This fellowship is designed to:
- Enable people of color working on technology within progressive social change organizations in the U.S. to balance their roles as leaders, activists, and administrators;
- Provide opportunities for building trust, collaboration, and policy networking between leaders and organizations;
- Forge strong partnerships across the boundaries of issue areas, race, geography, and social identity;
- Create a learning community to strategize about effective technology platforms for their work towards increased understanding of emerging tech resources.
The program will select pairs of leaders working at twelve organizations, with each pair consisting of a senior organizational leader and a technology strategist leader from the same organization. This pair model will enable organizations to effectively lead change in their organization and create a dynamic that supports the development of emerging technology leaders.
Session One: October 9-12, 2017, Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, VA
The first session’s curriculum will be based on the Art of Leadership, Rockwood’s intensive retreat workshop in which participants hone skills related to articulating vision, managing difficult conversations, and identifying personal leadership strengths and challenges. Each participant will receive a 360-degree leadership evaluation from their peers.
Session Two: February 12-15, 2018, Chaminade Resort, Santa Cruz, CA
The second Fellowship retreat is designed for leaders to enhance their skills in areas of leadership, collaboration, and technology.
Trainers
Michael Bell
Michael is the co-founder, president and CEO of InPartnership Consulting Inc., an organizational development and strategic change firm specializing in global diversity and leadership development. Michael is a leader in the fields of organizational development, diversity and strategic planning. Michael has worked on racial equity initiatives with Working Families, PICO’s national initiative on Faith, Race and Power, Haas Jr. Fund, among many programs.
Suzanne Hawkes
Suzanne Hawkes is a management consultant, leadership trainer, and coach with more than 20 years’ experience helping nonprofit organizations across the US and Canada increase their strategic impact. Her work focuses on the intersections of social justice, racial justice, progressive political engagement, and environmental sustainability. Her vision: a diverse cross-sectoral network of powerful, collaborative, service-oriented leaders working across difference to achieve transformational change. Previously, she founded Canada’s first not-for-profit campaign and communications training centre dedicated to supporting social change organizations across Canada and overseas, and led several re-branding initiatives with national organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and EcoJustice.
Additional Program Offerings
Peer Coaching
Coaching is both an important leadership skill, and a resource for social change leaders. During the fellowship, leaders will be partnered with two other Fellows to engage in a peer coaching relationship over the course of the program.
Costs
The program has an estimated value of $8,000 per fellow. With the support of Voqal, fellows’ fees and room & board costs will be covered. Travel costs are covered by the fellow or their organization.
