North Minneapolis is known to have a reputation—but what kind of reputation can be worlds apart based on who you ask.

Christopher Webley, 31, a full-time entrepreneur, describes the community as a place with hope. A place that has all the talent, gifts and passion it needs to become a thriving and inclusive community. It’s also one of the most culturally diverse areas in the Twin Cities metro, he says, boasting a blend of African American, Somali, Latino, European, Hmong and Southeast Asian cultures.

Webley, a college-educated Black man, refers to them all as “brothers and sisters.”

Beyond the camaraderie he feels, it’s clear North Minneapolis (which generally refers to the Hawthorne, Near North, Jordan and Willard-Hay neighborhoods) is also a place that he and others truly care about. He recalls the morning he woke up to a noise near the trash bin at his building. Later, as he was brushing his teeth, he looked out his window to see a woman picking up and throwing away trash on his property. It was 6 a.m., he says, and there was no one there to give her a pat on the back, brownie points or praise, let alone a cash tip. All he could do in the moment was thank her.

“Oh you know, gotta do my part to keep the neighborhood looking nice,” she responded.

More often than not, you don’t hear these narratives. You don’t hear about the art programs. You don’t hear about the outreach. And you certainly don’t hear about crime rates decreasing. You only hear the negatives. (North Minneapolis is often associated with poverty and high crime rates. According to Minneapolis Police Department’s crime database, however, violent crime in Precinct 4 [home to both North Minneapolis and Camden communities] decreased 4 percent from 2017 to 2018.)

Webley is aware of his community’s reputation. And he knows full well that citizens need assistance. There are too few options for healthy, affordable “eat-out” meals, for instance,  and spots for in-person collaboration with other up-and-coming business owners are hard to find.

At the end of the day, though, Webley says the negatives will never outweigh the positives or people’s potential. “Some see disparities,” he says. “But with disparity, that means there’s opportunity.”

That opportunity drove Webley to disrupt the traditional North Minneapolis narrative and carry his latest entrepreneurial endeavor to the middle of the Northside. He didn’t really know how he could, should or would do it. All he knew was that he needed to.

PREPARING FOR PROGRESS

Webley wanted to help North Minneapolis in a big way. He wanted to build and create something tangible that would show Northsiders that someone was ready to listen, take their feedback and make the stride toward creating the community they longed for.

To prove his commitment, he bought a 4,000-square-foot building on North Lowry Avenue with his own savings and investments. He had a purpose, he had the funds and he had a property. What he didn’t have yet was a concrete understanding of how to use the new building to best serve the community.

So, he recruited nearly 200 community members to share their thoughts and voice their opinions on the issues they felt attributed to disparity in North Minneapolis—key issues that Webley was both eager and prepared to address.

The event gave him the foundation of what his newest project needed to be built on. Community members wanted accessible food. They wanted affordable workspace, somewhere to network, and get education and professional training opportunities. They wanted resources. They wanted change.

Webley’s solution? New Rules. It would be a membership-based collective with co-working spaces, an event center and a retail store for Twin Cities creatives designed to foster the development, economic growth and sustainability of North Minneapolis. It would be for photographers and graphic designers. It would be for multi-media enthusiasts, art aficionados and fashion design devotees. It would be for everyone.

On a mission, he went back to the drawing board. After hundreds of thousands of dollars, a generous grant from the City of Minneapolis and nearly 5,000 hours of manual labor, New Rules opened its doors on Oct. 15, 2016—ready to answer the community’s call for more.

THE PLATFORM & ITS POWER

Today, one of New Rules’ signature traits is its affordability. Memberships range from $50 to $250 per month, and consistently trump those of nearby co-working competitors—some by hundreds of dollars. For the biggest projects and smallest side gigs, New Rules members are subject to an assortment of discounts and incentives, including free wifi and snacks.

Members also save a pretty penny on event bookings, as do community members that rent the space. Venues often cost more than $6,000 for a Saturday event, but New Rules offers the same for a fraction of the cost at $500. Unsurprisingly, this has made the “nonprofit benefit-corporation” an increasingly popular joint for events like wedding receptions, fundraisers and art shows. Not only is New Rules a steadfast spot to work and celebrate, but risk-taking talent can sell their art, fashion and home décor pieces within the building as well.

