Summary: The United Leaders Project (ULP) convenes civic leaders from diverse racial, faith, and cultural backgrounds across Los Angeles for a 10-month expert-led leadership training program aimed at fostering professional growth, bridge building, and community impact. Rooted in the Jewish practice of chevruta, ULP will encourage learning and dialogue with multiple diverse stakeholders to arrive at new insights.
Ideal Candidate Criteria: The ideal ULP candidate is a mid-level professional based in Los Angeles with a track record of leadership and civic engagement experience, committed to working with multicultural stakeholders, building consensus, and exploring creative solutions to enhance the overall quality of life in Los Angeles. We are committed to building a cohort that is representative of our city’s pluralism.
Program Goals
• Hone leadership skills including public speaking, advocacy training, and tools for cultivating allyship.
• Learn from local community leaders and elected officials how to bring the values of equity and inclusion to the policy process.
We will convene monthly ULP sessions in person. Participants will:
• Feel part of a trusted network of colleagues.
• Understand the history behind and develop collaborative solutions to some of most pressing issues facing our region.
• Engage in dialogue with speakers and peers representing multiple perspectives to account for the experiences of diverse L.A. communities.
• Focus on key topics including exploring solutions to address heath inequity, housing challenges, hate, hunger and food insecurity, and inequality and lack of representation in local governance.
• Learn about the Federation’s key civic priorities and values.
Dates: September 2023 – June 2024
ULP will kick off with a launch reception on September 27th from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM and a day-long retreat from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM on October 22nd. Monthly sessions on Wednesday evenings will follow (dates TBD). In early 2024, the group will participate in a 2-day Los Angeles mapping and civic history experience. There will also be a 2-day advocacy summit in Sacramento in May. The program will culminate with a graduation event in June.
Applications are now closed for the 2023-2024 cohort. Applications will open in June 2024 for our 2024-2025 cohort.
There is no fee to participate as the program is fully subsidized.
For more information, please email Mary Kohav, VP of Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion and Community Engagement at MKohav@JewishLA.org.
Advisory board members include: Mayor Pro Tempore, City of West Hollywood John M. Erickson; President/CEO and Founder, Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE) Hyepin Im; Senior VP, Head of Global Corporate Affairs at East West Bank & President, East West Bank Foundation Travis Kiyota; Capital Campaign & Interim Leadership Consultant, Brooke Lykins; Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), Chief Development Officer, Cristina Briskie-Wood; Strategic Communications Consultant Fred MacFarlane; Chief Executive Officer at Fulfillment Fund Joanne Reyes; Director of Impact Partnerships at Sola Impact and Rautenberg New Leaders Project Alumni Daniel Rosove; MPA, MSW, Deputy Director at Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System Marion Sanders; Vice President at Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade Curtis Silvers; Executive Director at Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) Nancy Yap; Former Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin; and Fernando Ramirez, Vice President at the Play Equity Fund.