The past year has taught us a lot.

But more than anything else, 2020 showed us just how resilient we are.

At Sunrise Banks, an unprecedented year meant a new chance to better serve our customers – and a renewed outlook on what it means to be a community development financial institution in 2021.

In 2020, we pivoted to remote work within a matter of days; helped thousands of small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); and continued to focus on our mission of empowering financial wellness for all, no matter race, ethnicity or background.

While we found ourselves grieving the loss of George Floyd, we also were able to engage in meaningful conversations about race and equality. And while we spent too much time away from loved ones, we’ve learned to cherish the relationships we have and not take anything for granted.

Growth sits on the other side of discomfort. This year we’ve demonstrated an amazing amount of perseverance and made clear how much we can accomplish when we work together. Has it been easy? Definitely not. But our progress is proof that we’re capable of doing hard things.

In fact, it might make more sense to look at the good that came out of this year: We realized remote work is not only viable but effective; we saw an overwhelming amount of community spirit as our employees went above and beyond to help struggling businesses; and we recognized just how important our essential workers are.

The world we live in is changing, and we should think of this change as progress, and an opportunity to do better. I thank you for all your support and hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,

David Reiling

Meet Our 2020 Sunny Award Winner

Denise has more than two decades of experience in the banking industry and started at Sunrise in 2009 as a Regional Branch Manager for Franklin Bank. Since then, she’s moved her way up to a VP-level position. Denise always has a positive attitude and is willing to help others – she is more than deserving of this recognition.

Here’s what a colleague had to say about Denise:

Denise has been an anchor for so many of us during the virus and the trauma on so many levels from the killing of George Floyd. She is tirelessly working to ensure that the business is running smoothly while honestly caring and reaching out to each of us personally to make sure we are OK, to see if there’s anything she can do.

She is a true leader at Sunrise Banks and in our world. Denise Toussaint is one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life!

Congrats, Denise!

The Sunrise Banks Community Impact Community Development Corporation (CDC)

Sunrise Banks created the Sunrise Banks Community Impact Community Development Corporation (CDC) to pool funds from Sunrise and outside investors in order to finance the acquisition of existing rental properties, preserving approximately 600 units of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. Aeon, a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of affordable homes, will manage the properties.

In December 2020, Aeon purchased Cobblestone Court Apartments in Maplewood. The deal will keep all 74 homes affordable, at or below 60% of the area median income.

Paycheck Protection Program: Helping Small Businesses Get Through a Pandemic

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is often referred to as “unprecedented.”

And while that adjective is certainly fitting, overusing the term can dilute its meaning. After a while, we may forget how massive of a stimulus package PPP really was.

To refresh our memory: In the program’s first two weeks, the Small Business Administration approved 1.6 million PPP loans – twice the amount the federal government had processed in the past fourteen years.

A Leader in PPP Lending

Sunrise Banks ended up being one of the most prolific PPP lenders in Minnesota, churning out just as many loans as major financial institutions.

In 2020, we processed nearly 2,000 PPP loans with roughly 65% of these loans being under $50,000; in addition, approximately 45% of these loans were originated in CDFI-certified, low-and-moderate-income census tracts.

PPP was responsible for keeping thousands of businesses alive during the pandemic. Many of the businesses Sunrise worked with were the smallest of the small.

“These are the one-, two-, three-person shops in a lot of cases,” said Sunrise Banks CEO David Reiling in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. “That’s really cool to see. It may not mean as much for us in fees, but it means a lot for these small businesses.”

Cookies with a Cause

“Food and conversation are two things that naturally go together,” Flowers explained. “Food disarms people. It brings people together.”

Her “Cookies ‘n Conversation” events take place on college campuses (and now, virtually), where Flowers partners with campus organizations. These events provide education surrounding relationship violence.

“They bring the group together and I bring in a panel of experts: a therapist, a nurse practitioner and a survivor,” she explained.

