JOIN US for OUR 7th Annual Ajilla Day and FUNDRAISER

Join us in making an impact and accelerating the success of our next generation of leaders. Donations are tax exempt and go directly to support our Leadership Development Programs.

The virtual fundraising event will take place on Thursday, December 12th from 7pm-8:30pm CT. During our time together, you will hear from Ajilla Fellows, we will announce the winners of the innovation challenge and get to hear from our 2024 honoree - Michelle McAlister!

Meet our 2024 Passion. Purpose. Possibilities Honoree!

Michelle McAlister

Michelle is Senior Director of Brand Marketing at PepsiCo leading the Lay's and Miss Vikcie's potato chip businesses. She has deep experience in brand building, brand innovation, and marketing strategy on some of the world’s most loved brands, including Lay's, Quaker, Cheetos, Pop Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats, Lipton, and Walgreens. She describes her job as “truly committing to understanding consumers, innovating and designing solutions for their lives, and reaching them in a way where they see themselves as the main character in the stories she tells through marketing” and She loves to take big swings on the things that matter. She earned a BA in Marketing from Howard University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She has been a long time member of Girls on the Run Chicago, and currently serves on the governing board. Michelle lives in Chicago, IL, with her husband and two sons.

Meet our Ajilla Fellow Panelist

Ari Williams is an Ajilla Alum and currently working as a Business Development and Capture Specialist.

Feyi Saduku is an Ajilla Alum and currently getting her Masters Degree and working as a Graduate Assistant.

Tanya Keskar is in the current cohort of the Ajilla Felllowship and is student at Washington University in St. Louis

Gloria Ampadu - Darko is an Ajilla Alum and currently an Analyst at Deloitte

Thank you to our 2024 partners!