Programs and results
What we aim to solve
COVID-19 and the escalating social unrest across the nation have pulled back the covers on the systemic barriers and racism that persists in communities of color across the United States. History has proven that without intervention, young adults from traditionally underserved and at-risk communities will be left behind and cemented into generational poverty. While the current times have urged leaders across sectors to respond with commitments to address the most pressing economic and racial equity challenges of our time, LeadersUp is seeking to build upon these commitments to inspire an ongoing movement to remove barriers to opportunity and create pathways to success for the next generation of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BPOC).
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
LeadersUp Inclusive Talent Solutions
COVID-19 and the escalating social unrest across the nation have pulled back the covers on the systemic barriers and racism that persists in communities of color across the United States. History has proven that without intervention, young adults from traditionally underserved and at-risk communities will be left behind and cemented into generational poverty. While the current times have urged leaders across sectors to respond with commitments to address the most pressing economic and racial equity challenges of our time, LeadersUp is seeking to build upon these commitments to inspire an ongoing movement to remove barriers to opportunity and create pathways to success for the next generation of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC).
LeadersUp is committed to advancing equity and correcting the imbalances that exist in the labor market for the most vulnerable and under-served communities. Beyond this moment of change, we envision an era of disruptive evolution of entire systems driven forward by a network of leaders committed to making this the last generation where the potential of BIPOC talent is needlessly lost to systemic racism. As a demand-driven talent development accelerator that seeks to scale talent solutions at the intersection of community impact and systems change, LeadersUp seeks to bridge the gap between diverse young talent and opportunity through the deployment of Inclusive Talent Solutions (ITS) -- an antiracist talent development and management strategy developed by LeadersUp that seeks to evolve traditional Diversity Equity and Inclusive (DEI) practices to specifically address systemic racial inequities in the workplace.
In practice, LeadersUp has launched the EVOLVE Employer Network -- a multi-tiered employer engagement platform where we partner with businesses to design and deploy a cross-sectoral impact strategy to not only meet each company’s talent needs, but to help them evolve the way they recruit, retain and advance diverse talent. Further, select members will serve as our Movement Builders focused on promoting antiracism and inclusive employment practices as a core business growth strategy; thereby collaborating with LeadersUp to fuel systems change across their enterprise, industry sector and suppliers network to drive a more inclusive and competitive economy at scale.
LeadersUp mirrors this employer engagement with our talent development programming customized to serve BIPOC that come from underserved and at-risk communities. Through our suite of products and services, we provide the tools, “upskill” training and support services they need to compete in the labor market. Our proprietary BRAND UP curriculum as well as our app-based coaching services will fortify the confidence and outcomes of our program participants across each stage of their career journey toward economic mobility and lifelong prosperity.
LeadersUp seeks to strategically partner with trailblazing industry leaders in targeted sectors where diverse talent remains scarce. We will achieve this through the introduction of ITS where we seek to accelerate progress toward achieving a more diverse and wholly inclusive workforce through evolving conventional approaches to DEI. Toward delivering on this objective, our ITS strategy is designed to:
1. Equip young diverse talent with tools and resources to compete for high quality jobs through “upskilling” and training that fulfills in-demand skills that employers in high-growth sectors are seeking;
2. Create opportunities for young adults to access jobs in high-growth sectors, particularly those that remain largely non-diverse; and
3. Acknowledge and actively address the problems of systemic racism and all other obstacles that impede the path toward achieving a wholly inclusive economy.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of consulting projects completed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
LeadersUp Inclusive Talent Solutions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of publications identifying sector best practices
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people, Incarcerated people
Related Program
LeadersUp Inclusive Talent Solutions
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of organizational partners
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
LeadersUp Inclusive Talent Solutions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
LeadersUp is committed to advancing equity and correcting the imbalances that exist in the labor market for the most vulnerable and under-served communities. We envision an era of disruptive evolution of entire systems driven forward by a network of leaders committed to making this the last generation where the potential of BIPOC talent is needlessly lost to systemic racism. As a demand-driven talent development accelerator that seeks to scale talent solutions at the intersection of community impact and systems change, LeadersUp seeks to bridge the gap between diverse young talent and opportunity through the deployment of our proprietary Inclusive Talent Solutions (ITS) designed to create a more just and competitive economy.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The LeadersUp Talent Solutions Model is a talent pipeline development, expansion and management framework that is employer-focused, young adult-centered and community-based. It is our theory of change for creating large scale shifts in business practice and generating bottom-line benefits to employers, young adults and the community at large. As an organization, we are focused on launching our talent solutions model across more markets, industry sectors and other under-served communities. The priority objectives for our talent solutions are:
1. To engage cross-sector stakeholders to INNOVATE talent solutions that are employer-led, demand-driven and career-pathway centered.
2. To collect and build INSIGHTS that build evidence for shifting business practice.
3. To amplify results and INFLUENCE key stakeholders and decision-makers.
4. To create sustained IMPACT through a data driven implementation science that fuels systems change drivers and informs policy practices.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
LeadersUp’s unique value exists in our demand-driven approach that focuses on the role of employers as the key to addressing the issues around the talent divide. Our Inclusive Talent Solutions is engineered and delivered on a continuous-improvement framework that is focused on testing and validating evidence of impact through a multi-layered process of discovery, design, deploy, sustain and amplify -- each uniquely customized to meet the needs of our stakeholders. We also work with each of our stakeholders – employers, BIPOC population ages 18-29, talent/system partners -- to advance career pathway objectives that support, train and ultimately advance BIPOC up their careers while providing employer partners with the tools and support they need to manage and maintain a more diverse and inclusive talent pool. Sustainability assets are leveraged through a network model that cultivates shared ideas and principles, reinforces the employability framework and facilitates tangible shifts in practice to drive broader system change.
Our underlying assumption is that by generating demand-driven career pathway opportunities for the next generation of BIPOC in partnership with employers and other key stakeholders, we are offering a tangible strategy for disrupting the cycle of poverty and tilting the trajectory of the hardest to serve communities – creating a triple bottom line for society at large.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
LeadersUp has market presence in Los Angeles, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area with plans to expand into other markets across the nation. In addition to our Inclusive Talent Solutions that serves as the foundation for our industry engagement and talent development work, we also provide industry analysis, program management and technical assistance/strategy development for private, government and nongovernment entities interested in connecting industry to the next generation of diverse talent. To date, LeadersUp has impacted over 66,600 young adults in partnership with 90+ companies and 65 talent/systems partners. Nearly 70% of all LeadersUp talent pool is Black/African American and we specifically target our products and services to serve the unique needs of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) that come from under-served and traditionally marginalized communities.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
SMS text surveys, Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes, Community meetings/Town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
LEADERSUP
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Mr. Rob Harris
Pacific Market International
Term: 2019 -
George Hill
ASI Diversifed Chemical Technologies, Inc.
John Visbal
East Bay Logistics
Bob Wolpert
Quality Custom Distribution Services
Rob Harris
Pacific Market International (PMI)
Ulrich Honighausen
Hausenware, Inc.
Steve Sposari
SK Food Group
Hans Melotte
Starbucks Coffee Company
Malgy Blue
JP Morgan Chase
Dexter Hall
Wells Fargo Bank
Karen Scott
Karen Hill Scott & Company
Grace Kim
Amplifier
Angel Roberson
The Angell Foundation
Ric Schneider
Abbott
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/18/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.