Who We Are


We are a group of health and policy experts working on creative projects and partnerships to work towards health equity.

Kiwi Collaborative began in 2020 by a group of friends who wondered why public health and health policy lacked diversity and what levers would impact it. The first project was a stakeholder engagement project to understand how to increase access to mental health services in George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. Subsequent explorations included creating mentorship and pipeline programs for public health and vaccine pop-up clinics. These friends continued to explore new ideas and applications for diversity in health.

In 2022 we formalized the organization and continue to provide consulting services across the Twin Cities area. We are steadily building more programming and funding opportunities based on gaps we see in Minnesota. We work closely with our partners to design, implement and evaluate these programs

Our Work:

Connected Roots

Connected Roots is a mother’s-led, mutual support and assistance group for new parents in Hennepin County. We provide transportation, a community supported agriculture (CSA) box of vegetables each week, and a stipend to participants. 

Maternal Health Microgrants

We are piloting Minnesota’s first maternal health microgrant program. These grants are intended to help new parents to utilize healthcare, stay connected to others and provide for their families. We are learning about what is requested but we anticipate most funds will be used for:

  • Childcare reimbursement for physical or behavioral healthcare

  • Carseats for individuals not eligible for MNSure

  • Co-pay or prescription costs for birth control

  • Transportation to and from early childhood related activities like library story time, visits to nature centers, etc


#StrollersforHealth

Research shows that walking can improve health outcomes and mental health for new parents but safe strollers can be very expensive - even secondhand. Many organizations told us their clients ask for strollers and need strollers to get to work and do their daily activities. Strollers for Health is testing this need by collecting gently used strollers and distributing them to our partners at Everyday Miracles, Face2Face, and other locations across Minnesota. We are also collecting data to understand how the strollers impacts the parent’s life.

Minnesota OB-GYN Medicaid Access Map

We know that it is hard to find a doctor who is not white. Most families resort to asking friends or reading Facebook or Reddit posts to find a culturally competent doctor. There are currently no health systems in Minnesota who allow patients to look for providers by race - pictures or language serve as a proxy.

Our map allows you to look at doctors geographically and identify which health systems allow you to search by language, gender and public photos.

Note: The map is intended as a proof of concept and is not accurate based on 2024 Medicaid provider lists.

Dress Warm Challenge

Minnesota is cold. Many residents, including those in our own families, moved to Minnesota from more temperate climates and had to adapt. We created the Dress Warm Challenge for high school students to learn the value of layering for warmth and create a jingle or song in multiple languages to teach family members and friends the same skills. We’re actively seeking new partners and teachers to use our lesson plans and help their students win the challenge!