Matt Traynor
Executive Director

218-213-2054

Before joining the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless as our full-time director of organizing, Matt completed his degree in Youth and Family Ministry where he took a position as a Youth Director at a church in Red Wing. During his spare time, he was able to do some organizing around equity issues within the community and fell in love with organizing. From 2012 – 2017, Matt worked as the Community Organizer at CHUM in Duluth. After moving to Duluth Matt connected with others working to end homelessness and has been part of multiple successful organizing campaigns. In 2014 he received the Steve O’Neil Outstanding Organizer Award. Outside of organizing, Matt loves hanging with his family (especially his nephew), friends, and spending time doing introverted things like reading, watching movies, and going outside during the non-winter months.

Rachel Lynett
Director of Operations

Rachel Lynett  (she/they) serves as the Director of Operations with the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. Most recently before joining MCH, Rachel worked as a playwright and theatre artist.  Rachel has now written plays about the homeless communities in Fayetteville, AR, New Haven, CT, Pittsfield, MA and Orlando, FL by directly working with people with lived experiences in an attempt to raise awareness about ongoing gentrification, wealth inequality, and lack of shelter spaces. Rachel worked previously with the Science Museum of Minnesota as a project leader and as an operations manager at various theatre companies. In their free time, Rachel likes to sew, play board games, and hang out with their cats.

Naima Farah
Senior Strategic Consultant

I’m honored to join the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless (MCH) as a Senior Strategic Consultant in a short-term contracted role, building on my connection to MCH where I’ve proudly served on the Board since 2022. With over 15 years in the nonprofit sector, my work focuses on systemic transformation, coalition building, housing and economic justice advocacy, and strengthening the nonprofit ecosystem to serve underinvested communities better.

Most recently, I served as Capacity Building Director at Propel Nonprofits, where I led statewide capacity-building and intermediary grantmaking programs to advance equity and sustainability for BIPOC-led grassroots organizations across the state. This work included leading grantmaking efforts that invested over $10 million in nonprofit infrastructure and capacity building through programs such as the Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program, Seeding Cultural Treasures, and Capacity Building for Family Engagement. Facilitated cohort-based learning and peer convenings and worked to strengthen connections and collaboration across the nonprofit sector.

In my earlier career, I worked in direct service, advocacy, and community organizing with organizations such as CommonBond Communities, YWCA of Saint Paul, Avivo, and other nonprofits, supporting housing stability, mental health, and access to essential social services.

I stay deeply engaged in community leadership, serving on nonprofit boards and contributing to the Minnesota Black Collective Foundation as a Community Builder in their grantmaking efforts. I’m also currently pursuing my Master’s in Social Work at the University of St. Thomas to deepen my expertise in social policy, advocacy, and trauma-informed approaches.

When I’m not working or volunteering, I’m raising my four very active sons on the stolen land of the Dakota, Anishinaabe, and other Indigenous nations known as Mni Sóta Maḳoce. As a family, we love being in nature, traveling, playing sports and exploring new hiking trails, lakes, and libraries.

Fun fact: I love coffee so much that I would dedicate an entire travel experience to exploring coffee spots—Qhawa/Kahve/Koffie—in different states or countries.

Kirsten Rokke
Director of Communications and Events

Kirsten serves as the Director of Communications and Events with the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. From 2014-2021 Kirsten worked with MCH in various roles, the most recent one being the Director of Communications. Kirsten worked with Goff Public, a public relations firm in Saint Paul, until May of 2023, where she started working with her own clients in communication in a public relations capacity.

One of the most successful efforts in her career was assisting in the creation of a statewide narrative around housing stability and economic security that prioritized person-centered messaging and storytelling. Kirsten draws from a professional background at the intersection of strategic communications and public policy, and she has successfully helped organizations, companies, and nonprofits tell powerful stories that result in positive outcomes.

She is a purpose-driven leader eager to pair her passion for messaging and framing, content for digital campaigns, and communications to the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless communications needs.

