Emerging Leaders Program 2017-18

What did the Emerging Leaders 2017-18 cohort have to say about the program?

“Being in a leadership role in a small organization can be lonely. After a particularly frank conversation, my boss recommended that I apply to the Emerging Leaders program, and I am so grateful he did. Emerging Leaders gave me peers and thought partners who provided feedback and perspective I didn’t even realize I needed.” ~Jessica Weis, The Petey Greene Program, New Jersey

"The best part of the program was hearing the great experience and knowledge of my cohort. This group has become crucial for me as I continue to develop in my career" Liam Cates DonorsChoose.org, New York City

“My expectations were to come to Emerging Leaders and learn to lead others, but I ended up discovering that I needed to learn to lead myself... I learned that leadership styles are different, and everyone has their own way of giving back to their organization.” Naudy Martinez KaBOOM!, Washington, D.C.

The Emerging Leaders professional development program is designed to help aspiring leaders in the nonprofit and public sectors develop the leadership capabilities, management skills, and confidence to advance their professional contributions and accelerate their careers. The program is intended to yield tangible, near-term value to participants (and their employers) and support their longer term leadership development. It employs experiential learning, speakers, and outside experts to weave together learning modules that include functional nonprofit skills, management training, leadership competencies, and facilitated peer support.

The 2017-18 program brought together 31 young nonprofit professionals—16 in New York City and 15 in Washington, DC—representing local area, national, and global organizations. Participants were selected from a competitive pool of mid-career professionals from a variety of educational backgrounds. Each cohort met independently and had different guest speakers but shared the same general curriculum. As of February 2018, Emerging Leaders has inspired 203 young nonprofit professionals to be more effective agents of change.

Closing Celebration for Emerging Leaders in Washington, D.C. with the program facilitator Hilary Joel '85 (far right, second row) and AlumniCorps President & Executive Director Kef Kasdin '85 (far left)

Closing Celebration for Emerging Leaders in New York City, with the program facilitator Yael Sivi (far left, second row)

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