Laura Clise ’01 has shown immense dedication to elevating marginalized voices and building communities that foster meaningful connections in areas of sports, music, the environment, and small businesses. After graduating from Carleton with distinction in her major of political science and international relations, she furthered her education by earning an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, where she graduated magna cum laude and received the Barton Kyle Yount and President’s Circle awards. Before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey, Clise led corporate social responsibility and sustainability teams for major companies such as Weyerhaeuser, Plum Creek, and AREVA North America. In 2017, she founded Intentionalist, an award-winning social enterprise that makes it easy for consumers to support small businesses owned by women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, indigenous people, veterans, and people with disabilities. Her leadership has catalyzed significant impact, including partnerships with Seattle professional sports teams, Major League Soccer, and Black Players for Change, which generated more than $1.5 million in direct spending at small businesses from 2022-2025. Additionally, her advocacy work includes serving on the board of Athlete Ally, where she helped launch the #WomenInFIFA initiative, the “Principal 6” campaign, and the nationally recognized “Equality Is A Team Sport” initiative to further LGBTQ inclusion. She also serves on the board of IslandWood, an environmental education organization, where she focuses on serving diverse communities. An Aspen Institute First Mover fellow changemaker, she is featured in New York Times bestselling author Ijeoma Oluo’s book, “Be A Revolution,” and celebrated as one of the 50 people to have shaped LGBTQ inclusion in Washington State. Clise’s leadership in building communities shows her commitment to the Carleton values of curiosity, generosity, global awareness, and a sense of purpose.