Alumni Spotlight- Maddy Kulkarni

Maddy Kulkarni (UT-Austin 2001) is on the Terry Scholar Alumni Advisory Board and is the Senior Marketing Manager for PepsiCo Frito Lay, where she has worked for seven years. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at UT-Dallas. When she’s not developing future marketers or marketing your favorite soda or snack food (Crunchy Cheetos are her personal favorite), she is active in her community and ensures that local nonprofit organizations can make their largest impact. Maddy’s involvement in community service began long before her move to Dallas. During her time at UT, Scholars did not have to live together in the residence halls. In fact, it wasn’t even a possibility. This made it difficult for them to come together outside of banquets and picnics. Service events were a natural way for them to join together, and they were always looking for ways to give back.

Eventually, Maddy was also able to give back by sitting on the other side of the Terry interview table. Since her graduation from UT, Maddy has interviewed seven times, for Traditional and Transfer Scholars, and she has chaired a panel once. As a Panel Chair, she took the lead during the entire process, guiding the panelists as they selected new Scholars to be welcomed into the Terry family. She notes, “This position is one that is humbling, but it is also a significant commitment.” With that said, volunteering comes naturally to Maddy, as it does to many Terry Scholars.

Amplifying Local Impacts

Marketing takes many years to master, and Maddy has chosen to use her cultivated skills to benefit her community. She has worked with the nonprofit Social Venture Partners by serving on a team of professionals to benefit organizations on a pro-bono basis. One of their clients was Children at Risk, an organization that works to improve quality of life for children through advocacy. She felt so passionate for their cause that she eventually joined their board. After much involvement in other nonprofit organizations, including the Terry Foundation, Maddy decided to start her own.

Dallas Heroes Project “celebrates local heroes, educates citizens on critical issues facing the city, and enables citizens to take social action to make a positive impact in the city of Dallas.” The organization accomplishes this mission by assisting local nonprofit organizations with their marketing strategies. Each month, Maddy chooses a “hero” and a different issue to feature. Often, these organizations have the social and policy work down to a science, but their marketing techniques may suffer as a result. By providing her professional expertise, Maddy is able to help them enhance their footprint in the communities they serve. Previous collaborative projects include adult literacy, the foster care system, and empowerment for young women interested in politics.

To learn more about Dallas Heroes Project, click here.