Adam M. Alonso, MSW

For over thirty years, Adam Alonso has been a tireless believer in the power of service to youth and non- profits. As a graduate student in social work he founded Corazón Community Services, now one of Cicero leading youth development agencies – and followed that with roles as Director of Youth Services at Casa Central and Illinois Action for Children, Director of Community Engagement for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, and Director of the State of Illinois’ Welcoming Center for Immigrants and Refugees. In March 2015 he became the Chief Executive Officer of BUILD, catalyzing a period of dramatic growth at this venerable fifty-year old youth development agency on Chicago’s West Side.

Building on the organization’s deep community roots and credibility, Adam led a rapid expansion of services for youth – including mental health care, in-school prevention counseling, and comprehensive services for victims of violence. BUILD’s Austin headquarters became a safe youth space, hosting out-of – school programs in the arts, sports, digital media, leadership, agriculture, and more.

Over more than seven years at BUILD, Alonso has led a transformation that has more than tripled BUILD’s budget and staff, positioned the agency for long-term sustainability, and successfully executed a $28M capital campaign to build South Austin a new 57,000 sq ft youth and community hub. He opened this new cornerstone for the neighborhood in 2023, creating space for programs and infrastructure that will lift up youth and partners all across the West Side.

He holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago, a Master’s of Social Work from Loyola University-Chicago, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Notre Dame and a Certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management from Harvard Business School.