Alli Naithani

Director of People and Culture

Joined Northwest Area Foundation: April 2026 (also previously 2017–2022)

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“The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.” — Kalpana Chawla

Alli is grateful to support Foundation team members and all they do to advance the mission for the organization. She enjoys working in a culture where team members lead their work with a focus on belonging and justice.

Never has her life’s work been more important to her. The ongoing ICE raids and the injustices facing immigrant communities in Minnesota make her work at the Foundation especially meaningful.

She recently came across a quote from Maya Angelou that continues to ground and guide her in this moment: “We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” These powerful words remind Alli to center joy, humanity, connection, and care in her work and the culture she helps support.

Alli rejoined the Foundation in 2026 after working as its director of organizational effectiveness and talent development from 2017 to 2022. In addition to the Foundation, she’s worked in organizations ranging from education to health care to consulting. During her 20+ years in HR, her roles have been diverse: HR director, business partner, learning and development manager, and HR management instructor.

She earned her master’s from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT, and her bachelor’s from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.

Her family immigrated to the four seasons of Minnesota from Kerala, India, known as a tropical paradise. Her favorite activity is spending time with her husband and two sons. She thanks her sons for giving her the best title earned in life: Mom.