Princess Titus
"Inviting Funders Into Community"
When funders visit Appetite for Change, they get a different experience with Princess Titus as their guide. Titus has seen programs serving the black community struggle for funding, and she’s also witnessed the unhealthy tension that often exists between the people providing funding and services and the people who rely on those services. As a co-founder of Appetite for Change, she wanted to change that narrative and bridge the gap between funders, programs, and community.
After losing her son to gun violence 12 years ago, the garden is where Princess found peace and solace. Working in the earth provided a sense of safety and calm, and it is what led to her passion for food justice. Now, she strives to offer the same for her community, connecting them with each other and the land while challenging misperceptions of Minneapolis’s northside neighborhoods.
As Senior Engagement Officer and a co-founder of AFC, Princess specializes in bridging boundaries and building understanding and connection to foster health, wealth, and social change for the North Minneapolis community. A firm believer that everyone has value, she taps into her experience as a farmer, storyteller, and community organizer to engage all stakeholders directly in AFC’s work, from donors and institutional funders to community members and volunteers. Her happy place, she says, is barefoot in the garden taking funders on a tour alongside the community members who farm there.
Guided by the question “what do you need?”, Princess has ensured Appetite for Change continues to evolve to meet the needs of the community. Since its founding, AFC has grown to encompass seven urban farms, culinary education classes, community organizing and job readiness programs, a metro-wide food justice coalition, and a community meals program that has distributed nearly half a million fresh, restaurant quality meals across Minneapolis and St. Paul. For Princess, this work is about more than providing healthy food to her neighbors — it is about nurturing connection and building community beyond neighborhood.
Titus is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas and a 2022 AFP Minnesota IDEA Fellow.
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