Maria Alonso leads Fortune 206´s account management department, creating campaigns and initiatives that engage and empower the community, especially marginalized groups, responding to and resonating with their unique needs and challenges. She’s an accomplished marketing executive with proven success and a passion for leading programs that drive brand growth and enhance customer experiences. She brings diversity, equity and inclusion to the ad agency world, curating campaigns for Fortune 500 clients that include Starbucks, Amazon, and Coca-Cola. Alonso helps brands connect with their audiences by communicating unique narratives and big ideas that stand out in a crowd. She has more than 15 years of experience working with top clients, such as Unilever, T-Mobile, Abbott, Janssen, Novartis, and Jim Beam (US and globally) across a range of categories that include consumer packaged goods, beauty, personal care, infant care, nutrition, OTC health & wellness, and HCP initiatives. She’s worked on Dove’s “Real Women” campaign, created synergy in all digital branding for Starbucks in LATAM, increased 15% of patient (OBGYN) appointments for UWMedicine, and managed to increase diversity by 150% in a local NGO. Maria has been honored as a “Woman of the Week Future for Us,” served as a board member for the American Marketing Association Puget Sound, and speaker on diversity in advertising and multicultural advertising. In addition to her role at Fortune 206, Maria founded a line of handbags, Colibri Handbags, producing one-of-a-kind pieces designed and created by a community of artisans in Chiapas, Mexico. She gives back 30% of all profits to artisan communities in Mexico. Outside of work, Maria enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling, visiting friends and family at home in Mexico, caring for her Bischon frise pup, and continually supporting marginalized communities.