We need A NEW Kind OF LEADER.

PROXIMATE PROXIMATE PROXIMATE PROXIMATE PROXIMATE PROXIMATE PROXIMATE PROXIMATE

About New Leaders Council

New Leaders Council (NLC) is the hub for proximate leaders in America. We identify and elevate changemakers (local leaders rooted in their communities) through dynamic training, deep community, and national connection.

On average, 78% of the cohorts self-identify as BlPOC, 68% are women and gender non-conforming folx, and 39% report identifying as LGBTQIA* folx make up our 6-month NLC Institute Fellows that go on to be part of our network. NLC has curated and sustained a Community Leadership Movement of over 13,000 alumni over nearly two decades.

From the Newsroom

Learn more about the collective impact our community of changemakers is making across the country.

June 12, 2025 The Leader We’ve Been Waiting For: Karen Pandy-Cherry named President and CEO of New Leaders Council

Karen Pandy-Cherry, from one NLC alum to another…Congratulations on being voted in as the President & CEO of New Leaders Council and its amazing network. It’s not just a title; it’s a reflection of the trust and deep admiration this community holds for you. And let me just say, it’s about time.

Read More →
June 4, 2025 June Events You Don’t Want to Miss with New Leaders Council

This June, New Leaders Council chapters across the country are showing up and showing out and you need to be in the room. Whether you’re an alum, a future Fellow, or someone who simply believes in the power of people, progress, and purpose, these events are where leadership and community collide.

Read More →
May 31, 2025 Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month: Stories of Identity, Impact, and Leadership

During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we celebrate the rich histories, vibrant cultures, and powerful contributions of AANHPI leaders across the country. At New Leaders Council, our community includes changemakers who are shifting narratives, building inclusive systems, and leading with purpose. This month, we are proud to highlight three NLC alumni who are creating space, championing equity, and leaving their mark across sectors.

Read More →
A black speech bubble with a green background.

new kind of leader

NLC trains and connects the local changemakers who champion equity and fuel progress. We invest in those historically excluded from leadership pipelines, yet are best equipped to solve our nation’s most challenging issues.

A black speech bubble with a pink background.

new approach to leadership

Our Fellows practice a leaderful model in their cohorts, where collaboration breaks down silos across identity, issue, and industry. We build connective infrastructure across perspectives that expand resources for collective action.

A black speech bubble with a yellow background.

New Leaders Council

This new way of leading expands capacity and support for equity movement leaders and systems change. NLC alumni are the driving force behind major cultural and electoral progress that takes years to build.

The person that is coming to NLC in any community is on the cusp of transformational leadership. They are making decisions about where they want to take their organization, their career, and their journey in service…Without training orgs like NLC, there isn’t a pathway for millennial and Gen Z leaders to elevate their leadership. Change has to happen at every level – and if we don’t have pathways to leadership the country cannot move forward.

– Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
2014 NLC DC Fellow

NLC is a vibrant community that empowers you with vital skills and knowledge to impact the world’s most pressing problems. But perhaps more importantly, NLC bestows you with the moral courage to do so, from a community that believes in what you believe, in a moment that calls for bold and visionary leaders, thinkers, and doers.

– Dr. Atul Nakhasi
NLC Los Angeles 2020

NLC members and Fellows must stand in their purpose and declare their intent to move forward an equity-based agenda that focuses on solutions for our most marginalized communities.

– Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-5)
NLC Atlanta 2013

Our 2025 Fellows Cohorts

80%

Identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color

60%

Identify as Women and Non-Binary

80%

Work in the nonprofit, government, education, or healthcare industries

LEADERFUL LEADERFUL LEADERFUL LEADERFUL LEADERFUL LEADERFUL LEADERFUL LEADERFUL
Members of the NLC Los Angeles cohort lead a discussion.

Our signature program creates a leaderful movement

NLC Institute is a six-month place-based learning environment, delivered across the country in each of our chapters and offered at no cost to participants. Our chapters work with national and local trainers to implement the program, providing a premier training experience and a strong grounding in the local community.

A panelist talking with a microphone.
PROGRESS PROGRESS PROGRESS PROGRESS PROGRESS PROGRESS PROGRESS PROGRESS

Invest in proximate leaders. Invest in NLC.

If we want to build the country we want to see, then we have to start by investing in leadership.