An 8-Week Leadership Course

Registration for the current cohort is now closed. Complete the form below to be notified when registration opens for the next cohort.

Stay Informed

IGNITE YOUR POTENTIAL

You should attend if you are interested in leadership development. Emerging leaders and senior leaders are strongly encouraged to participate if you are interested in:

Strategic Growth

Develop a comprehensive Career Leadership Roadmap.

Power Networking

Connect with senior leaders and peers from diverse backgrounds.

Master Your Influence

Gain the confidence to speak up assertively, negotiate for your advancement, and command a presence.

Certification

Earn a Certificate of Completion to validate your skills.

Personal Branding

Define your leadership identity and strategically increase your visibility in the industry.

Exclusive Access

Gain early access to the Mentorship Certification Program and an exclusive meetup at NAWIC’s 71st Annual Conference in Reno, NV.

My investment in the NAWIC Leadership Academy has already paid dividends. In part, this is due to the intensity provided by the 8-week program to encourage personal growth and insights into leadership styles, communication and personal brand through expert-led sessions and thought-provoking panels with inspiring people. The sessions and homework assignments worked in tandem to provide structure for completing my personal leadership roadmap that identifies my goals and defines my objectives clearly and tracks them with purpose.

Leadership Academy graduate, Spring 2026 Cohort

I’ve gained valuable technical experience—but the NAWIC Leadership Academy has helped me grow in a different, equally important way. It has strengthened my leadership awareness and challenged me to recognize the broader impact I have within my organization, regardless of my title. This program encourages you to stretch your wings, push beyond perceived boundaries, and lead with greater confidence and intention.

Leadership Academy graduate, Spring 2026 Cohort

Leadership Academy has changed the way I view my leadership and my future development. Every week I received actionable strategies and educational nuggets that I could put into practice immediately. I have no doubts that what I learned in this course will help me reach my career goals.

Leadership Academy graduate, Spring 2026 Cohort

Program Structure

Format: 8-week virtual live broadcast, including self-reflection and homework
Time Commitment: ~2-3 hours per week

Cohort Details

Start Date: Sep 16, 2026
End Date: Nov 4, 2026

Time: 3-4:30 PM ET | 2-3:30 PM CT | 12-1:30 PM PT

Meeting Dates:
Sep: 16, 23, 30
Oct: 7, 14, 21, 28
Nov: 4

Registration for the current cohort is now closed. Complete the form below to be notified when registration opens for the next cohort.

Success is Contagious

NAWIC members* – Refer someone who completes a paid registration for the NAWIC Leadership Academy, and you’ll receive a 5% referral bonus for every verified registration. *Exclusive to current active NAWIC members.

Woman Sitting At Desk Virtual NAWIC Leadership Academy Meeting

THE CURRICULUM

PROGRAM ROADMAP

Interactive weekly sessions featuring Q&A, guest speakers, collaboration, and real-world application.

Kick off with self-awareness and strategic career planning. Participants build a Career Leadership Roadmap baseline, learn the difference between transformational and transactional leadership, and set concrete 3/6/12 month goals informed by a 360° self-assessment. Practical examples and panel insights show how to convert early-career turning points into momentum.

Learn how to articulate your unique value and increase visibility within industry and on-site. This module covers a brand framework, LinkedIn optimization and practical onsite tactics, with real-world examples from association leaders and influencers.

Facilitated by Mollie Elkman

Develop practical decision-making skills for complex, uncertain contexts. We introduce decision frameworks (OODA, cost/benefit, risk tolerance), tie decisions to project critical paths, and practice scenario-based tradeoff analysis with leader panels sharing real consequences.

Master assertive speaking, active listening and message adaptation for crews, clients and executives. Participants practice influence frameworks and role-play real situations, learning bias-aware amplification and messaging layers that drive results.

Facilitated by Valeria Wright

Focus on EQ-driven leadership: building trust, delegating effectively, creating accountability rituals and de-escalating conflict. Through role-plays and leader stories, participants learn tools to improve team performance and resilience.

Facilitated by Madeleine MacRae

Learn to map influence, identify allies and cultivate sponsors who open opportunities. This session provides outreach templates, prioritization tactics and real sponsor perspectives on what convinces them to back emerging leaders.

Facilitated by Amrita Bhalla

Turn your Career Leadership Roadmap (CLR) evidence into leadership-ready conversations that win resources, promotions, and support for your team. In this fast-paced week, you’ll learn to frame ROI-backed asks that align to operational and financial priorities, create a one-page advocacy pitch, and practice persuasive 90‑second leadership conversations. Walk away with a polished pitch, a leader-ready snapshot of your impact, and a plan to secure the support your team needs.

