While hosting The Sheletta Show on WCCO Radio, Sheletta Brundidge did something she has never done. She welcomed a guest, Armetha Pihlstrom, founder and CEO of Pihlstrom Consulting Group (PCG), who said she had a surprise for Brundidge to share live with her listeners. “I said Armetha, Black women don’t like surprises,” Brundidge recalled.
Pihlstrom assured her it was a good surprise. In 2015, when Pihlstrom worked at Cargill, she launched the MLK Legacy Awards and is bringing it back.
“When I created this award, I really wanted to make sure we were acknowledging not just the titles of what people do, but really the work,” Pihlstrom said. “One of our core values at PCG is standing for integrity, innovation, and sustainability. These awards reflect the same commitment.”
Pihlstrom told Brundidge that she will be honored with the MLK Legacy Award on Jan. 17 at a dinner and awards ceremony at the Historic Lumber Exchange Event Center in Minneapolis. Pihlstrom said there are many reasons Brundige is being honored.
“Because of the impact of who you are and what you do,” Pihlstrom explained to Brundidge. “It’s about shining a light on those who aren’t just talking about change but actively creating it.”
Pihlstrom cited Brundidge’s most recent Job Fair for Black Women in October, which she organized after learning more than 300,000 Black women left the workforce between February and April 2025.
There are other examples, like Black Entrepreneurs Day at the State Capitol. Brundidge started the annual event, heading into its fourth year, which brings together Black business owners, entrepreneurs, and state lawmakers to connect, advocate for resources, and build relationships that support the growth and sustainability of Black-owned businesses in Minnesota.
Last year, Brundige partnered with Summit Academy to host a job fair for adults with autism in response to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s comments that kids with autism will “never hold a job or pay taxes.”
And on MLK Day, Brundige asked every Black woman she knew to join her in a Black Women’s Day of Service after she learned Harriet Tubman Center East, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, needed bedding. The group filled a dump truck with 700 pillows, blankets, and sheets for families in need and donated $15,000 to Tubman.
When several autistic children in the Twin Cities and beyond wandered away from home and drowned in the spring and summer of 2024, Sheletta took profits from her own company to spend more than $24,000 buying interior combination door locks to keep kids with autism safe. That program earned Brundidge and WCCO the prestigious "Service To America" award from the National Association of Broadcasters.
“Dr. King reminded us, the time is always right to do what is right,” Pihlstrom said. “You always stand up and show up and show out to celebrate any individuals or organizations that embody Dr. King’s principles of equity, change, and service throughout your work and your leadership.”
Humbled by the award, Brundidge said King has always been her compass. “Sometimes when people ask me how I’m doing, I say, ‘I’m living the dream that Dr. King died for.”
Then, in her true comedic fashion, Brundige scolded Pihlstrom for the honor. “You messed up. Now I gotta fly my friends in. I gotta get my momma up in here, and I gotta start saving to find something to wear.”
You can catch her humor and ability to command a crowd when Brundidge accepts the MLK Legacy Award on Saturday, Jan. 17, in Minneapolis. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a red carpet and cocktail hour. The program, which includes a sit-down dinner, starts at 6:45 p.m. and runs until 10:00 p.m.