Silicon Valley Next is a program that develops high potential leaders for nonprofits serving our local community. A select cohort of Fellows – individuals whose backgrounds reflect the communities they serve – receive training, coaching, and peer support to prepare them for executive leadership.
Silicon Valley Next Fellows serve in their current org chart at one or two levels below the Executive Director/CEO role and have all been identified as individuals with potential to assume the top leadership role in an organization within the next five years. We also consider a limited number of individuals who have become an Executive Director/CEO within the last two years.
This program is led by Consulting Within Reach and funded by Sobrato Philanthropies and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. We are grateful for past funders: Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Heising-Simons Foundation, Knight Foundation, and Morgan Family Foundation.
The inaugural program was completed in December of 2020, and subsequent cohorts have continued to demonstrate the success of this program. For example, 45% of respondents to a recent impact survey have been promoted since participation in Silicon Valley Next; of those promoted, 33% have become new Executive Directors/CEO’s of nonprofits.
Prospective Fellows are identified through a nomination process in our extended network. We do not take unsolicited applications. There is no cost to the program for the Fellows, as SVN relies on the generosity of our funders.
The commitment required of participating Fellows is centered around a monthly retreat that is a daylong experience. In addition, Fellows participate in a monthly executive coaching session and also a monthly peer coaching session. All told, the total time commitment is about 8 hours per month.
If you are seeking more information about the program, please contact info@siliconvalleynext.org.
