Preparing leaders of leaders

On April 3, 2016, the Dr. Katherine Y. Brown Leadership Academy officially began its inaugural cohort, which consisted of seven founding members. Four of the seven members convened at the Old School Farm in Nashville, Tennessee, to lay the foundation for the KYB Leadership Academy. 

The founding members comprised The Significant Seven and included: 

Sydney Y. K. Brown, Morgan Harvell, Ashley Mimms, Josephine Onyeme, Taylor Northington, Ashlee Young, and Jewell Windrow.

The KYB Leadership Academy opens doors to local and global leadership experiences for youth (age) and young adults (age). Academy members receive intense training in leadership skills including communication, resilience, teamwork, and collaboration. 

Our approach includes a training curriculum, individual and group work, mentorship, community service projects, and self-directed project management. Upon completion, Academy members move into our Alumni group and serve in a training and advisory role for future cohorts.

When participating in the KYB Leadership Academy, cohort members are encouraged to dig deep into their inherent strengths to develop their distinctive voice, passion for serving others, and eventually the determination and resolve that "I can do this!" 

Observing cohort members progress from a state of curiosity to a state of determination is a rewarding experience. This becomes apparent, especially when we go overseas. In 2017, we embarked upon our first international journey, from March 15 to March 21. We traveled to Colombia, South America, where we trained our first international cohort of members.