As we celebrate Black Business Month this August, ABC Realty Twin Cities had the privilege of connecting with Seanne Thomas, a trailblazing realtor and community advocate, to discuss her journey and involvement in uplifting Black businesses on St. Paul’s East Side. This month’s blog highlights our insightful conversation with Seanne, her role in the East Side Black Business Network, and the exciting projects shaping the local community.
How did you get connected to the East Side Black Business Network?
“The East Side Neighborhood Development Corporation (ESNDC), which is our local community development corporation, got funding from Rooted Philanthropic, formerly known as Runyon Family Foundation. Rooted Philanthropic is an old Eastside family that made their money in owning franchise gyms, one of the earlier franchise gyms. The philanthropy they are focused on is that of the east side of St Paul. They gave ESNDC a grant to organize and get behind the Black businesses here on the east side, and that work culminated in forming the East Side Black Business Network.”
How do you think that being a part of the East Side Black Business Network has impacted your business, network, and circle?
“It has certainly grown my circle by meeting other business owners, like, did you know the car lot there on Minnehaha between Payne and Arcade, where the brewery campuses are, that’s a Black-owned business right behind the police station by Kurt Cargill. He and I have learned about other Black businesses here on the east side that I didn’t know existed. And there’s a lot of spirited Black entrepreneurship here on the east side. I spent four years on the board of PABA, the Payne Avenue Business Association. I always thought we should have a Black Chamber of Commerce here on the east side, but PABA is the closest thing to a chamber of commerce, but they have no interest in morphing into a chamber of commerce. You also have the Midway Chamber of Commerce, you have the downtown Chamber of Commerce, you have a Black Chamber of Commerce, but none of that is reflected and represented here on the east side. The closest we come to it is PABA. We have WBABA, the White Bear Avenue Business Association. Essentially, these are all just corridors of representation of businesses.”
What is the importance of a Chamber of Commerce?
“A Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization that is completely and holistically focused on supporting and building a thriving business community in a geographic area. You know, it’s either geographically focused or culturally focused, like the Black Chamber of Commerce. Or here there’s the East Side there’s a Hmong Chamber of Commerce.”
Can you kind of explain your role there?
“I’m on the leadership team doing hands-on work with creating events, facilitating bringing education and resources into the East Side Black business community. I also work alongside our lead facilitator, Kamari, doing the outreach to get those businesses to the table to the knowledge and the resources.”
Challenges and Triumphs in Real Estate
Transitioning into your own business, what challenges might you have faced as a Black realtor working with majority marginalized communities, and what has that meant for you?
“When I came into this business 23 years ago, I didn’t really have an idea of who I wanted to serve, but I quickly, because I was a young mother. My oldest, Ismail, five years old. Jaleel was three, and I had just had Malik (my youngest). Because I was immersed in motherhood, I naturally gravitated to women and children, and that became my focus in helping that population find and have stable housing, which kind of lent itself to the first-time homebuyer programs. And I love championing the first-time homebuyer. It’s very gratifying. It’s not just a transaction, it’s very emotional and filled with gratitude and joy.”
What can you tell about the first-time homebuyer program, and how people can get connected?
“There are several first-time homebuyer resources in the marketplace. The biggest one is Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA. They are the state-level program, and they have a cache of products that will assist first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance and closing cost assistance.
Then there are buckets of money that the cities and the counties will get until they run out, right, that you could layer on top of that MHFA money. So maybe Ramsey County has another, you know, $10,000 down payment assistance program if you’re buying in Ramsey County. And so you can layer that on top of the MHFA down payment and closing costs assistance until they run out.
It’s important that if you are a first-time homebuyer and you need help with down payment and closing cost assistance that you are working with a realtor that is knowledgeable in the first-time homebuyer marketplace because they’re going to be aligned with those lenders that are knowledgeable. Then there are several nonprofits that have funding for specific communities.
Then there are other players too, like the land trusts and Habitat for Humanity. To me, these are all tools that I wear on my tool belt.”
Can you share a story where a networking opportunity helped you with a real estate connection with a family in need of a home?
“Many moons ago, we were at Phalen Rec Center while my husband and I were coaching the youth soccer team. We had three boys, and I met a parent on the field, and he asked me if I’d ever heard of ESNDC, Eastside Neighborhood Development Corporation. He’s like, ‘It’s our Neighborhood Development Corporation. They do business development, community development, housing, and you should check it out.’ My years serving on that board connected me with Jim Erchel of Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services, and he is to date my biggest client. He also helped finish other housing projects.”
Balancing Community and Personal Wellness
How do you find the balance between community and business connections?
“I guard my time with my life. I have been in life where I was out of balance and working too much or overextended. Too many volunteer activities or just being inundated with raising my family. I had to learn, at a time, to never be actively working with more than three buyers at a time. I know the kind of energy and time it takes to work with a buyer and what I can give to buyers.
I am committed to starting each day with one to two hours in meditation. I am committed to exercising four to five days a week. Yesterday, I biked into the office. I have my weight training class, you know? I know those are the things that are important to me and that keep me alert, refreshed, and healthy. I grow my own vegetables last summer, so I like to have time with that.”
Looking to the Future
Any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re excited to share with people?
“Absolutely. We have new build projects coming to market. Two of them are on the Revoli project with Dayton’s Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services. They have cool, contemporary constructed homes, designed by David Cellella, the internationally acclaimed architect from Duluth, Minnesota. Those should be ready for market in the next couple of weeks.
I have the accessory dwelling unit demo site that will be ready for market, probably by mid to late September. This is super exciting because it relates to the work that I do on the planning commission. On the planning commission last year, we changed the zoning to make it easier to build more density in the city because the zoning was ancient. Those old zoning laws don’t work for the projected growth that we’re experiencing and will continue to have as outlined in the 200 comprehensive plan.
The accessory dwelling unit demo sites have two new construction homes. A large three-bedroom, two-bath basement that has nine-foot ceilings and an egress window. Full plumbing so that the owner can easily finish out that basement space (recreation room, extra bedroom, a family room, etc.). And then attached to that is a studio apartment that has its own lawn and in-unit laundry. We did put a door in between the home and the studio apartment in case a person wants to move a family member into the studio apartment or you could run your business out of the studio apartment.”
Thank you Seanne for your contribution to the community!
Stay tuned for updates on future projects and initiatives from the East Side Black Business Network and ABC Realty Twin Cities. Together, we can continue to champion community and business development, ensuring a thriving and inclusive East Side for all.
