The Nexus Fellowship: Kicking off Cohort II
On Monday, February 22, the second cohort of our Nexus fellows started their year-long journey together by (virtually) gathering for their first residency week. At a time in our history when leaders and organizations are desperate for equity-centered connection that fosters true and lasting change grounded in humanity, focused on equity, and rooted in liberation, these 28 fellows and their organizations have made the commitment to take bold and deliberate action — investing the time, resources, effort, and reflection that will intentionally shape their post-pandemic future.
I’m Danielle Davis, a member of the inaugural cohort of Nexus in 2018, and am currently partnering with The Equity Lab to lead the Nexus Fellowship. As a Cohort I Nexus fellow, I had the transformative experience of joining 15 other leaders as we learned to practice an increased sense of liberation and love in our individual and collective fight toward justice. Just like Cohort II, we started as strangers, each on our own journey and each passionate about seeing our respective organizations more deeply and effectively shift practices and operations in a way that centered race equity. While the fellowship has ended, we remain family. Still connected, still on a journey together, still serving as disruptors and change-makers, supporting and loving each other along the way. When I think of the transformation that awaits Cohort II fellows in this experience, I am especially excited about the community they will build with each other: a community that will remind them that as isolating as equity work can sometimes be, they will never feel alone again in their journey.
The Nexus Fellowship will bring two leaders from each of the 14 selected organizations together to explore topics of racial equity and develop REDI (race, equity, diversity, and inclusion) leadership competencies.Their time together will prioritize identity exploration and equity, deliberately combining the best in leadership, equity, and management training. In addition to their residency weeks, fellows will receive support in the form of dedicated coaching, a virtual learning community, and resources to help drive change in their organizations and communities.
During a time when we need connection and community more than ever, the first Nexus convening will be a space full of love, learning, movement and healing. These leaders represent multiple racial identities, generations, sectors, and organizational levels, offering a unique opportunity to understand the intersectional experiences present in this work. Our intention is to create a space where fellows are gifted the time to reflect and ultimately recreate a future where they are more deeply connected to themselves, to each other, and to the change that is possible when that connection is nurtured.
“The greatest impact has been being able to develop a community of like-minded individuals who have similar values, similar passions, and are just warriors for equity.”
At the center of the Nexus Fellowship is the belief that each fellow already has what they need inside of them; the role of Nexus faculty and our team is to crystallize that potential into reality. Through lectures, group work, journaling and reflection time, guest speakers, and somatic practice, each residency week will provide the language, community, and space for fellows to explore the connection between the individual, the organization, and the way that their leadership can foster organizational change and promote equity.
Prior to being selected for Nexus, each participating organization demonstrated support and investment at the highest levels. The selection process involved a written application from each prospective fellow and organizational leader to determine organizational commitment and readiness, an ability to learn and grow from setbacks, and some level of existing equity initiatives and transformation to date. Fellows then met with TEL staff to discuss goals and hopes for the program. Throughout this process, we selected a cohort that is not only ready for change, but is also poised and ready to learn with and from one another — a key lever for success along the path toward race equity.
Nexus Fellows and their organizations will spend the next year diving deep into the foundations of their organization's mission, policies, and workplace culture. Along with them on their journey will be nationally recognized equity coaches and expert facilitators with a deep experience and understanding of racial history and socialization, organizational behavior and culture, somatic healing, and design. They will also gain immediate access to the online Equity Lab Fellowship community — which includes over 100 leaders from all Equity Lab fellowship programs across the country.
“We need more agents of change if we are going to interrupt the systemic racial inequities that permeate our laws, policies, and organizational practices,” says Michelle Molitor, Executive Director of The Equity Lab. “We are thrilled to support this group of courageous, bold leaders from around the country who seek to steer their organizations — and our country — toward a more equitable future.”
These 28 Fellows and organizations were chosen because of their belief in and commitment to the Five Characteristics of a Nexus Fellow: visionary, disruptor, facilitator, healer, and change-maker. I, along with the full Nexus team, am honored to be a part of their journey as they increase their skills, awareness, and courage to more deeply embody and activate an unwavering dedication to realizing an envisioned and more equitable future for us all.
Quick stats about Cohort II
The 28 Fellows:
1 Latinx
16 Black/African American
5 white
3 AAPI
3 biracial
The 14 organizations:
2 philanthropy organizations
7 education-focused nonprofits
2 schools
2 school districts
1 family and youth-focused nonprofit
See a full roster of the Cohort II Fellows and their organizations here.