The Detroit Regional Chamber has recently announced that Alicia Boler Davis, CEO of Alto Pharmacy, will be a speaker at the 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island from Tuesday, May 28, to Friday, May 31, 2024.

During the conference, Boler Davis will share her career journey and leadership experiences that led her to her current position at the full-service, digitally-powered pharmacy.

She will highlight her numerous accomplishments, including several “firsts” in Corporate America, and focus on the importance of innovation and equity in leadership to “Bridging the Future Together.”

Boler Davis has served on several boards, including General Mills, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Northwestern University. She is the sixth woman to receive the top Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) for her significant contributions to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

During her acceptance speech at the 32nd annual BEYA STEM Conference in 2018, Alicia Boler Davis spoke about her journey to success, which involved overcoming challenges with hard work, determination, and support from family and mentors.

Boler Davis also highlighted the role of education and exposure to STEM programs in achieving success. She expressed gratitude towards the mentors who supported and encouraged her to leave her comfort zone.

These individuals provided her with great opportunities to succeed in a male-dominated industry.

Boler Davis also emphasized the importance of organizations like BEYA in ensuring that the next generation of black female engineers and their male counterparts receive the necessary education, access, and opportunities to excel in STEM careers.

In her speech, Boler Davis paid tribute to Tyrone Taborn and the selection committee and the Council of Engineering Deans of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities for awarding her the prestigious 2018 Black Engineer of the Year award.

Boler Davis also shared a quote by Helen Keller, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence,” which summarizes how she got to where she is today and how others can achieve success.

Boler Davis’s parents instilled in her a strong faith and belief in God and taught her the importance of working hard in school and making good choices.

They had high expectations for her, which laid the foundation for her success. Boler Davis also emphasized the importance of following one’s passion, which drives an individual to work harder and become better at what they do.

Boler Davis’s love for math and science started at an early age, and she taught herself to rewire appliances and fix things around the house.

Her middle school teacher identified her love for math and science and encouraged her to be an engineer, which was not something Black girls heard often in those days.

Boler Davis was fortunate to be exposed to STEM in high school and attended a summer program for minority students interested in engineering at Kettering University, paid for by General Motors.

At Northwestern University, Boler Davis pursued chemical engineering because she enjoyed chemistry and wanted a big challenge. She met amazing Black students pursuing engineering who supported each other and had fun along the way. Today, they are all successful engineers and celebrate their achievements together.