In November of 2025, The Wily Network gathered to celebrate a momentous occasion: our 10th Anniversary.
The evening was an opportunity to celebrate our history and to look out onto our next horizons. We’re reaching further—to more Scholars, more campuses, more collaborations and partners who understand that potential should never depend on circumstance. The Wily Pack showed up with generosity and joy to launch our next decade, surpassing our goal and raising an incredible $283,000 to fuel our growth.
In November of 2025, The Wily Network gathered to celebrate a momentous occasion: our 10th Anniversary.
The evening was an opportunity to celebrate our history and to look out onto our next horizons. We’re reaching further—to more Scholars, more campuses, more collaborations and partners who understand that potential should never depend on circumstance. The Wily Pack showed up with generosity and joy to launch our next decade, surpassing our goal and raising an incredible $263,000 to fuel our growth.
At Wily’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, we had the privilege of honoring and hearing from leaders from every chapter of Wily’s history.
We celebrated the group who gathered for The Wily Network’s first board meeting—including founding Board Chair, Leann Walsh, and our outgoing Board Chair, Katie Bramley, whose steadfast stewardship equipped us to double in size during her tenure. And we honored our Founder, Judi Alperin King, who spent the last decade turning the spark of inspiration into a movement—a community of care serving more than 100 active Scholars and another 100+ alums.
And we welcomed the future of Wily’s leadership: Executive Director Kenn Elmore, a visionary higher education leader and a champion for student success and equity.
At Wily’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, we had the privilege of honoring and hearing from leaders from every chapter of Wily’s history.
We celebrated the group who gathered for The Wily Network’s first board meeting—including founding board chair Leann Walsh and our outgoing board chair Katie Bramley, whose steadfast stewardship equipped us to double in size during her tenure. And we honored our founder, Judi Alperin King, who spent the last decade turning the spark of inspiration into a movement—a community of care serving more than 100 active Scholars and another 100+ alums.
And we welcomed the future of Wily’s leadership: Executive Director Kenn Elmore, a visionary higher education leader and a champion for student success and equity.
Alumni Voices
Wily alums—including the first ever Wily Scholar—recorded a 10th Anniversary video to share what Wily
meant to them. Seven of the alums featured were able to attend the celebration!
Wily alums—including the first ever Wily Scholar—recorded a 10th Anniversary video to share what Wily meant to them. Seven of the alums featured were able to attend the celebration!
Hosted by Steve Pemberton
Our host for the evening, Steve Pemberton, is a visionary leader, acclaimed speaker, best-selling author, and champion for human dignity who survived extraordinary hardship and adversity in the foster care system. His memoir A Chance in the World about his journey from childhood through earning an undergraduate degree at Boston College helped inspire Wily’s program.
“I know what it is like to feel that sense of disconnectedness. And yet at the same time to believe that you still, despite it all, have something to offer the world.”
– Steve Pemberton
Tsunami, Wily Scholar
A dynamic and talented speaker in their final year at Northeastern University, Tsunami spoke with Steve Pemberton about their experience in college before and after joining Wily.
“Stability with Wily feels like sitting back. It feels like I have someone to go to now. I have someone who is cheering me on in the moments where I’m cheering myself on, and also in the moments when I can’t cheer myself on. That feels stable.
It feels like a warm hug.”
– Tsunami, Wily Scholar
Kenn Elmore
A lawyer who became a dean, a college president who became a movement builder, and now the Executive Director of The Wily Network, Kenn Elmore introduced himself to the Wily Pack at our 10th Anniversary Celebration.
“I came to Wily because this work feels like home for me. And I’m not talking about the kind of home that’s defined by walls or address, but the kind that you build with people who see you, and hear you, and refuse to let you fall through the cracks…Together we’ll keep building, we’ll keep showing up, and we’ll keep making belonging the norm and not an exception.”
— Kenn Elmore
Kenn Elmore
A lawyer who became a dean, a college president who became a movement builder, and now the Executive Director of The Wily Network, Kenn Elmore introduced himself to the Wily Pack at our 10th Anniversary Celebration.
