Bush Foundation celebrates the 2025 Bush Fellows

We’re always excited to share the new class of Bush Fellows each year—because we know that change only happens when people make it happen. Bush Fellows have bold visions, and their leadership is shaping communities across the region.

This year, Fellows are working on a wide range of issues such as decreasing stigma and increasing supports for people with autism, advocating for the rights and needs of amputees, providing doula care to people with cancer and building low-cost housing that considers our changing climate and environment.

And they all have plans to help them think bigger and think differently about what is possible, including learning from work around the globe to bring wisdom back to the region. This includes learning about language preservation efforts in Scandinavia to understanding school discipline in Japan.

Up to 30 Bush Fellows are selected each year to receive up to $150,000 to support their self-designed leadership plan. Fellows can come from any sector—including business, nonprofit and government. What sets them apart is their bold vision for what is possible and their commitment to making it real.

Learn more about the 2025 Bush Fellows below!

Jeffrey Aguy (Maple Grove, MN) is reimagining how capital can unlock opportunity for communities historically left out of economic growth.

Mohamed Ahmed (St. Paul, MN) is working to ensure equitable access to prosthetic care for underserved communities, both in Minnesota and globally.

Arif Bakar (Blaine, MN) is building educational environments that affirm the cultural identity and multilingualism of immigrant and refugee students.

Chanda Smith Baker (Minneapolis, MN) is cultivating a new model of leadership that centers authenticity, liberation and community-rooted power.

Talaya Dendy (Hastings, MN) is working to transform the cancer care experience by centering emotional wellness resilience alongside medical treatment.

Naima Dhore (Dalbo, MN) is championing land access, food sovereignty, and culturally rooted farming practices for immigrant and refugee communities.

Sarah Dixon-Hackey (West Fargo, ND) is changing the conversation around mental health for BIPOC, refugee, and immigrant communities in North Dakota.

Georgia Fort is (St. Paul, MN) reshaping the media landscape to center community and representation.

James Garrett Jr. (St. Paul, MN) is using architecture as a tool for equity, cultural expression, and community transformation.

Nathaniel Gibbs (Maple Grove, MN) is reimagining school leadership to be more inclusive, culturally responsive and human-centered.

Jason Grueneich (Bismark, ND) is fighting stigma and building systems of support for people living with HIV in North Dakota.

Ma Elena Gutierrez (Sauk Rapids, MN) is organizing for dignity, justice, and power in Minnesota’s immigrant communities.

Anisa Hagi-Mohamed (Bloomington, MN) is reshaping how Somali and East African communities understand and talk about autism.

Leya Hale (West St. Paul, MN | Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and Dine Nations) is indigenizing filmmaking by rooting the creative process in Indigenous language, kinship and worldview.

Kelis Houston (Minneapolis, MN) is transforming the child welfare system by centering family preservation, racial equity and community accountability.

Fatimah Hussein (Minneapolis, MN) is breaking barriers for Muslim girls and women in sports.

Carl D. Johnson (St. Paul, MN) is transforming food access and economic opportunity on St. Paul’s East Side through faith-rooted leadership and community ownership.

Marvis Kilgore (St. Paul, MN) is closing the equity gap in education by increasing the presence and power of Black male educators.

John Little (Vermillion, SD | Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) is advancing equity in higher education for Native students through culturally grounded mentorship and systemic change.

Maychee Mua (Cottage Grove, MN) is reimagining autism advocacy through a culturally attuned and healing-centered lens.

Deqa Muhidin (Apple Valley, MN) is advancing language justice and cultural preservation through education.

Akram Osman (Elysian, MN) is working to make schools more inclusive, equitable and affirming for all students. 

Richard Pallay III (Fargo, ND) is creating spaces of joy, healing and cultural connection through arts-based community building.

Lori Pourier (Hermosa, SD | Oglala Lakota Nation) is building a national arts ecosystem rooted in Native identity, creativity, and sovereignty.

Elvis Rivera (Brooklyn Park, MN) is working to close the racial wealth gap by bringing financial knowledge and tools to communities that have been historically excluded from economic opportunity.

Curtis Rogers (White Earth Nation) is strengthening Tribal governance through culturally grounded leadership and long-term systems thinking.

Amáda Márquez Simula (Columbia Heights, MN) is building a model of inclusive, equity-driven city leadership rooted in cultural celebration and community connection.

Megan Treuer (Esko, MN | Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) is revitalizing Indigenous justice by returning Tribal court systems to their cultural and spiritual roots.

Muhidin Warfa (Columbia Heights, MN) is transforming education by honoring the linguistic and cultural identities of multilingual learners.