Leading Edge, in partnership with coLeague, developed the Culture Accelerator as a seven-month intensive leadership development opportunity for senior HR, talent, and culture leaders in the North American Jewish non-profit sector. The program is designed to provide participants with resources through individualized and group learning. Cohort members have the opportunity to create an end-of-program talent initiative plan that will address a workplace challenge and how to share it with senior leadership. Participants will align their talent initiative plan with a topic that emerges from the program learning modules and present their project at the end of the cohort experience. They will receive support from a faculty advisor and peers to strengthen their plan. By participating in this pilot program, participants will also get a unique opportunity to create relationships with peers from across the sector.

The Culture Accelerator is not a certificate program but, rather, a learning experience centered on strategy and change management in the talent and culture space.

The Culture Accelerator is designed for senior-level professionals at Jewish nonprofit organizations who drive talent, culture, and HR as their primary responsibility. We understand that titles can vary widely, and some examples include: Chief of Staff, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Director of People and Culture. The ideal candidate should hold strategic HR, talent, and culture decisions; have at least two years of experience in this role at their current organization; and be able to share their learnings and influence direction with the CEO / Executive Director.

We are looking for participants who are open to self-reflection and change, have the time and space to step back from their daily work, and are excited about contributing to a cohort. Outside of that, we welcome a diverse range of applicants in people leadership positions. Being open to learning from and with people with different viewpoints, identities, experiences, and contexts is key to success in the Culture Accelerator. We strongly encourage People of Color, women, and other people with marginalized identities to apply.

While not required, financially independent organizations with a governing board and at least 10 full-time employees will find the greatest benefit from this program. Please contact melissa@leadingedge.org if you have any questions about your organization’s fit.

We welcome people leaders of any religious practice or background. Applicants must be employees at an organization in the Jewish nonprofit sector.

The Culture Accelerator will focus on elements of the employee lifecycle with a throughline of change management. Some of the learning modules will include developing a talent philosophy, exploring talent development and retention, setting clear expectations for staff, and selecting and recruiting talent. In addition to faculty-driven learning, participants will workshop talent initiative plans with their faculty advisor and peers to address a workplace challenge. The Culture Accelerator does not provide technical training on specific skills such as benefits and compliance.

We strive to foster a learning atmosphere that is inclusive of different identities and perspectives. Our gathering norms guide us in creating a safe, brave, and respectful environment. We also ask participants to abide by our Community Agreement. As we move through our learning modules, we anticipate focusing on how identity informs each topic.

• Contact information
• Organizational information (including staff size and budget)
• Information about why the applicant wants to participate in the Culture Accelerator program
• Your video response: “Why is the Culture Accelerator the right program for you at this time in your leadership, and what do you hope you will be positioned to do differently in your career as a result of this program?”
• Your video response: “What do you bring to the Culture Accelerator cohort learning experience and what would you need as a learner to fully engage?”
• Your video response to a question of your choice from a question bank provided.
• An acceptance of the Leading Edge Gathering Norms and Community Agreement

As part of the application, applicants will respond to three questions via a one-way video platform. Applicants may be contacted by a member of the selection committee with additional questions about your application.

Leading Edge program staff and senior leaders will select participants.

Readings, case studies, and other pre-work will be required throughout the Culture Accelerator program. Participants will also be responsible for booking their travel to and from our in-person retreat at Pearlstone Retreat Center, scheduling and holding sessions with your faculty advisor, and developing your talent initiative plan.

The Culture Accelerator is seven months long, from July 2024 to January 2025. During that period, there will be approximately two days for an in-person retreat, five 90-minute virtual sessions, as well as introduction and closing calls. In addition, participants will have access to two 1:1 sessions with faculty advisors.

If you or your organization are participating in our Focused Engagement Survey, the P2C, or After Survey Action workshops, you may do so at the same time you are a part of the Culture Accelerator. But participants may not participate in two cohort-based learning programs simultaneously. If you are applying for multiple cohort programs with Leading Edge, please contact Melissa Walters (Senior Program Manager) at melissa@leadingedge.org to discuss how best to sequence the opportunities.

We estimate the total commitment for the Culture Accelerator is 20 hours, plus two days at the in-person retreat (November 18-20) and the time needed to complete your talent initiative plan. Each month will include at least one cohort learning session, and participants will have the option to schedule a session with their faculty advisor. Participants should expect to commit two to five hours of time per month to fully participate.

• Cohort Learning Sessions: 90-minute sessions, plus 30-60 minutes of preparatory work per session.
• Optional: Participants can further maximize the program by finding time to connect asynchronously with other cohort members, engaging with recommended readings and finding time to both reflect on their own and share their learnings with colleagues. 

Additional commitments:

• To accommodate the High Holidays schedule, there will be two cohort learning sessions in August.

Participants are required to attend virtual sessions and the in-person gathering. To foster the most fruitful cohort experience, applicants can miss no more than one virtual learning session. Applicants that are unavailable for the November retreat will not be eligible for the program at this time. Monthly virtual sessions will be recorded and the Zoom recordings will be available until the next scheduled learning session. If you have a conflict with the in-person retreat, please contact Melissa Walters (Senior Program Manager) at melissa@leadingedge.org. Should we continue this program, we are happy to keep you informed of future opportunities to participate.

During the program, participants will have access to two 1:1 sessions with a faculty advisor to discuss a strategic HR, talent, or culture challenge, as well as to review talent initiative plans. We recommend participants space out the sessions with their advisor throughout the cohort. If participants are interested in additional sessions with the faculty advisor, they may discuss and contract with them directly.

Accepted participants will complete an intake form to confirm their participation and receive a virtual welcome packet that includes calendar invites to all virtual meetings, details about the in-person retreat, and directions for accessing the preparation work and other materials.

We are happy to provide any accommodations possible. Accepted participants will have the opportunity to share any accommodations for disability or health-related needs that would help them to fully participate in the Culture Accelerator. Feel free to reach out to Melissa Walters (Senior Program Manager) at melissa@leadingedge.org before applying to talk through any accommodation requests or concerns.

Participants should notify Melissa Walters (Senior Program Manager, melissa@leadingedge.org) of any role changes immediately. Leading Edge will consider each participant’s situation on a case-by-case basis. There are no refunds for organizations whose program participant leaves the organization once the program is underway.

Reach out to Melissa Walters, Senior Program Manager, at melissa@leadingedge.org with any questions.