“I came to Wily because this work feels like home for me. And I’m not talking about the kind of home that’s defined by walls or address, but the kind that you build with people who see you, and hear you, and refuse to let you fall through the cracks…Together we’ll keep building, we’ll keep showing up, and we’ll keep making belonging the norm and not an exception.”
— Kenn Elmore
Judi Alperin King
As Wily’s founder, Judi didn’t just create an organization; she sparked a movement of belonging that keeps on widening its circle. We had the opportunity to honor her 10 years of phenomenal dedication and achievements.
“At our first board meeting 11 years ago, we didn’t know if there ever would be students. We didn’t know if we would be successful. So Steve Pemberton’s memoir taught me what I needed to know about how to support Scholars through their college experience. And fortunately, now there are about 200 people—alumni and current Scholars—who can inform our program.”
— Judi Alperin King
Judi Alperin King
As Wily’s founder, Judi didn’t just create an organization; she sparked a movement of belonging that keeps on widening its circle. We had the opportunity to honor her 10 years of phenomenal dedication and achievements.
“At our first board meeting 11 years ago, we didn’t know if there ever would be students. We didn’t know if we would be successful. So Steve Pemberton’s memoir taught me what I needed to know about how to support Scholars through their college experience. And fortunately, now there are about 200 people—alumni and current Scholars—who can inform our program.”
— Judi Alperin King
Our Sponsor
Read more about Ilene's life
Ilene Beal was a female pioneer who achieved great professional success and had a major impact in the Boston banking world beginning in 1970 through 1999. She spent the bulk of her professional career with BayBanks, rising through the ranks to become Executive Vice President and the right hand to founder and chairman Bill Crozier.
She was a dedicated and meticulous professional with a big heart who did everything she could to support, mentor, and encourage other women to follow their dreams and passions and never feel limited by concerns about other peoples’ views about the proper role and place for women. She often said that women could and should do whatever they wanted professionally: “I was raised to believe I could do anything. If I broke a toy I learned how to fix it,” she was fond of saying.
Ilene died at age 69 on August 1st, 2015 after a long and valiant battle against cancer. Her legacy continues to thrive through her friends and colleagues, and the work and generosity of her foundation.
Event Co-Hosts
Pack Leaders
Stevie H and David Spina
Hilary and Langley Steinert
Trailblazers
Pathfinders
Affordable Interior Systems, Inc.
Kim and Greg Pappas
Ned and Lisa Parsons
Andrea and Dick Patton
Amy Schectman and Mitchell Rosenberg
Circle Builders
Irene and Chris Todd
Packmates
Danyel and Stuart Ablon
Donna Bonaparte
Mark DiVincenzo and Terry McGowan
Kenn and Abby Elmore
Judi and Tim King
Kris Schaefer and Lisa Chapnick
Scott and Ursula Steele
Pack Leaders
Trailblazers
Pathfinders
Circle Builders
Packmates
Katie and Don Bramley
Stevie H and David Spina
Hilary and Langley Steinert
Pam and Andy Martin
Affordable Interior Systems, Inc.
Kim and Greg Pappas
Ned and Lisa Parsons
Andrea and Dick Patton
Amy Schectman and Mitchell Rosenberg
Mary Beth and Eric Lisman
Irene and Chris Todd
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in MA (AICUM)
Danyel and Stuart Ablon
Donna Bonaparte
Mark DiVincenzo and Terry McGowan
Kenn and Abby Elmore
Judi and Tim King
Kris Schaefer and Lisa Chapnick
Scott and Ursula Steele
Event Committee
Joy Denomme, Co-chair
Mary Beth Lisman, Co-chair
Danyel Barnard Ablon
Terrie Hallal
Cara Maxwell
Annie Montesano
Amy Mueller
Hilary Steinert
Thank you to our incredible Event Committee! Their continued efforts and determination made for a remarkable celebration of Wily’s first decade.
