Momentum Announces Huntsville’s Second Upward Class
Momentum, Alabama’s premier leadership organization dedicated to advancing women leaders in the state, has announced the cohort for its second Upward leadership class in Huntsville. The class brings together women from a wide range of industries across the Huntsville area.
“We are excited to launch the second Upward class in Huntsville and continue supporting the remarkable talent and ambition of women leaders in North Alabama,” said Amy Gandy, Momentum’s Director of Programs for North Alabama. “In today’s evolving landscape, investing locally in leadership development is more crucial than ever.”
Momentum’s Upward program is designed for early to mid-career women who are critical to the leadership pipeline but feel overworked, overlooked, or both, at this stage in their careers. The new class will begin with orientation in February 2026, followed by a nine-month program focused on professional and personal development.
Members of Huntsville’s Upward Class 2 include:
Carly Alcala, COLSA Corporation
Ale Alfonso, Huntsville Hospital Foundation
Erika Badwin, Alabama A&M University
Amberly Barnette, Radiance Technologies
Molly Bell, COPT Defense Properties
Lashondria Beverly, Oakworth Capital Bank
Schyler Burney, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Shelby Campbell-Kaman, Radiance Technologies
Katie Crawford, Heart of Huntsville Capstone Realty
Beth Johnson, Warren Averett
Jacki Gil, Jacki Gil Design
Claire Green, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Shanelle Hamm Giraud, Internal Revenue Service
Ashley Benson, Element Health, Inc.
Abby Kerr, Huntsville Hospital
Morgan McBride, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Mary Kate Moore, ServisFirst Bank
Beth Morell, Leidos
Blair Northcutt, Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation
Megan Owens, Alpha Foundation
Emily Potts, Colliers International
Olivia Purdy, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy
Lauren Reeves, Huntsville Hospital
Kaitlynn Roark, Libertas Technologies
Izzy Thelen, Waggoner
Sarah Zupko, Huntsville Business Journal
“The Upward program goes beyond traditional training by deeply exploring personal experiences, values, and strengths to create alignment with career goals,” said April Benetollo, CEO of Momentum. “This focused investment supercharges the talent pool for women in management and enhances retention of our most capable professional women.”
