A SOLUTION FOR AUSTIN’S DECLINING BLACK POPULATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
38 Participants Have Been Selected For Inaugural Class Of Austin’s African American Leadership Institute

AUSTIN, TX March 22, 2021 - The African American Leadership Institute (AALI) has selected 38 of Austin's brightest Black minds for their inaugural cohort, with program activities scheduled to start April 9, 2021. AALI's mission is to create a hub to connect and elevate the level of Black leadership and representation throughout the Greater Austin community. The program is being launched with support and guidance from Leadership Austin and other advisors.

 "Leadership Austin is very excited about the building process for AALI and we look forward to supporting and partnering with them well into the future," said Leadership Austin CEO Christopher Kennedy. “We are fortunate to have such a strong pool of leaders to engage in civic leadership. And I am particularly proud of the fact that AALI was imagined and implemented by two Leadership Austin Alum — Heath Creech and BiNi Coleman.”

“We are tremendously pleased with the first-year response and high caliber of the applicants and supporters of AALI,” says BiNi Coleman, CEO of 212 Catalysts. “Collaborators from all sectors are contributing enthusiastically to make this a community-owned and shared vision, and we can already see a fire in this inaugural cohort of fellows. Understanding the crisis and implications of a declining Black population in Austin, they are ready to learn, make connections, and take action to help make this region a top destination for more Black leaders and families to plant roots and call home.” 

The inaugural class is comprised of a wide range of Black professionals throughout the Greater Austin area, including nonprofit leaders, corporate executives, and even college students.

"I’m excited to engage with and learn from leaders in the community, develop some meaningful relationships, and discover how I can best contribute to Austin's Black community," says Angela Livingston, Director of Trade Shows & Events at Q2 Software and a member of AALI's inaugural class. Q2 Software is one of many corporate sponsors who have committed to the launch of AALI; to also include Facebook, JPMorgan Chase, Google, H-E-B, Bank of America, Everlywell, and Texas Mutual, with a feasibility grant awarded by the Austin Together Fund. 

"I am looking forward to engaging in deep conversation with an amazing group of leaders," says Dinita Caldwell, Director of Historically Underutilized Business for the Austin Independent School District and member of AALI's inaugural cohort. "I am also excited to create new innovative solutions that will ultimately drive change in our communities."  

Grant Loveless is currently a student at Texas State University and part of the inaugural class. Says Loveless, "I’m looking forward to developing new connections and knowledge to continue curating more spaces for youth to feel empowered and supported." 

AALI’s inaugural class will be implemented by 212 Catalysts, an Austin-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in partnership with Leadership Austin and a host of agencies represented on the AALI launch committee, which consists of over 30 leaders from a variety of sectors who are helping to support programmatic and promotion efforts. 

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