Session Structure
Each session blends interactive learning, reflection, and practical application. You’ll engage in group discussions, hands‑on exercises, and real‑world leadership scenarios that help you apply new concepts immediately.
In-Person Class
Explore session descriptions and meet the facilitators who will guide your experience throughout the program.
Session Details
The Women’s Leadership Program (WLP) is built around a series of core leadership sessions that anchor your experience across the nine‑month journey. Each session is designed to introduce new tools, deepen your practice, and connect you with peers across Greater Boston. This page gives you a clear, at‑a‑glance understanding of how sessions work, what’s required, and how to stay prepared throughout the year — see below for session details, dates, and locations. You can also find facilitator information on this page.
At a Glance
Required vs. Optional Sessions
Required sessions form the backbone of the program and ensure a consistent experience across the cohort. Optional sessions — including networking opportunities and Women's Network events — offer additional ways to connect and grow.
Pre‑Work Expectations
Some sessions include pre‑work to help you arrive ready to participate. The Pre‑Work Library outlines all assignments, estimated time commitments, and deadlines so you can plan ahead with confidence.
Session Materials & Resources
Slides, worksheets, and follow‑up materials will be posted after each session. These resources help you revisit key concepts and integrate them into your leadership practice.
If You Miss a Session
If you can’t attend, the Class Website provides guidance on required make‑up steps, available materials, and who to contact for support. You’ll always know how to stay on track.
Connecting With Facilitators
Each session is led by experienced facilitators who bring deep expertise in leadership development. Their bios and contact information are available so you can follow up with questions or reflections.
Required Sessions
Session 1: Orientation + Your Leader Identity 1 + Opening Reception
Chamber learning & development staff welcome the incoming class, facilitate introductions, and set the foundation for the year ahead by outlining program content and expectations. Participants will hear from a keynote speaker before beginning their leadership journey with Simmons faculty, exploring their default leadership styles through the HRDQ assessment. The day concludes with an opening reception at a local venue, offering participants the opportunity to connect and begin building their cohort community.
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Cohort A
Session 2: Your Leader Identity 2 + Intentional Networking + Networking Reception #1
Building on insights from the HRDQ assessment, participants examine how leadership is socially constructed and explore the role identity plays in shaping their approach to leadership. In the afternoon, participants focus on intentional networking—using network mapping and a defined leadership goal to analyze their current networks and identify opportunities for growth. Through structured planning and reciprocity circles, participants develop actionable strategies to strengthen their networks and immediately apply these skills during the program’s first dedicated networking session.
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Cohort A
Session 3: Strategies for Driving Change + Individual Action Project Kick-Off
This session focuses on practical strategies for gaining buy-in from managers and leadership to advance change initiatives. Building on three change agent identities of agitator, orchestrator, and innovator, participants will explore ways to align their ideas with leadership priorities, build coalitions of support, and demonstrate proof of success. Together, we will focus on reducing resistance by making change relevant, supported, and tangible. Then, Chamber learning & development staff introduce the parameters for the Individual Action Project (IAP), an opportunity for participants to apply what they learn in the program to a specific problem or issue in their companies or communities. Participants hear from WLP alumni on their projects and have an opportunity to brainstorm in their assigned Peer Mentor Groups.
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Cohort A
Session 4: Fostering Resilience
In a joint virtual session for both cohorts, participants will hear from Simmons faculty in a brand new class!
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Cohort A
Session 10: Behind the Scenes of a Women-Led Business
Late in the month, participants engage in our popular Behind the Scenes of a Woman-Led Business, an immersive experience hosted at a different organization each year. This session invites participants to observe leadership, culture, and gender dynamics in context—offering a rare window into how leaders navigate complexity, relationships, and decision-making in real time. In-person cohort attendance is required; virtual cohort attendance is encouraged.Refreshments: coffee, breakfast bites.
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Cohort A
Session 5: Individual Action Project Coaching Lab
In this joint virtual session, participants come together to troubleshoot challenges related to their Individual Action Projects (IAPs), collaborate with their Peer Mentor Groups, and receive guidance from Chamber learning & development staff with support from YW Boston. Through structured discussion and problem-solving, participants strengthen their approach and build momentum to successfully advance their IAPs.
