In 2023, Shanaya was one of the 16 leaders selected to represent the Twin Cities region as part of the prestigious Minnesota Young American Leaders Program cohort. She holds professional certifications from University of St. Thomas Executive Education. In 2020, she led youth programming for Twin Cities nonprofit, The BrandLab, which was honored as a Standout Diversity Program and highlighted in Forbes. Shanaya has been awarded competitive opportunities and grant funding for her artistic and community endeavors from the Minnesota Humanities Center, American Craft Council, Minnesota State Arts Board, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. 

As Chief Strategic Engagement Officer, Niila oversees the development of the AALF volunteer network with the core strategies of network management, network insights and leadership development. She was promoted to the Vice President/Officer role in 2022, after joining AALF in 2021 as  a Senior Program Director.

Niila is passionate and energetic community leader who has worked with nonprofit organizations  for more than 15 years. She carries a zest for developing collective strategies to increase community access, wealth and opportunities. Highly skilled in creating partnerships, Niila centers her work on being a catalyst for transformative change, in the Alignment function of AALF’s mission. She also carries a wealth of experience as a DEI trainer, bringing the core values of equity, inclusion and justice in what she advocates for Black and LGBTQ+ communities.

Niila is a graduate of Cal State Long Beach University, majoring in communications and Black studies. In addition to her bachelor’s degree she holds CVA (Certified Volunteer Administrator) and CPPM (Certified Professional Project Manager) certifications. Niila currently serves on the boards of the MN Alliance for Volunteer Advancement and Until We Are All Free.

As Chief Insights Officer, Leondra connects high-impact individuals, organizations, and businesses with the advocacy, policy legislation and collaboration needed to accelerate Black communities. Passionate about the intersectionality of race and class, she is most concerned about the erasure of the Black voice and generational poverty. Leondra is a public historian and recognized as a nonprofit management expert.

Prior to joining AALF she worked at the Minnesota Humanities Center, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Endowment for the Humanities, several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and as CEO of the Minnesota nonprofit WoMN ACT.

Leondra has taught History and Black Studies at the collegiate level. She is also a published author having written numerous articles on the inequity of the dominant narrative. Her voice is often sought out to comment on the stigmatization of mental health conditions, systems change and DEIA initiatives.  Leondra is a board member of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and Turning Point. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Howard University.

As Managing Director of Policy Impact, Amber leads the organization in developing and advancing AALF’s policy initiatives and advocacy priorities, through coalition building and policy entrepreneuship. She has a wealth of experience in community organizing, governmental advocacy, and systems change. Amber is a former policy advisor to MN Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, where she managed policy and legislative relations on public safety and criminal justice reform. Amber is a 2015 Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy Fellow and holds a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota. She’s currently studying for her master’s degree at Luther Seminary.

With nearly a decade in the nonprofit sector, Adora directs the organization’s development strategies that create leadership pipelines to drive collective action. She manages the Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy as well. Adora completely revamped the Leadership Academy curriculum in 2022, which attracted a record number of applicants to the program for the 2022-2023 cohort.  She stays active as a community volunteer throughout the Twin Cities, and hails from the St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood. Adora is passionate about developing strategies to increase community wealth and is a firm believer that collective work is the best way to generate opportunities for community. She holds a master’s degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration from Metropolitan State University.