About Alma
Alma is a nourishing space for women in leadership. We offer coaching, community, and practical tools to help you lead with more ease and less burnout.
Our Beginning
Alma began in 2017 around a table at The Black and White in Little Falls, Minnesota. Founders Kristi Ackley and Maria Surma Manka saw women across Central Minnesota leading meaningful work without the peer encouragement or professional community that helps leadership feel steady.
That realization sparked the Women’s Leadership Fund, a volunteer-led initiative under the Initiative Foundation, and the launch of mastermind-style peer circles where women could meet regularly, share openly, and learn together. Over time, those circles grew into the Luminary Conference, a regional gathering where women came to connect, recharge, and invest in their growth.
When the conference needed a new home, Alma was created to carry the work forward and deepen what mattered most: women gathering in real, ongoing relationship.
Who We Are Today
Alma is a home for sustainable leadership. Today, women connect with Alma through:
Coaching that brings clarity and momentum
Peer circles that offer grounding, accountability, and genuine connection
Retreats that create space to rest, reflect, and reset
The Luminary Conference, our annual gathering of women leading with purpose
In 2026, we will host an international women’s retreat in Tuscany. This retreat is designed as an intimate and restorative experience that feels distinctly Alma. It expands the ways women can gather while staying rooted in our core values.
What We Believe
Women Supporting Women
At Alma, we believe every woman is a leader — in her home, workplace, community, and within herself. We’re here to create spaces where women are seen, supported, and equipped to grow.
We work from an abundance mindset: there is room for each of us to thrive. We celebrate each other’s wins, share resources, and lift up each other’s work, knowing that when one woman succeeds, we all rise.
Meet Our Coaching Collective
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Kristi Ackley, NLPP
PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE COACH
Kristi is a former U.S. Navy cryptologist and career counselor who later served in nonprofit leadership and social enterprise.She helps women and organizations reframe challenges, strengthen culture, and take purposeful action.
Kristi’s background includes work with the Initiative Foundation, her consulting firm (now Growth By Design, LLC), and Families Abroad, where she is CEO.
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Carolyn C. Evans
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT & EXECUTIVE COACH
Carolyn is an equity-minded leadership coach and the owner of c c evans consulting, LLC.She is trained in Co-Active and Systemic Team Coaching, is Hogan certified, and is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).
Carolyn works with leaders to build self-awareness, courage, and aligned action across their organizations.
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Terri Allred
CONSTULTANT & HOLISTIC LEADERSHIP COACH
Terri is a trauma-sensitive leadership consultant with more than 25 years of experience and six Executive Director roles in nonprofits.She walks alongside purpose-driven women as they develop leadership practices that honor their well-being.
Her work draws on training in spiritual coaching, the Enneagram, restorative justice, NLP, EFT, HeartMath trauma work, and related disciplines..
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Amy Allen
NONPROFIT CONSULTANT & EXECUTIVE COACH
Amy is a nonprofit strategist with over three decades of experience in organizational change, leadership, and fundraising.She holds a Master’s in Organization Design and Leadership and is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and iPEC-trained coach.
Amy guides leaders and teams through innovation, clarity, and accountability as they pursue meaningful impact.
