Leaders Lab of Greater Charlottesville Invites Applicants for 2024-25 Cohort
The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce invites current and emerging leaders to apply now for the Leaders Lab of Greater Charlottesville, a 9-month program to build leadership skills and practice collaborative community problem-solving.
Local leaders at all ages and career stages can join the Leaders Lab to learn about our community, add new skills and perspectives to their leadership toolkit, and develop lasting relationships with a diverse and energetic cohort.
As our region addresses complex community challenges like affordable housing, climate resilience and healthcare access, cross-sector collaboration is increasingly crucial.
The Leaders Lab trains local leaders in the tools and techniques of successful collaboration. Participants can put these skills to work immediately in their professional roles, and they are also prepared to seek out and build collaborative community partnerships.
Leaders' Lab participants will meet monthly from September 2024 through May 2025. Each full-day session includes three primary program elements:
Leadership Development – Participants will self-assess and build competencies in self-awareness, conflict management, collaboration, cultural competence and adaptability.
Community Knowledge-Building – Each session includes a community case study on local work in areas such as homelessness, food and health access, racial equity, education and entrepreneurship.
Community Problem-Solving – Participants will study and practice collaborative leadership skills essential for community problem-solving, such as equitable collaboration, consensus building, ethical decision making, community engagement, group facilitation, principled negotiation, conflict resolution and asset based community development.
Throughout each session, participants are encouraged to examine the themes of equity, entrepreneurship, collaboration and leadership.
Interested individuals can learn more and apply now at CvilleChamber.com/leaderslab.
The Leaders Lab completed its second year in May 2024. Participants said they found many aspects of the program valuable:
“Tools for community engagement and building consensus”
“The diversity of the group and knowledge of local organizations and different cultures”
“Activities related to self-awareness and learning and harnessing our own strengths”
“Conflict resolution and negotiation”
“Hearing firsthand from community leaders”
“Learning about the history of Charlottesville”
“Starting each session with mindfulness was extremely helpful”
The Chamber welcomes Ann Marie Hohenberger as Director of the Leaders Lab, part of her new role as the Chamber’s Director of Community Engagement.
“Participating in the first Leaders Lab cohort shifted my perspective enormously and helped me develop new confidence as a leader,” Hohenberger said. “I feel honored to be part of that journey for other leaders going forward, and I’m excited to continue growing the impact of this program.”
Four partner organizations designed the Leaders Lab curriculum – the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Institute for Engagement and Negotiation at UVA. The Chamber oversees program operations, and each partner will maintain a strategic and advisory role as the program continues to grow.
Program tuition is $2,900. The first program session for 2024-25 will be held on September 13, 2024. Applications will be accepted through June 28, and applicants will be notified in mid July.