Malik Rucker is a community-rooted leader and the founding Executive Director of V3 Sports, a nonprofit in North Minneapolis dedicated to elevating community through wellness fitness and education. A fifth-generation Northsider, Malik brings both lived experience and visionary leadership to his work—spearheading one of the most impactful community-driven developments in the Twin Cities. 

As V3 Sports’ first employee, Malik laid the foundation for the organization’s growth, scaling its team from just one person to more than 80 in its early years and setting the strategic direction that continues to guide its mission today. He led a successful $26 million capital campaign that brought Phase 1 of the V3 Center to life, a facility featuring a teaching pool, hydrotherapy pool, fitness center, classrooms, and youth spaces. Under his leadership, the project invested $5.8 million directly with Northside businesses, reinforcing V3 Sports’ commitment to local economic empowerment. 

Today, the V3 Center is a community-inspired health and wellness center that features fitness and aquatic spaces alongside partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club and Soul Bowl, the first sitdown restaurant on Plymouth Avenue in more than 20 years. Phase Two, now in early design, will expand the center to include a 50-meter Olympic pool, six multipurpose courts, and STEAM learning labs, further advancing V3 Sports’ vision to be a model for communities to thrive. 

Malik’s leadership and advocacy have earned him widespread recognition. He has been named to the Twin Cities Business Magazine Top 100, Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s 50 Black Leaders to Know, and 40 Under 40 Class of 2024. He is also a recipient of the national BMe Vanguard Award for innovative, asset-based leadership in Black communities. 

Before joining V3 Sports, Malik held positions in Community Relations for the Minnesota Twins and as a Program Coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from Western Michigan University, where he played Division I football, and an MBA from the University of North Texas. 

Malik currently serves on the board of Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) and Raise The Barr, and on the advisory committee for the Fund For Safe Communities at the Minneapolis Foundation.