Close the program by building ROI-backed asks, practicing negotiation and planning for adoption and resilience. Participants present capstone action plans and receive panel feedback to refine their one-page ask and implementation approach.

Facilitators

Meet the Fall Facilitators

Nicole Herrera

Keynote Speaker, Career Coach, & Founder

Week One

Nicole Herrera is a keynote speaker, career coach, and founder of Her Era. She is on a mission to empower and elevate women in the workplace. Her Era partners with individuals and organizations to support career growth, transitions, and challenges. At the core of their work is the RECLAIM Framework™, which helps individuals build resilience to turn setbacks into accelerated growth. 

Nicole has over 15 years of experience spanning corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, and Board service. Prior to starting her company, Nicole led global culture & inclusion initiatives at Google for 13 years. Nicole is a graduate of Wellesley College and lives in San Francisco, where you can find her chasing her 2 boys at the park.

Mollie Elkman

Owner, Founder, & Author

Week Two

Mollie Elkman is a founder, author, and business leader who is passionate about driving growth across the building and construction industry. She is the owner and chief visionary officer of Group Two, the full-service marketing partner that has been trusted by the country’s most successful builders for over 50 years. With a complete range of creative and technical capabilities, the Group Two team brings each unique builder’s brand to life and helps them connect with new home buyers. With a deep understanding of marketing and a forward-thinking approach, Mollie and Group Two continue to lead the industry.

Mollie is also a passionate advocate for strengthening and future-proofing the building and construction industry. She is the author of The House That She Built, the bestselling children’s book, and the founder of the She Built Foundation. Both work to inspire a new generation of builders and to ensure the industry can continue to thrive. She is a sought-after speaker who has spoken to thousands of business owners, builders, and sales and marketing professionals across the country — as well as countless children and educators.

Valeria Wright

Project Director & Founder

Week Four

Valeria Wright is a Construction Project Director with over 20 years of capital program leadership experience, including large-scale aviation and infrastructure projects, and the founder of the Take Credit Thursday™ movement — a professional visibility framework helping women in construction document their wins, articulate their impact, and advance with intention. She is a sought-after speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneur whose work sits at the intersection of construction excellence and personal empowerment. As author of Take Credit Thursday: Weekly Achievement & Progress Journal, Valeria brings the same strategic discipline she applies to multimillion-dollar projects to the way professional women build and own their careers.

Madeleine MacRae

President & Founder/CEO

Week Five

Madeleine MacRae is an accomplished executive and serial entrepreneur. With over 20 years of experience leading, guiding, and growing businesses of all sizes, Madeleine understands how to unleash the capacity of people to achieve more than they may have ever imagined possible. Madeleine has empowered individuals and organizations to go deeper and stretch more than they would have on their own.  She is passionate about helping individuals, teams and organizations reach their true potential and become all they are capable of being.  And her multiple businesses specialize in doing exactly that. Madeleine has touched the lives of over 30,000 with her down-to-earth style that makes even the most intimidating topics feel well within reach. Her ability to blend cutting-edge information with fiery inspiration drives audiences – both live and virtually – to stand up and act towards their growth and business objectives without losing sight of who they truly are and what they desire the most.

Amrita Bhalla

Managing Director & Founder

Week Six

Amrita Bhalla is a global HR executive and leadership advisor with more than two decades of experience building high-performing teams and sustainable cultures. She is the Founder and Managing Director of A.B. Consulting (est. 2015), which provides strategic HR solutions, workforce development, and leadership excellence to clients across the Caribbean and beyond.

A.B. Consulting partners with governments, tourism boards, hotels, and resorts in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Grenada and other markets to design talent strategies that support sustainable tourism growth. Amrita’s sector expertise centers on hospitality, tourism, and economic development, shaped by senior HR roles with global luxury brands including Four Seasons, Oberoi, and Belmond. Her international career across Canada, Bermuda, the UK, Thailand, and India informs a practical, culturally attuned approach to workforce strategy.

A committed advocate for leadership, governance, and professional development, Amrita serves on multiple boards including the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Fund (CHTAEF). She is an Allied Member of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and an advisory board member for Women in Tourism and Hospitality Canada. She mentors emerging entrepreneurs through partnerships with Futurpreneur Canada, Ignite Bermuda, and Enterprise Cayman.

Amrita holds a Master of Industrial Relations and a BA (Hons) from Queen’s University, Canada. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, she delivers keynotes and workshops on leadership development, women in business, AI, and the future of work in hospitality and tourism.

Ready to Ignite Your Potential?

Member = $2100
Non-Member = $2500

Registration for the current cohort is now closed. Complete the form to be notified when registration opens for the next cohort.

Registration for the current cohort is now closed. Complete the form below to be notified when registration opens for the next cohort.