Age: 35
Pronouns: She/Her
Primary Gig: Founder of AMK Strategies
On the Side: Running a dinner club with friends. We choose recipes created by different chefs (Adeena Sussman, Yotam Ottolenghi, etc). If you want to join, please reach out!
How long have you lived in Indianapolis? 18 years, moved to the East Coast for a decade before returning back 4 years ago.
Describe yourself in 100 words or less: Originally from Moldova, I grew up in the Indianapolis Jewish community, attending HHAI and the International School of Indiana. After graduating from IU, I moved to DC to pursue a career in diplomacy which led to work in government, non-profits (where I met my fellow Hoosier husband, David) and then in the public policy field at some of the biggest tech companies, including Airbnb and Instagram. I moved back to Indy over the pandemic and have loved reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.
How do you give back? For me, experiences are the best gifts I can give and receive. I love hosting friends and family for Shabbat dinners where we enjoy delicious food, meaningful conversation, lots of laughter and share highlights from our weeks. I am passionate about helping the next generation and am part of the IU Hamilton Lugar School’s Emerging Leaders’ council along with the alumni network at the International School of Indiana. Additionally, I enjoy mentoring young women in various stages of their careers sharing tips on interview skills, resume building, salary negotiations and building and giving back to a network.
Celebrity Doppleganger: Instagram chef Ellen Marie Bennett @ellenmariebennett
Who is a Jew who inspires you? My mother, Inna Kislyuk (and Larry David)
How do you envision the Indianapolis Jewish community in the next 10 years? Thriving, cosmopolitan, interconnected and with a great food scene.
What is your proudest accomplishment in the past 10 years? Landing my dream job at Instagram. I visited the Facebook office on a trip to California back in 2010 and told myself that I would work there one day. When I got the job offer to join their Public Policy team as the Head of Global Tourism and Small Business Programs, it was a full circle moment that was a total dream come true.
Any advice for younger professionals? Your network is your net worth. Make sure you leave a positive lasting impression and always give back.
Anything else we should know about you? I speak 6 languages, and my Russian was put to the test when I was staffing an international election observation mission to Ukraine led by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 2014. One morning, she was having her hair done and needed an interpreter to explain what she wanted to the local hairdresser. Since I spoke the language, I was called in to help. It was so fun to spend the morning with her and be able to help in a small way. Her story of becoming the first female U.S. Secretary of State is truly inspirational and as someone who also immigrated to the US as a child, it made me so grateful to my parents for their sacrifices that led me to that moment and gave me an unforgettable memory of a lifetime.