Alicia Pani

Founder & Principal, Aura Advisory

Alicia Pani began her journey in philanthropy at just sixteen, interning in the Development department of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., where she helped raise sponsorship for the landmark George Catlin exhibition. Since then, she has built a distinguished career in arts and cultural fundraising, leadership, and organizational strategy.

Alicia has held senior positions across leading cultural institutions, serving as COO and Managing Director of Marquee Arts, Director of Development for Marquee Arts, Director of Development for Film Forum, Development Officer for the Jewish Museum, and Development Associate at the New York Studio School. Alicia has also worked for: Creative Time (Paul Ramirez - Key to Times Square), Westwood Gallery, Talwar Gallery, Gagosian Gallery (Edward Ruscha - Catalogue Raissone for Works on Paper), Crozier Fine Arts, and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.

Turbocharged by a knack for market research and community-building, Alicia has successfully raised millions of dollars in support of general operations, scholarships, endowed funds, sponsorships, and capital campaigns.

Passionate about the integration of fundraising and operations, Alicia excels at transforming visionary ideas into sustainable, well-executed initiatives. Her work is deeply guided by a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), ensuring that philanthropy strengthens communities and broadens impact.

Alicia earned both her B.A. in Art History from New York University and her M.A. in Art History from Hunter College, bringing a scholar’s appreciation of culture and a strategist’s ability to secure the resources that sustain it.