The second annual AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will serve to highlight and showcase some of the most diverse and impactful young professionals across the Philadelphia region.

At the event, taking place on August 27, 2021, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris will be one of the 40 honorees. Currently, she is the Chief of Staff for State Representative Jared Solomon.

Alyssa Reynoso-Morris became Chief of Staff for State Representative Jared Solomon in January 2021. In addition to that role, Reynoso-Morris is a motivational speaker, book author and entrepreneur. In August 2013, she became CEO and founder of Schools for Sustainability, Inc., a non-profit organization that teaches vocational-technical high schools about organic farming, water remediation, renewable energy and waste management in an effort to alleviate poverty and improve the environment. The idea of building an environmentally sustainable school was conceptualized when she was 15. 

Reynoso-Morris is a graduate of Arcadia University, having earned a bachelor’s in political science.

Here are Alyssa Reynoso-Morris’ responses: 

The biggest challenge was feeling overqualified and underappreciated, but I'm glad I experienced it because it had made me a better leader. I know what it felt like and I do my best to let my team and mentees know I appreciate, care for, and believe in them. 

Mentorship is key. Those of us that have pushed through and are "professionals" and/or "well connected" need to pay it forward and invest in the next generation. Mentor someone you see potential in. Help someone looking for other opportunities make the connections they need in order to accomplish their goals. We make workplaces, organizations, boards and award ceremonies more diverse, inclusive and equitable by expanding the table and making it bigger so we can all thrive together because is enough room at the table for all of us. This is important to me because I was taught that we are better together. When we put our heads together we come up with better, more resilient, more comprehensive and more sustainable solutions. In summation, environments that are diverse and inclusive are more resilient and abundant. And I believe we all deserve abundance. 

I have learned about leadership from mentors that have taught me that leadership looks like "active listening" and "compassion" mixed with "faith and confidence" in your team and direct reports. I also think that great leaders are encouraging and inspiring  They make you want to work harder and push through challenges and problems to come up with original solutions. I've also observed great leaders give you the resources you need to thrive. It's not enough to build up your team with words of affirmation; you have to train them and be patient with them as they grow and learn and make mistakes in the role. Lastly, I've had great leaders and mentors in my life that have helped me envision and manifest my goals. 

To be honest, for the first time in my life I don't have a super clear or detailed vision, because I am leaving myself open to opportunities and possibilities that exceed my vision and expectations for myself. For example, if last year you told "past Alyssa" that I would be announcing publishing three picture books in the year of 2023 with big four publishers like Simon and Schuster and Little Brown, I would want to believe you, but I'm not sure if I would. I always wanted to be an author but I didn't know how to go about the process and I definitely would not have imagined going from zero books to three books in one year. I share this as an example of how I surrendered to the process and was open -- and magic things happened. I got out of my head. I stopped doubting myself. I stopped making excuses. I made time and I made my dream come true. I made a dream that 7 year old me wanted to accomplish. So in 5 years, I see myself being proud of my accomplishment, decisions, and overall life.