Inspiring TEDx talks for alumni (and celebrating my own TEDx alumni!)
On the 12th of April 2018, I stepped on the red dot and gave my TEDx. This moment was the culmination of weeks of practice and crafting an accessible TEDx talk on alumni. 6 minutes later my TEDxBallybofey talk was born. ‘We are all connected by one word: Alumni’ – Maria Gallo – TEDxBallybofey You […]
Future Alumni Trends: Alumni Angel Investing with Nanyang Angelz
In this special blog series, I will highlight some innovative trends in alumni engagement. No better place to start then to dive in with Nanyang Angelz. This is an interview with Co-Founders Ivan Wei Kit Yong and Sam Lee. I had the pleasure to meet Ivan and Sam a few years ago and from there […]
Share, Care and Dare in Alumni Relations: staying the course
It’s 2:30am on the 12th of March 2020. My husband woke me to detail the news that the US was planning an imminent closure of their international borders. He figured Canada would follow. At 3:00am we booked flights to Canada for a few weeks to wait out this unfolding situation. A few weeks turned into […]
Becoming a 50U50 Judge: A networking story
Just announced! Almabase’s 50U50 powered by Blackbaud recognizing champions in alumni relations and advancement. There is me in the middle of it all is me as a judge among a distinguished panel of fellow judges. How did I get here? Networking. In early 2021, I awoke to find myself on a prestigious list: 15 Alumni […]
#LoveAlumni: 3 groups to celebrate this month!
February is the perfect time to celebrate and recognize the potential of alumni! Let’s debunk the myth that alumni is only linked to fundraising gifts. This is not diminishing this important endeavor of financial giving, we just want to focus on so much more. By raising awareness to our institutions, our students, our alumni and […]
Take up the Baton: Orchestrating alumni serendipity!
What inspires and motivates alumni relations professionals? Seeing harmonious moments of alumni connections unfold creating incredible melodies. Students and alumni learning, alumni-alumni mentoring, alumni taking on the world. These interludes can happen at alumni events, through programs like formal mentorship or just hearing about them by chance. Oh, how this is music to our ears! […]
Decade of Alumni Connection? Yes!
In 2019, I declared 2020 as the beginning of the Decade of Alumni Connection. I was wide-eyed, taking on my business, KITE- Keep in Touch Education, full-time. My book The Alumni Way was in development. I was ready to start an alumni revolution. Then, the pandemic struck. Connection took on a new form. We were isolated […]
6 books to Inspire Your Alumni Potential (and Your Alumni Networks!)
Did you know one of the first things I did after my book The Alumni Way was published last year was to arrange a photo shoot. No, not me and the book. Just books. It includes some of the books that inspired me and are infused in The Alumni Way pages are a succinct list of some […]
Want to energize your alumni work in 2023? Get that sparkle by starting here!
Alumni relations is a joy. Whenever I speak to alumni-facing professionals, they share their joy connecting with alumni. It’s satisfying, meaningful work. Sometimes, it comes at a cost. Often, it’s a personal cost. Alumni engagement is a hectic, always-on activity. More than a can-do attitude, you need a level of energy dialed to 10 (or […]
4 Questions to Embed a Networking Mindset for Your Alumni – and for Impact
Networking is more than mingling at an alumni reunion. In the Creating Connection Webinar hosted and organized by Aluminati, earlier this week, I navigated a journey of building a networking mindset for the next generation of students, graduates, and alumni. I started the event by asking the simple question: Why do we want our students […]