With a 25-year history serving PUC and its community, including most recently as Head of Social Enterprises, Harriday will lead the organization’s next chapter
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) has named Signe V. Harriday its next President and Chief Executive Officer. A nationally recognized executive leader, Harriday brings more than 20 years of leadership experience and a 25-year relationship with PUC in a variety of roles, including most recently Head of Social Enterprises, as the organization enters a pivotal new chapter, with a renewed focus on capital and social enterprise initiatives, financial sustainability, community impact, and supporting the Minneapolis community in this critical moment in history.
Harriday’s appointment follows a national search conducted by PUC’s Board of Directors, and reflects a strong alignment between her leadership, lived experience, and PUC’s mission to build a just society where everyone has access to opportunity and a voice in shaping their future. She will take on the role beginning July 1, 2026.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am proud to welcome Signe Harriday as PUC’s next President and CEO. She brings strategic insight, financial strength, and a deep commitment to equity. For more than two decades, she has demonstrated her belief in PUC’s mission through action. The Board is united in its excitement for the future she will help build for our staff, partners, and communities.”
— Kaori Yamada, Chair, PUC Board of Directors
“I know the urgent challenges we face and am ready to usher in the stability, vibrancy, and innovation we need to thrive and serve our community courageously. I’m humbled and energized to lead the next chapter of PUC’s dynamic and bold legacy alongside our phenomenal community changemakers and builders.” –Harriday
A Leader Built for This Moment
Harriday currently serves as Head of Social Enterprises at PUC and Senior Artistic Producing Director at Pillsbury House + Theatre, which she first joined as an Associate Company Member in 2003. Over the course of two decades, she founded community organizations, cultivated artistic excellence, and facilitated countless workshops and trainings supporting leadership development and transformation. In 2021, she became Senior Artistic Producing Director where she helped provide artistic responses to the COVID pandemic and the murder of George Floyd while securing $3.2 million in multiyear funding. She recently led the $5.7 million Pillsbury Creative Commons project to completion, including creating a new home for KRSM 98.9 FM with fully-equipped studios to expand opportunities for local storytelling and the addition of a Scene Shop that serves as a laboratory and space for PCC’s Technical Arts Training program. She has overseen complex projects on behalf of PUC while advancing long-term financial sustainability. As she steps into the President & CEO role, she will focus on shaping PUC’s next strategic plan and expanding partnerships across the region.
Beyond PUC, Harriday is Founder and President of ReStoryation Inc., which offers facilitation, speaking, teaching, and organizing services anchored in storytelling, and is co-founder of both the Million Artist Movement and The Fields at Rootsprings retreat.
Her practice as a leader and an artist reflects PUC’s core values—Creativity, Justice, Resilience, Connection, and Kindness—and a consistent ability to turn bold vision into measurable results while centering equity and community partnership.
“Signe Harriday is the leader PUC needs in this moment. Her deep knowledge of our organization, proven ability to build mission-driven institutions, and strong roots in our communities make her uniquely prepared to lead us forward. Throughout the search, it was clear that Signe not only understands PUC’s opportunities—she has helped shape them. We are confident her leadership will bring stability, growth, and renewed momentum at a critical and exciting time for our organization, and our community.”
— Ali Lozoff, Search Committee Chair and Vice Chair, PUC Board of Directors
Rooted in Relationship, Ready to Lead
Harriday holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at the American Repertory Theatre and a B.A. Cum Laude in Psychology & Speech/Theatre from St. Olaf College. She is a Hermitage Artist Fellow, a New York Drama League Directing Fellow, and has led executive and professional development workshops nationally and internationally.
About Pillsbury United Communities
Pillsbury United Communities is a nationally recognized nonprofit rooted in Minneapolis neighborhoods and committed to building a just society where everyone has access to opportunity and a voice in shaping their future. Through community centers, social enterprises, arts and culture initiatives, and policy advocacy, PUC advances racial justice and community well-being for tens of thousands of residents each year.
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Pillsbury United Communities
3650 Fremont Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55412
www.pillsburyunited.org
