A powerful personal narrative about overcoming trauma and systemic barriers through faith and resilience, advocating for restorative justice and inclusive community healing.
Her Story
About Alison
Alison Canty is a seasoned social work, public policy, and community advocacy professional with more than 30 years of experience dedicated to empowering individuals and strengthening communities. Alison began her career in frontline social work, where she developed extensive expertise in supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault while fostering peer leadership initiatives. Over the years, she has expanded her impact through disability advocacy, service on governor-appointed councils, and efforts to build inclusive, supportive environments for marginalized populations. Today, Alison combines her passion for advocacy with consulting, grant writing, and the development of an equine-assisted therapy practice that promotes healing, resilience, and personal growth.
Committed to lifelong learning, Alison earned a bachelor's degree from St. Catherine University and an MBA from Metropolitan State University. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Policy, further strengthening her expertise in policy development and community leadership. As a consultant, Alison partners with nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and public agencies to advance public policy initiatives, secure grant funding, strengthen community engagement, and develop sustainable programs that create meaningful social impact.
Throughout her career, Alison has remained guided by a philosophy centered on authenticity, clear communication, active listening, compassion, and continuous self-reflection. She attributes her professional success to a strong work ethic, the guidance of trusted mentors, collaborative relationships, and an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement. Her areas of specialization include domestic violence advocacy, sexual assault peer leadership, equine-assisted therapy, public policy, disability advocacy, grant writing, and community building for marginalized populations. Through every role she undertakes, Alison continues to champion equity, empower others, and help organizations and communities achieve lasting, positive change.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alison
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a constant desire to improve, a strong work ethic, and the perseverance to keep learning through training and experience. The guidance of exceptional mentors, the support of meaningful relationships, and surrounding myself with positive, inspiring people have all played a significant role in my growth. I believe that staying open to learning and continuously striving to improve are the keys to long-term success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received was from a supervisor who told me, “If I happen to surpass you, then my job is well done.” That advice reshaped how I view leadership. It taught me that great leaders invest in the growth of others, celebrate their success, and create opportunities for them to excel rather than seeing their achievements as a threat.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this field is to pursue work that genuinely aligns with your passions and strengths. Take the time to explore the many opportunities available, do your research, and commit to the work that inspires you. Value your creativity, recognize the unique perspective you bring, and never compromise your purpose just to fit into a role.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in my field is expanding the reach and impact of advocacy through education, public speaking, and community engagement. My goal is to connect with more communities, foster meaningful conversations, and grow my equine-assisted work into a broader outreach initiative. While securing funding and building larger platforms can be challenging, I remain committed to creating lasting social impact through leadership, education, and advocacy.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me both professionally and personally are authenticity, clear communication, active listening, compassion, and self-reflection. I believe in leading with empathy, communicating openly and honestly, and continuously learning from both successes and failures. Personal growth comes from being honest with yourself, embracing challenges, and using every experience as an opportunity to become a better leader and person.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Alison
Adversity to Alignment: Healing Horses, and Restorative Justice
From Trauma to Triumph: Building Healing Through Faith, Resilience, and Restorative Justice
Courage
My courage to overcome stands firmly in my faith. As a survivor of sexual assault and systemic violence, my journey has been defined not by the trauma I have endured, but by my refusal to allow outside forces to dictate my path.
This resilience was tested early in life. High school was incredibly difficult for me, but through consistency, determination, and grit, I graduated. Later, while pursuing higher education, a university dean told me that, because of my disability, I could not—or should not—pursue an MBA.
I absolutely refused to accept that as my educational fate.
Throughout my life, I have never allowed my disability to stop me from pursuing higher education, challenging expectations, or raising my standards, even when the path seemed impossible.
Unmasking the Divisive System
A persistent theme throughout my life has been navigating spaces rooted in classism and entitlement. My experience as an equestrian rider is a prime example.
I rode horses for a short time during my youth before my involvement was abruptly halted at age 14. I rode at Wind Ridge Ranch and became a competitive rider in games. I also owned a horse named Toper, whose registered name was Hop Skip Jump.
My young career in horseback riding ended after I was sexually assaulted at the age of 14, abruptly bringing that chapter of my life to a close.
Although that chapter was paused, I always knew horses were part of my destiny. Later in life, I returned to the equine world.
Returning, however, revealed that some of the same exclusions I experienced as a child still exist today. The equine industry is one where access and opportunity can too often be dictated by financial means, and where a subtle yet deeply troubling system of colorism persists.
The broader social system is frequently structured in ways that can create these very outcomes—disadvantages, barriers, hurdles, and assumptions that divide us.
This division is toxic to the fabric of human growth and community development.
Real impact comes from challenging the very concepts that many people are too afraid to confront or even acknowledge. We are a people woven from many different fabrics, and every one of those fabrics is vital to our collective growth.
A Vision for Restorative Healing
Growth can only happen when we are willing to listen, learn, and embrace the vast diversity placed before us.
There is no room for exclusion.
Being a bright light in a dark space has the power to illuminate what has been obscured by misplaced judgments and assumptions.
I believe deeply in advocating for truth and educating individuals about the real impact of trauma. When people come together to share their lived experiences, we begin to discover common ground and develop a deeper understanding of one another.
This is why my dream is to establish a business rooted in family values, inspirational growth, and restorative justice.
There is a desperate need to bridge divides and restore balance to our social landscape. We must learn to see through the eyes of faith and recognize people first as human beings, rather than objectifying or diminishing their existence.
Through public speaking, community service, and policy advocacy, my goal is to build collaborative partnerships that create spaces for meaningful and lasting healing.
The Path Forward
By bringing horses and human lineage together, we can begin to address some of the gaps that divide us.
True healing requires active listening, an honest examination of both sides of our shared history, and a willingness to dismantle the judgments and assumptions that keep us separated.
There is still much work to do.
But with encouragement, unwavering faith, compassion, and a commitment to restorative justice, we can build communities where everyone has a place to heal, grow, contribute, and thrive.
Our differences do not have to divide us. They can become part of the strength that connects us.
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