Emerging Leaders Series

Applications for the 2020 Emerging Leaders Series cohorts are now open.

Your application is NOT COMPLETE without a signed commitment form. Please submit this to megan@grandrapids.org to be considered for the Emerging Leaders Series.

Click here to download the commitment form

About the Program

If you are a professional with a passion for growing your career and becoming actively engaged in the community, the Emerging Leaders Series offers the ideal setting to expand your horizons.

Make Grand Rapids your classroom with five half-day sessions that combine tours, speakers, activities, and inter-disciplinary discussions that build community connections, leadership skills, and insight into issues facing Grand Rapids. Plus, you’ll discover new opportunities to engage in the community.

This program is right for you if you are looking for:

Conversations with key community leaders
Visits to innovative community programs and initiatives
Networking with a diverse group of peers
An orientation to the city and what makes it a unique community
Personal leadership development

This professional development opportunity is particularly valuable for young and early-career professionals as well as those with a keen interest in our community and growing professionally.

Chamber leadership programs prioritize creating spaces where diverse perspectives can come together to learn, grow and push our community forward.

2020 Session Dates, Program Details & Cost

Session Dates:

Cohort 1

All sessions run on Wednesdays from 11:45am – 5:00pm

Session 1: July 8, 2020 | Orientation & Building Relationships
Session 2: July 22, 2020 | Your Community
Session 3: August 5, 2020 | Finding Your Strengths
Session 4: August 19, 2020 | Key Community Issues
Session 5: September 2, 2020 | You Are Next

Cohort 2

All sessions run on Wednesdays from 11:45 am – 5:00pm

Session 1: October 21, 2020 | Orientation & Building Relationships
Session 2: November 4, 2020 | Your Community
Session 3: November 18, 2020 | Finding Your Strengths
Session 4: December 2, 2020 | Key Community Issues
Session 5: December 16, 2020 | You Are Next

* Attendance at all sessions is mandatory to achieve the full value of the program. Persons who cannot adjust their schedules to accommodate full participation should not apply to the program. If selected, the participants’ employer will be required to provide a signature agreeing to their full support for the employee’s time required to participate in the Emerging Leaders Series.

Program Details:

The Emerging Leaders Series program has capacity for up to 40 diverse individuals who:

Are passionate about growing their careers
Are motivated and interested in learning, self-discovery, community exposure, networking; and how to use this experience to become community trustees
Represent a cross-section of business, non-profits and units of government, professions, ages, cultural perspectives, ethnic backgrounds, and geographical areas throughout the Grand Rapids community
Willing to commit to being on time and engaged in all ELS sessions

Cost and Scholarships:

Program Cost: Tuition must be paid in full by the first class session.

Chamber Member: $800

Non-Member: $950

There are a limited number of partial scholarship funds available. Please submit the following scholarship application form to megan@grandrapids.org, along with a short explanation of the reason for your request, by NO LATER than 30 days prior to first session to be considered.

Click here to download the scholarship application form