Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy is a six-month program that brings together Latinas in a variety of career stages for a unique professional development experience, combining professional mentorship with culturally relevant workshops and civic engagement.

Annually, approximately 10-15 individuals are selected from a competitive pool of applicants. The result is a class of Latina professionals who are ready to hone their leadership skills and talents and become active and influential leaders within the Latino community and beyond.

Going into its 17th cycle, ELLA is the only program of its kind in the state of Ohio. Corporations and organizations at the state and local levels have recognized us as a leading resource for the development of Latina talent.

Applications open January 1, 2026

The program has four major components:

Mentorship: Each participant is paired with a professional mentor for the duration of the program. Mentee-mentor pairings are made on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the needs of the mentee as expressed through the application, shared personality traits, mutual background experiences, mentoring style of the mentor, and shared interests.

The goal of the mentor relationship is for it to be successful and beneficial to both the mentee and the mentor. Each mentoring relationship will establish the goal for their relationship. Ideally, each participant will achieve one or two short-term career goals during the program with guidance from a seasoned professional.

Overnight Retreat: After a mentor-mentee mixer to kick off the program, participants attend a mandatory overnight retreat. The retreat helps participants get to know each other, develop a cycle identity, and begin their journey of personal and professional growth.

Workshops/Sessions: The overnight retreat is complemented by nine evening workshops. Workshops are led by field experts. Session topics have evolved over the years to truly reflect the mission and vision of ELLA, but topics have included public speaking, personal branding, money management, personal leadership styles, and community stewardship.

Community Impact Project: The final component of the program is the community impact project. Participants are split into smaller groups based on a shared passion or interest. Each group works to develop a project that will positively impact the Latino community. Each group presents its project at an open-to-the-public event.

The goals of the community impact project are to expand our participants’ knowledge of our community’s services and resources and their respective needs and challenges, and for the participant to sharpen their leadership, management, and team-building skills in addressing a need or formulating a community solution.

Program Time Commitment

The program will run from April – September 2026.

All sessions including the overnight retreat are MANDATORY. Participants who miss more than one workshop/session may be asked to leave the program. Any participant who arrives after 6:30 pm or leaves before 8:00 pm is absent for that respective workshop/session.

In addition to the bi-weekly workshops/sessions, participants are involved in a community impact project and monthly mentor meetings. Time devoted to the project is outside of the regular curriculum and varies according to the project scope. Participants can expect to spend a minimum of 2-4 hours per week on average. Monthly mentor meetings are also outside of the regular curriculum and vary depending on the nature of the relationship.

We do most of our communication through emails and we ask participants to complete surveys after each session for feedback. It is mandatory to read emails in their entirety and to submit survey responses in a timely manner.

Mentee & Mentor Mixer:

Thursday, April 2, 2026 | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Mentee & Mentor Retreat:

Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12, 2026 - all-day

Sessions:
(Thursdays from 6-8:30pm, unless otherwise indicated)

• April 16, 2026

• April 30, 2026

• May 14, 2026

• May 28, 2026

• June 11, 2026

• June 25, 2026

• July 9, 2026

• July 18, 2026 (Sat 10am - 1pm)

• July 23, 2026

• August 6, 2026

• August 20, 2026 (Capstone Project Presentation)

• August 25, 2026 (Tues)

• September 10, 2026 (Graduation)

The ideal mentee has at least five years of professional experience, has an interest in her own professional development, and has the availability to attend all the required sessions as outlined in the mentee application.