Aretha Green-Rupert Honored for Leadership Uplifting Twin Cities Youth
Carlson Family Foundation Program Director Aretha Green-Rupert was recognized as a 2026 honoree at Celebrating the Sistas, a Twin Cities event that highlights women whose leadership is shaping stronger communities across Minnesota.
Held March 21 at The Depot in Minneapolis, the annual celebration brings together leaders from business, government, and the nonprofit sector to recognize women whose work reflects courage, service, and lasting community impact.
Aretha was honored for her leadership in advancing opportunities for young people across the Twin Cities. Through her work at the Carlson Family Foundation, she helps guide strategies that surround young people with caring adults, strong programming, and community support, helping them realize their dreams.
Aretha is the kind of leader who understands that real progress doesn’t come from short-term gestures. It comes from showing up year after year and building the trust that allows real change to happen.”
Alex Muresanu, Board Chair, Carlson Family Foundation
Leadership Built on Trust
For those who work alongside her, one of the most striking things about Aretha’s leadership is the strength of the relationships she has built throughout the community.
During the event, Carlson Family Foundation Board Chair Alex Muresanu shared a simple observation. Whenever he is introduced to one of Aretha’s partners in the community, they greet her with a huge smile and a warmth that immediately reflects the trust and respect she has earned. Those relationships are not accidental. They are the result of how she consistently shows up for people and the work.
Throughout her career in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, Aretha has focused on ensuring that the voices of young people remain at the center of the work. She often encourages young people not to shy away from the hard times because strength is built through challenge.
I have deep gratitude and admiration for Aretha’s leadership. She puts community at the center of everything she does and is unwavering in lifting up voices that too often go unheard. It’s not just how the work is done, it’s how she shows up, with integrity, with intentionality, and with a deep commitment to partnership.
David Nelson, Executive Director, Carlson Family Foundation
Advancing Opportunities for Young People
At the Carlson Family Foundation, Aretha helps lead efforts to strengthen the network of adults, organizations, and opportunities that support young people across the Twin Cities.
This work is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: young people thrive when they are surrounded by adults who care deeply about their development and who help them see a path toward their future.
In 2023, the Minneapolis–St. Paul Business Journal recognized Aretha as one of the Twin Cities’ Black Leaders You Should Know. She also contributes to the broader community through several leadership roles, currently serving on the Opus Foundation Board and as Board Chair of both the Black Collective Foundation of Minnesota and Genesys Works Twin Cities. Previously, she also served as Board Chair of the Minnesota Council on Foundations.
Her recognition at Celebrating the Sistas reflects the impact of that work and the many partnerships that make it possible, and her leadership is helping to build a stronger Minnesota, one young person and one relationship at a time.