Leadership Institute

The 5-day Institute is inspiring, transformative, and rated highly for its value.

It offers both an introduction into the lifelong Fellowship community and the space to start engaging at the next level of your leadership.

Apply to become a Fellow!

Leadership Institute

The 5-day Institute is inspiring, transformative, and rated highly for its value.

It offers both an introduction into the lifelong Fellowship community and the space to start engaging at the next level of your leadership.

Apply to become a Fellow!

Focus on your leadership growth.

You’ll gain practical training on storytelling and public speaking, learn about organizational design and system building, and apply a highly respected leadership maturity framework to a situation you are facing in your own work and leadership.

Additionally, you will spend a full day integrating practices of equity and transformative justice within your work and leadership.

Build your community.

We bring together incoming Fellows and existing StartingBloc Fellows for small group connection, conversation, and mentorship. You’ll get to engage with StartingBloc Fellows from multiple years and cohorts while at the same time connecting deeply with your own cohort.

Our intention is for you to leave feeling connected to and nourished by the other folks in the room.

Read stories from Fellows

Be inspired by speakers from across industries.

Inspiring speakers, working at the center of major challenges and opportunities, will share their approach and leadership – you can engage with them during the Institute. Past speakers have focused on issues like the funding gap for underrepresented entrepreneurs, just transition within the climate crisis, and the role of somatics in social change movement building.

Recent speakers include: Aaron Walker (CEO, Camelback Ventures), Vicki Saunders (Founder & CEO, SheEO), Majora Carter (Founder, Startup Box), and Seth Godin (Best-selling author and business blogger), just to name a few!

Check out past speakers

Focus on your leadership growth.

You’ll gain practical training on storytelling and public speaking, learn about organizational design and system building, and apply a highly respected leadership maturity framework to a situation you are facing in your own work and leadership.

Additionally, you will spend a full day integrating practices of equity and transformative justice within your work and leadership.

Build your community.

We bring together incoming Fellows and existing StartingBloc Fellows for small group connection, conversation, and mentorship. You’ll get to engage with StartingBloc Fellows from multiple years and cohorts while at the same time connecting deeply with your own cohort.

Our intention is for you to leave feeling connected to and nourished by the other folks in the room.

Read stories from Fellows

Be inspired by speakers from across industries.

Inspiring speakers, working at the center of major challenges and opportunities, will share their approach and leadership – you can engage with them during the Institute. Past speakers have focused on issues like the funding gap for underrepresented entrepreneurs, just transition within the climate crisis, and the role of somatics in social change movement building.

Recent speakers include: Aaron Walker (CEO, Camelback Ventures), Vicki Saunders (Founder & CEO, SheEO), Majora Carter (Founder, Startup Box), and Seth Godin (Best-selling author and business blogger), just to name a few!

Check out past speakers

Anatomy of a StartingBloc Institute

During the Institute, you will be matched with a StartingBloc mentor, who will support you and a group of 6-8 other Fellows throughout the five days. Your mentor is a StartingBloc Fellow who volunteers their time to support incoming Fellows at the Institute. 

Day 1: Our Community, This Moment

Set intentions, connect with your cohort, and get grounded in the context of this moment with an opening speaker.

Day 2: Storytelling & Your Vision

Reflect and gain clarity on your work, life, and leadership. Learn a powerful framework for storytelling and spend time crafting and sharing your story and vision. 

Day 3: Advancing Equity

Take your personal identity work forward into how you understand systems of oppression and how you will commit to advancing equity after the Institute. Engage examples of transformational justice and restorative practices.

Day 4: Leading Self, Leading Others

Learn a leadership maturity framework to help advance your leadership style and more effectively manage a team. In the afternoon, you’ll have the chance to facilitate a workshop, an arts class, or a mindfulness session – stepping into the role of teacher as well as learner.  

Day 5: The Road Ahead

Make commitments and make the asks you need for your work and vision to move forward. Be introduced to the StartingBloc global ecosystem of support and resources.

Anatomy of a StartingBloc Institute

During the Institute, you will be matched with a StartingBloc mentor, who will support you and a group of 6-8 other Fellows throughout the five days. Your mentor is a StartingBloc Fellow who volunteers their time to support incoming Fellows at the Institute. 

Day 1: Our Community, This Moment

Set intentions, connect with your cohort, and get grounded in the context of this moment with an opening speaker.

Day 2: Storytelling & Your Vision

Reflect and gain clarity on your work, life, and leadership. Learn a powerful framework for storytelling and spend time crafting and sharing your story and vision. 

Day 3: Advancing Equity

Take your personal identity work forward into how you understand systems of oppression and how you will commit to advancing equity after the Institute. Engage examples of transformational justice and restorative practices.

Day 4: Leading Self, Leading Others

Learn a leadership maturity framework to help advance your leadership style and more effectively manage a team. In the afternoon, you’ll have the chance to facilitate a workshop, an arts class, or a mindfulness session – stepping into the role of teacher as well as learner.  

Day 5: The Road Ahead

Make commitments and make the asks you need for your work and vision to move forward. Be introduced to the StartingBloc global ecosystem of support and resources.

Upcoming Institutes

Due to US State Department travel restrictions and CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19, we are currently re-evaluating our Institute model. Please check back for details in the next few weeks to learn about our virtual events.

Upcoming Institutes

Due to US State Department travel restrictions and CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19, we are currently re-evaluating our Institute model. Please check back for details in the next few weeks to learn about our virtual events.

After the Institute, we’ll continue supporting your growth – for life.

You’ll join other Fellows in regional groups or virtually through The Bloc (a fellows-only portal), Facebook groups, and Learning Circles, along with access to pro-bono coaching sessions, volunteering and mentoring, and other signature events and resources.

After the Institute, we’ll continue supporting your growth – for life.

You’ll join other Fellows in regional groups or virtually through The Bloc (a fellows-only portal), Facebook groups, and Learning Circles, along with access to pro-bono coaching sessions, volunteering and mentoring, and other signature events and resources.