Women/Femme Leaders Power Hour

Part of the magic of American Leadership Forum lies in the fact that the cohort experience is just the starting point of a much longer leadership journey. ALF Affinity Groups help keep those cohort connections alive by offering spaces where Senior Fellows can continue to support one another and grow together. The ALF Women/Femme Leaders Space meets quarterly to strengthen bonds among women and femme-identifying Senior Fellows while creating opportunities for both offering and receiving support. Facilitated by ALF Senior Fellows Amari Romero-Thomas (Class XVI), Cheryl Jordan (Class XLI), or Rebecca Vermeulen (Class XLI), the group welcomes any women or femme-identifying individuals who would like to join.

Over time, participants realized that quarterly gatherings were not enough. They wanted more frequent touchpoints to stay grounded and connected amidst their busy lives. That’s when the Women/Femme Leaders Power Hour was born—a series of one-hour Zoom sessions designed for reflection, grounding, and mutual support.

Facilitator and ALF Senior Fellow Tanja Powers (Class XLII) describes these sessions as “a virtual circle, like we began every ALF gathering: a moment of silence and grounding, a check-in, and then a gently guided conversation.”

For Tanja, the importance of the space goes beyond the logistics. “What we’ve been hearing, both in person and in the small-group coaching sessions, is about the multitude of roles women are carrying at this point in life,” she says. “Many are caring for aging parents, helping kids launch their own careers, and all of this is layered on top of everything happening in the world. It is a lot to manage.”

She adds that research shows one of the most important contributors to healthy aging is tending to relationships. “This space offers a venue to build community and to nurture both new and existing relationships,” she reflects.

If you are interested in joining the Women/Femme Leaders Space or the new Power Hour, please contact Jenny Niklaus.