AIDS Foundation Chicago

Iana Amiscaray

Iana Amiscaray (she/her) is a senior manager of special projects with Pride Action Tank and AFC’s Policy and Advocacy team. She leads and manages major initiatives and programs, such as OUTAging, the Community Restroom Access Project, and the Connection to Care Learning Collaborative. She is deeply committed to social justice, whole-person approaches, healing as a key part of leadership, and transformative education that leads to liberation, especially for trans and queer communities.

Barack Obama Foundation

Odalis Arcadio

Odalis is a first-generation, Chicago-native Latina professional, and currently works at the Obama Foundation as a Senior Associate, Community Engagement and Government. In her role, she helps lead public engagement efforts across the city with a focus on Latinx and youth engagement.  Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission helping high school students prepare postsecondary plans. Odalis is a strong believer of social change and empowering youth voices. Additionally, she served as an aldermanic aid for the 32nd ward’s public service office where she helped constituents get connected with city services.  In her commitment to public service, Odalis puts communities first and strives to make things better for the next generation. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring local coffee shops and going to the gym.

The Art Institute of Chicago

Katie Barko

Katie Barko is a dedicated art and museum educator with extensive experience in teaching and administration. Since 2020, she has played a pivotal role in shaping and contributing to K-12 Student Experiences at the Ryan Learning Center of the Art Institute of Chicago. Previously, she served as a Clinical and Instructional Assistant Professor at Illinois State University, where she taught courses in education, art and design history, and digital studio art. Her career spans international teaching assignments, K-12 classroom roles in Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Heights, and various Central Illinois schools, as well as contributions and supervision to public art initiatives across the Midwest. Barko holds an M.S. in Art Education from Illinois State University and a B.F.A. from Quincy University. In her current role as Senior Educator at the Ryan Learning Center, she is committed to teaching, administration, mentorship, and advancing accessibility for all audiences.

Center on Halsted

Alexander Sanchez Claudio

Alexander Sanchez Claudio is an emerging leader in the non-profit sector with a multicultural background and passion for DEI – highlighted by his bachelors and masters degrees in International Relations. With a strong commitment to growth, Alexander has made impactful improvements in the organizations he’s been fortunate to work with, including Goodman Theatre and Center on Halsted. He currently works as Development Services Coordinator for Center on Halsted, where he has helped refine development operations processes to maximize fundraising efforts for programs and services that help LGBTQ+ Chicagoans in need.

Illinois Public Health Institute

Celestine Emberton

Celestine Emberton is a Senior Program Manager at the Illinois Public Health Institute. In her current role, Celestine advances collaborative work with All In: Data for Community Health Network and Data Across Sectors for Health, a joint program of the Illinois Public Health and Michigan Public Health Institutes. She has also served on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Equity Learning Lab Advisory Committee. Her areas of knowledge include communicating effectively with stakeholders, operationalizing equity in organizations, and engaging people with lived experience. In her free time, she enjoys caring for a tangle of houseplants, playing video games, and trying to get her two cats to put on hats.

Chicago Botanic Garden

Keilah Johnson

Keilah Johnson is the Senior Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) at the Chicago Botanic Garden. With over a decade of experience in designing EDIA strategies, she has experience in both the non-profit and corporate sectors. Keilah specializes in fostering healthy organizational cultures, curriculum design, and facilitating transformative learning experiences. With a passion for inclusive leadership, Keilah works to create environments that prioritize inclusion and promote sustainable, impactful change. 

SEO Scholars

Shira Olson

Shira Olson has spent 10 years as a college access and success professional. Currently she serves as an Assistant Director of College Persistence and Advising with SEO Scholars, an educational nonprofit serving first generation students to and through college graduation. Shira's career has focused on college success, primarily through 1:1 counseling of students as they navigate their college experience, professional aspirations, and personal goals. As a proud MSW holder, Shira is especially passionate and invested in the intersection of social work and higher education. Prior to joining SEO Scholars, Shira worked at a public high school in Brooklyn, at a summer camp as a counselor and drama specialist, and at a women's reproductive justice center. 

