Renae Shields

Business planning and organizational development have been Renae’s focus since 1989 when she became partner and CFO in an economic development and land use planning firm that specialized in industrial startup and expansion programs.

Renae's career experience includes serving as a loan, grant, and equity fund program manager and economic development director for a nonprofit foundation; owner, CFO, and COO of three for-profit companies; and working as a consultant with the nonprofit division of a large consulting firm to nonprofits.

Renae has worked with the boards and staffs of several nonprofit and for-profit organizations to bring them through the organizational planning processes of strategic planning and business planning. In addition, she has worked on short and long-term projects specific to program evaluation, marketing, QuickBooks management, financial analysis, and training on specific applications. Renae frequently works with large nonprofit organizations, providing one-on-one technical assistance on business topics to their loan and program clients.

A summa cum laude graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, Renae created and implemented entrepreneurship curricula to initiate two high school entrepreneurship programs and an entrepreneurship program for at-risk youth. Her role as a high school business instructor included creating and directing programs in youth entrepreneurship, youth apprenticeship, and workforce development. As an adjunct faculty member of a technical college, she taught courses in entrepreneurship, ethics, documentation and written skills for supervisors, and time management.

Renae has been certified as an instructor for FastTrac® Entrepreneurship training programs through the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She also developed and taught an entrepreneurship course for the Harold Anderson Entrepreneurial Center and has served as a facilitator in the Anderson Center’s Manager’s Forum Pilot Program.

Renae currently serves on the Board of Directors of a nonprofit school in St. Paul, Minnesota offering preschool through grade 8 classes and as treasurer and member of the Board of Governors of a community group developing renewable energy in rural Minnesota. She has previously served as a church trustee and on the advisory committee of several organizations.

A client list is available on request.