The Institute is a twelve-day program spanned over seven months (March/April thru September) that focuses on three key tenets - Discovery Leadership, Building Leadership Capacity, and Integrate Learning and Commitment to Action.

Each year, up to 25 individuals are selected to participate in NAAWLI leadership development designed to hone the leadership skills of African American women in corporations and nonprofit organizations. Participants are selected to create a diverse group of accomplished business professionals from a wide variety of industries, disciplines, and managerial backgrounds.

Our 2017 Fellows traveled from Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Illinois as well as the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex to embark on a seven-month journey geared to transform and enhance their professional/personal lives.

Session Two began with excitement, fun and renewed commitment from our 2017 Fellows! “Gone were the nervousness associated with uncertainty for what would be learned and meeting new faces”.

The reuniting of the Fellows proved that “absence truly makes the heart grow fonder” and these sixteen energetic women wasted no time jumping back into our program format.

​We began our 2017 Leadership Program with a “Welcome” reception held on Sunday, March 19, 2017 from 3:00-5:00pm at the Collins Center on SMU campus. This even is a prelude to our workshops and serves as an opener in a casual environment and allows the Fellows to meet and gain an overview of our program.