Lookingglass Theater Company

Carlos García León

Carlos García León (he/they; él/elle) is a queer, non-binary, Latine, Mexican-Statesian, and arts fundraiser. They were born in Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, and reside in the stolen land of the Peoria, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, and Kaskaskia tribes, also known as Chicago, Illinois. Currently, Carlos is gratefully employed as the Assistant Director of Development at Lookingglass Theatre Company. Their work is driven by a fight for cultural equity, decolonizing the arts, and social justice. As such, Carlos describes themselves as an anti-capitalist, community-centric, theoretical fundraiser.

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Carlos has spoken at multiple conferences introducing the concept of Community-Centric Fundraising and building a more gender-inclusive workplace to hundreds of attendees. Carlos holds a B.M. in Bassoon Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a M.A. in Arts Administration and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. Outside of working and writing, Carlos is a poet, writer, and fledgling kickboxer. They enjoy their leisure time by hanging with friends, resisting capitalism by taking naps, dancing to Latin, disco, and house music, and exploring new Chicago food spots.

Repair the World, Chicago

Ilana Pond

Ilana Pond (she/her) is a Senior Program Associate deeply committed to advancing social justice, sustainability, and community empowerment. With more than four years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Ilana has spearheaded program initiatives that inspire transformative change and nurture stronger, more connected communities.

Currently, Ilana is part of the team at Repair the World Chicago, where she focuses on enhancing volunteer engagement, building impactful partnerships, and inspiring individuals to actively participate in service learning. Drawing on her background in social justice education and facilitation, she employs a direct service approach to create lasting impact, while advocating for equity, collective responsibility, and systemic change. A proud graduate of DePaul University, Ilana is dedicated to fostering a just and sustainable future through collaboration, service, and a deep commitment to social transformation.

Sarah's Circle

Jojo Palmer

My name is Jojo Palmer, a Development Manager at Sarah’s Circle. I have worked at Sarah’s Circle for almost four years. I started as a Volunteer Coordinator, and then through moving up with the organization I have now held a Development Manager role for one year.  My passion for nonprofit organizations started as a child growing up in the city of New Orleans after Katrina, watching how the city was rebuilt through the support of countless nonprofits being able to work together. I’m looking forward to being a part of the 2025 cohort! 

Adler Planetarium

Waleska Valle

Waleska Valle is a nonprofit program manager with a strong track record in fostering meaningful partnerships between nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and local communities. Her work at the Adler Planetarium focuses on environmental education, youth development, and community engagement. She leads the Youth Organization for Lights Out (YOLO) program, which empowers teens to explore light pollution and its effects on health, ecosystems, and communities. Waleska developed a permanent bilingual light pollution exhibit at the Adler Planetarium in collaboration with youth from the Little Village community in Chicago, and secured a NASA grant to continue researching light pollution’s effects on environmental justice and drive positive change. She also oversees the high school summer internship program and other youth initiatives, providing mentorship and professional development in both the museum and nonprofit sectors. 

Revolution Workshop

Janea' Riley

Janea' is currently the Pre-Apprenticeship Program Director for Revolution Workshop, where she oversees multiple programs and coordinates with staff to ensure compliance with different funding streams. Janea' holds her Master's Degree in Psychology with a Concentration in Community Development. Her passion to work in non-profit stems from her passion to work with minorities and underserved communities. Janea' has been working in the field for almost 4 years, beginning with internships in her local community. Janea is excited to continue learning and find ways to give back and support her community.

Lift Inc.

Miya Ward

Miya Ward graduated from Kennedy King with her Associates in 2020, then graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2021, and master's degree in social work in 2023, both from DePaul University. Now working as the Program Manager of Parent Engagement at LIFT, Inc, a nonprofit organization determined to break the cycle of poverty and work with parents to achieve higher education and career goals. She comes with the experience of all aspects of the program and comes with prior years of case management and social work experience. As a mother and future non-profit business owner, Miya is determined to assist individuals with following through on their own personal journey and achieving higher education as well as essential and pertinent resources needed to succeed.

Project Syncere

Jessica West

Jessica West is an ENpowered Program Manager at Project SYNCERE, a nonprofit dedicated to providing STEM education to underrepresented students. With over five years of experience in informal education, Jessica has developed curricula across various STEM disciplines, organized local STEM events and competitions, and helped create multiple community-based STEM initiatives. Notably, she played a key role in designing stations for STEM in Motion, Project SYNCERE’s mobile tinker lab. Outside of work, Jessica is a passionate crafter and runs her own business, creating custom wood decor items.