Women's Leadership Program
We are accepting rolling nominations for the Class of 2026.
Goals
- 2025-2026 program dates are TBD.
- Learn from renowned faculty at Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership through classes on leadership style, leading teams effectively, managing perceptions, navigating gendered expectations, negotiating, and public speaking.
- Participants will gain access to the city’s top women leaders through the Chamber’s Women’s Network, collaborate with other emerging women leaders across industries through Peer Mentor Groups, and design an Individual Action Project for their own workplace.
Details
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Program Overview
Our Women’s Leadership Program (WLP) empowers women professionals to navigate and propel their careers to the next level while also creating the conditions for other women to thrive. Men still outpace women in executive roles in every industry. This program equips women with a leadership toolkit blending academic content, practical application, and social capital with the chief aim of elevating gender equity in the workplace. Participants graduate with the skills, experiences, and connections needed to lead businesses into the top tiers of success.
Characteristics of Successful Candidates
- Identified as a self-motivated, high-performing woman at any stage of her career
- Employed at a Chamber member company
- Committed to contributing to gender equity in the workplace
- Dedicated to full participation in the sessions
The Chamber seeks a diverse pool of applicants regarding demographics and perspectives. We highly encourage professionals with unique backgrounds and experiences to apply.
While self-nominations are accepted, we encourage you to solicit a nomination from your manager or another leader in your company to ensure you have organizational support to participate in this program.
Your company must be a Chamber member to participate in the program.
Check Our Member DirectoryProgram Outcomes
- In aggregate, participants experienced impressive levels of growth in the highly skilled or expert level categories of the following professional competencies
- 48% growth in navigating identity-based expectations in the workplace
- 42% growth in creating inclusive cultures
- 33% growth in conducting effective negotiations
- 68% growth in identifying and flexing leadership style
- 44% growth in advocating for self and others
- 34% growth in leading teams AND networking
- 26% growth in public speaking
- Participants bring organizational, strategic, and team management skills back to your organization through high quality professional development.
- Participants’ Individual Action Projects directly impact your organization by providing solutions to a particular problem or issue using what they learned from the program.
- Participants represent your business amongst a cohort of the city’s next generation of trusted leaders.
- Participants collaborate across industries in Peer Mentor Groups, network with top women leaders in business, and establish connections that will propel participants throughout their careers.
Program Partners
Academic Institution
