RISE. LEAD. TRANSFORM.
Horizon Collective is a six-month cohort program that supports women and gender-expansive leaders of color and advances their leadership journeys. Through the program, up to 15 leaders participate in monthly facilitated sessions that are curated to be a safe space for belonging, fellowship, learning, unlearning, self-care, and restoration — a place where participants can share their challenges and frustrations and learn and grow from each other’s experiences.
Horizon Collective envisions a future where women-identifying leaders of color break through boundaries and expand their influence. Just as the horizon symbolizes endless possibilities, this program empowers participants to rise above limitations, fostering a new era of leadership rooted in strength, resilience, and vision. Horizon Collective is where leaders come together to explore uncharted territory, lifting each other as they surpass expectations and lead with purpose, paving the way for lasting change in their communities and beyond.
NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
HUMAN CENTERED APPROACH.
Our Horizon Collective is less about what cohort members produce or their leadership strategies; it’s about their core. We know the trauma of operating within systems of white supremacy culture and the isolation and lack of mentorship many women of color endure in the workplace.
This program is about the hearts and souls of women of color in leadership positions. It's about building a sisterhood among women with shared experiences and challenges. It is about working together to restore what white supremacy has stripped away — the truth that we are enough. For these reasons and more, we call this a human-centered leadership development program.
A space for leaders of color whose gender identities have been marginalized.
Horizon Collective is grounded in the understanding that race and gender shape our personal and professional experiences. This program is intentionally designed as an affinity space for those navigating the complexities of gender and racial inequality in the workplace.
PROGRAM DETAILS.
Our Horizon Collective Aims To:
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Deepen connections, nurture leaders and communities, and foster collaboration
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Provide leadership support and coaching that is responsive to the experiences of women of color leaders in the nonprofit sector
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Raise visibility of women of color leaders who are often overlooked
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Support women of color leaders to further develop their leadership and professional goals
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Create a safe space for fellowship, belonging, learning, and self-care
Participant Criteria
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Must identify as a woman or gender-expansive person of color* in a leadership position of any level**
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Priority will be given to applicants working at a nonprofit organization, coalition, or network; in the public sector; or at a social enterprise within Greater Boston. However, we encourage all interested parties to apply.
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Priority will be given to applicants from organizations with budgets below $2 million; Priority will also be given to applicants in organizations without a professional development budget.
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Must be able to attend six day-long sessions (dates TBA)***Sessions will be held on Thursdays from 9-5 pm in the Boston area. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
A non-traditional application
process builds our cohort.
Our applicants are contacted for a group interview to discuss their leadership journey.
During the group interview, the applicant and 4-6 members of their inner circle are interviewed together by the selection committee. This is an opportunity for the selection committee to meet the people who can speak to the different experiences of the candidate and how they have impacted the lives of others. This format is our way of bringing letters of recommendation to life and creating a more personal and human-centered experience.
The members of the candidate’s inner circle could include colleagues, community members, mentors, mentees, and others who could speak to their reputation of civic engagement in the community. All applicant responses are held confidential and only reviewed by the Cohort Selection Committee. We then notify all applicants of decisions by email.
*Gender-expansive is inclusive of gender-nonconforming, genderfluid, nonbinary, genderqueer, transfeminine, agender and all trans-identified individuals. We are committed to supporting communities and individuals historically excluded from institutional philanthropy – including, but not limited to LGBTQIA people, immigrants and refugees, and people with disabilities. As such, we strongly encourage applications from individuals who identify with these groups and/or other marginalized communities.**We define “leadership position” as a role where an individual makes leadership decisions within their organization or is leading a team or department.
HISTORY.
The Horizon Collective is run exclusively by the Boston Women's Fund with facilitation support from the Interaction Institute for Social Change (IISC). Originally conceived by Natanja Craig Oquendo, Executive Director of BWF, alongside Andrea Madu and Stephanie Guidry of the Boston Foundation, with support from the Boston and Angell Foundations, the program was developed by a team of visionary women of color leaders, including Aba Taylor, Kelly Bates, Talissa Lahaliyed, and others who embody joy, resilience, and creativity.
Inspired by trailblazers Anna Faith Jones and Frieda Garcia — the first women of color to serve as CEO and Board Chair of the Boston Foundation in the 1990s — this program honors their legacy of partnership, vision, and impact. In 2023, the program transitioned fully to the Boston Women's Fund, facilitated by IISC, and continues with support from the Boston and Angell Foundations. Over the past three years, it has grown into a movement that uplifts women and gender-expansive leaders of color across the nonprofit sector.
In 2024, we engaged alumni from each cohort to help redesign the program, which included a new name to better reflect our vision and evolution. While our mission remains the same — to support, uplift and amplify women and gender expensive leaders of color—we’re embracing a fresh identity that reflects limitless possibilities and a vision towards the future: the Horizon Collective.