Why Salt & Rally
Alison Baringer
Founder & Principal Consultant
Salt & Rally
For more than twenty years, I’ve helped leaders navigate complexity, bring people together around a common purpose, and turn big ideas into meaningful results. Along the way, I learned successful organizations need both strong foundations and forward momentum - a balance that inspired the name Salt & Rally.
Salt represents stability, trust, and what endures. Rally represents alignment, action, and the collective energy required to move a vision forward. Together, they reflect the work I do alongside leaders every day.
Cultivated strategic partnerships with city, county, and state leaders and more than 150 community stakeholders to produce one of North Carolina’s largest signature events—featuring 30+ citywide programs and attracting over 250,000 attendees annually, generating $50+ million in regional economic impact annually.
Led the development and execution of multi-year strategic plans in partnership with Board of Directors, committee chairs, and staff to guide long-term organizational growth and operational priorities.
Creation, management, and analyzation of $2M+ in annual budgets.
Led digital modernization by implementing key technology platforms, including social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), online ticketing (Etix), digital payment systems (Venmo), e-commerce merchandise sales (Square), and online board management tools—expanding audience reach, improving operational efficiency, and modernizing stakeholder engagement.
Directed organization-wide strategy and operations across finance, marketing, sponsorship sales, customer experience, human resources, operations, and business development, aligning initiatives with industry best practices and evolving market trends.
Acquisition and retention of over $1M+ in sponsorships.
Creation of team KPI’s including tracking systems and daily, weekly, and monthly monitoring to achieve goals.
FOUNDER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
WilmingtonBiz 100 Innovator, Greater Wilmington Business Journal | 2025
Woman to Watch Finalist in Business Category, Wilma | 2025
CFEE Graduate, International Festivals & Events Association | 2022
40 Under 40 Award, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce | 2020
WilmingtonBiz 100 Connector, Greater Wilmington Business Journal | 2019
COMMUNITY AWARDS
BOARD & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Chair, UNCW Alumni Board
President, Junior League of Wilmington
Chair, International Festivals & Events Association Foundation Board
I help organizations create clarity, strengthen alignment, and build the structure and accountability needed to make progress. And because plans are only as valuable as their execution, I bring the experience, leadership, and operational expertise to help turn vision into reality and strategy into results.
Strategic Executive
Innovative. Resourceful. Dependable. Grounded. Adaptive. Disciplined.
Thoughtful Guide
Perceptive. Authentic. Trustworthy. Loyal. Intentional. Empathetic.
Community Builder
Connector. Relational. Collaborative. Invested. Enthusiastic. Energetic.