Alena Akselrod is the Senior Program Director at Leading Edge, supporting and enhancing the Jewish nonprofit field’s approach to leadership, talent, and workplace culture. Alena grew up in Brooklyn after emigrating from the Former Soviet Union in the mid-90s. Her passion for working with youth propelled her into a career working with Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ)  immigrant families at a community center in South Brooklyn. She grew her career to encompass a robust marketing, community organizing, organizational change management, and culture change portfolio, but her true love will always be facilitating identity and leadership programs, as well as creating new entry points into Jewish life for the RSJ community. Alena holds an M.B.A. in Nonprofit Management and an M.A. in Jewish Professional Leadership from Brandeis University. She is an MBTI certified practitioner, a proud Wexner Graduate Fellow & Davidson Scholar, and a JCCA Merrin Teen Professional Fellow.