Venture North Interns

Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee opened its doors in December, providing ground-up, comprehensive retail and bike mechanic training for youth in North Minneapolis. By teaching relationship skills, a full bike mechanics curriculum, customer service, and general retail operations, Venture North Bike Walk & Coffee prepares youth for future employment in the bike and retail industry and empowers them to be financially self-sufficient. Youth interns refurbish used bikes, keeping them out of the landfill and create affordable exercise and transportation options in their community. Here is what some youth interns have to say about Venture North:

What’s the best thing you’ve learned at Venture North?

I’m working in retail, but I also get to learn about bikes, so in the future, I’ll have more skills and be able to find a job. I’ve also learned a lot about how to help people find the best product to fit their needs, including price concerns; we learn to make people feel welcome, to have a conversation with them and to get to know them.

~ Dijon Pin (pictured, left)

What do you like most about what you’ve been learning?

People at Venture North are not just employees—they’re friends and family. A lot of people are from the neighborhood, so we know and trust each other. I’ve learned to smile more—when you smile, it’s an invitation to be yourself. The Northside has stereotypes of violence, but my smiling proves a lot of people wrong, and when I smile, they smile.

~ Jemartae Taylor (pictured, right)

From the Redeemer Center for Life 2011 Annual Summary.