Celebrating 50 Years: ALE Conference Sets Alumni Reunion Record
Nearly 150 alumni from the Ross School of Business returned to Ann Arbor for the 50th Annual Alfred L. Edwards (ALE) Conference on February 20-21, 2026 — the largest reunion in ALE’s robust history. Spearheaded and organized by the Black Business Student Association (BBSA), this year’s event represented another key milestone as the longest-running student conference at the University of Michigan.
This year's theme, "Legacy in Action: 50 Years of Business, Culture, and Impact," honored half a century of impact and the strong foundation built by generations of students and alumni, while also looking boldly ahead to the future of business. The two-day ALE Conference featured an impressive lineup of fireside chats, panel discussions, industry breakout sessions, and networking opportunities, all culminating in the annual ALE Gala—a high note for both attendance and school spirit.
According to ALE 2026 Alumni of the Year Award recipient Sheila (Collins) D.C., MBA ’26, the conference “sparked the kind of new memories that act as a magnet, keeping us all pulled close together.”
Notable speakers included Ross alumni André Branch, MBA ’99, CEO of R.E.M. Beauty; Courtney Dunn, MBA ’19 and Jonathan Dunn, MBA ’19, President and CEO at Cerbo; Dane Mathews, MBA ’06, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Taco Bell; and Martin Nance, MBA ’12, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer for the Minnesota Vikings. An inspiring Gala Keynote address was given by Michigan basketball legend Chris Webber.
“Chris Webber’s message on resilience was incredibly powerful,” said Jada Bent-Thomas, MBA ’26, who served as chair of the organizing committee. “He spoke with honesty about the discipline, mindset, and courage required to keep going when things are difficult, and that resonated deeply with our community.
“So many of our students are navigating pivotal transitions in their careers and lives, and his words gave them both perspective and confidence,” she continued. “It was inspiring, practical, and exactly what we needed to hear.”
The ALE Conference paid tribute to its namesake: the late Dr. Alfred L. Edwards, a professor emeritus whose four-decade career at Ross was instrumental in advancing diversity and inclusion. He served as a board trustee for the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management and was a beloved faculty advisor to BBSA. His legacy lives on through the ALE Conference, which celebrates excellence, fosters connection, and sparks meaningful conversations about leadership and innovation.
Dr. Edwards is quoted as having said, "We must make sure that the doors that were opened for us do not become closed for others."
With that important objective in mind, and in honor of ALE’s 50th anniversary, Michigan Ross Alumni Amy Pretto and Chekesha Kidd, both from the MBA Class of 2001, launched a “Maize Raise” campaign to raise $50,000 for the Dr. Alfred L. Edwards Scholarship Fund. The campaign will conclude in August.
"For so many of us, Dr. Edwards was our champion when we needed one most,” Kidd said. “His office was the place we could show up—uncertain, overwhelmed, searching—and leave feeling seen and ready.
When Amy and I talked about how to honor 50 years of ALE, we knew it had to be about action, not just celebration. Dr. Edwards believed in our collective power, and this campaign is that power in motion.
"When you invest in community, that community shows up,” Kidd continued. “We're not just raising money; we're showing the next generation what it looks like when people who were championed become champions themselves."
