Obama Foundation Leaders: United States Program

The Leaders USA program builds on the Obama Foundation’s work over the past five years to support values-driven changemakers in the United States and across the globe.

The Leaders USA program explores how our values-based leadership can strengthen democratic culture, collective action, and the forces of pluralism in our communities both locally and globally. The program equips 100 United States-based leaders driving systems-level change across sectors and issues with the tools, frameworks, mindsets, and relationships to accelerate positive and lasting change in their communities.

The program focuses on emerging Leaders, 24-45 years old, who aim to drive lasting and inclusive  change across sectors and issues and have at least three years of demonstrated impact. Participants are values-driven leaders from every corner of the nation who are ready to expand their impact and help strengthen our national democratic culture.

Leaders USA cohorts reflect the rich diversity in the United States, with representation from across geographies and a wide variety of communities. The Leaders USA program identifies exceptional leaders in public, civil society, and the private sector who have a clear issue focus and who can illustrate the impact of their work. We seek to assemble cohorts of individuals who can learn from each other based on a range of experiences, approaches, and backgrounds. We work to recruit values-driven changemakers who hold a variety of views and perspectives so that we can create a learning environment that is both supportive and intellectually challenging for Leaders who will need to apply their skills in a diverse set of contexts and with many stakeholders.Our hope is to build a growing network of innovative and active changemakers who are pluralistic in their approach and seek engagement rather than polarization.

Leaders will participate in the following core elements of the program:

• Program Arc: Over six months, Leaders come together for weekly virtual sessions featuring subject matter experts, practitioners, case studies, and peer learning to deepen their leadership practice. Leaders will discuss how to move from hope to action through practical tools and training on values-based leadership and strengthening democracy.
• A Community of Support: Leaders work in small groups designed to reflect the diversity of the cohort through interdependent peer learning and relationship building. Community groups meet on a monthly basis and are designed as brave, informal spaces for Leaders to discuss takeaways from each module, grapple with multiple diverse perspectives and approaches, and exchange their learnings on values-based leadership in action.
• Individual Leadership Coaching: Leaders are paired with a coach for monthly sessions to help them clarify and build out their individual goals, understand your unique strengths and values, and unlock their potential.