Graves Ventures featured leader: Kristy Snyder

As a 16 year-old, Kristy Snyder was forced to leave her home, and navigate the courts to become an Emancipated Minor. Kristy’s experiences as a youth have informed her professional passions, and she is dedicated to transforming what it means to have access to the system and the culture of power. 

“Young people are cut out of systems that align with what they need. They are disconnected from school and work because adult-designed systems often operate without youth voice, and there are barriers that prevent them from accessing these systems,” noted Kristy. Both Snyder and her co-lead Quincy Powe envision a world where all youth are equipped to design their lives and to thrive.

Young people deserve a place at the table when their futures are at stake. That’s been the philosophy behind the formation of Twin Cities Opportunity Youth Network (OYN), which was founded in April of this year in partnership with Graves Ventures. The work of OYN, which focuses on addressing long-standing inequities among what used to be called “at-risk” youth and is now called “opportunity youth,” was co-designed with the very community it serves. It operates with a unique membership-based network approach. 

Kristy’s first priority after launching was to hire a young person as co-lead, and that co-lead is Quincy Powe. Quincy is a 27-year-old college student studying political science, and he plans to take his degree in political science to law school, putting him on the path to become a judge to continue his work in advocating for and partnering with young people. Quincy also has lived experience as an “opportunity youth” when he was a teenager.

With a strong commitment to shared power, the OYN works to transform policy, power structures, narrative, and resource allocation. “We believe we can preserve individual power and amplify that power together,” says Co-lead Kristy Snyder. “Our community is wealthy in having great people and organizations that care deeply about young people. We also have brilliant young people who, until now, didn’t have aligned ways to communicate or contribute. We see the OYN as a container to make innovation truly possible.” 

Making room for young people at the table
The way OYN approaches its work often upends the status quo in important and lasting ways. A recent example happened when the organization was invited to participate in a six-state panel discussion conducted by the Department of Labor. Snyder arrived with four young people, whom she asked to speak. 

“They came into the room and shared so deeply,” she says. “They told their stories and talked about what it had been like for them to navigate the workforce.”

Their contributions made a significant impact, she says. “The group had been thinking about what employers want to fill a worker shortage, but they hadn’t thought about what young people wanted or needed. It’s so rare that they’re asked for their opinion. There are brilliant young people in every state, so I encouraged those attendees to find their own youth voices in their communities and ask them the right questions to open up the space.”

As the Co-Lead of an organization that’s still in its first year of operation, Snyder is aware that there are abundant opportunities for growth and positive change on the road ahead. “It will be a journey, and a challenging one,” she says. “I’m curious to see how it unfolds. I’m not really in control – I’m participating and partnering. It’s exciting to be a part of this important work.”

Partnering with Graves Ventures
“Without the support from Graves Ventures, we wouldn’t have gotten off the ground,” Snyder says. 

“They’ve been a critical sounding board and have added to my capacity to make bigger things happen. I’m a big-picture thinker, but they’ve helped me consider smaller, essential  details in ways that only make me and OYN stronger. Their team has helped with capacity, structures, details, and planning for the future. The brainstorms we’ve had together have been invaluable in helping me build out strategic meeting plans and identifying those who should participate.”
Join us on October 6th to learn more about Kristy’s leadership and celebrate the launch of Graves Ventures!