Over the past few years, the Minnetonka brand has embarked on a mission to support the Native American community, first by issuing an apology in 2020 for cultural appropriation and then by taking visible steps toward reparations, including hiring a reconciliation advisor in 2021, donating to local organizations and collaborating with Indigenous artists.
For Minnetonka president Jori Miller Sherer, she said this process has become “deeply personal” and helped shaped her own individual growth.
“I’m most proud of Minnetonka’s reconciliation commitment with the Native American community,” Sherer said. “This work has made me a better leader, especially in teaching me how to sit with discomfort. I’m also proud of shining a spotlight on Native American artists and my profound relationship with our reconciliation advisor, Adrienne Benjamin.”
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Sherer added that being introspective is a valuable skill in business, especially when it comes to processing failure. “I feel like I fail often, whether it’s the end of the week and I don’t think I spent my time on the right things or it’s a product launch that didn’t meet expectations,” she said.
While many might say the solution is to forget about it and move on, Sherer has different advice: “Take a moment to figure out how you can ask a better question. What could I have done differently? What did I learn from this experience? The key is to not make the same mistakes in the same way again.”
A version of this article appeared in the June 3 print issue of FN, as part of the “Women Who Rock” special section. On June 5, FN and Two Ten Footwear Foundation honored these women at a live event in New York City.
