Sooki Jalali was born in Seoul, Korea, and moved to Minnesota as a teenager. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Business. A passionate entrepreneur, Sooki has founded three businesses in the fields of health and wellness, as well as business development.

She currently works as a Business Consultant at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), where she helps ethnic business owners scale and grow their enterprises. Sooki is deeply committed to promoting healthy living and guiding entrepreneurs to believe in their worth, embrace abundance, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Sooki is the proud mother of three children—Mitra, Bijan, and Syrus. After marrying a Persian man, she prioritized raising her children with a strong sense of identity as biracial individuals. To support this, she and her children learned to speak and write in both Farsi and Korean.

In her free time, Sooki enjoys playing pickleball, biking, walking around the lakes, and practicing yoga. She is also an avid supporter of the local arts scene, international cultural events, and the local wine community.

Sooki is actively involved in community service, volunteering with organizations such as the Ebenezer Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Hunger Solutions, and the Alliance for a New Humanity. She is a certified yoga instructor, trained under Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D.

In 2017, Sooki was nominated for the Man and Woman of the Year fundraising campaign. She has also received numerous awards for top performance and sales achievements throughout her career.

Harry Miller has spent more than four decades helping businesses and mission-driven organizations grow, adapt, and create lasting impact. His career has focused on organizational strategy, business development, team leadership, and building partnerships that strengthen both organizations and the communities they serve.

As an active volunteer and mentor with SCORE Twin Cities, Harry works with entrepreneurs and small business owners to develop strategy, navigate growth, and build stronger businesses. He has also contributed and led the organization’s development, fundraising, volunteer leadership, and governance initiatives that expand the reach and effectiveness of this nonprofit organization.

Throughout his career, Harry has helped organizations clarify strategy, develop leaders, build strategic partnerships, and navigate periods of growth and change. He values the role of education, creativity, and commitment in enriching communities and strengthening the organizations that serve them.

Bunny Robinson is an accomplished human resources leader and entrepreneur. She currently serves as an executive consultant with Navigate Forward, a career transition firm that specializes in exclusively serving executive-level leaders (who are) pursuing professional or personal opportunities. She is also the principal consultant of Robinson-Robinson & Associates. RRA is a retained executive search firm that recruits for executive and management positions, with an inclusive, diverse candidate focus to ensure that a balanced slate of well-qualified talent is presented.

Her volunteer activities span across the arts as well as community and civic service. She is currently a board member of the Cultural Fluency Initiative. Previous board work includes serving on the Minnesota State Arts Board, Arts Midwest, and the State Programs Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. Her non-profit volunteer work includes serving on the board of the United Way Minneapolis, the Conflict Resolution Center, Missions Inc. Programs, and the Women’s Association of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. She ended her 20-year civic involvement as an election judge in 2025.

Her career journey stems from a variety of experiences besides human resources, like working in broadcasting, advertising, and educational publishing. She continues to serve as a contract mediator for the Minnesota Department of Education.

Bunny, a Chicago native, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Theatre from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She received a Master of Organizational Leadership (MAOL) degree from the University of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bunny is married, has two children, and five grandchildren. As an arts enthusiast, she especially loves attending any live performances, but she also enjoys reading, traveling, dining out, and shopping.

Carolyn Sleeth has been a medical device executive for more than 20 years. Most recently, she was Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager at Insulet, where she led a 700-person commercial organization and grew revenue more than 20% annually. Previously, she spent many years at Medtronic, leading the aorta and venous vascular businesses and holding marketing, market development, and strategy roles in cardiac disease division.

Originally from California, Carolyn holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Stanford University, a master’s degree in Russian, and an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. She has lived in the Minneapolis area for 20 years. She and her husband Ryan have two children, one in high school and one in elementary school. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and time with her family, including the family dog.

Sunita Vongharath-Evenson is an HR executive and nonprofit leader who believes that strong communities are built through connection. Throughout her career, she has partnered with mission-driven organizations to strengthen culture, develop leaders, and support meaningful change. She is inspired by VocalEssence’s ability to bring people together through music and is excited for the opportunity to contribute her experience in service of that mission.

Karen Voracek is Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing & Strategy at Thrivent Charitable, where she leads enterprise strategy, donor experience, marketing, product management, and service operations. With more than 30 years of leadership experience, Karen has built her career at the intersection of strategy, customer experience, organizational transformation, and innovation. She is passionate about helping organizations navigate change in ways that strengthen both mission and the people who carry it forward.

Prior to joining Thrivent Charitable, Karen spent nearly three decades in the corporate sector leading strategy, marketing, customer experience, and business transformation initiatives. Over the past several years, she has focused her work on philanthropy and generosity, bringing together her business expertise and passion for helping people create meaningful impact through charitable giving. She brings to board service a strategic perspective, collaborative leadership style, and experience guiding organizations through growth and change.

Music has been an important part of Karen’s life since childhood. She began playing the clarinet in fifth grade and has enjoyed singing in choirs at various times throughout her life, including her current parish choir. She believes the arts are essential to building vibrant communities, enriching the human spirit, and creating meaningful connections across generations.

Karen also serves on the Board of Directors for Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality, where she supports its mission of fostering spiritual growth and discernment. She holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and German from Carroll University.