Adam Alonso, an Oak Park resident and the CEO of BUILD, has been recognized as one of Crain’s Chicago Business’s 2024 Latino Leaders Honorees.
The nominees featured were selected based on qualifications, ensuring they serve in senior leadership roles, have at least 10 years of experience and demonstrate notable accomplishments in their industry and community. All honorees live and work in the Chicago area, with their profiles drawn from submitted nomination materials.
Since taking the helm at BUILD in 2015, Alonso has expanded the organization from a team of 30 with a $2.3 million budget to 200 staff and a $22 million budget. BUILD serves more than 3,000 youth and families at risk of violence, providing comprehensive support that includes mental health care, gang intervention, and arts and sports programs.
“It’s an honor to be acknowledged for the hard work. I know I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my colleagues who were also listed as notable leaders. And, of course, there are many more leaders in the field who have not been recognized. It’s truly an honor to receive this recognition, and I know there’s a lot of great work happening across the city,” Alonso said.
The majority of Alonso’s professional career has been dedicated to nonprofit work, with a focus on youth services. Alonso emphasizes the importance of young people feeling connected to caring adults who are invested in their success.
“It’s incredibly important for young people to feel connected to adults who care about them and genuinely want to see them succeed. Supporting them on their journey has always meant a great deal to me, and through my work, I’ve strived to share that sense of care and encouragement with them,” Alonso said.
When offering advice to emerging leaders in the non-profit sector aiming to create a similar impact, Alonso reflected on his own experience starting a non-profit at the age of 32 in Cicero.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help or support. Be clear about why the work you’re doing is important. I’m grateful to be where I am today because I had mentors who supported me — people I could turn to for advice. When I wanted to quit or give up, they encouraged me to take a moment for myself and then get right back at it, continuing the good work,” Alonso said.
Alonso’s biggest professional achievement came in 2019 when he launched a $24 million capital campaign to build a youth and community center. Four years later, the project culminated in the opening of a 56,000-square-foot campus in Austin.
In reflecting on this achievement, he noted that managing a capital campaign for the first time — both personally and professionally — presented a challenge, as he didn’t know what to expect.
Alonso said he was driven by the need for more space and resources for young people in Austin’s West Side, a community long underserved. Alonso embraced a bold vision, rejecting the scarcity mindset often seen in such communities and launched a $28 million capital campaign — one of his proudest professional achievements to date.
“But I think all of that matters when the community responds, when they show up, use the space, and when young people are connected, thriving and receiving the support they need. To me, that’s truly the mark of success and something for us to celebrate,” Alonso said. “Yes, the building itself is an accomplishment, but what happens once the building is up is what really matters most.”
The motivation to keep innovating and advancing BUILD’s mission comes from the young people Alonso serves. By rejecting a scarcity mindset, Alonso believes there is freedom to dream big and explore new ways of doing the work. For Alonso, it’s about imagining possibilities and seeking fresh approaches to make a lasting impact.
“Not having a scarcity mindset, I think, frees you to dream and think big, and to imagine new possibilities. I’m not saying you should dream extravagantly, but I am saying you should think big—think of new ways to do your work. Consider all the new ways the building could be used, or the different ways the rooms could be arranged,” Alonso said.
One of the lessons Alonso learned was the gratitude for having parents who not only loved and held them accountable but also took an active interest in his well-being, including in his whereabouts, friendships and academic responsibilities.
“What I know that I’m rich in was the love that my family gave me and the accountability they held for me. Because when you meet kids who have no one like that at home, they’re lost. There’s a sense of hopelessness. So let me find ways that I can give that back to young people — someone who cares, someone who checks in on them, someone who believes in them. All those things matter in the greater scheme of things,” Alonso said.