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Cohort A
Session 6: Pinnacle Awards (Optional/Encouraged)
Participants experience leadership in action at the Chamber’s premier and highly inspirational event for women in business (and allied men). Held each January, the Pinnacle Awards celebrate outstanding professional women and convene more than 1,000 leaders across industries. This signature event is a highlight of the Chamber calendar—and a favorite among Chamber staff. Tickets are included as part of WLP tuition; advance registration is required, with a limited number of reserved seats.
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Cohort A
Session 7: Leading Teams + Negotiations
Participants explore team leadership through two key lenses: identifying the core elements of effective teams and examining how leadership style influences team dynamics and performance. Building on these insights, the afternoon session shifts to negotiation and self-advocacy. Participants develop the skills to advocate for themselves with clarity and poise while learning the fundamentals of effective workplace negotiation, including strategies for mutual gains and collaborative problem solving.
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Cohort A
Session 8: Building Collaboration + Inclusion at Work
Participants explore a fresh approach to workplace communication, led by the Chamber’s senior director of learning & development—an advanced Visual Thinking Strategies facilitator and principal of Yellow Room Consulting—focusing on more engaging meetings, stronger social-emotional intelligence, and the creation of inclusive, equitable environments. Building on this foundation, Diversity@Workplace leads an afternoon session on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), where participants examine barriers to inclusive leadership and gender equity, explore proven practices, and develop actionable strategies to foster meaningful, lasting change in their organizations.
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Cohort A
Session 9: Public Speaking with Confidence + Candid Conversations + Networking Session #2
Participants begin with a high-energy, interactive workshop led by Amanda Hennessey of Boston Public Speaking, focused on finding, amplifying, and using their voices with confidence. Then participants engage in Candid Conversations—small, facilitated discussions with women business leaders from across sectors, representing the Chamber’s Women’s Network Advisory Board. These intimate dialogues create space for honest reflection and shared insight on topics not specifically covered in the curriculum. The session concludes with the program’s second and final networking reception, offering participants an opportunity to deepen connections within the cohort and beyond.
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Cohort A
Session 11: Individual Action Project Presentations + Graduation Ceremony
In the program’s final session, participants bring their leadership journey full circle by presenting their Individual Action Projects in a one-minute format that echoes the Orientation Artifact Exercise. This reflective moment highlights their growth, learning, and impact over the course of the program. Participants then debrief the experience together before celebrating their accomplishments in a graduation ceremony with special guest and keynote speakers, followed by the closing reception. Refreshments: reception (1 drink ticket & apps).
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Cohort A
Meet Your Facilitators
Your sessions are led by experienced facilitators who bring deep expertise, practical insight, and a commitment to your growth. Explore their bios, backgrounds, and contact information below.
Kerry Seitz
Vice President, Corporate Education, Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership
Session 1: Your Leader Identity 1 + Intentional Networking
Mary Shapiro
Professor of Practice, Simmons University’s Institute for Inclusive Leadership
Session 2: Your Leader Identity 2 + Leading Teams
Susan MacKenty Brady
Founding CEO, Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership
Session 3: Fostering Resilience
Eric Nguyen
Senior Director of Consulting and Training, YW Boston
Session 4: Strategies for Driving Change + Individual Action Project Coaching Lab
Elisa van Dam
Executive coach, facilitator, and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Simmons University’s Institute for Inclusive Leadership
Session 5: Negotiations
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Erin Wederbrook Yuskaitis (she/her)
Educator, facilitator, and creative strategist, Yellow Room Consulting
Session 6: Building Collaboration
Amanda Hennessey
Public speaking coach and author, Boston Public Speaking
Session 8: Public Speaking with Confidence
Karen Kelly
Founder and CEO, Launch by Lunch
Event: Behind the Scenes of a Women-Led Business
Gwendolyn McCoy (she/her)
Lead Consultant, Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group
Session 7: Inclusion at Work
Su Joun (she/her)
Principal, Diversity@Workplace Consulting Group
Session 7: Inclusion at Work
Ariel Galipeau
Claude Certified Architect, Coach
Event: Behind the Scenes of a Women-Led Business