MINNEAPOLIS — The Walker Art Center came alive under the Minneapolis skyline on a beautiful fall evening in September as more than 1,500 guests gathered at Avant Garden 2025, the Twin Cities’ most anticipated arts gala. The theme, “We Came to Play,” was more than a celebration of creativity. It was a reminder of what happens when community, imagination and purpose come together.
Under a sweeping white tent on the Walker hillside, the city’s creative pulse could be felt in every direction. Guests dined among art installations, bid on contemporary works, and filled the dance floor during a high-energy DJ set by Trixie Mattel. Laughter and conversation flowed easily, and the night shimmered with color and life.
Behind the glamour stood a deeper mission. The William M. Lively Foundation served as this year’s title sponsor, continuing its commitment to empower Minnesotans through education, innovation and access.
“The heart of Avant Garden is about more than the art on the walls,” said William Lively, founder of fintech firm EXtrance and chairman of his namesake foundation. As much as he loves business conversations, his true passion is bringing people together. “This night is about what happens when people show up for one another, when creativity becomes a form of giving back.”
The Walker Art Center is known as one of the nation’s leading multidisciplinary arts institutions. Its 65,000 square feet of exhibition space, McGuire Theater, Walker Cinema, and the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden have made it a cultural anchor for generations. Each Avant Garden gala helps fund the Walker’s artistic and educational programming, ensuring art remains accessible to all.
For Lively, supporting the Walker represents more than philanthropy. It reflects his belief that creativity and innovation share the same heartbeat. “The Walker is a place where ideas take shape,” he said. “That is what I want for Minnesota, spaces where people can explore, learn and push boundaries.”
As lead sponsor, the William M. Lively Foundation generated more than half a million logo impressions across print and digital media. Yet beyond the numbers, its presence was felt in the atmosphere of the evening. Among the 1,523 attendees were more than 100 BIPOC artists, reflecting the inclusive spirit both the Walker and the foundation aim to foster.
Event co-chairs Ana Haqq and John Higgins described the gala as “a joyful collision of art, advocacy and community.” Guests enjoyed a seated dinner, a live auction and a late-night celebration that spilled into the sculpture garden. The evening closed with a toast to those who make art and access to it possible.
The night is powerful, Lively said, because it’s backed with purpose. The event is more than a party and celebration; it’s an “investment in creativity.”
Giving Back Through Education And Access
Even while building companies that reshape the future of finance and real estate, William Lively has stayed focused on a simple principle: success means more when it opens doors for others.
In 2020, he launched the William M. Lively Foundation, a community-driven organization dedicated to expanding education and opportunity across Minnesota. What began as a digital literacy initiative has grown into a network of mentorship programs, entrepreneurship resources and partnerships that connect technology with access.
“Minnesota has a unique combination of entrepreneurial spirit, financial expertise and collaboration,” Lively said. “It is a place where you can pick up the phone and have a meaningful conversation with a decision-maker the same day.”
One of the foundation’s cornerstone programs, The Renewal Initiative, helps people facing addiction or mental health challenges rebuild their lives. The program connects treatment centers, employers, hospitals and civic groups to create a full network of care. Participants receive housing support, financial education and job opportunities through the foundation’s business partners.
“The mission is to break the stigma around addiction and mental illness by replacing judgment with opportunity,” Lively said. “People are not defined by their worst days. They are defined by their ability to rise from them.”
Through workshops, community outreach and partnerships with local schools, the foundation helps residents of underserved neighborhoods build confidence and gain practical skills for modern careers. Whether through coding classes, small-business mentorships or digital banking education, the goal is empowerment.
To Lively, Minnesota’s blend of creativity and commerce makes it an ideal setting for social innovation. “The state’s diversity is its strength,” he said. “It is a testing ground for ideas that can later grow nationally or internationally.”
Building Something That Gives More Than It Takes
Since its founding, the William M. Lively Foundation has followed one guiding belief: build systems that outlast the people who create them.
“They are fundamentally aligned,” Lively said of his company and philanthropic efforts. “My philosophy, in both business and giving, is to build systems that empower people.”
That conviction has led to partnerships across both the private and public sectors. This year, the foundation joined forces with the Pohlad family, owners of the Minnesota Twins, to co-sponsor Avant Garden 2025. For Lively, supporting the Walker Art Center felt like a natural extension of his mission.
“The Walker embodies the creative heartbeat of Minneapolis,” he said. “Supporting Avant Garden alongside the Pohlads was about investing in imagination as infrastructure, because culture drives progress.”
Inside the event tent, that vision came to life. Artists mingled with entrepreneurs, and young creators shared tables with executives and educators. Guests admired a digital art display sponsored by the foundation that highlighted student projects exploring the link between technology and social impact.
To Lively, that mix of art and innovation is what propels communities forward. “When art and innovation meet, you create momentum,” he said. “That is how you change communities.”
The foundation’s reach continues to grow. From scholarships for underrepresented students in technology fields to grants supporting digital equity projects in rural areas, its initiatives reflect a long-term commitment to access. “The goal is to make opportunity local,” Lively said. “You do not need to move to Silicon Valley to build something meaningful.”
From Local Startup To Global Platform
Long before founding his philanthropic organization, Lively made his mark in the financial technology sector. As founder and CEO of EXtrance Inc., he led the creation of an artificial intelligence platform designed to simplify commercial real estate investment management. The system integrates machine learning and blockchain to increase transparency for both institutional and retail investors.
“The goal was to create a system that allowed capital to move intelligently, compliantly and with true accountability,” he said.
What began as a small local startup eventually gained international attention. By 2025, EXtrance reached a milestone with its $1.2 billion acquisition by a global investment bank, one of the largest fintech transactions ever to come out of Minnesota.
For Lively, the success represented something larger than business. “It proved that the Midwest is not only a market for innovation,” he said. “It is the creator of it.”
That same entrepreneurial spirit drives his philanthropic work. He views technology as a force for good when it is used to level the playing field. “Innovation without inclusion is incomplete,” he said. “If we build systems that serve everyone, we all rise together.”
Through the William M. Lively Foundation, he continues to merge innovation with impact, ensuring that the next generation has the tools to create, compete and lead.
As the lights dimmed over Avant Garden 2025, guests raised their glasses one last time. The music softened, but the message of the evening remained. Art, technology and compassion belong to everyone, and when they meet, they have the power to transform communities.
“It is about playing with purpose,” Lively said, smiling as he looked across the Walker campus. “Play reminds us why we create in the first place. It is where joy meets progress.”