Proof of Flowers’ concept came in 2019, as Junita’s Jar enjoyed steady sales growth. She was even invited to participate in the Finnovation Lab – an incubator for social ventures that was founded by Finnegans Brew Co. CEO Jacquie Berglund.

Flowers had every reason to believe that her childhood dream of being an entrepreneur was finally coming true.

Covid-19 Takes a Big Bite

But with the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020, things took an immediate turn for the worst.

“When COVID hit, I instantly lost 75% of my revenue,” Flowers recalled.

Worried that she wouldn’t be able to support herself and her two children, Flowers applied for a day job. Even though she was well qualified, she didn’t get it.

“That was heartbreaking,” Flowers said. “But I gave myself a week to be sad…and then I got to work.”

Flowers immediately contacted her customers, asking for their support. “I need you guys to buy! We are in trouble and may have to close our doors,” she told them.

Fortunately, they came through, which bought Flowers some time and hope.

“That was a validation that if you ask for help people who are really invested in you will come through,” she said.

But not long after the coronavirus hit, more tragic news came.

Monday, May 25th, 2020, is a day that changed Minneapolis forever. George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police – across the street from Flowers’ business.

“I remember getting up that morning not knowing what to do. Should I go to work or stay home?” she said.

Once again, Flowers faced a crisis.

The Kindness of Strangers

Yet another twist of fate occurred only three days later.

“I woke up that Thursday and I heard that little cash register sound that goes off whenever there’s a sale,” Flowers recalled. “And it kept going off. I thought my website was hacked.”

In fact, it was people from across the country looking to support the city of Minneapolis.

“They were searching out black-owned businesses to support,” Flowers explained.

Amongst the surprise supporters were employees of a local business where Flowers’ brother worked. The company’s 1,500 employees were each given $100 to support Black-owned businesses in recognition of Juneteenth. Her brother mentioned Junita’s Jar and what followed was a flood of orders.

If surprise orders helped right the ship, what happened next confirmed for Flowers that she had charted the right course in the first place.

In August, Flowers was named a winner of the Stacy’s Rise Project, a grant program created by Stacy’s Pita Chips to support female entrepreneurs. She was among 15 finalists selected from more than 1,600 applicants. The prize was $10,000, one-on-one mentorship and advertising support from Stacy’s parent company, PepsiCo.

“I started to cry,” Flowers said. “The grant money would not only help save the business but allow me to add a part-time staffer and focus on launching in retail stores.”

Gotta Have Faith

After a year that was equal parts harrowing and rewarding, Flowers remains optimistic.

“In March I was literally going to quit the business,” she said. “But I told myself: you’ve got to believe it will work out, even though it hurts, and it is hard.”

Flowers offers hope for not only the women she supports through her Cookies ‘n Conversation initiative, but also for fellow entrepreneurs, reminding them that “even in the smallest of crumbs, goodness still exists.”

Not Just Another Entrepreneurial Success Story

Were it not for the events of 2020, Pimento might have been just another entrepreneurial success story. The business did brisk business since opening at Burnsville Mall and winning in a Food Network reality show. Over time, the business expanded to Minneapolis’ Eat Street and opened additional locations at TCF Stadium and at St. Paul’s popular Keg and Case food market, not to mention a food truck and rum bar.

“Pimento was absolutely successful and growing exponentially,” Beevas said.

But like every restaurant, Pimento grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Fortunately, it was an easier transition, as we had already pivoted to a Chipotle-style service model. And safety had always been a big part of what we were doing,” Beevas recalled.

The greater challenge was to juggle all the orders coming in simultaneously from several different takeout platforms.

“Ultimately, the business did okay during Covid, as the closing of other restaurants increased our exposure to newer markets. The real challenge was transitioning from 20% takeout to 80% takeout,” Beevas said.

Devastated, But Driven To Action

It wasn’t months of COVID-19 that altered Pimento’s trajectory, but instead the death of George Floyd. On Monday, May 25, 2020, less than two miles from Beevas’ restaurant, Floyd died after being stopped by Minneapolis Police. Video shows a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for an extended period of time before his death.

