Contact:

Carol Schuler

carol@cschuler.com

612.281.7030

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

MINNEAPOLIS, MN. (Mar. 18, 2024) – MEDA (Metropolitan Economic Development Association) is pleased to announce the hire of Mesude Cingilli to the executive team in the role of Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance. Before MEDA, Cingilli served as the Assistant Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. She started at MEDA on March 18, 2024.

In her capacity as CFO and VP of Finance, Cingilli will lead all MEDA’s finance, accounting, business planning, budgeting, IT, contract administration, and risk management. In addition, her responsibilities include overseeing financial administration, reporting, and compliance for government contracts and private grants.

 “We welcome Mesude as a strategic partner and financial leader to the MEDA team,” said Dorothy Bridges, CEO and President at MEDA. “Through her considerable experience in strategic planning and analysis, Mesude’s influence will propel MEDA to create even greater outcomes for our clients and the broader BIPOC business community.”

Cingilli’s accomplished financial background encompasses expertise in corporate finance, strategic and financial planning, teaching, and consulting. During her 20 years with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, she served as Assistant Vice President, Financial Manager of Treasury Retail Services, and Finance Manager of Financial Management Group. She also has experience with Target Corporation and US Bank.

“MEDA is a leader in delivering vital business financing solutions and consultation guidance to BIPOC entrepreneurs,” said Cingilli. “I am honored to continue my career in service to the BIPOC business community through MEDA’s pivotal services and products, which aim to mitigate economic disparities and foster equitable outcomes.”

 Cingilli attended the University of Minnesota for her M.B.A. in Finance and Strategic Management and attended Middle East Technical University in Turkey for her B.A. in Business Administration.

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About MEDA (Metropolitan Economic Development Association):

MEDA was founded by a group of Minnesota business leaders who saw BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) business ownership as a positive, long-term response to rising economic inequity within minority communities in our state. MEDA provides business development services, access to capital, and corporate and governmental market support for BIPOC entrepreneurs. Over the years, MEDA has helped launch more than 500 BIPOC businesses and assisted more than 30,000 Minnesota BIPOC entrepreneurs. MEDA operates a growing fund as a Community Development Fund Institution (CDFI) that provides needed capital for minority businesses to become sustainable. MEDA is also the host organization for the Minneapolis Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center, which has been recognized by the MBDA as the top-performing center for four consecutive years from 2016 to 2019. For more information, visit MEDA.net.