact, significantly growing its donor base and contributions, and launching a strategic framework that more directly focuses on using multiple impact levers to dismantle inequities.
A Minneapolis native, Rybak spent 30 years in journalism, publishing, marketing, and the Internet before serving as Mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 to 2013. His most significant career focus has been developing equitable career paths for youth of color. That work has included being a founding partner of: Step Up, which has provided summer jobs to 20,000 high school students; Urban Scholars, its companion program for college students; the Power of YOU, which provides free community college tuition; ConnextMSP, an alumni association helping participants of high-performing programs serving youth of color connect to careers; and Generation Next, a coalition of civic, business, and school leaders focused on racial equity, where R.T. served as executive director from 2014 to 2016.
About NACCE
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents, and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and on their campuses. NACCE has two main goals: to empower the college to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset; and to grow the community college’s role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem. The association represents 330+ community and technical colleges and 2,000 faculty, staff, administrators, and presidents who serve more than 3.3 million students. Visit: www.nacce.com.
About the Minneapolis Foundation
The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. The Foundation cultivates generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs - partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities. Visit: www.minneapolisfoundation.org.
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