Danielle “Ama” McKinley is a Jackie Robinson Foundation alumna (’08), fine jewelry designer, and the creator of Mōmento Mori, a just-in-case planning course focused on preparing for and navigating life’s most difficult logistics with clarity and care.

After losing her father and brother-in-law one month apart, she experienced firsthand how logistical uncertainty can compound grief. That experience became the catalyst for Mōmento Mori—reframing planning not as morbid, but as an act of love, leadership, and responsibility for the people we leave behind.

Ama is the founder and designer of Ilium Wing, a fine jewelry house redefining waist adornment as heirloom jewelry. She has presented her work at the Couture Show, North America’s leading fine jewelry trade exhibition, where she was selected as an emerging designer. She holds an MBA from Florida A&M University and currently lives in Mexico City.

As a Jackie Robinson Foundation scholar, Ama was selected as an inaugural fellow in a partnership between Sheila Johnson and CARE International, an experience that deepened her understanding of global care systems, resilience, and communal responsibility—threads that continue to shape her work today.