Our next feature for CWIP in Focus: Voices in Our Sector is Alexandria Alyse Walker. Holly Gabelmann and Rachel Baird were grateful for the opportunity to spend time with Alexandria, learning about her personal and professional goals, current initiatives, and many accomplishments. She radiates kindness and passion, and is the type of person who leaves you feeling inspired to do more—for yourself, your community, and others. 

Guided by her Christian faith and love of service, Alexandria is committed to making an impact in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, with a particular focus on empowering women and girls of color. After graduating from DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business with a master’s degree, she has gone on to serve in many fundraising and philanthropic roles, including volunteer work with the Young Associates Board with Lurie Children's, WGIRLS Chicago, the Philanthropy Club of Illinois, Young Leaders Fund with the Chicago Community Trust, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Alexandra was also a 40 under 40 Honoree with the Black Women's Professional League. 

In 2023, Alexandria founded the nonprofit She Is Kingdom She Is M.I.S.S. to uplift women of color. “M.I.S.S.” stands for Motivational, Inspirational, Successful, and Spirit-Led, values which guide the organization’s mission of building an empowering philanthropic community for women and girls. One of her goals for the organization is to see more women of color recognized as community changemakers—leading the conversations about a more equitable Chicagoland, rather than simply being the subjects of conversations held by others.

Alexandria shared several initiatives launched through She is Kingdom, She is M.I.S.S., including a back-to-school drive that supported 135 students, and an outing that took high school girls from Walther Christian Academy in Melrose Park to a Chicago Sky WNBA game—exposing them to potential careers in women’s basketball. In everything she shared, Alexandria’s commitment to these values shone through, and her passion for leadership through service radiated through the Zoom screen!

In early 2025, Alexandria became a titleholder within the United States National Pageant System: Miss Woman Illinois, United States. She looks forward to traveling to Las Vegas in November for the 2025 National Pageant, and says, “Being able to represent our great state allows me to showcase so many women's voices of diversity, and also showcase our power and our strength. I'm so honored to represent our women and I'm honored to represent our state.” 

In the months leading up to the pageant, Alexandria has been actively promoting her platform of sober living—a lifestyle choice she’s maintained for 12 years, centered on wellness and inclusivity. She expressed frustration at the lack of community among sober and sober-curious individuals, as well as the prevalence of alcohol-focused social and philanthropic events. She also points out that sobriety often carries a stigma, and notes that not everyone’s story includes addiction or rehab. Alexandria hopes to raise awareness about sobriety as a positive, empowering lifestyle choice.

One of her key efforts is her Sober October initiative, which includes a month-long pledge to abstain from alcohol. Her goal is to collect 2,500–5,000 signatures in support of a proclamation recognizing Sober October, demonstrating the power of collective commitment. Anyone interested in participating can learn more and sign the petition here. She is also organizing a 2-mile Sober October Wellness Walk that can be completed anywhere, anytime between October 6-11. Additionally, Alexandria is working on a program to launch an innovative, full-service mocktail lounge—an inclusive social space she hopes will open within the next year.

Alexandria first joined CWIP in 2021 looking for opportunities to gain fundraising experience. Since joining, she has jumped in wholeheartedly, serving as a co-chair of the Annual Luncheon Committee (and being recognized for her support of the Luncheon with a 2023 CWIP Committee Volunteer Award!) and as a mentor with the Girls Committee. She shared with us some of what she’d learned through these experiences, from the joys of giving back as a mentor to the skills needed to lead a collaborative event planning team. Alexandria highlighted Monica Thorns as a tremendous supporter and mentor—someone who has guided and empowered her to navigate CWIP, connect with members, and become more involved.

We asked Alexandria if she had any advice for new CWIP members, and she shared a couple of tips: 1) Be open-minded and curious—reach out to members for a coffee chat or connection. 2) Take advantage of events, workshops, and networking opportunities, even if full-time involvement isn’t possible for you right now. 3) Be confident in your value and what you can contribute to a room. There are lots of ways to be a servant leader in CWIP, and joining a committee is a great way to get involved more deeply in advancing CWIP’s mission!

You can connect with Alexandria on LinkedIn and be sure to reach out or find her at a CWIP event to learn more about the incredible work she is doing through CWIP, her nonprofit, and as Miss Woman Illinois.