“I heard about it that night, but I just couldn’t watch the video,” Beevas said. That Wednesday, Beevas’ father, who lives in New York, sent him a link to the video showing Floyd’s death.

“I thought, if my dad is talking about this in New York then I need to watch it. So, I locked myself in the garage, pulled up the video and I allowed myself to bawl,” said Beevas.

The next day, ironically on his birthday, Beevas arrived at work determined to take action. “I felt that we had to do something. We needed to talk to the mayor, city council – we needed to get everyone together and do a summit and talk about ‘how did this happen?’” he said.

His employees had a different idea. Pointing to the lack of open supermarkets due to both COVID-19 and the unrest following Floyd’s death, they suggested a food drive. “They said, ‘We’re hurting. We need healing. And we’re hungry. We have no place to get food,’” Beevas remembered.

Despite having worked on the problem of food deserts globally when he was director of community involvement at Cargill, Beevas said he “didn’t understand the extent to which Minneapolis and St. Paul themselves were food deserts.”

The next day, Pimento announced a food drive with modest expectations. Beevas and his employees were ecstatic to see what happened next.

“We thought that it might be a few cases of water, perhaps a few boxes of food. By that Sunday we were so overwhelmed by donations we had to close the restaurant,” Beevas said.

Putting Relief on the Menu

Overnight, Pimento became an epicenter for community relief and healing. The following weekend, Pimento held a community festival that included music, COVID-19 screening, painting plyboards on boarded storefront windows, and, of course, donations.

“We had a line of cars coming to donate products – and a line of cars coming to pick up products,” Beevas said.

The third weekend after the death of George Floyd, Pimento hosted a summit on police homicide. Participants included the mayor, city council leaders, corporate leaders and community activists.

“We had 150 of the top influencers come to Pimento to talk about how we’re going to solve this. They said what we need is not another speech-giver or another fundraiser, but an umbrella organization that provides resources to those of us who are already out there on the front lines,” Beevas said.

Thus was born Pimento Relief Services, whose mission is to provide operational resources to those who are on the front lines of economic, political and social liberation. As Beevas explained, this liberation entails the creation of more Black-owned businesses, the establishment of more Black political power and the promotion of reconciliation and healing in society at large.

“The combination of those three things is the best approach to protecting and keeping Black people safe. Because this time this has to be solved,” Beevas said.

Rather than adding to what he calls the “nonprofit industrial complex,” Beevas said that Pimento Relief Services was incorporated as a benefit corporation. An associated 501(c)3 organization was set up to allow for donation funding.

Why a benefit corporation? Beevas asserted that “businesses have always been pivotal in making societal change. Oftentimes, businesses are faster to respond to society’s concerns than government, and even nonprofits, because businesses have the freedom to do what is right should they so decide.”

An Outsider’s Perspective

Being Jamaican and being a business owner gives Beevas an outsider’s perspective. And that’s a good thing.

“I grew up with doctors, lawyers and judges who look like me. The Prime Minister looks like me,” he said. “That allows me to think that the world is my oyster. It gives me a different perspective.”

He contrasts his experience with what African Americans face growing up in the U.S. Beevas said they are taught from a young age that certain opportunities aren’t available to them given their race.

“African Americans are told ‘that’s the way it is,’” he said.

What Pimento Can Be

Following extensive planning, Beevas has big plans in 2021 for Pimento Relief Services. He said to keep an eye out for the Pimento-backed “Twin Cities Can Be” campaign – the first U.S. incarnation of the global Cities CAN B movement, an effort to make cities more prosperous, sustainable, inclusive and resilient.

Although Pimento has raised more than $150,000 from community members, Beevas is looking for corporations and foundations to pitch in.

“This is not simply a nice-to-do. The economy will never realize its full potential until we all are able to participate equitably,” he said.