Kirsten lives in Saint Paul and enjoys sparkling water, traveling, and Taylor Swift.

Ash Littles
Advocacy Fellow

Ash Littles (They/Them) is a Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Fellow, dedicated to advancing housing justice and equity across Minnesota. As a passionate advocate, Ash brings lived experience and a commitment to uplifting different individuals impacted by homelessness.

At 25, Ash has already contributed to deep and meaningful conversations, including co‑moderating sessions at the MCH Annual Conference on youth homelessness. Through this work, they emphasize the importance of centering community voices, building strong relationships, and driving systemic change.

Outside of fellowship responsibilities, Ash continues to be empathetic, resilient, and empowered—believing that every person deserves the stability of a safe home and the opportunity to thrive.

Tavonne Grayson
Advocacy Fellow

Tavonne (Vonn) Grayson (she/her) lives in Fridley, Minnesota, and is originally from Country Club Hills, Illinois. Her advocacy journey is deeply personal — shaped by her experiences of homelessness both as a child and as an adult, and by her courage in overcoming childhood abuse. Those experiences taught her strength, compassion, and resilience, and now drive her to help others find safety, hope, and belonging.

Two years ago, Tavonne began serving people experiencing homelessness through a program called Feed the Underfed. Today, she continues that mission each week with Catholic Charities, where she helps feed people in need and distributes groceries every Tuesday. Her dedication to serving others has become a vital part of her healing and her purpose.

Tavonne also serves on the Survivors Advisory Council for Women’s Advocates and works with the organization’s Furniture Program, helping furnish new housing for families affected by domestic violence. In addition, she hosts Safe Night at Home, offering care and community for those impacted by domestic violence.

Tavonne was inspired to join the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless after hearing about MCH’s powerful advocacy and the change it creates in communities. As an MCH Advocacy Fellow, she hopes to use her story to challenge stigma, influence policy, and uplift the voices of survivors across Minnesota. Tavonne believes that everyone deserves to be seen, supported, and safely housed — and she’s dedicated to making that vision a reality.

Dakota ‘Bear’ Morgan
Dakota Morgan

DaKota “Bear” Morgan (they/them) is a dedicated and innovative leader serving as a Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Policy Fellow, community advocate, and passionate voice in foster care reform and housing policy. Their work is grounded in a lived experience with foster care and homelessness. Committed to uplifting unheard voices and advancing systemic change. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in American Indian Studies from the University of Minnesota and are currently pursuing a Master of Social Justice and Human Rights at Arizona State University. Recognized for their advocacy through multiple awards and media features, DaKota also serves as sitting President of the Heading Home Ramsey Youth Advisory Board and as a member of the Tiwahe Foundation’s Intergenerational Advisory Council. Beyond their advocacy and academic work, DaKota is an award-winning artist and entrepreneur, owning their own business and earning honors including the Grand Reserve Champion at the Washington County State Fair.

Randi Wickham
Advocacy Fellow

Randi Wickham lives in Central Minnesota. She is a mother of a human child and some reptilian babies as well. She is a mother, an aunt a sister a daughter, and  is a lived experience advocate, community leader, and co-founder of (LEAN) Lived Experience Advocacy Network, an advocacy group based out of Minnesota. Drawing from her own journey asa  woman who was categorized as long-term homeless, a single mother, survivor of domestic assault, and a woman in recovery, she uses her story to drive systemic change and to help strengthen community understanding around homelessness and break the stigma. She works as a taxi driver and also a shelter attendant at Bridges of Hop,e where she supports individuals in crisis and helps them navigate the complicated systems that are in place. As a lived experience leader, she has met with local, state, and federal legislators to help elevate the voices of those most directly impacted by housing instability. She is committed to ensuring that the lived experience voice is not only heard but centered in policy conversations. Randi’s work reflects her belief that meaningful change happens when communities build tables where everyone has a voice and where lived experience can lead the way.