Fighting the Good Fight | Twin Cities Business

A lot of people want to be on a magazine cover. Some subjects will hint at it casually; others try to use it as leverage—having their publicist dangle the prospect of a deeper interview if a cover is in play. But in my time at TCB, only one person has staged her own boxing match in a bid for the cover.

In 2022, when media personality and podcast company owner Sheletta Brundidge was chosen for our annual TCB 100 list, she didn’t send in the typical headshot. She had her own photographer meet her at Element Gym in St. Paul, where she laced up boxing gloves and stepped into the ring, clad in a “knockout champ” tank top and red satin shorts. We stuck with our cover plan to feature the Pohlad brothers, TCB’s People of the Year, but Brundidge’s efforts made a memorable and symbolic statement. (Another savvy statement: when she marched right up to Bill Pohlad at our event to introduce herself and request a meeting!)

“My job is to pull down the systems that have structurally been in place to prevent Black people from thriving.” 

—Sheletta Brundidge, founder and CEO, SHElettaMakesmelaugh.com

Brundidge has had to fight for every on-air role and every corporate backer she’s ever secured. When she felt that big companies weren’t making good on DEI commitments to advertise with Black-owned media, she called them out and parlayed the attention into ongoing commitments from Bremer Bank, Comcast, UnitedHealthcare, and others. She didn’t wait for an invitation to speak at the state Capitol; she created Black Entrepreneurs Day, which drew more than 500 small-business owners in its second year and directly connected them with state officials and possible funding sources.

Yes, Brundidge is a big personality who doesn’t shy away from the spotlight, but when she puts on those boxing gloves, that’s her way of breaking through barriers, prejudices, and doubters—not just for her own advancement, but for an entire community.

Her efforts made her a compelling and unanimous pick for TCB’s 2024 Community Impact Awards, which recognize for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations, large and small, that are opening doors, advancing important causes, and, like Brundidge’s SHElettaMakesMeLaugh podcast platform, fighting for the underdogs. We received nearly 60 award applications this year. Our selection committee included Shahir Ahmed, vice president of business services for NDC (Neighborhood Development Center); Jake Blumberg, executive director of GiveMN; and TCB Performing Philanthropy columnist Sarah Lutman, who had long encouraged us to create this Community Impact platform.

As the issue took shape, including senior editor Liz Fedor’s report on why the top leadership roles continue to elude women (“Women at the Top,”), a couple of themes emerged: the importance of networking, leaning into your strengths, and the power of community. Who better to represent progress on those fronts than Sheletta Brundidge?

She may not look, dress, or pose like the executives who often grace our covers, but maybe that’s the point. She represents a new era of purpose-driven leaders who bring their whole selves to everything they do. And that’s something worth fighting for.