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.

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 ELLA as a leading resource for the development of Latina talent.

Applications will open January 1, 2026.

The program will run April – September 2026.

While all sessions including the overnight retreat are mandatory for program participants, mentors are only required to attend six specific sessions (see Mandatory Dates below).

In addition to the required sessions, mentors must engage with their mentees for monthly mentor meetings. These meetings are outside of the regular curriculum and vary depending on the nature of the relationship; however, each mentor should, at minimum, meet with their mentee in person, for at least an hour, at four different instances throughout the duration of the program.

You and your mentee will set dates and times. However, we suggest that you move your mentoring relationship beyond just sit-down meetings. For example, you and your mentee could attend a networking event together, you could have your mentee shadow you for a day, or you could invite your mentee to a professional development workshop or speaker event.

Mentee & Mentor Mixer:

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

Mentee & Mentor Retreat:

Saturday, April, 11, 2026 - all-day

Session 7: Capstone Project Review

Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Community Impact Project:

Thursday, August 20, 2026 | 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Reflection:

Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Graduation:

Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

*dates are subject to change. You will be notified as soon as possible of any changes.

The ideal mentor is a seasoned professional with prior mentoring experience and has the availability to attend all the required dates as outlined in the mentor application.