Board Chair

Samantha is a community consultant focused on housing and systems change for micro and small business. Her experience includes municipal and non-profit governance, community organizing, and operational systems change management. She lives in Northeast Minneapolis with her husband and three sons. 

Fawn Mason

Ikwe

Board Vice Chair

Waabishka Waabooz (White Rabbit) – “Fawn Rae Mason” – is a Street Outreach Worker specializing in resource coordination and housing assistance for unsheltered individuals. 

Fawn became passionate about ending the housing crisis after her own experience with homelessness and addiction. Originally from The Red Lake nation in Red Lake, Minnesota, she now lives in Minneapolis with her five children and one grandchild.

Alex James

She/Her

Board Secretary

Alex is a community facilitator focused on collaborative efforts, resource logistics, and community empowerment primarily in areas of food justice, racial justice, environmental justice, and housing justice via the creation of sustainable long-term solutions. 

Alex's projects include edible landscape conversion, food waste recovery, and direct unhoused and volunteer support. Her future intentions focus on a living database of community needs and resources.

Sarah Harris

She/Her

Board Treasurer

Sarah is an entrepreneur. She has worked in the healthcare field, childhood education, and specializes in resources navigation, community engagement, project management and private security operations. Sarah is a mother of two living in Minneapolis. She enjoys listening to music and cooking for loved ones. 

Board Director

Nicque is a community and cultural organizer, proud to be building power in Minnesota for over 15 years. Mx. Mabrey holds a Bachelor's of Science in Social Work from The College of St. Scholastica. They are passionate about healing work through intersectional, multi-generational, racial justice movements that center youth and families. Nicque grew up in rural Wisconsin and now lives in St. Paul. 

Yusra Murad

She/Her

Board Director

Yusra is a writer and director of health care programs at the Health Management Academy, focused on work related to health equity and housing. She is based in DC and Minnesota, where she works on housing advocacy and support through ZACAH - a grassroots organization that supports the multiracial working-class of Minnesota, especially those facing poverty, the threat of eviction and displacement, and unsheltered homelessness.

Katie Drahos

She/They

Board Director

Katie is a Musician and Civic Engagement Organizer. As campaign manager, she was an integral member of Commissioner Angela Conley's campaign team and is passionate about building community. 

When she's not organizing first time voters or advocating for those in need, you can typically find her over-analyzing the historic impact of early 2000's reality TV.

Michelle Warneke

She/Her

Founder + Executive Director

Michelle is an operations and project management professional with a community advocacy focus on resource coordination for those experiencing extreme poverty and being unsheltered.

She founded Fresh Start Twin Cities after recognizing large sections of populations being underserved by current systems. Michelle grew up in Minnetonka and now lives in Richfield with her husband and four children.