Athletics, wellness and community are a huge part of Tyrone Minor’s life. Growing up in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, he would meet up with friends from other neighborhoods to play at local schools, parks and community centers. His journey as an elite track and field athlete propelled him through high school, college and around the world. Tyrone then brought that passion to his roles as both a physical education teacher and an entrepreneur.

Today, Tyrone has combined those elements into his role as founder and CEO of The Mali Center, a health and wellness lifestyle hub in the North End neighborhood. The Mali Center is home to a variety of businesses, nonprofits and practitioners focused on improving the generational wealth, health and wellbeing of the community, especially for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and women-owned businesses.

“I wanted this space to be a space where you can go and, as a person of color, be your 100% authentic self, but also a space where you can work on yourself, holistically and create economic opportunities for yourself and others,” says Tyrone.

Tyrone worked with the team at Sunrise Banks to make his vision for the Mali Center a reality. The center celebrates its first anniversary this summer, with more plans to uplift and support the surrounding community.

Keeping Up with Demand

As a personal trainer, Tyrone worked with professional athletes, high school students, and business professionals. As demand for his services grew, he realized opening a centralized location would make the most sense. That led him to open his first holistic studio, The F.I.T. Lab.  

“I was intentional about where I opened that first location,” says Tyrone. “It was directly across from the State Fairgrounds. I chose this location because it was close to the community where I grew up, in the Rondo community.” 

“With the support of the community, we outgrew the space after three years. Tyrone then found a new location in Falcon Heights. This space not only featured a larger studio, but it also provided space for local entrepreneurs to run their own businesses.

My business journey entailed learning by trial and error. There was no real mentorship or guidance for me,” Tyrone says. “I wanted to create a space where other professionals could learn from each other, share their experiences and serve the community.”

Developing the Concept

As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the nation, Tyrone used that time to reflect on where he was in his life, both professionally and personally. 

“I wanted to do something different on the other side of the pandemic,” he says. “That meant being more intentional about who I surrounded myself with. I wanted to create an ecosystem of like-minded individuals committed to self-improvement and making their communities and the world a better place)”.

Using that desire, along with a spiritual connection to his West African roots, Tyrone came up with the concept for The Mali Center.

I decided I’m going to be the person who creates this community, I had this vision of being an extension of my community and creating a new community centered around health, wealth and wellness,” he says.

Today, the Mali Center is home to both nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses focused on fitness, mental health, youth engagement, promoting food security and providing access to community resources. Many leading these organizations have roots in the Rondo neighborhood. Some have even known Tyrone since his high school days. 

Vested Interest in Success

“From day one with Sunrise Banks, I felt a real relationship,” he says. “We both had a vested interest in the center doing well. The bank was intentional about where the funding was being channeled.”

Caitlin McMahon, Assistant Vice President and Tax Credit loan officer at Sunrise Banks, worked with Tyrone to secure New Markets Tax Credit (NTMC) financing utilizing the Bank’s NMTC program via its Small Dollar Loan Pool. That money allows small businesses and entrepreneurs access to the benefits of the NTMC program. He also received several grants and funding from the City of St. Paul to complete the project. 

“The work Tyrone does is an incredible example of community building and leadership that has had a positive impact on generations of Rondo community residents,” says Caitlin. “I’m so grateful that I could play a small part in supporting his vision to continue that work.”

Tyrone says the partnerships he has already been able to form will go a long way to realizing those goals. 

“Making progress in closing gaps – it doesn’t happen without a partner like Sunrise Banks,” he says. 

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