Minnesota National Guard

Eduardo Suarez

Eduardo Suarez currently serves as the Director of Communications for the Minnesota National Guard where he oversees their DEI program, Government Relations, Public Affairs, and Joint Prevention and Support Services division. He is a 2022-23 Humphrey Policy Fellow. Since completing the program, Eduardo is intrigued by the intersection of military service, community engagement and how that can improve civic engagement.

He has over 35 years of military service and has served in a variety of traditional and non-traditional assignments. In 1996 he graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota’s ROTC program. He has deployed several times including Bosnia Herzegovina, Iraq, and Kuwait 2011-2012. Some of his military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in architecture, and Masters degrees from Central Michigan University in Administration and the US Army War College in Strategic Studies. He also serves as president for a non-profit that provides funding to organizations that support the military connected community. Eduardo is an alumnus of the 1988 US Olympic Team. He lives near Scandia with his wife Jennifer, two dogs and two cats. They have two children, Antonio, and Maria.

Chief Executive Officer, WomenVenture

LeeAnn Rasachak

LeeAnn Rasachak (she/her) is CEO of WomenVenture, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), US SBA designated Women’s Business Center, and non-profit serving women and minority entrepreneurs and business owners. Based in St. Paul, WomenVenture serves Minnesota, western Wisconsin and beyond through deploying business training, development, and affordable capital access. Rasachak serves as the Board Chair of the Minnesota CDFI Coalition, Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood North Central States, and Advisory Board of Homes for Heroes.

In October 2021, Rasachak was named CEO of WomenVenture after serving on its Board of Directors for three years and 20 years working in the private sector for Fortune 1000 companies in Corporate Communications, Marketing, Digital, and Enterprise Strategy. Rasachak is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas, where she earned degrees in Public Relations and General Business Management. Rasachak also earned her MBA at Hamline University and Diversity & Inclusion certification through Cornell University. She is also Dare to Lead™ Trained.

Rasachak is recognized in the industry as a transformational community leader. She is a 2024 Women in Business Honoree by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. In 2023, she was presented with the Women Elevating Women Cultivate Pillar Award celebrating women who possess a remarkable talent for nurturing and cultivating inspiring entrepreneurs, individuals or organization who need mentoring. Award winners’ dedication to empowering and elevating others provides invaluable guidance and has made a significant impact.

Rasachak lives in Inver Grove Heights with her partner, their four children, and Labrador retriever.

Program Director, Local Initiatives and Opportunities program, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies

Terri Thao

Terri Thao is a second-generation Hmong American woman, mother, wife, sister, and auntie. She is passionate about building power with community. Terri is currently Program Director of the Local Initiatives and Opportunities program at the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies which is responsible for funding across Minnesota that is addressing racial and rural equity. Terri has spent her professional career in the fields of community economic development, community building, leadership development, and philanthropy. She has also taught classes on leadership and advocacy at Metropolitan State University. Over the years Terri has served on several local non-profit, government, and philanthropic boards and currently serves on the board of Minnesota Housing and the Marbrook Foundation. She obtained her Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees from the University of Minnesota. She loves to read in her spare time.

Capitol Pathways Alum

Davaris Cheeks

Davaris Cheeks is a 2020 Capitol Pathways alum and served as an Advocacy Intern for Goodwill Easter-Seals during his tenure. He is a graduate from Concordia University, St. Paul and got his Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations along with a Master’s in Leadership and Management. Davaris has continued his policy focused advocacy, particularly serving student from marginalized communities through his leadership as Student Body President, and NCAA conference representative, a former President of the Black Student Union at Concordia, and now in his full-time work as the Director of the Chatman Diversity Center at Concordia University, St. Paul. In this line of work, Davaris is able to pour into the diverse campus community by regularly providing resources and programming that directly support students through emergency funding ventures, college navigation, cultural celebration, and other empowering platforms to lift the students in their academic and professional career.

Vizient, Inc.

Robert Harper

Robert Harper serves as Sr. Program Manager of Community Contracting for Vizient, Inc. where he is focused on connecting diverse businesses with contract opportunities across Minnesota’s healthcare hub. Previously, Robert served as Senior Director of Business Consulting at MEDA where he brought capital, consulting, and contracting opportunities directly to BIPOC entrepreneurs. Robert’s career has been focused on supporting underrepresented communities through policy, advocacy, and economic development. He has consulted hundreds of entrepreneurs on wealth-accumulating strategies and his clients have been awarded $2 Million in capital and more than $500 Million in contracts in the public and private sectors. 

Robert founded R.D.T.H Consulting following the murder of George Floyd, to equip organizations across the country with the tools they need to strategically invest in Black & Brown communities. As a proud alum of our Capitol Pathways program, Robert blends forward-thinking policy expertise with responsible business techniques to drive equitable outcomes. He received his Masters in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and his Bachelors in Sociology from Augsburg University. In his free time, he can be found singing R&B classics or watching Chicago sports with his beloved Grandma.

Capitol Pathways Alum

Kevin Huynh

Kevin (he/him) is a Vietnamese-American descendant of the Southeast Asian diaspora. He believes in the power of connections and relationships as the foundation of how we change the world. He dreams of a world where each individual realizes their stake in the movement and dedicates themselves to a better world where community safety is much more than security. Kevin continues to learn and unlearn what it means to be a (Southeast) Asian-American and how to honor the struggle of our ancestors who faced imperialism/colonialism violence. In 2020, he became further politicized as he saw how the systems of power continue to harm marginalized people. He strives to be grounded in community, joy, and transformative justice.