Michael W. Neusser holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a Master’s degree in Tribal Administration and Governance from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He grew up in Wisconsin and is an enrolled member of the Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. From 1993-2000 he was employed through his tribe as a general manager for satellite casinos. His career then transitioned into various domestic and international sales and marketing roles in the private sector. He also worked simultaneously as a consultant for a number of businesses and tribal nations. 

After years of working in the corporate setting and as an independent consultant, Mr. Neusser wanted to get back into solely tribal relations work in the public sector.  He moved to Minnesota in 2011 and secured a position with the White Earth Nation as their Economic Development and Marketing Manager. He continued working for the White Earth Nation for seven years in various roles, most recently as the Economic Development Director.

In 2019 Mr. Neusser’s career took another fortunate turn and allowed him to enter into the world of philanthropy and placed him in the role as Vice President for Operations with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, and his primary responsibilities are to ensure organizational operations are aligned with the mission and vision of the foundation. Additionally, he plays a key role in facilitating collaborative efforts among staff and with external partners; including tribal relations.  After a time he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Programs at the Northwest Minnesota Foundation.  

In 2025 Mr. Neusser decided to return to his Economic Development Director role with the White Earth Nation.  He continues to assist in the stability and flourishment of the tribal communities and people.  He currently resides within the White Earth reservation with his wife Tracy, their children, and extended family.

My name is Victoria Koudelka and I’m currently a junior at Eagan High School. One of my
biggest goals is to amplify the voices of young people in our state. Adolescents make up almost
a quarter of Minnesota’s population and yet we are the most underrepresented in government.
That’s why I want to work with the Youthprise board, to ensure that Minnesota youth are heard,
valued and included. In the last year I’ve founded a nonprofit youth council for Eagan, organized
a school walkout, set up meetings for high schoolers to meet their representatives, and started
multiple projects to give the students in Eagan a voice in our community. I believe serving on the
Youthprise board will help me continue to give a voice to kids across Minnesota. Thank you for
this opportunity.

Marcus Pope, Youthprise’s President, works closely with the Board of Directors to execute Youthprise’s strategic priorities. He provides oversight for all organizational areas including grantmaking, policy advocacy, communications, development, and special initiatives. Having joined Youthprise in 2011, Marcus has been an integral part of Youthprise’s success as he has formed key partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies, and grantmaking entities to create opportunities for youth throughout Minnesota. Growing up in Saint Paul’s Frogtown Neighborhood, Marcus benefitted from high-quality child and youth development opportunities at the Hallie Q. Brown Center and the Science Museum of Minnesota. These experiences and opportunities – along with the poverty, community violence, and inequity he witnessed throughout his childhood – inspired him as an adolescent to pursue a career in youth development. He began his tenure with Youthprise as Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach, joining the organization at its inception and serving on the founding leadership team. In 2017, Marcus was promoted to Vice President.

Before joining Youthprise, Marcus served for five years as Associate Director of the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community (IDVAAC) at the University of Minnesota (U of M). While there, Marcus oversaw targeted fundraising efforts, educated national policymakers and White House staff on federal legislation that addressed intimate partner violence, and helped develop and implement technical assistance to service providers in 20+ jurisdictions nationally. Marcus’ time at IDVAAC is marked by a 39% increase in revenue, an elevated national profile, and significant program expansion. Without formal education and training in legislative advocacy, Marcus credits women of color leaders in the domestic violence and sexual assault movement for providing him with the advocacy knowledge and tools he would later use at Youthprise. Other experiences include serving as Director of Youth Programs for the Neighborhood Involvement Program in Minneapolis and Academic Advisor for the Youth Studies Department at the U of M School of Social Work.

A respected leader in the Twin Cities nonprofit community, Marcus has served on several boards and committees. In 2023, Marcus was appointed by the Mayor of Minneapolis to a three-year term on the Minneapolis Workforce Development Board. He also serves as a Trustee for the Andrus Family Fund, a grantmaking entity affiliated with the New York-based Surdna Foundation. Marcus recently completed a three-year term as Vice Chair of the Minnesota Council on Foundations board of directors. Additional civic leadership and involvement include his current service as a member of the CollegeBound Saint Paul Fund for the Future Campaign Committee and former service as a Trustee for the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, Trustee for Wallin Education Partners, and Board Member for Mardag Foundation.

In 2020, Marcus received a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award for his leadership and service to the Twin Cities community. He was also selected as part of the 2018 Twin Cities cohort of the coveted Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program. And in 2013, he was honored as a Rising Alumni of the U of M’s CEHD. Throughout his career, Marcus has authored or co-authored several published works, including journal articles, commissioned reports, and book chapters that address youth engagement and leadership, education, and intimate partner violence.

Marcus earned an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in Sociology, Youth Studies, and African American studies and a Master’s degree from the U of M in Education – Youth Development Leadership, with an emphasis in Program Evaluation. He also holds a Mini-MBA from the University of St. Thomas. In 2022, Marcus was selected as a Capella Fellow and is working toward earning a Doctorate in Human Services, with a specialization in Leadership and Organizational Development.

Aisha (aka Adyiam) as a Development Associate supports and helps organize grant details and data entry. She graduated from Whitman College in 2019 with a B.A. in Politics and Global Studies. She spent 2 years teaching English in Spain and loves to travel. Aisha also has spent several years in community organizing and youth programming in her hometown, Worthington, where she advocates for BIPOC, immigrant/refugee communities. You can reach out to Aisha for all things grant-related as well as international travel, politics, jazz music, and spirituality.

Guiding Quote: “Remember where you came from to know where you’re going”. – Unknown