Named after three of her grandmothers, Alece is hardwired to advance a more just, creative, and abundant future for everyone, especially communities that have been minoritized and whose voices have been ignored or silenced. As a teen mom who dropped out of high school then went on to be the first in her family to complete college with a master’s degree, Alece is honored to bring her life experiences and professional skills to the esteemed work of the AJL Foundation. She deeply understands the power in authentically bridging community and philanthropy to create people-centered change and she has lifted that change up on various boards and committees she’s served on including The Funders Network, PLACES Fellowship, Philanthropy Colorado, and more. She deeply respects the integrity of what John and Amy built with the AJL Foundation and the legacy their family carries on today. 

Alece has served community throughout her entire career including city and county planning, Air Force planning, a large urban school district, and was an original developer of and instrumental in scaling up Community Heart & Soul, a rural community building model now being implemented in over 100 towns across the US. She holds a bachelor’s degree from CU Boulder in Environmental Design, Urban Planning with two minors, Sustainable Environments and Human Geography and a master’s from CU Denver in Public Administration with an emphasis on Environmental Policy, Management, and Law. She is a proud recipient of numerous awards ranging from The Gift of Life from a local fire department to Core Value from the International Association of Public Participation. Alece has been a speaker and panelist at many conferences ranging from the American Planning Association, Aspen Ideas Festival, Grantmakers in Health, Rural Philanthropy Days, and more.

As Co-Executive Director of the AJL Foundation, Kristi recognizes that working within philanthropy is a privilege and responsibility.  She is honored and committed to ensuring John and Amy’s spirit of philanthropy lives on by investing in people, programs and movements that benefit Colorado's youth and families while also acknowledging and addressing the contradictions and power dynamics inherent to philanthropy. Kristi is personally passionate about holding herself and AJL accountable to the communities we serve and the triple bottom line - people, planet and profit. She serves on the steering committee for Colorado Funders for Inclusiveness and Equity and on the Board of Directors for Philanthropy Colorado.

Prior to working in philanthropy Kristi worked for marketing agencies in Denver, Los Angeles and Madrid specializing in digital and print marketing, public relations and events planning for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 300 companies across the nonprofit, tech, consumer goods, healthcare and aerospace industries. She also spent time as a freelance writer and intern for the Steamboat Pilot & Today, a travel guide in Ecuador and various other online and print outlets. Kristi holds a master's degree in Journalism and a bachelor's degree in Marketing both from the University of Colorado - Boulder. 

As Community Investments Consultant, Dianne understands the impact and importance of her voice in a traditionally white space. Dianne's passion is within the realm of equity. Her goal is to ensure that all stakeholders' voices are heard, honored, and respected.  Dianne spent the early part of her career in HR as a teen mom. She focused her efforts on not being a statistic and giving her two children access. She says that her life has prepared her for the roles she has today as the Community Investments Manager for AJL and the owner of Dope Mom Life, a creative content agency that specializes in diversity marketing. Dianne grew up understanding there were two worlds. The world she lived in with her mom on the north end of town where there was access to wealth and opportunity and the other world on the south side with her dad, where access, resources, and opportunities were limited. Dianne understands that the only way to create a world for all to thrive, more specifically, non-white communities is to recreate systems that were created to oppress. Dianne is a graduate of Emily Griffith and Community College of Aurora, where she studied video production and editing, as well as entrepreneurship.

Having spent most of her life between the Middle East and the United States, Allia has experienced a multitude of cultures throughout her life. She appreciates the multidimensionality of humanity in that no person has a singular identity, or a singular experience. Her identity as being both Kuwaiti and American, and having family and friends all over the world, has taught her how to navigate cultures as part of both the in-group and out. Allia is an alumna of the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned an interdisciplinary dual degree: a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with an emphasis in Middle Eastern and African Studies as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Arabic Studies. 

Allia is a highly motivated and adaptable individual who is passionate about intentional anti-racism work; using her voice and experiences to make real and tangible change within the spaces she occupies. She has sought out opportunities that allow her to fulfill her passions, some of which include working as the Non-Traditional Student Liaison at CU’s Student Government and founding the Non-Traditional Student Organization at CU. She spent Fall 2022 working as a fellow for YouthRoots, where she was matched with AJL Foundation.  This invaluable experience served as a catalyst for her deep-rooted passion for philanthropy and human-centered work. Harnessing her lived experiences, unwavering passions, and honed skills, Allia seamlessly transitioned into the role of Community Investments Coordinator following the conclusion of her fellowship.  Having graduated in May 2023, she is now thrilled to embrace further learning and growth in her role as the Community Investments Manager at AJL Foundation.