LeadBoston
Developing leaders who prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion
LeadBoston is our premier leadership development program that focuses on equipping mid- to senior-level professionals with the knowledge, skills, and network to propel their leadership and their organization’s success. During this unique, 11-month program, participants explore barriers to inclusion through facilitated dialogue, expert speakers, communication modules, and peer learning.
A diverse class of leaders
Representing the gamut of Boston’s professional, racial, ethnic, faith, and gender diversity, LeadBostonians typically have 15 to 30 years or more of experience in their field. Participants are sponsored and financially supported by their employers. LeadBoston is not an introductory workforce training program, and participants are required to have professional experience prior to participation.
What our participants gain
What our leaders get out of it
89%
of LeadBoston graduates report building teams and partnerships across gender, racial, class, and/or organizational lines.
93%
of LeadBoston graduates report that the program challenged their assumptions.
93%
of LeadBoston graduates report advancing diversity and inclusion at their organization after graduation.
91%
of LeadBoston participants reported that program days challenged and deepened their understanding of equity issues in Boston.
Join Our Robust Alumni Network
LeadBoston doesn’t end on the last day of the training. Instead, our alums are invited to stay connected through events, networking, further learning opportunities, and our online community, YWBoston Connect. Here’s how you can remain connected with your class and other alumni:
Conversations during our program days have been thought-provoking and have also opened an incredible network of people that I am confident will come together with me to make Boston an even better home for many more amazing people.
Jae Williams
LeadBoston Class of 2019
Faculty, Emerson College
LeadBoston has been an incredible opportunity to build what I hope to be lasting connections across what so often divides us — sectors, race and ethnicity, issues — among folks who share a fervent desire to make our communities better.
Lisa Godlblatt Grace
LeadBoston Class of 2019
Co-Founder & Executive Director, My Life My Choice
Graduating from LeadBoston was such a refreshing experience, not only because the program exemplifies what true inclusive leadership is all about, but it also challenges our core beliefs around social justice — whether in our communities or workplace. I’m grateful for its lasting impact on my growth as a leader and consensus builder.
Sundip Arora
LeadBoston Class of 2011
Director, North American Storage and Data Solutions, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
I am grateful and humbled to be part of the LeadBoston experience and the alliances that will enable us to continue to make an impact.
Johana Muriel Grajales
LeadBoston Class of 2019
Director, National Strategy, Latinos for Education
LeadBoston is the ideal opportunity for development and connection with the Boston community that most professionals aren’t able to receive. It is a networking opportunity where one is able to connect with other professionals who are like-minded and want to give back to the community. It is a great opportunity for grounding professionals in Boston.
Gary Morton
LeadBoston Class of 2010
Director, Give with Liberty Program, Liberty Mutual Insurance
In a culture that normally does whatever it can to avoid looking at racial inequality, LeadBoston is an essential corrective. Of the many insights I gained in LeadBoston, the most essential one may be this: that significant change will only come when leaders break across the artificial boundaries of “sector” and “field” and instead name the entrenched boundaries of race and class that affect people’s lives every day.
Colin Stokes
LeadBoston Class of 2018
Director of Communications, Outreach, and Engagement, METCO
I went through LeadBoston when I was a Sales Representative at National Grid. I grew up in Boston and thought I knew the city pretty well, but my LeadBoston experience showed me so much more about our neighborhoods. It gave me a better perspective as I went back to work in various parts of the city.
Reggie Smalls
LeadBoston Class of 2013
Security Consultant, Safeguard Security & Surveillance
LeadBoston opens your mind to issues and points of view to which you otherwise would not have been exposed, opens doors to places you otherwise would never go, and opens your heart to people and communities you otherwise would not know.
Susan Stenger
LeadBoston Class of 2009
Partner, Burns & Levinson
LeadBoston helped me to understand Boston, its neighborhoods, and its people in an entirely new way. That knowledge provides a strong foundation for me as a civic and political leader.
Martha M. Walz
LeadBoston Class of 2002
Principal, Marty Walz and Associates
I was skeptical of participating in LeadBoston because I’ve done this work for over 20 years. Turns out, I did have a lot to learn. I learned about myself and how I can more effectively impact areas I care about — health, housing, social justice, to name a few. It’s the best self-development and network building I’ve done in the past 10 years.
Thaddeus Miles
LeadBoston Class of 2019
Director of Community Services, MassHousing
LeadBoston is an eye-opening opportunity for a person to not only learn about Boston, but about themselves. What are the challenges that Boston and its residents face and what role do you, as a leader and community member, play in perpetuating or resolving these problems?
Allison Picott
LeadBoston Class of 2019
Director of Development, Social Innovation Forum
LeadBoston has been perhaps the most meaningful experience of my professional life to date. To be able to take my personal passion and insights around DEI and be enriched by and alongside a cohort of like-minded leaders has expanded both my understanding and my ability to drive change across my spheres of influence.
Austyn Ellese Mayfield
LeadBoston Class of 2022
Not only did LeadBoston open my eyes to the seemingly insurmountable racial issues in our city, but LeadBoston also gave me the knowledge and insight to take steps to help make Boston a more inclusive place for all.
Tracy Burns
LeadBoston Class of 2022
