Meet the Team
Ally Pruitt, CEO/Founder
Ally Pruitt was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She is a graduate of UIC School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned her Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Trial Advocacy and Dispute Resolution. Ally is an Associate Attorney at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani in their Chicago office. Her areas of focus include Employment law, Commercial Litigation, and Environmental/Toxic Tort.
Growing up, she didn’t know what the profession of law entailed and had never met a lawyer. Going to law school to become a practicing attorney was never something she thought about nor ever perceived as possible. She moved away from home to attain a Bachelor’s Degree – without clear direction on where it would take her. She got her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism with a double major in Sociology with a concentration in law, crime, and criminology from DePaul University. Due to financial circumstances and thanks to incredible professors, mentors, and opportunities, she graduated in three years with honors from DePaul University in 2018 and started at UIC School of Law that same year. In March of 2020, Ally was named The National Law Student of the Year by National Jurist Magazine.
Ally founded The Impact Project because she believes in the power of giving back. She preaches that success is not defined by the money you make or the things you own, but rather the positive impact you leave on other people. She hopes to mentor, help, and inspire young people to pursue their dreams - regardless of where you come from.
Together, we can uplift the next generation of lawyers, teachers, doctors, musicians, accountants, business owners, and more.
Anthony Jackson, Board of Directors
Anthony Jackson is a business development consultant. A lifelong Chicagoan, Anthony was born and raised in Chicago’s Cabrini Green public housing complex. He is a graduate of Von Steuben MSC high school, a Chicago Public School, and DePaul University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History. In May 2021, Anthony graduated from UIC School of Law.
Prior to attending the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Law, Anthony was a government affairs consultant. He represented corporate and NFP clients before officials at the local, state, and federal levels of government.
Previous to his work in the private sector, Anthony was executive director of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. There, he was responsible for the legislative and fundraising efforts of the 30 members of the Caucus.
Anthony previously worked as chief of staff to a senior member of the Illinois House of Representatives, where he focused on education policy.
He loves sports and the arts, and says he tries to “help someone every single day!”
Fredrick “TJ” Joshua, Board of Directors
TJ is a third-year law student at UIC Schoo of Law in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised by a single mother and has two siblings. He has grown up in underrepresented, underprivileged, poverty stricken, gang and drug infested communities in Chicago, Illinois and Janesville, Wisconsin. Growing up without a father he found himself going down the wrong path. His mother worked two jobs just to keep food on the table, so he lacked guidance and discipline. He never knew a lawyer growing up and honestly, he did not meet a lawyer until he was 20 years old, when he started working at a law firm as a mail clerk. After about four years of working at a law firm TJ decided to go back to school and get his bachelor’s degree. He continued to work full time at the law firm while attending school full time. His passion for the law grew over the years and it was only because he knew lawyers and worked with them.
In his first year of law school, TJ made the Dean’s List both semesters and was elected the UIC Student Senator and the American Bar Association Representative for the Student Bar Association. Today, TJ is now the Student Bar Association President and works tirelessly to help the student body each and every day.
Amina Jackson, 2021-22 Engagement Intern
Amina Jackson is a proud Chicago Native. She attends DePaul University, where she is a junior majoring in Pre-law and Business. Her goal is to be the first attorney in her immediate family. She loves to show that with resilience you can move forward in the direction of your life’s mission to make an impactful contribution to society. Amina believes that using your voice to advocate, mediate and encourage is crucial. She believes that all people have their own unique assets and to use your voice is a powerful tool. She is a sports fan. In her free time, she supports community initiatives. Her mission is to truly have a positive impact on society to change the trajectory of our youth in a positive direction. While Amina continues to pursue her degree, she also works with young women and youth to encourage value creating activities and introductions into different cultural backgrounds. Amina has joined the Impact Project, because their goal to support disinvested youth, be a staple in society and support future lawyers truly resonates and aligns with her mission and goals. Amina plans on growing with the Impact Project to contribute to their brand expansion and community efforts.
Tolu Odueyungbo, 2021-22 Social Media Intern
Tolu Odueyungbo is a first-generation 2L at UIC Law. She is from the south suburbs of Chicago and the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. Tolu is open-minded about her career path in the legal field with interest in litigation, entertainment law, international law, business, immigration, medical malpractice/ health law, and IP. In her free time, Tolu likes hanging out with her friends, exploring the city, listening to music, dancing, reading, spending time with family, and meeting new people during breaks from school. The Impact Project helped encourage, inspire, and inform Tolu in her legal studies and she is excited to join the team to help other students, provide resources, and give back to the communities around her!
Nura Zaki, 2021-22 Events Intern
Nura Zaki is a proud Chicago native with deep roots in the local community. An advocate at heart, she has worked as a community organizer on historic electoral, legislative, and environmental justice campaigns before attending law school. Her experiences demonstrate a commitment to restoring people’s sense of agency over their lives, while affirming the dignity of disenfranchised communities in the process. Now a law student at UIC School of Law, Nura is thrilled to join the Impact Project team to further the mission of connecting students with the resources they need to succeed and show up as their best selves in the legal profession. As the Events Intern, Nura plans to curate spaces to build community of genuine connection and mutual support among peers and mentors.