About Higher Works

Our Foundation.

Founded in 2017 in St. Cloud, Higher Works Collaborative is a nonprofit organization that has worked tirelessly to advance the lives and livelihoods of the African-American community in Central Minnesota. Under the leadership and guidance of husband-and-wife team James Earl Alberts II and Natoyia M. Alberts, as well as current Chief Operating Officer Buddy King, Higher Works Collaborative takes a holistic approach to empower individuals in the key areas of Education, Transportation, Employment, Housing, Health & Wellness, Youth and the Arts. 

Working together with local corporate partners, Higher Works Collaborative offers a variety of services and programming created to raise individuals with knowledge and support so they may live their best lives as their best selves. This programming includes career development courses, leadership training, peer mentorship, housing search assistance, employment services, and much more.

When Higher Works Collaborative began, James laid out high-reaching goals for the organization as a whole:

• To create successful lives
• To clear the path for attainable education
• To find solutions to the lack of adequate transportation
• To help those in need find employment
• To aid in secure housing for those experiencing housing instability
• To develop a path toward and create opportunities for healthy living 

We are proud to live and work in pursuit of these ambitious goals every day.