LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Leadership Louisville Center has launched a new program that is the first of its kind in the country, called Leadership Accelerator. Developed in partnership with its IncLOUsion Council, and the advisory council of ERG leaders established in 2019 by the Leadership Louisville Center, the new program will gather leaders of employee resource groups (also called BRGs, affinity groups, etc.) to accelerate the growth of a company’s diverse talent, grow skill sets in individuals, and deepen connections between affinity group leaders.
“The twenty participants representing thirteen organizations will spend four months building their individual leadership skills, connecting with others across companies and social identities, and strengthening the impact they make within their organizations’ affinity groups and beyond,” said Cynthia Knapek, president and CEO of Leadership Louisville Center. “Participants represent employee resource groups, who engage and support Black, Latinx, women, LGBTQ+, parents, young professionals, and more employee groups. By elevating these leaders and connecting groups across organizations, we have the opportunity to accelerate the impact of diverse talent within companies and our community.”
The Fall 2022 class runs from August – November 2022. The second cohort will begin in January and it’s open to anyone involved in their organization’s employee resource group programming.
The Leadership Accelerator Class of Fall 2022 includes:
- Imani Bland, Sourcing Lead II, LG&E and KU Energy
- Sean Brown, EVS Manager, Kindred Hospitals
- Jason Cebe, Records Manager, Frost Brown Todd LLC
- Omar Cham, HR Manager US Commercial, HR North America & Global Supply Chain, Beam Suntory
- Alex Laurentin Costa, Digital Acquisition Manager, Republic Bank & Trust Company
- Bethany Daily, Div. Human Resources Manager, Kroger Co.
- Schaka Davis, Director of Business Intelligence, Humana Inc.
- Joseph Franklin, Account Manager, TEKsystems
- Kimberly Gibbs, District Director of Clinical Operations, ScionHealth
- Stephanie Murphy Givans, Commercial Relationship Manager, PNC Bank
- Sarah Kelley, Student Services Program Coordinator, University of Louisville
- Benjamin Lesousky, Copywriter/Editor, Frost Brown Todd LLC
- Elizabeth Liebschutz, Ph.D., Manager of Global Initiatives and Partnerships, University of Louisville
- Stacy-Ann McDuffus, Assistant Store Leader, Kroger Co.
- Melissa Mitchell, Assistant Vice President, Fiduciary Closing Team Supervisor, PNC Bank
- Lauren Richmond, Brand Manager, Brown-Forman Corporation
- Caleb Ulrich, Inclusion Specialist, Norton Healthcare
- Dana Wilson, Inclusion and Diversity Leader, Humana Inc.
- Jaymi Yantis, Project Manager – Portfolio Innovation, Brown-Forman Corporation
- Jianhua Zhao, Ph.D., Associate Prof., University of Louisville
Organized by the Leadership Louisville Center, IncLOUsion is an employee resource group (ERG) advisory council with representatives from various organizations based in Louisville. The council’s purpose is to “equip and champion diverse talent to have a voice and be successful leaders in our workplace and communities.” The goals of the council are to:
- Empower talented individuals who have been underrepresented to gain recognition and promotion into their organization’s leadership pipeline.
- Transform the face of leadership in our community.
- Ensure Louisville is recognized and known as the city where diverse talent thrives and succeeds.
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