​LHENA Talks Speaker Series

LHENA Talks is a monthly speaker series that takes place on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 7 to 8 p.m. Each talk features a guest speaker and focuses on community issues of interest and is sponsored by a local business. LHENA Talks strives to bring together residents, businesses, and community members alike to foster a space for fruitful discussions while highlighting the amazing work being done in our communities. Interested in being a speaker or sponsor? Take a moment to fill out this form. ​​

LHENA Talks No. 7: A Positive Approach to Public Safety

This talk focused on public safety in Minneapolis and Trahern's work with We Push for Peace. How are they making a difference in the lives of our youth and community? What is the best way to address our community's public safety needs and challenges? How can our whole community — business owners, employees, clients, customers, patrons and residents — work together to create more connected, inviting and prosperous streets for everyone? Trahern will answer these questions and explain his work leading We Push for Peace, the services they provide, and the impact they have seen from mental health assessments and resources, employment assistance (resume development, mock interviews, job placement), pre-employment training (various workshops, skills training), victims of violence support groups (facilitated by a licensed psychologist), and financial education and home buying classes. Then, Trahern took questions from the community.

Speaker: Trahern Pollard 

The speaker for this LHENA Talk is Trahern Pollard, the founder and CEO of We Push for Peace, a nonprofit community organization based in Uptown Minneapolis that works to reduce and deter crime by providing community-building and work training services to those in need. With We Push for Peace, Trahern is working to make a difference in the lives of our youth and community

Sponsor: The Ackerberg Group

The local sponsor for the talk is The Ackerberg Group, a property management company in Minneapolis. Ackerberg focuses on commercial real estate and urban development across Minneapolis. They develop, manage, and lease properties that tenants and communities can be proud of. ​​Uptown is their home where they help create nodes for people to live, work and play. They also are active in Lyn-Lake, South Minneapolis, North Minneapolis, Loring Park, the Northeast and North Loop. The Ackerberg Group is more than just owners and operators of real estate. Every day, they strive to make things better through art, community service and care.

More About This LHENA Talk

Other talking points in Trahern Pollard's’ LHENA Talk included:  

• The power of peace. What impact has Trahern seen on and in the communities of Minneapolis through We Push for Peace and their work?
• What are the biggest challenges for public safety today?
• What encouraging signs has Trahern seen with regard to public safety in the community?
• We Push for Peace offers community engagement and events contracts to local businesses. How do these partnerships help reduce and deter crime? How do these relationships create a sense of community? 
• How important is mentorship for youth today? What are some success stories?
• What are the biggest challenges of working with and mentoring youth today? What are some success stories? How do you reach people in need, especially young people, who don't want any help? 
• How can communities help build strong foundations now and for generations to come?
• How do we break the cycles of violence and trauma?
• Working with the community. How has We Push for Peace been received by the community and by the city? How could we get more of the community involved in pushing for peace?
• Community building. What has We Push for Peace learned by listening to the needs of the community? Why is it important to be responsive to the needs of the community as the community sees them, not as they are prescribed for them?
• Building trust and staying power. What lessons have Trahern and We Push for Peace learned from their on-the-ground community work?
• The role of family and public safety. How has the community changed its relationship to peace? What are the most immediate changes we need to make the community safer? How can the community work together to help the community alleviate some of its fears and turn fear into positive actions? How can peace and justice issues promote optimism and spur people to take action and create change?
• Finding practical solutions to the challenges communities face. Can We Push for Peace scale its community-focused approach and reach more people? What are some steps people could take in their daily lives and lifestyle to push for peace and start seeing positive changes in their lives?
• Why is it important for all of us who live and work in a community to unite and focus on investing in our communities and supporting local businesses as we grapple with social pressures and change? How can the community support local businesses and help them thrive?
• How can people get involved with We Push for Peace?
• The future of communities and peace. What are the fundamental building blocks for systemic change and societal growth? How can people inside and outside communities advance real social change that benefits everyone in the community? What steps can we take now to spur community growth and development? Where do we go from here?