The meaning of New Rules is left purposely open-ended,  allowing members to fill in the blank and make the space whatever they need it to be, whenever they need it.

Members often tell Webley how impactful New Rules is, citing the connections they’ve made that have helped them in their respective careers. In fact, based on member feedback, the biggest thing he’s done is provide a sense of community, which leads to more tangible benefits.

Consider Austin Regino. A recent graduate of Summit Academy, he was at New Rules to help with construction work one day and met Rebecca McDonald, a long-time New Rules member and director of the multimedia creative agency, BFRESH Productions.

Regino expressed interest in McDonald’s work, and before he knew it, he had an invitation to help with a project as an on-set assistant. He worked for two days and she decided to keep him on board. That was all it took for Regino to get his foot in the door.

Webley says McDonald has hired every member in the collective at one point or another.

THE PIONEER & HIS PURPOSE

Webley was born and raised in North Carolina, where he later studied textile technology at North Carolina State University. As a textile engineer, he spent several years working for high-profile, dream-job brands like Calvin Klein and Victoria’s Secret. Eventually Target Headquarters set their sights on Webley as their latest recruit, proposing a “ridiculous” offer he says he couldn’t turn down.

“It was a no-brainer decision to make the move [to Minneapolis],” Webley says. “I knew it was a little deeper than just the financials, though, I knew I’d be here a little longer.”

When Webley was laid off by the retail giant in March 2015, he had a big decision to make: he could stay in the Northside or he could leave. After consideration, he chose to settle in.

It ended up being more than just seeing an opportunity through the disparity. He felt an immediate connection with the neighborhood, and choosing this area to plant New Rules just “made sense” to him, he says. His circumstances growing up in North Carolina were similar to those people face in North Minneapolis, with many of the same issues and setbacks. His ability to understand and empathize kept his feet firmly on the ground.

Webley’s decision to stay put and start New Rules was also informed by his personal values, which he attributes to his parents’ guidance and example. His upbringing fueled the desire in his heart to give back and instilled a love and passion for helping others. As a child, he says he would feed the local homeless community with his family.

“For my birthday, I wanted to go serve at the homeless shelter,” Webley says. “I wanted all the kids to come with me as my birthday gift.”

Beyond his trendy wardrobe and his composed demeanor, it’s obvious he’s still that same kid at heart.

THE PERKS & THE PROPERTY

The New Rules building was constructed in 1915 and has served as a popular bar for wrestlers, a laundromat, a grocery store and more over the last century. The property, about one mile west of Interstate 94W, sat vacant for several years until Webley came along and closed on the space.

Today, you’d probably think New Rules is a hip coffee joint or even a modern, high-end boutique from its exterior. The inside tells a different story.

On the nicer Minnesota days, light pours through full-pane, garage-door windows onto the concrete floor, blanketing the soft yellow walls in sunshine. Modern light fixtures dangle from the original, pressed-tin ceilings and cast shadows on sculptures, paintings, books and photos that decorate the entry area. State-of-the-art speakers suspend from the ceiling and rap music from artists like Wiz Khalifa and Nipsey Hussle plays softly in the background.

To the right there’s a spacious, open area with a juice bar and ample workspace. Framed art adorns the far wall by the retail space. Back the other way is the third and largest room. The crisp, stark-white walls push focus toward the larger-than-life “New Rules” logo embellishing the east-facing wall. Twenty deep-red, metal-and-wood chairs are scattered throughout the room. A projector, green screen and white scrim are rolled up and bolted to the ceiling near the back door.

The room also provides a full suite of photography and production equipment. Creative production equipment, sewing machines and computers. Design software. DJ equipment. A podcast booth. 4K cameras, and as of recently, $3,000 worth of brand-new livestreaming capabilities. If you want it, Webley will work to get it.

But more than anything, he wants people to see and feel the value inside the space, including the time, energy and money he and his team invests in New Rules on a daily basis.

