Alison T. McNeil
Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Alison T. McNeil is a cultural strategist, evaluator, and equity advocate transforming the arts and entertainment landscape. With over 20 years of experience spanning performance, production, and strategy, she founded McNeil Creative Enterprises (MCE) to drive systemic change through culturally responsive evaluation, organizational development, and strategic leadership.
From the stage to the boardroom, Alison partners with cultural institutions and grantmakers to advance equity in the arts. Her client portfolio includes Dance/USA, Color Congress, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Barr Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and the Wallace Foundation. She’s widely known for designing evaluation frameworks that center community voice and catalyze lasting change.
Alison is the host of Cultural Catalysts with Alison McNeil, a podcast that amplifies the voices of behind-the-scenes creatives shaping theater, film, music, television, and dance. She is also co-founder of Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA), a 600+ member network championing leadership and equity in the field.
A Recording Academy member, Alison contributed as a creative consultant to the Smithsonian’s Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap, and frequently brings her strategic eye and evaluation expertise to national funding panels, including the National Endowment for the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and Americans for the Arts.
She’s a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumna, a 2022 Intercultural Leadership Institute fellow, a member of The BOW Collective and the American Evaluation Association, where she advocates for equity-centered, data-informed practice.
When she’s not working, Alison enjoys family time with her beloved dog Meelah, joining West African drumming circles, dancing, and belting out Stevie Wonder classics.
To connect with Alison, email her.
“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”
~John F. Kennedy