The Critical Voices Initiative Academy is a leadership development program that empowers individuals to become agents of change in their workplaces and communities. The academy equips participants with the tools and skills necessary to foster inclusive environments, navigate difficult conversations, and promote understanding across diverse experiences. 

Our 10-week academy combines self-paced online learning with interactive virtual group sessions. Participants will engage in various activities designed to deepen their understanding of how bias impacts them directly and indirectly, enhance their communication skills, explore challenging topics, and practice leading critical and candid conversations in a supportive and respectful environment. Participants are members of small group clusters to maximize the learning experience with people from various social, religious, economic, racial, and lifestyle aspects.

Through our expert faculty and guest speakers, our goal is to provide you with the knowledge and skills to build inclusive workplaces and communities that are respectful, empathic, and curious about diverse groups of people, leading to more discussion and less judgment and violence.

Our programs are open to anyone interested in building understanding and improving communication across differences. This includes corporate leaders, community organizers and volunteers, educators, law enforcement professionals, healthcare practitioners, not-for-profit leaders, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) specialists. Sponsors can take the first step in understanding how their participants gain access to eye-opening views based on honest conversations about difficult subjects. Our academy is a serious commitment.

The academy covers a range of topics, including bias, race, equity, workplace inclusion, conflict de-escalation, and more.

These subjects provide participants with the necessary frameworks to effectively engage in difficult conversations and address complex community issues.

The program consists of a combination of on-demand video modules and self-paced assignments that participants can complete on their own, along with weekly meetings with their cluster that foster collaboration and discussion and scheduled full group sessions to take deep dives into specific topics. This structure allows for flexible learning while encouraging interaction with peers. We work with small group clusters to encourage connection and personal experiences beyond your regular circle of friends, family, and coworkers.

Participants will receive a comprehensive workbook filled with valuable resources, a personal DEI assessment, and tools to facilitate critical conversations. Graduates also gain access to ongoing support through our alumni network. This network is crucial in staying connected to high-level leaders in industries outside of your own.

The academy fosters connections through small group discussions, larger group sessions featuring guest experts, and collaborative activities. These opportunities encourage networking and the exchange of ideas among participants. To broaden learning and understanding of different perspectives, we encourage participants to reach out to others not in their cluster. Critical Voices Initiative values community, and we believe having honest conversations can strengthen the community in and outside of the workplace.

The Critical Voices Initiative prioritizes DEI in all aspects of its programming. We emphasize the importance of understanding diverse perspectives and provide tools for participants to engage in discussions that promote equity, respect, and inclusion in their communities.