Ready to develop your muscle for navigating conflict? Sign up for the Conflict Academy!

 The second cohort of Conflict Academy: Leading Through Conflict  with A. Leigh Solutions kicks off October 26, and registration is open!

Led by Surge renowned facilitator, Amanda Aiken, The Leading Through Conflict Academy is a 6-week cohort-based leadership program for leaders ready to navigate conflict with skill, not just awareness.

The leaders in this community are doing consequential work. They are leading teams, challenging systems, and moving change forward. That work comes with different perspectives, hard conversations, and moments when relationships and accountability both need our attention.

Conflict Academy gives leaders space to work through those moments together, better understand how we show up in conflict, build practical tools, and practice applying them to the situations we are actually navigating.

Across six live, 90-minute sessions, participants will learn in community and strengthen their capacity to lead through conflict with clarity and care. 

Participants who complete all six weeks will also earn the Certified Conflict Leadership Practitioner designation through the Institute for Leadership Coaching, part of our A.Leigh ecosystem.

If you’re interested, we encourage you to apply! 

All Surge alumni recieve a discount at checkout, use the code AA.

Learn more and Register Here. 

Surge Alumni Executive Coaching is back and applications are open!

This year, we are excited to re-open Alumni Executive Coaching  as a targeted leadership development opportunity designed for alumni at an inflection point who are navigating a specific leadership challenge and ready to advance systems-level impact for young people, families, and communities of color. 

Executive coaching can support alumni with:

• Navigate leadership challenges that are limiting their ability to lead, influence, or advance their work.

• Strengthen executive skills such as managing up, influencing others, navigating complexity, and leading through transition.

• Navigate career transitions or expanded leadership roles in ways that position them for greater influence within their organizations and the field.

• Move an initiative or freedom dream forward by addressing individual leadership barriers that may be slowing progress.

• Build the confidence, clarity, and capacity needed to pursue opportunities for broader community or systems-level impact.

Alumni with strong applications will name a specific leadership challenge, explain who or what it affects, and share why coaching is the right support right now.

Learn more and apply today! Applications are due November 2, 2026!

Surge Angels 2027 Applications Open September 21st. 

The mission of the Surge Institute is to educate and develop leaders of color who create transformative change for young people, their families, and our broader communities. Our most entrepreneurial-minded alumni carry Freedom Dreams that exceed what the systems they’ve worked within were built to allow—some still in ideation, others already part-time and ready to go full-time. All need a proven path, a grounded community, and the executive capacity to sustain the work. Surge Angels is that path: a cohort-based, early-stage accelerator preparing educational leaders of color to lead sustainably and not simply launch ideas, but develop great ones. 

Mark your calendars for these key upcoming dates! 

• Monday, September 21: Applications Open

• Tuesday, September 22 (3-4pm CT): Informational Session

• Tuesdays, October 6, 13, and 20 (Times Vary): Applicant Office Hours

• Friday, October 23: Applications Due; no late applications will be accepted

RSVP for recruitment events, apply, and learn more about the 2027 Surge Angels cohort!

We're changing the way career opportunities reach our alumni.

Too often, the burden falls on talented leaders to constantly search for the next opportunity. We believe it should also work the other way around.

That's why we're intentionally building relationships with recruiters, executive search firms, and hiring teams who are looking for experienced, equity-driven leaders. Rather than simply sharing job postings, we want recruiters to think of Surge first when they're searching for exceptional talent—and to connect them directly with alumni whose experience and leadership align with their needs.

If you're actively (or quietly) exploring what's next in your career, know that we're working behind the scenes to create more opportunities for organizations to find you.

This is just one more way we're investing in the strength of our network and opening doors for one another.

Check out our announcement to recruiters.

Job opportunities will get posted on an ongoing basis on our Jobs & Career Supports page.

Surge Alumni Impact has entered into a new partnership with LEE to give our alumni free access to tools, training, and resources to make civic change by running for elected office or growing your impact with advocacy work or a career in policy. Through this partnership, all of our alumni and staff can access LEE’s support at no cost.

Here’s some of what LEE offers:

• Access to digital courses, virtual workshops, and more

• One-on-one career and leadership coaching

• Robust and expert candidate and campaign supports

• The Briefing Room: curated, evidence-based policy research

• Momentum: LEE exclusive jobs board for roles in the civic sector

• Cohort-based experiences and fellowships

• A national network of over 70,000 members working in education, advocacy, organizing, and public leadership

LEE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering diverse leaders to drive change in their communities. This partnership will equip Surge Institute alumni to become highly effective civic leaders, enabling them to create the futures they want for themselves and their communities. The partnership also reflects our shared belief that strong communities are built by people who are committed, informed, and supported. LEE can help you take your next step with confidence.

Sign up today to activate your LEE membership and start accessing these powerful resources.

The *NEW* Surge Alumni Hub is here! 🚀

We are so proud to finally share a version of a digital home space for Surge alumni that reflects our evolution as a an alumni community over the years!  

This new Surge Alumni Hub is a place where you can easily find the information you need for all things Surge alumni, including, but not limited to, exploring our alumni programs more deeply and keeping abreast of job opportunities, projects, applications, and upcoming events.

Inside the Hub, you’ll find:

• Announcements & updates

• Events

• Alumni Impact Programs

• Advocacy Tools

• Career Supports

• And more!

We look forward to this next iteration of our digital home base and are deeply grateful for all the feedback and care that you have poured into shaping this community!