Statewide Young Women’s Cabinet Appointed

Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced the following appointments to the statewide Young Women’s Cabinet. 

The Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota (YWI MN) is a partnership between the Governor’s Office, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, and the YWCA Saint Paul. The Cabinet includes young women and gender-expansive youth aged 16-24 to promote equitable systems that benefit all, grounded in the belief that when young Black, Indigenous, women of color, and people with disabilities in Minnesota thrive, families and communities thrive. 

YWI MN centers the leadership and solutions of young women of color, American Indian young women, young women from Greater Minnesota, LGBTQ+ youth, young women with disabilities, and gender-expansive youth. The YWI MN’s statewide partnership and direct investments in young women and gender-expansive people are being replicated across the nation through the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives. 

Since 2016, the Young Women’s Cabinet has developed a legislative agenda, testified at the Capitol, and directed more than $3 million in grants to our state’s communities. The 23 members of the Cabinet will begin their first term, effective September 3 through July 31, 2026.

Young Women’s Cabinet:

Samia Abdulle – New Brighton, MN

Nawal Abdurahman – Lakeville, MN

Heritage Aluko – Minneapolis, MN

Marwah Asif – Saint Cloud, MN

Keira Azefor – Shakopee, MN

Ja’Sirah Barber – Brooklyn City, MN

Yolanda Cisneros – Granite Falls, MN

Celeste Conteh – Brooklyn Park, MN

Aisling Cox – Fergus Falls, MN

Ariah Crosby – Saint Paul, MN

Najma Darwish – White Bear Lake, MN

Miranda Del Toro – Richfield, MN

Alaisha Garcia Lopez – Faribault, MN

Lucianna Gutierrez – Minneapolis, MN

Pang Nhia Khang – Ramsey, MN

Esther Lee – Edina, MN

Genesis Maravilla Fernandez – Bloomington, MN

Aria Naik – Minneapolis, MN

Azah Nde – Saint Michael, MN

Sheridyn Runs After – Marshall, MN

Hana Sowelam – Plymouth, MN

Sreeja Thirukkovalur – Plymouth, MN

Gao Sheng Yang – Isanti, MN