Dr. Emmalinde ‘Lindi’ Roelofse
Co-Founder & President (Term: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2027)
Dr. Roelofse is an economic development strategist and innovation scholar-practitioner with 25 years of experience leading cross-sector collaborations and rebuilding distressed local economies by directing major workforce, community, and resilience initiatives. This included mobilizing $812M+ through capital investment pipelines, managing multimillion-dollar grant portfolios, and designing award-winning regenerative learning systems.
As T. Wayne Davis Chair of Entrepreneurship at the University of Northern Iowa (2019-2024), she expanded (co-) curricular program enrollment 6x while also launching non-traditional youth and adult learning initiatives that achieved 97.5% completion rates and 100% of participating enterprises’ survival during the COVID pandemic. At Qii, she focuses on long-range strategy, trust infrastructure, and regenerative approaches to innovation and community wellbeing. Her work spans tribal, corporate, higher education, nonprofit, and government partnerships.
Current service roles:
🟦 Representative-at-Large, Academy of Management (Entrepreneurship Division)
🟦 Co-Vice-Chair, Women & Minorities SIG – US Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship
🟦 Trustee, Cedar Falls Public Library (Personnel Committee)
🟦 Commissioner, Cedar Falls Historic Preservation Commission (Digitization Lead)
🟦 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
🟦 Housing Development Finance Professional (HDFP)
🟦 Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP)
🟦 Kiva Loan Sponsor, Grow Cedar Valley Member, Cedar Valley Center for Resiliency Advisory Board,
Key Expertise: Strategic decision-making under uncertainty, cross-sector partnerships, regenerative innovation systems
ReShonda Young
Co-Founder & Treasurer (Term: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026)
ReShonda Young is a nationally recognized serial entrepreneur and generational wealth-building leader whose work focuses on inclusive economic development and Black entrepreneurial ecosystems.
She is the Founder of Bank of Jabez, the first Black-owned bank to launch in Iowa in more than 80 years. She has served on regional and national boards committed to strengthening economic mobility and community infrastructure, including the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa (Past Chair) and Black Hawk Economic Development.
ReShonda also founded Main Street USA, represents Iowa Community Capital in statewide initiatives, and serves on the board for Cedar Valley Global Pathways. Her work has been featured in national media and policy conversations about equitable access to capital and the future of local economies.
Current service roles:
🟨 Past Chair, Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa
🟨 Founder, Bank of Jabez
🟨 Board Member, Black Hawk Economic Development
🟨 Founder, Main Street USA
🟨 Representative, Iowa Community Capital
🟨 Board Member, Cedar Valley Global Pathways
🟨 Kiva Loan Sponsor
Dr. Ronelle Langley
Co-Founder & Secretary (Term: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025)
Dr. Ronelle Langley, licensed psychologist and executive coach, brings clinical resilience expertise and foundational research in psychosocial predictors of persistence (Robbins et al., 2004, Psychological Bulletin, 4,600+ citations).
She has served on the Iowa Board of Licensed Psychologists as a gubernatorial appointee, led the International Resilience & IRIS organization as its President, and founded several community-centered wellness and resilience initiatives, including the Cedar Valley Center for Resilience and the Global Community Hub.
Her professional background includes coaching senior leaders internationally, supporting organizational transformation, and helping communities navigate high-stress and high-uncertainty periods.
Current service roles:
🟥 Licensed Psychologist, American Psychological Association
🟥 Past Appointee, Iowa Board of Licensed Psychologists
🟥 Executive Coach, Executive Coaching International
🟥 Past-President & Board Member, IRIS
🟥 Founder, Global Community Hub
🟥 Founder, Cedar Valley Center for Resilience
🟥 Past Co-Chair, Blue Zones
The Qii 