YouthLink Hires Daniel Bubna as Director of Youth Services

YouthLink today announced that Daniel Bubna will be joining the organization as its Director of Youth Services on Monday, December 27. YouthLink, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit providing supportive resources to teens and young adults experiencing homelessness, has been serving the community for more than 45 years. Mr. Bubna brings more than 15 years of experience in serving youth and families in a variety of community based settings including his most recent position as Assistant Director at Mapletree, a group home for at-risk young men in Maplewood.

“The focus of my career has been advocating for older youth who are navigating the systems of juvenile corrections, foster care and residential treatment,” said Mr. Bubna. “I am honored to join the amazing team at YouthLink and look forward to working together to ensure that every young adult in our community gets a chance to build their own future.” He is certified by the Minnesota Board of Social Work as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and graduated from the Master of Social Work joint program at the University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University.

In his new role, Mr. Bubna will be replacing Lorraine Love, who after more than seven years of exceptional service to YouthLink is leaving to launch her own business La Noire Bridal in St. Paul, the first BIPOC-owned wedding business in Minnesota catering to BIPOC couples. “We sincerely appreciate Lorraine’s dedication to providing for young people in our community and can’t wait to visit her bridal shop,” said Michelle Basham, YouthLink Interim Executive Director. “I am thrilled to welcome Daniel on board with his extensive experience in supporting youth, organizational leadership and staff development.”

YouthLink operates a drop-in center in downtown Minneapolis where young people ages 16-24 can access basic needs and operates two housing programs (Nicollet Square and Downtown View). The organization serves youth who are disconnected from families and other social support, have endured traumatic and adverse childhood experiences, have long histories of street life, exploitation and racism and are disproportionately represented by BIPOC youth (90% of youth served).