Advocacy & Policy

The Lake Street Council advocates for the Lake Street community in Minneapolis to ensure the vitality and prosperity of the commercial corridor and its 16 surrounding neighborhoods. We engage entrepreneurs, employees, residents, and institutional stakeholders to advocate for local policy that promotes equitable and accessible economic development.

We regularly hear from business and property owners throughout the corridor about the concerns that matter to them, and our priorities shift to reflect the needs of the moment. Some areas of frequent focus for us include:

• Advocating for local, regional, and state policies that will support small business development and equitable, healthy communities.

• Working directly with municipal staff to shape the implementation and enforcement of the new policies to reduce the administrative burden of regulatory compliance.

• Increasing access to capital from the government, foundation, and private sources.

• Expanding financial and technical resources are made available to entrepreneurs to help them start, expand, or navigate challenges.

We also take action to ensure that the full diversity of voices on Lake Street is heard by policy leaders. We seek out and nurture leaders in our business community, especially those who are immigrants and/or people of color, who can share their individual perspectives and reflect on parts of the community that may not otherwise be heard. 

If you have questions, concerns, or comments about a our advocacy efforts, contact Russ Adams at 612.438.6338 or russ@lakestreetcouncil.org.