In this first episode, we welcome Dr. Maria Gallo, Founder of KITE-Keep in Touch Education and Research Fellow at Trinity Business School. Maria shares insights from her research and experience in alumni relations as we discuss the concept of ‘alumni potential’ and how institutions foster lifelong connections with their graduates. We also dive into global trends, cultural differences in engagement, and key takeaways from her book The Alumni Way.

Tune in every other Friday at 11:30 a.m. GMT on LinkedIn and Youtube for more conversations with experts shaping the future of alumni engagement worldwide. We alternate weeks between Alumless and Alumless World.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor, Protopia, for supporting Alumless World. Don’t forget to subscribe and join us on this exciting new journey! Visit protopia.co/alumless.

Join us as we explore email as a critical metric for alumni engagement. Chris and Ryan welcome special guest Ashley Budd, Senior Director for Advancement Marketing at Cornell University and co-author of Mailed It!: A Guide to Crafting Emails that Build Relationships and Get Results. We discuss with Ashley why email remains essential and the metrics that truly matter, and also chat about the challenges advancement teams face in optimizing deliverability and consider email as a key aspect of the donor journey. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a top expert in advancement marketing. Thanks to AlumniQ for being a presenting sponsor of Alumless! Visit https://alumniq.com/ for more info on their events and everything else platform built exclusively for higher education.

We’re wrapping up the year on Alumless with a special holiday episode inspired by A Christmas Carol! This festive edition explores the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future—alumni engagement style. Joining us are six special guests to help us reflect on our field, where we’ve come from, and where we’re headed in 2025 and beyond. On this episode, we’re reflecting on: 🔍 Lessons learned and opportunities missed in our field (Ghost of Christmas Past) 💡 Investments needed to thrive today (Ghost of Christmas Present) 🌟 Ensuring a bright, impactful future for alumni engagement (Ghost of Christmas Future) It’s the perfect way to close the year and set the tone for 2025. This special episode features some incredible guests: Matt Winston, Executive Director for Alumni Engagement at Binghamton University; Lyndsey Crum, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations at Wayne State University; Nicole Kempton, CMAC Vice President; Gina Yazzolino, Assistant Vice President for Constituent Engagement at the University of Portland, and Malayne Sharp, Director of Alumni Relations at Southeastern Louisiana University; and Matt James from the Marshall University Foundation. Also, we’ve got another HUGE announcement for CMAC and Alumless that you won’t want to miss. Thanks to Protopia and AlumniQ for supporting Alumless in 2025.

Hey, Alumless community! Join Chris and Ryan this week for our latest edition. We will explore how institutions can prioritize alumni engagement over the long term and what it takes to bring a campus together around the endeavor. Our special guest on this episode is Amy Layman, Associate Vice President for External Engagement at Franklin & Marshall College. On the show, Amy will share insights from a transformative three-year initiative to raise alumni involvement across campus.

Amy will also discuss the project's origins, milestones, lessons learned, faculty collaboration, and success metrics.

Thanks to our newest presenting partner, AlumniQ for supporting Alumless. Find out more about AlumniQ’s events plus everything else platform by visiting https://alumniq.com/

In this episode of Alumless, Chris and Ryan chat with Lauren Villanueva, Vice President for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at Syracuse University, to explore the transformative work behind Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University. Lauren shares insights into the ambitious engagement goals set for the campaign and the strategies her team used to bring them to life. We also discuss her journey as a doctoral student studying engagement and how her research informs her approach to leading Syracuse’s recently merged Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving teams. We chat with Lauren about the challenges and opportunities of integrating alumni engagement with annual giving and how this unified model creates meaningful connections and inspires philanthropy. Thanks to Protopia for being our presenting sponsor. Protopia is all the buzz in the engagement space. Find out how their unique AI-powered technology helps schools scale volunteerism and make it easy for alumni to help.

Join us for a thought-provoking episode featuring our newest colleague, Shane Dunn, Vice President and Senior Consultant at CMAC and founder of Shane Dunn Social Sector Strategies. We dive deep into the evolving world of alumni and philanthropic engagement across various nonprofit sectors.

We explore why “alumni-ness” is becoming a crucial focus for organizations beyond higher education. Our discussion includes proven strategies for engagement and fundraising success across various social sectors.

Shane shares how his volunteer leadership experience with GLAD Law gives him a unique perspective that influences his approach to consulting. We also explore the art and science behind successful fundraising campaigns, including lessons learned from building impactful donor relationships.

If you're thinking about a new event management and volunteer engagement solution, visit alumnIQ.com for details and to schedule a demo.

This episode is all about reorganizing constituent engagement for the future. We’ll explore how The Ohio State University is working to redefine its approach and build a modern, holistic engagement strategy. Join Chris and Ryan as we welcome special guest Samantha Frost, Assistant Vice President for Constituent Experiences at Ohio State University, who shares insights on leading one of the most unique realignments of engagement in the world. Huge shoutout to Protopia for their continued support of the show. Visit www.protopia.co/alumless for more details about their unique AI-powered technology designed for scaling volunteerism.

On the show, we welcome Steve Rittler, Founder and CEO of AlumnIQ, as our special guest! Steve shares his expertise in producing high-quality alumni events and we discuss technology's role in shaping alumni engagement's future. A big thanks to Steve and the team at AlumnIQ for supporting Alumless as our newest presenting sponsor! Listen to take advantage of this chance to elevate your alumni engagement strategies with insights from the best in the events business. Get ready to elevate your event operations game!