About the AMA Diversity Leadership Institute
The AMA Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) is a four-day Institute that allows an intimate cohort of about 20 diverse undergraduate marketing students from historically disenfranchised and underrepresented communities the opportunity to learn, connect, and build relationships with leaders from our academic and professional communities. Through discussion around topics of equity and social justice, cohorts collaborate with peers and facilitators to present solutions to current marketing issues. Participants explore the history and functions of marketing, while gaining insight into contemporary marketing challenges and reflecting on how their own personal identities influence their marketing leadership.
The first Diversity Leadership Institute was held in 2022 at Indiana University. Since then, over sixty undergraduate marketing students, professionals, and faculty from across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Colombia have gathered at The Ohio State University (2023) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2024, 2025) for the four day program.
2024: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Gies College of Business
Facilitators
Shanita Akintonde, ShanitaSpeaks, LLC | AMA Chicago
Robert Arias, Loyola University Chicago
Chris Cole, DishRoulette Kitchen (DRK) | AMA Chicago
Khalia Jenkins, American University
Participants
Rafa Alvarez-Reyes University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Geizi Amon, Bowling Green State University
Emily Beltran, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Sophia Brown, San Diego State University
Makenzie Burgan, Wright State University
Janel Cole, University of North Texas
Cody Havlice, University of North Texas
Gabriela Jodas Salgado, Trinity University
Giada Johnson, Florida State University
Sarah Lynch, Canisius College
Duong Nguyen, University of South Florida
Elisa Nguyen, San Diego State University
Kiara Quintana, University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez
Lailah Rodriguez-Fournier, University of North Texas
David Santiago Rojas Ramos Florida Atlantic University
Ana Rosario, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Juliana Vidal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Valeria Vizcarra, San Diego State University
Mathis Wint, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Jada Wyatt, North Carolina State University
2023: The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business
Facilitators
Christian Aniciete, AMA PDX
Will Moses, AMA Cincinnati
Rebeca Perren, California State University San Marcos
Cinthia Satornino, University of New Hampshire
Participants
Colin Adams, North Carolina State University
Nicolle Badillo Velez, Universidad del Sagrado Corazon
Joshua Bailey, Louisiana State University Shreveport
Angela Basto Parra, Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Daivik Chawla, The Johns Hopkins University
Miracle Chin, North Carolina State University
Majed Dalia, University of Texas at Arlington
Jessica Dau, San Diego State University
Taylor Falls, University of Alabama
Joanays Gonzalez, St. John Fisher University
Gabriella Gonzalez, Florida State University
Jovany Guillen Castillo, Montana State University
Mali Hunter, University of South Carolina – Columbia
Barbara Lamont, University of North Texas
Ryan Lieng, San Diego State University
Juritzy Mata, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
Karla Medrano- Faz, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Amanda Miranda Perez, Universidad del Sagrado Corazon
Kim Nguyen, British Columbia Institute of Technology
Ricardo Roman, University of Illinois Chicago
Yaelle Szoychen, The University of Alabama
Sureily Valentin, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Kelly Zimbelmann, California State University San Marcos
2022: Indiana University Kelley School of Business
Facilitators
Terry Esper, The Ohio State University
Erick Mas, Indiana University
Karen McFarlane, AMA New York
Dionne Nickerson, Indiana University
Participants
Maxfield Beebe, Montana State University Bozeman
Paula Camargo, University of Wisconsin- Madison
Jonathan Chao, North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Stephanie DelCastillo, Simmons University
Jordan Forbes, Lipscomb University
Emmanuel Grandeza, Lamar University
Sepehr Hajizadeh Gashti, University of Wisconsin Platteville
Jay Herbsen, Capilano University
Jasmeen Kaur, California State University of Sacramento
Candido Leon, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Melody Lin, Indiana University-Bloomington
Justin Malialis, Capilano University
Jayla Miller, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Imani Small, Johnson C. Smith University
Diego Socorro, Neira University of Southern Indiana
William Tazza, The Pennsylvania State University
Kylie Truong, Bryant University
Esteban Vasquez, The University of Texas at El Paso
Yamariah Walters, Old Dominion University
Jeannine Williams, Boston College: Carroll School of Management