Partners

The ASU Lodestar Center’s Generation Next Academy has a proven record for providing skills based training to mid and senior level executives in a yearlong program from the greater Phoenix area. In 2014, the program was folded under the American Express Leadership Academy umbrella. The program builds critical skills in emerging issues in the nonprofit sector and exposes leaders to different leadership styles and approaches. The 9-month program is comprised of best practice approaches to leading and managing nonprofits, from renowned professors and practitioner instructors at ASU as well as established nonprofit leaders from organizations that engage with the ASU Lodestar Center.

Ashoka strives to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector; one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world's citizens to think and act as changemakers.

The Emerging Innovators Boot Camp is a two-day intensive training designed specifically for social entrepreneurs. Participants receive mentoring from key thought leaders, promotion and opportunities for collaboration – tools to rapidly scale their social enterprises in an impactful way.

After successfully launching the bootcamp in New York, NY, the program has since expanded to Toronto, Mexico City, Dakar and Nairobi. Additionally, American Express and Ashoka extends the impact of the Boot Camp beyond the in-person participants through an online campaign, which includes #SocEntChats #AmExLeads Twitter Chat postings and online interviews with thought leaders.

The American Express Leadership Academy 2.0, at the Aspen Institute provides a 2.0 professional development opportunity for American Express Leadership Academy Alumni and/or nonprofit leaders from other American Express leadership funded programs. The Fellowship includes a week-long seminar at the Aspen Meadows campus in Aspen, CO, using the time-tested Aspen method of text-based dialogue. The Fellowship provides nonprofit leaders with the opportunity to move beyond daily operational concerns to take time for exploration of core values that animate their work and inspire them to become more effective, innovative and inspiring leaders.

In 2018, the American Express Leadership Academy with the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) launched. CBMA is a national membership network that seeks to ensure the growth, sustainability and impact of leaders and organizations committed to improving the life outcomes of Black men and boys. CBMA's work sits at the intersection of field-building and network-building, with a growing membership of 5,000 leaders, and more than 2,700 organizations amplifying and catalyzing the movement.

Learn more about CBMA, the organization behind this Academy:

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that develops better leaders through its exclusive focus on leadership education and research.

In 2008, CCL and American Express launched the inaugural American Express Leadership Academy for  emerging leaders representing a wide range of national and local nonprofit organizations. The week-long program remains our flagship Academy and takes place twice a year in New York, NY.

Common Purpose runs leadership development programs that inspire and equip people to work together across boundaries. This enables them to solve complex societal and organizational problems.

In 2010, American Express partnered with Common Purpose to create a Leadership Academy in the UK, bringing together emerging leaders from leading charities, including community, education, international relief and cultural organizations. Since then, the program has successfully expanded to Hong Kong, Singapore, and more recently Southern Africa.

Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Community (ETIC) works to encourage "entrepreneurial leadership" for social innovation. With ETIC, American Express launched the Service Academy for Social Entrepreneurs, designed for leading nonprofit social entrepreneurs who have demonstrated impact for more than five years. The participants gain a deeper understanding of customers to improve their service through interactive sessions and speakers from the nonprofit and business sector.   
 

The American Express NGen Fellows Program gives emerging nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, age 40 and under, an exceptional opportunity to strengthen their capacity for future impact. Over the course of twelve months, Fellows collaborate with other talented NGen leaders, interact with established social sector leaders, and contribute to Independent Sector’s work on nonprofit and philanthropic impact and leadership.

The Japan Philanthropic Association (JPA) was established in 1960 to build a civil society where all citizens collaborate on enhancing philanthropic initiatives. JPA focuses on improving philanthropic skills and knowledge by organizing seminars and building a network of leaders from various fields. The Japan Academy engages Japanese nonprofit emerging leaders, mixing problem-solving activities with presentations by American Express business leaders and local nonprofit leaders.  

SparkAction is a nonprofit storytelling and advocacy platform to inspire and mobilize action by and for young people. Based in Brooklyn, New York, SparkAction is managed by the Forum for Youth Investment, which helps leaders across the country get young people ready for life. The SparkAction team launched and manages LeaderStories, and in December 2019, will host our first leadership Academy, working with the Center for Creative Leadership. The unique three-day Academy will be held in Brooklyn and serve 24 emerging leaders selected through an open crowd-sourced challenge. Stay tuned to learn more. 

Thunderbird holds over 70 years of experience in developing leaders with the global mindset, business skills and social responsibility necessary to create lasting value for organizations and communities.

The American Express Leadership Academy at Thunderbird targets emerging leaders from across the globe, representing leading international nonprofit organizations or NGOs. The five-day program provides practical opportunities to learn and build personal leadership skills while also building the organizational capacity of their organizations.