Amee McDonald

Amee McDonald is the Managing Director of the Impact Lab, a core piece of the undergraduate curriculum. As the operational and strategic leader of the program, she has developed a curriculum that guides students through high-impact experiential learning, where they learn to move beyond linear thinking to build a deep comfort with ambiguity while tackling real-world challenges for major clients. 

Amee brings an ideal blend of corporate expertise and academic leadership to her role, backed by nearly two decades of professional achievement. Before transitioning into higher education, she spent nearly eight years honing her strategic and analytical skills in the corporate and agency sectors—including roles at Northwest Airlines and Mediaspace Solutions—before co-founding jabber logic, an innovative ad agency dedicated to supporting nonprofits and social enterprises.

Following her successful industry career, Amee has spent the last 10.5 years as a dedicated faculty member and administrator at the University of Minnesota. She has a proven track record of developing high-performing remote and in-person teams of 3 to 15 individuals and leading peer teams of more than 40. Amee has taught an extensive portfolio of courses spanning leadership, team dynamics, and experiential problem-solving, helping students build highly sought-after, real-world career readiness skills.

Her leadership and civic contributions have earned her prestigious accolades, including being named one of AdFed’s 32 Under 32, a finalist for the Community Impact Awards, and featured in Minnesota Business Magazine’s The (Real) Power 50. She has also shared her insights on the TEDxUMN stage, speaking on the power of personal truths and embracing non-traditional career paths.

Honors

• Speaker, TEDxUMN
• Recipient, AdFed's 32 Under 32 Award
• Honoree, Minnesota Business Magazine’s The (Real) Power 50
• Carlson Undergraduate Instructor of the Year (2022)
• FamilyWise Volunteer of the Year (2025, 2017)