What Does It Really Mean to Build Community?

At Freya + Co, building community isn’t just a value, it’s the work itself. I started this company to help organizations strengthen their capacity to address complex issues that affect health and well-being in Minnesota and beyond. Every day, we see reminders that our systems, social, environmental, and economic, are interconnected. When one part falters, the impact ripples outward.

So what does it mean to build community in that context? For me, it’s about connection, collaboration, and shared purpose. It’s the quiet, consistent work of helping people align around what matters most, whether that’s reducing health disparities, addressing environmental pollution, or creating conditions for young people to thrive.

The nonprofit and public sectors are full of brilliant, committed people. Yet too often, they’re working in silos, each doing good work, but without the benefit of shared learning or coordinated direction. Freya + Co. exists to change that. We bring partners together across boundaries, helping them see the larger system they’re part of and design strategies that create collective impact.

There’s no single problem, and there’s certainly no single solution. But progress happens when people come together, scientists and storytellers, policy advocates and service providers, funders and community members, to imagine what’s possible and act on it.

That’s what I mean by building community: helping people find common ground, move toward shared goals, and create lasting change. One conversation, one project, and one partnership at a time.