Marcus Alston (MBA ’19) is the 2026 recipient of the WSB BOLD Award.
This award recognizes Badgers of the last decade (BOLD) who have achieved outstanding professional accomplishments in their field since graduation. Business Badgers who received their undergraduate or graduate degrees within the last 10 years are eligible for this award.
A classically trained clarinet player, Alston studied music in college before pausing his studies due to personal and financial reasons. He would ultimately resume his education and complete his undergraduate degree after 11 years—then go on to earn an MBA at the Wisconsin School of Business with a specialization in human resources.
Alston’s experience navigating college as a nontraditional student and overcoming obstacles fundamentally shaped a desire to create opportunities for other people to thrive. Along with husband Kyle Jubenville, Alston founded the nonprofit DreamVest, which created an endowed scholarship to help adult students complete college, as well as skilled trade and professional certification programs.
With a belief that students can transform their dreams into reality through education, Alston serves as the organization’s chief executive officer and is on a mission to raise $1 million by June 2029, which would guarantee $50,000 in permanent annual scholarships.
Alston is also a senior people partner at Cisco and serves as head of HR for Cisco’s AI software and platform business. In this role, he’s helping shape the talent, leadership, and organization required to scale a business at the center of Cisco’s AI transformation. He previously graduated from the company’s leadership development program after earning his MBA, and has since held several positions at Cisco covering a wide range of HR functions.
“Marcus has strengthened our community, enriched the student experience, and inspired the next generation of strategic HR leaders.”
—Tanya Hubanks (BA ’94, MS ’98, JD ’98), director, WSB’s Strategic Human Resource Management Center
In 2024, Alston was named as an “8 to Watch” by Update magazine for his unparalleled HR leadership at Cisco. He also maintains a connection to music, and in 2026, he auditioned for and joined the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
Throughout it all, Alston has maintained and grown a relationship with the school’s Strategic Human Resource Management Center, where he consistently finds ways to give back. In addition to serving as a mentor for HR students, he serves on the center’s advisory board and has spoken at its annual Strategic HR Symposium.
“Marcus exemplifies what it means to be an engaged and impactful alumnus,” says Tanya Hubanks (BA ’94, MS ’98, JD ’98), director of WSB’s Strategic Human Resource Management Center. “He is generous with his time, thoughtful in his guidance, and passionate about helping students achieve their aspirations. Through his servant leadership and unwavering commitment to developing others, Marcus has strengthened our community, enriched the student experience, and inspired the next generation of strategic HR leaders.”
Read about the other 2026 WSB Alumni Award recipients.
From the Dean
“Education has the power to change lives, and everything Marcus stands for illustrates that impact. His own personal journey of overcoming adversity to earn two degrees speaks to his tenacity; his work to uplift other adult learners speaks to his heart, passion, and desire to make the world a better place. Those are the elements that truly define Business Badgers, and I’m proud to call Marcus one of our own.”