THE PEOPLE & THE PRACTICES

The people who work at New Rules aren’t just employees. In fact, the traditional “boss-employee” dynamic doesn’t even exist there.

“I don’t like to call people employees,” Webley says. “I like to explain it as, ‘You’ve got your business, I’ve got my business. We’re collaborating as business owners.’ It just puts things in a whole different context for them. There’s more ownership and accountability.”

His circle is small and tight-knit, filled with loyal, dedicated and talented individuals. During business hours (Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), they keep the internal workings of New Rules running smoothly. Each individual is fully trained to take on any day-to-day responsibilities that appear—including billing, event planning and administrative work—just the way Webley thinks it should be.

There’s Marguerite Mingus, the office manager. Bruce Leroy, the multi-media superstar who teaches workshop classes.  And Webley himself, who also plays a role in the daily operations.

Rounding out the group is Papa “Pops” Mbye, Webley’s right-hand man and New Rules’ business coordinator.

“He’s saved the day so many times,” Webley says. “I don’t even know if he knows how many times he’s come through for the shop.”

Mbye was born in Zambia, West Africa, and has lived in North Minneapolis for 13 years. But it wasn’t until after high school that he submersed himself in art and stumbled across New Rules. It was within walking distance of his house, but he didn’t have a membership. He says he just kept showing up.

“Eventually, [Chris] had to go on vacation to New York for a week and he just left me the keys,” Mbye says. “Ever since, I’ve been part of the space.”

Just a couple of years later, Mbye calls New Rules his second home, admitting that sometimes he even sleeps there.

The respect Webley and Mbye have for each other is beyond the typical work relationship. Webley refers to Mbye as a “second me” and a potential candidate as New Rules’ successor. Mbye refers back to Webley as both a big brother and a father figure. Additionally, he says Webley is the hardest working person he knows, willing to put it all out on the line for New Rules since day one.

Some things never change. Webley is still hard at work, with his hand in New Rules’ routine operations slightly changing. By handing off the torch to others to handle the workings of the space, Webley has the ability to focus on business strategies and long-term projects.

PROJECTS, PLANS & PROSPECTS

Webley is constantly working to fine-tune the business model and streamline communication processes. He says he always has something brewing. Right now, May 2019 is no exception.

“We’re always actively applying for funding to provide educational resources to close the learning curve gap for a lot of our members,” Webley says.

New Rules is committed to education and is home to the School of Entrepreneurship, an alternative educational experience where members create their own curriculum. If a member wants to learn a new skill, all they have to do is find someone to teach them. Then, New Rules sponsors the space for the expert to come in and host a class.

“Learning is one of those things that is self-seeking,” Webley says. “We encourage members to lead the charge themselves.”

Webley is also working to bring a pescatarian-inspired café into the space. PESCA Café-House of Fresh is designed to be a “public invitation” for the community to come in, see New Rules and get a feel for what it’s all about. The café, which is expected to launch this month, will add food options to its existing selection of popular juices, smoothies and alcoholic beverages.

Even with several projects in the works, Webley is still 10 steps ahead.

He’s already been scoping out potential properties in developing countries, with a dream to drop a New Rules in any part of the world where it can foster a consistent, sustaining impact. Down the road, he has a clear vision for a global exchange program, something that encourages and allows for a fluid exchange of cultures.

Mbye recalls the day he joined Webley on a short field trip. After supporting a friend’s film screening, a select group of New Rules staff and members embarked on a 1.7-mile walk through the neighborhood. Eventually, Mbye found himself standing in front of another century-old building “big in size and ambition” at the corner of West Broadway Avenue and Dupont Avenue. He felt excited and hopeful, but mostly just beaming with pride not only for Webley, but for his community.

“We had been talking about it for some time now,” Mbye says. “So to see a tangible thing to put in place of the idea was nice.”

That’s right: The second installment of New Rules is well on its way with construction expected to begin this summer.

“It’s so inspiring to cross the two-year mark and already have another space,” Mbye says. “It just goes to show New Rules is family, and New Rules is the future.”