Board of Directors
Meet Our Team
Kathya Chiluiza
Kathya is excited and proud to support an organization that empowers BIPOC children and allies to strive for a more inclusive world. She is an active volunteer in her community, working with Learning Ally, Partners in Food Solutions, and Muddy Paws Rescue in NYC.
Professionally, Kathya has over fifteen years’ experience in the manufacturing industry. Over the course of her career, she’s held leadership roles in Supply Chain, Operations, and Logistics. She currently works at General Mills in Logistics Operations for North America. Kathya holds a Master’s of Engineering and Bachelors of Science degree in Operations Research & Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.
Kathya resides in NYC with her husband and an occasional foster dog. Her favorite children’s book is Winnie-the-Pooh.
Alli Hearne
As a longtime resident of the Twin Cities, Alli Hearne was inspired to make a difference in the world following the death of George Floyd. She co-founded Looking Glass Books with the goal of eradicating racism and reducing unconscious bias in the next generation, starting with her own kids.
Alli has always loved writing, storytelling and creating. She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and History, and earned her Masters in Science in Integrated Marketing Communication from the Medill School at Northwestern University. Alli joined General Mills in 2008 and currently works in Digital and Technology, powering the company's largest consumer-facing websites.
Outside of work, Alli volunteers as a committee member for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Breakfast, a fundraiser to benefit UNCF. She lives in Plymouth, MN with her husband Mike and kids Sam and Hannah. Alli enjoys reading her kids bedtime stories each night, including her current favorite, Sulwe. Alli loves experiencing other cultures through reading, travel and food.
Jaymee Miller
Jaymee Miller is passionate about making an impact through meaningful storytelling and creating a more equitable future for all through action and service. Inspired by the mission to build brighter futures for children through literature, Jaymee joined Looking Glass Books to further make a change in the world.
Currently, a full-time marketer at General Mills, Jaymee oversees brand communications for some of the biggest food brands in the US by developing strategic, purposeful communications to connect with consumers. Jaymee is known for her executional excellence, big creative ideas, and passion for relationship building.
Outside of her day job, she makes it a priority to be involved in the local community especially in mentorship programs. Previously, she served as Troop Leader for Girl Scouts River Valley and a mentor through the TreeHouse Next program. Her goal is to empower young BIPOC children to realize their fullest potential and inspire them to be change makers.
Lisa Stolper
Lisa Stolper is an educator, mother, and engaged community member. Lisa currently works as a high school administrator in Overland Park, KS. Lisa holds a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and International Relations from Tulane University. After graduating from Tulane, Lisa spent two years as a Teacher for America Corp Member in Denver, CO. Lisa loved working in education and has since made it her career. She holds a master's degree in School Leadership from Baker University, as well as a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Baker University.
Lisa has spent her career working at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in schools with varying degrees of diversity. As an educator and parent, Lisa is passionate about literacy and the role that books play in exposing kids to worlds and perspectives beyond their own. Lisa believes that it is essential for kids to develop meaningful connections with peers of different races and with different backgrounds from their own. An avid reader herself, Lisa loves to spend time reading on her own and to her son.
Frank Ross
Frank Ross is passionate about social justice through education and experiential learning. As an avid reader, he finds that through reading we can expand our understanding of ourselves, our consciousness, our reality, our society and ultimately each other. He contributes to the empowerment and strengthening of the communities he lives in through volunteering; most recently with Prepare & Prosper, Habitat for Humanity, Second Harvest Heartland and Feed My Starving Children. He is a member of the Cyber Security Summit Advisory Board in Minneapolis and a school board member at Nova Classical Academy where his children attend school. Frank has a background in Information Technology and Information Security, most recently culminating in his experience leading the Cyber Security Engineering and Operations function at General Mills. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Sociology from Macalester College and a master’s degree in Software Engineering from the University of Saint Thomas. He lives in St. Louis Park with his wife and two boys.
Kayla Smith
Kayla Smith is passionate about social justice and making the world a better place for the next generation. Currently a Customer Account Lead at General Mills, Kayla has led events for the Black Champions Network such as the company’s first ever Juneteenth celebration. Outside of her day job, Kayla volunteered as a troop leader for the Girl Scouts of America. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Kayla is excited to be a part of Looking Glass Books and to make the world more equitable through diverse children’s books.
William (Tré) Clayton
Tré officially joined the board for Looking Glass Books in August of 2021. As the self proclaimed "favorite uncle" of his nieces and nephews, Tré was drawn to Looking Glass Books and the benefit it could have on the next generation. Coming from a family of educators, Tré is well aware of both the potential and need for Looking Glass Books and is eager to assist the organization as they use education and inclusion literacy to inspire the youth.
Tré is a Vice President investment banker at Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC, the nation's top-ranked minority-and women-owned investment banking firm, where he has client coverage responsibilities predominantly in the financial and tech industry verticals. Additionally, Tré co-leads Siebert Williams Shank’s initial public offering (IPO) sourcing, outreach, pitch, and execution efforts. In his career to date, Tré has co-managed over $25 billion of transactions for clients via initial public offerings. In addition to his capital markets related efforts, he has provided support on a number of sell-side advisors deals as well as a few financial/strategic advisory mandates resulting in over $1 billion in M&A deal volume. Prior to joining Sibert Williams Shank, Tré served in SunTrust Robinson Humphrey’s (now Truist) debt capital markets group where he supported clients across different industries.
In 2020, Tré began his Venture Fellowship role with Collab Capital, a venture capital (VC) firm focused on investing in Black founders with their inaugural $50 million fund. In 2021, Tré became an angel investor in the biotech company NeuroVice; the first company to develop a symptom-management oral safety device to combat tongue biting and trauma during seizures. Tré holds the SIE as well as the Series 7, 63, and 79 securities licenses with FINRA. He graduated with honors with a B.B.A. in finance from Howard University in 2016.