The NLC Institute is the premier political entrepreneurship training program for young professional, progressive leaders. Meet the 2012 NLC Fellows.
Who is an NLC Fellow?
- Top Talent with Entrepreneurial Mindset or Experience: An institute will train 15 to 20 “top talent” young professional leaders, generally ages 22 to 35, per region per year. Fellows have generally created an organization or business, led an organization or business to greatness, or demonstrated an interest in and ability to create change by realizing a vision and compelling others to follow it.
- Diverse: Fellows represent the diversity of the progressive movement in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, income, and industry. NLC places a high priority on diversity.
- Early Stage Career Young Professionals: They are progressives at the early stage of their careers or interested in changing careers, and have generally completed all of their undergraduate and graduate studies.
- Post-Education: Most NLC Fellows have finished all of their education prior to enrolling in the NLC Institute. College education is not required.
- Cross-Section of Society: They don’t just come from the world of politics/campaigns/elections. NLC Fellows are especially recruited, in no particular order, from fields like aerospace, finance, law, journalism, technology, entertainment, medicine, media, non-profit management, small business, and agriculture.
What is an NLC Institute?
- A five-month (Jan-May), 1 weekend per month commitment.
- Training programs focus on a core curriculum of personal leadership development, entrepreneurship, communications and marketing, fund raising and finance, political strategy and management, traditional and new media, and Internet and technology. Popular sessions you might take part in could have topics like: “Authenticity and Public Speaking,” “21st Century Predictive Voter targeting,” and “Developing a message that will stick”.
- Heavy emphasis is placed on teamwork.
- Fellows spend time meeting with local and national leaders.
- Fellows are paired with career mentors.
Who runs NLC?
- NLC is a volunteer-run organization. Nearly all of its money funds programming.
- Each chapter has a large, influential working advisory board of young professionals familiar with the curriculum who come from different professions, supported by the national Board of Directors, Chaired by Mark Walsh.
- A local Faculty of experts and leaders train and mentor NLC Fellows.
- Control of NLC is decentralized. Decisions are made by consensus and members of the NLC community are free and encouraged to innovate.
Who pays for NLC?
- Participation is free for Fellows. Fellows are required to put down a small deposit that is returned upon graduation from the NLC Institute. Deposits can be waived based on financial circumstances.
- NLC has very generous chapter Advisory Boards and National Board of Directors composed of accomplished progressive leaders and elected officials who donate and fund raise. This board is chaired by Mark Walsh, CEO of GenuisRocket.com and host of XM Radio’s LeftJab, and includes other notable leaders like California Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Fiona Ma.
- NLC has a strong alumni network that gives back to the organization in time, resources, and expertise. Ultimately, the alumni collaborate on various individual projects.
- The $30 application fee helps defer some of NLC’s application expenses.
How does the NLC Institute help?
The New Leaders Council Institute is the core of New Leaders Council. A free five-month, comprehensive leadership development program, the New Leaders Council Institute combines advanced leadership development training by experts, mentorship, networking, and job placement to train tomorrow's leaders today.