For more information

Pimento Kitchen: pimentokitchen.com

• Pimento Jamaican Kitchen & Rum Bar: 2524 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55404
• Pimento Jamaican Kitchen at Keg & Case Market: 902 7th St. W., St Paul, MN, 55102

Pimento Relief Services: pimentoreliefservices.org

Make a donation via Venmo: @PimentoKitchen

Sunrise Banks released the following statement after George Floyd’s death:

We’re grieving the loss of George Floyd and our hearts are breaking for his family and our community, just as we grieved the senseless killings of Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, and so many others. Our hope is that real, lasting change will come out of this unspeakable tragedy and we will emerge as a more tolerant and just society.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of emotion, confusion, fear and grief as we saw a senseless murder happen before our eyes and our community painfully suffering each day.

Our days have been filled with ensuring the safety of our staff and customers, engaging with local officials and talking to our community leaders. And, while we are late coming out to make a full statement, it doesn’t lead to our stance being any different.

There is no excuse for racism of any kind – period.

Sunrise Banks believes every person on this planet is important, and that kindness and love always win. We stand for the equitable and just treatment of all people, no matter their heritage or background.

We support those who respectfully and peacefully protest inequality and stand in solidarity with anyone attempting to end systemic prejudice and bigotry.

– David Reiling, CEO Sunrise Banks

The Fight Against HIV/AIDS Continues during COVID-19

The AAATF is located at the corner of Franklin and Pillsbury, south of Downtown Minneapolis in the Minnesota Church Center, and was incorporated in 1994. The organization, like so many others across the state and the country, took an economic hit due to COVID-19.

In August, AAATF Executive Director Gwendolyn Velez got word the organization had received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The funds have helped the AAATF secure capacity so that it may continue to provide services for its roughly 130 case management clients.

In particular, the money has allowed the AAATF to move to a remote environment while still effectively supporting clients.

“We needed to free up money so that we could upgrade all of our IT systems to conform to this new environment that we’re in,” said Velez.

Communities of color are disproportionally affected by AIDS across Minnesota and the country. Black Americans make up just 12% of the national population, yet they account for 44% of the deaths related to HIV. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, can cause AIDS if not treated.

Stats from the Minnesota Department of Health state that 61% of new HIV cases were among communities of color in 2019.

Velez speaks frankly when asked about these disparities.

“Generally there is mistrust in the African American community regarding medical systems – the care is not the same, it’s not equitable,” said Velez.

Some of that mistrust likely stems from incidents like the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a 40-year clinical study in which organizers lied to its poor, African American test subjects about the care they were receiving. The study, conducted by the United States government, falsely told study subjects they would get free healthcare; as a result, many died.

A September 2020 Wall Street Journal article cited a Gallup poll that revealed “four in ten non-white Americans” wouldn’t get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were ready before Election Day.

The AAATF provides a number of preventative, educational and HIV direct services. These include HIV testing, support groups for those living with HIV, access to discounted medications, transportation for core medical services and medical case management.

During the pandemic, the AAATF has been giving out gift cards to clients so they can obtain hand sanitizer and other supplies to prevent COVID-19. The organization is also providing cloth face coverings to all of its clients. In addition, the AAATF is providing HIV home test kits for individuals to use under the supervision of an AAATF staff member in order to mitigate the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Ordinarily, the AAATF would conduct HIV testing by mouth swabbing or blood draws.

Some have compared the current pandemic to what happened during the AIDS crisis of the early 1980s. Velez sees one similarity.

“(The two are similar) only in the unknown part, and how people are reacting on some levels,” she said. “There were a lot of unknowns (during the AIDS epidemic) and that’s where the fear comes from. When you get to the other side of the fear about things is when it starts to normalize. But right now we’re not there with COVID-19.”

While COVID-19 has made the AAATF pivot, its mission still remains the same: to provide culturally specific HIV prevention, education and services to people of African descent who are living with or at risk of HIV.

