Eric Black ,
MDI President & CEO
2025 Highlights
2025 was a year of meaningful progress across MDI. From expanding learning experiences and strengthening operations to deepening community impact and growing partnerships, these highlights reflect the momentum behind our mission and the work it takes to create more opportunity for people with disabilities.
$1.5M
Raised in contributed revenue
633
Class Participants
524
Virtual Reality Users
35k
Learning Experiences
100%
to budget on PE & PP ($13.3M)
A Few of our MDI Customers
Senior Leadership
Board of Directors
In The Community
Impacting Lives
Community is at the core of everything we do at MDI. We are committed to living our mission and values every day, making a positive impact through workforce development, volunteering, advocacy, and building strong community relationships. Each year, we proudly give back, empowering individuals and fostering connections that strengthen our communities.
MDI’s Success at Work celebrates 40 Minnesota students
Whether at its Minneapolis location or manufacturing facilities in Grand Rapids, Hibbing and Cohasset, empowering people and communities fuels MDI’s mission to provide meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
From the Lake to the Line: How Clayton is Moving Forward with MDI
When Clayton Bowers moved back to his hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, he had a dream: to be near the lake, spend more time with family, and build a life centered around health and purpose.
Tina’s Seven-Year Journey of Growth and Community at MDI
At MDI, every employee’s story is part of a bigger picture, one of resilience, inclusion, and progress. This October, for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we’re proud to share Tina’s journey, who has been with MDI for seven years.
Celebrating Progress: Joe Vendetti’s Journey from Passion to Purpose at MDI
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities and to promote inclusive employment practices.
Celebrating 80 Years of Value and Talent: Ben’s Story
This year marks the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and the 2025 theme, “Celebrating Value and Talent,” couldn’t be more fitting for a spotlight on one of MDI’s most tenured and beloved team members, Ben Pederson.
Jay’s Journey: Celebrating Value, Talent, and Inclusion Through Sports
Jay has been a Special Olympics athlete for over 20 years, competing in swimming, track, powerlifting, golf, and bocce ball. Through sports, he’s gained confidence, built leadership skills, and formed lifelong friendships.
Unified Work: Paving the Way for Inclusive Employment
Unified Work has continued to strengthen its programming through key partnerships that expand access to practical, engaging training opportunities for people with disabilities. Through partnerships with Transfr and HIRED!, Unified Work is helping learners explore careers, build workplace readiness skills, and gain the confidence needed to pursue employment and greater independence.
HIRED! Trailer
The HIRED! Trailer introduces an employment-focused learning experience designed to help people with disabilities prepare for the workplace and see what is possible for their future. It reinforces Unified Work’s commitment to expanding access to training that supports job readiness, confidence, and independent living.
Work Place Readiness Sims
The Work Place Readiness Sims video highlights immersive training experiences that help learners practice workplace scenarios in a more hands-on way. Through tools like VR-based simulations, Unified Work is making career exploration and skill-building more interactive, practical, and accessible.
CAREI Partnership
Through its partnership with CAREI at the University of Minnesota, Unified Work is developing stronger, research-informed training opportunities for people with disabilities. This work will also support the launch of a new Barrier Map in 2026, helping identify challenges to employment and shape more effective pathways to work.
Impact in 2025
Program Highlights
- Successfully completed three seasons of the HIRED eLearning courses in partnership with SweetRush.
- Partnered with the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota to finalize an interactive barrier map exploring employment challenges for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Initiated Career Readiness Simulations with Transfr to strengthen real-world job preparedness through immersive learning.
- Expanded workforce learning access through a combination of in-person and virtual class offerings across the year.
MDI Workforce Documented Disability
- 31% of MDI employees receive support from Employment Services (155)
- 52% of MDI employees identified with having a disability (260)
- Total MDI employees (499)
Employment Services
* Results measure the satisfaction, efficiency, and effectiveness of services to employees and participants working in the community who receive support from MDI’s Employment Services team.
The most frequent comment regarding how MDI could do better was to improve communication.
Driving Impact Through Innovation
At MDI, the more we deliver, the more opportunities we create. By providing high-quality plastic packaging and service solutions, we help our customers overcome business challenges while fostering job creation. We offer cost-effective, customized solutions with short lead times, saving our clients time and money while driving meaningful employment for individuals with disabilities.
Financials
Unaudited Statements of Financial Position
Assets
Current assets
$22,106,817
Other assets
$266,260
Property and equipment net
$16,967,682
Total assets
$39,340,759
Liability and net assets
Current liabilities
$4,463,173
Long-term debt and other liabilities
$1,583,139
Net assets without donor restrictions
$33,271,947
Net assets with donor restrictions
$22,500
Total liabilities and net assets
$39,340,759
Unaudited Statements of Activities
Revenue
Expenses & Reserves Totals
MDI is pleased to share our fiscal year 2025 unaudited financial statements. The complete consolidated and audited financial statement is available in the button below. Previous year financial statements are available at mdi.org. Audited by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, certified public accountants.
Ability Bash – 10 Years of Unleashing Ability and Igniting Opportunity
Ability Bash marked its 10-year anniversary in 2025, celebrating a decade of community support for MDI’s mission and the people it serves. Over the past ten years, the event has grown into more than a fundraiser. It has become a powerful reflection of the visibility, momentum, and shared commitment behind creating meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities.
Senator Aric Putnam
At Ability Bash, MDI recognized Senator Aric Putnam with the Advocate Impact Award for his continued commitment to advancing the organization’s mission. His leadership and support, including authoring past legislation that helped jump-start Unified Work projects, have helped expand opportunities for people with disabilities and strengthen MDI’s impact across the community.
Peet’s Coffee
MDI recognized Peet’s Coffee as its 2025 Business of the Year Award winner for being a strong partner in creating meaningful employment opportunities. Through its work with MDI to assemble, stock, and distribute retail displays, Peet’s Coffee has helped support jobs for 12 individuals with and without disabilities while demonstrating a clear commitment to purpose, sustainability, and inclusion.
Ability Bash Sponsors
Advocate Sponsor
Partner Sponsors
Ambassador Sponsors
Thank you to our supporters
In 2025, $1.5 million was raised by community events, grantors, donors, sponsors, vendors, and volunteers making MDI’s mission possible.
$350,000+
- Fred C. & Katherine B. Andersen Foundation
$50,000 – $99,000
- Northland Foundation
- Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
$25,000 – $49,999
- Anonymous
- Source America
$10,000 – $24,999
- CenterPoint Energy Foundation
- Sensata Technologies Foundation
- Xcel Energy Foundation
$5,000 – $9,999
- Atlas Staffing Inc
- Eric & Tawanna Black
- Marsh McLennan Agency
- Michael Vennewitz
- PK Kriha Family Giving Fund
- SFM – The Work Comp Experts
- Scanlan Group
- UMB Bank
$2,500 – $4,999
- Added Element
- Barr Engineering Co.
- Doherty Staffing Solutions
- ExxonMobil
- Goff Public
- Jeanne & Bryan Eglinton
- Logically
- Michael Olsen
- Mutual of America
- OTT, Inc
- Skol Marketing
- Winthrop & Weinstine
Ways to Donate
We are building a future where more people with disabilities have access to meaningful work, greater independence, and the opportunity to thrive. Your support helps power the training, partnerships, and services that make that future possible.
When you give to MDI, you are doing more than making a donation. You are investing in people, expanding opportunity, and helping create a more inclusive community for the years ahead.