The Roots Behind Revolutionary Growth.
Maliza Kalema
“I’m building what I wish I had. Entrepreneurship gave me a language for leadership, resilience, and self-sufficiency. I created Sown Emancipation to give that language to the next generation. This is more than young people starting businesses—it’s young people learning that they can author their own futures. Too often, we are taught to survive systems instead of transform them. Entrepreneurship is how we do both.”
— Maliza Kalema, Founder, Sown Emancipation
2025-2026
Board of Directors
DeVonna Pittman
Kathryn L. Obayuwana
Dearest Ativie
Where We Serve
Sown Emancipation delivers entrepreneurial education and youth programming across three high-need urban areas in the United States. Our work is rooted in economic justice and tailored to meet the unique needs of each community we serve.
📍 Headquartered:
Minneapolis, Minnesota
📌 Focus Service Communities:
Twin Cities Metro Area (MN) – High-poverty neighborhoods in Minneapolis and St. Paul
Washington, D.C. – Underserved communities in the D.C. metro region
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Communities impacted by economic inequity and historic injustice