“We have clients of every culture in our organization and we treat everyone as an individual according to their unique needs,” said Velez.

Sponsorship & Donations

Accord

Aeon

African American Leadership Forum

Alliance Housing, Inc.

Alzheimer’s Association

Avenues For Youth

Boys and Girls Clubs – Sioux Empire

Crescent Cove

Daily Work – Minnesota

Fresh Energy

Frogtown Tuned-In

Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery

International Institute of Minnesota

Junior Achievement of The Upper Midwest

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Lake Street Council Donation

Literacy Minnesota

Lutheran Social Service

Make-A-Wish Foundation

Midway Chamber of Commerce – We Love Midway Fund

Minnesota Land Trust

One Cause

One Tree Planted

Park Bugle Newspaper

Saint Anthony Park Community Foundation

Star Legacy Foundation

Sunrise Banks Employee Fund

Sunrise Banks Pay It Forward Fund

Susan G. Komen Great Plains

Tara Sawyer Foundation

The Banquet – Sioux Falls

The Miami Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation

Twin Cities Jazz Festival

University of Minnesota Foundation

YouthLink

What are you doing to improve the world?

The story starts thirty-five years ago when Ahmad Kian and Ehssan Taghizadeh, both young immigrants, were college roommates at the University of Minnesota. Taghizadeh focused on electrical engineering. Kian enrolled in Pre-Med and Engineering. “My goal was to serve people. Engineering was a backup, in case I couldn’t get into medical school,” Kian recalled.

Following graduation, the pair each pursued separate, highly successful corporate careers. Kian in engineering, global procurement and operations management. Taghizadeh in medical device and computer products engineering, then corporate leadership. But they never lost touch with each other.

In 2004, Kian was challenged by his 7-year-old daughter, who asked him what he was doing for her future. She wasn’t asking about savings accounts, Kian points out. Rather, she wanted to know what he was doing to improve the world.

“That question changed my life,” said Kian. “From that day, I have been on a quest to eliminate waste and improve efficiency.”

The pair reunited in 2013 to launch one of the first companies in the Twin Cities focused on conserving energy through LED lighting upgrades.

Searching for a name for their new business, Taghizadeh’s son reminded them about the great hall of the ancient Persian culture – called Apadana. “This hall was viewed as a gateway to the future,” Kian explained.

Armed with science, economics, and considerable charm, the pair began convincing companies that LED lights were good for business. “We had tremendous success and grew rapidly,” Kian said. Our competitive advantage stemmed from our selection of the best lighting technology and our ability to source products at attractive prices.

Even with this success, the pair was not done. “Reducing energy waste was only part of the equation,” Kian explained. “The other factor was generating clean, sustainable energy.”

In 2017, the partners launched Apadana Solar with the goal of bringing solar power to homes and businesses. For Kian, promoting both technologies makes complete sense. “People talk about sustainability. But that’s not enough,” he said. “We have to reverse the damage that’s been done. That’s why we talk about “thrivability.”

In 2019, again prompted by a conversation with his daughters, their focus on thrivability grew again.

“I had seen a very moving documentary about clean water,” Kian recalled. “A week later, I was approached by a water-filtration company that was seeking new partners to help them grow.” Notably, the company had solved the urgent problem of removing PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” from drinking water.

“I felt we had to do this,” Kian said. “My wife rightly said I was too busy – but my two daughters looked at me and said, ‘Dad, this isn’t a choice. You have to do this!’ “

So, in late 2019, Apadana jumped into the clean water and Waste-to-Energy conversion business with the acquisition of Clark Technology.

“Now, with the ability to work on clean water, our cause of “thrivability” is more complete,” Kian said. “We’re not done yet.” Emerging technologies, such as wind and energy storage, could be their next venture.

Clean water also makes a fitting end to this chapter of Kian’s story, as he’s known to recite an old, but inspiring Farsi proverb: “It takes droplets to create tiny streams, which finally create the ocean.”