As a leader, it can be hard to find peers who truly understand the weight and unique circumstances that come with an executive role. As the world continues to shift into more and more uncertainty, being at the top can feel like a very lonely place indeed. But it doesn’t have to be! The Posner Center is pleased to host a new CEO and Nonprofit Leadership Peer Group, led by the wonderfully talented Shana Montrose and Confluescent. Join us either Tuesday, October 28th at 10 AM, or Thursday, October 30th, at 2 PM, for an information session with Shana that will introduce the core tenets of the program and what to expect from the program. Join us, either virtually or at the Posner Center, and see if it is a good fit for you!

About the Program

You’re leading through chaos and crisis – keeping teams grounded in a mission that spans sectors or borders and drives real change. As a mission-driven leader you’re wearing many hats: managing operations, nurturing funder relationships, steering strategic direction, and making the hard calls. You care deeply about equity and impact, but you might feel mired in the day-to-day-constantly responding, rarely reflecting. You may wonder:

• How do I stay strategic when the crisis du jour keeps pulling me in?
• What am I not seeing-what perspectives or blind spots should I be checking?
• How do I align my team, my board, and my partners around a shared path forward?
• How do I lead with clarity in a context that’s unpredictable and always shifting?

This peer group is your space to reset, reconnect, and get unstuck.
It’s designed for international development and nonprofit leaders who need a sounding board beyond their team and boardroom. You’ll join a high-trust circle of peers who understand the weight of executive leadership across cultures, crises, and uncertain funding landscapes. Together, you’ll set the agenda to trade insights, tackle blind spots, and gain clarity on what matters most-so you can lead with resilience.

MEMBER SELECTION

By design, the invited leaders come from across sectors, including for-profit and nonprofit organizations to create a rich environment for cross-pollination of ideas. Everyone in the group should be the decision-maker for their organization, whether their title is CEO, founder, principal, or executive director. The group coalesces around these values:

Integrity: Advice only matters when it comes from people you trust. This group is built on mutual respect and alignment-members who act with integrity, who live their values, and who show up without hidden agendas. It’s a space where straight talk and sound judgment matter.

Authenticity: There’s no room here for posturing. The people in this group are real, transparent, and grounded. We don’t waste time trying to decode what’s really going on-instead, we get right to work helping one another tackle what’s actually at stake.

Impact: Everyone in this circle is leading an organization that contributes to the greater good-whether through delivering services, creating jobs, growing people, or giving back to the community. What unites us isn’t what we do-it’s why we do it.

Innovation: This isn’t a group about maintaining the status quo. We come together to explore new ways of solving hard problems. Members bring curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to think differently in service of progress.

Collaboration: We believe in solving problems together-and celebrating each other’s wins. This is a space for generous thinking, honest feedback, and shared accountability. We delight in helping one another grow.

About the facilitator and coach: Shana Montrose is a Denver-native who studied government and international relations at Smith College, earned an MA in Latin American Studies from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, an MPH from Harvard’s School of Public Health, and an MBA in Health Administration from University of Colorado Denver. She is as skilled leader, process improver, organizational capacity builder, group facilitator, and executive coach.