Dreaming Large: Risk Taking and Nonprofit Social Entrepreneurship featuring Alan Lessik

Alan Lessik was approached by a partner to bid on a city garbage franchise agreement that would take on an entrenched city bureaucracy, the world’s largest waste company, and the Teamsters. Saddled with an indifferent board, staff that were doubtful, and a compressed timeline, this would have been an easy project to reject. Yet, as the executive director, there were opportunities for our participants as well as for the organization that intrigued me. The next six months changed Lessik and the organization.

Lessik (Masters in Management and Administration, '88) was a non-profit leader and consultant and speaker. His last full-time position was with Civicorps, the only accredited high school and job training program in Oakland, California for youth ages 18–25. Previous leadership positions include the American Friends Service Committee; San Francisco School Volunteers; Out & Equal, a LGBT workplace advocacy program; the Saint Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium; and, the Federation of Gay Games.

His debut novel, The Troubleseeker, was a finalist for the 2017 LGBTQ Fiction Award given by the Publishing Triangle. In subsequent recent years, he has published articles on trauma, Zen Buddhism, and sex and COVID. He is a guest teacher for a Buddhist mediation group and has taught internationally. He competes internationally as an adult figure skater. Alan is on the Metropolitan State University Campaign Steering Committee and is leading the campaign to raise $1 million for the LGBTQ programs. He recently moved to Berlin where he is working on two new novels.

Lunch and Learn is part of an ongoing monthly series of presentations and discussions hosted by the College of Management. This conversation is open to all educators, administrators, instructional designers, and students of Minnesota State Education System. Meet new faculty, gather with long-time friends from across Minnesota State, and bring questions and ideas (along with your lunch) to these monthly gatherings that will include conversation starters and an opportunity for both large and small group conversations. For information, contact organizers Dr. Minjung Park or Dr. Allen Bellas.