Case studies
Get to know NextGen Center through the stories of our alumni.
Featured: Najauna White
"I have a strong stance and I'm willing to express it. Before, I wouldn't speak up out of fear of hearing “no”, but now I voice my opinion as a leader of this organization, no matter what my title."
How did you first hear about NextGen Center and the Foundation for Effective Leadership program?
I heard about NextGen Center from Pashara Black, who had completed the Foundation for Effective Leadership program the year before. She thought I would be interested in the program. So I started my research and ended up meeting another NGC alumnus, Hugh Hunt.
I explored the website. I read up on the LinkedIn page for NextGen Center and reviewed Brian Alvo’s profile. I like that he posted about leadership development and that the NextGen LinkedIn Community was invite-only. I liked the fact that it was real hands-on experience -- not like you're going to get some PowerPoints, take a test, and at the end to figure out what kind of leader you are. I understood that this was going to be real practical training to develop levels of leadership.
I knew going into the program that I had been hiding the type of leader that I was. If there were opportunities to speak at conferences or panels or there were initiatives I wanted to create or programs I wanted to develop, I often didn’t. I needed NextGen Center to teach me how to navigate that and make that happen.
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Gerry uncovers his core strengths and uses them to enhance his personal life and team dynamics.
Saujanya Gosangari learns that leadership lies in understanding one's unique strengths rather than fitting a conventional definition of leadership.
As an impactful change-maker at Builders Mutual, Jamie Parrott attributes his leadership transformation to the Foundation for Effective Leadership program.
Sean Su, a shy academic, breaks out of his shell, finds his voice, and achieves better outcomes through collaboration after participating in the NextGen Foundation for Leadership Program.
First-time leader Anthony Conn shares his experience and how the Foundation for Effective leadership program transformed him in unexpected ways.
Learn how Daniela Satterwhite, a first-time leader transformed into a confident and inspiring force through the NextGen Foundation for Effective Leadership program.
Kali Klisures had just begun her first-ever leadership position. She tended to be quiet in meetings, rarely bringing up her ideas and opinions. Despite being in a leadership role, the fear of asking unhelpful questions was debilitating. See how Kali became a confident team leader after completing the Foundation for Effective Leadership Program.
Kyle enrolled in the NextGen Center’s Foundation for Effective Leadership Program. In this candid interview, he shares his impressions of the course, of the one-to-one coaching experience, and the community feedback he received.
Unlike many who go through the program, Langdon knew exactly what he was in for. The Founder of his company was part of the Fall 2019 cohort and brought many of his own learnings into the company.
David Phillips had a unique advantage when he enrolled in the Foundation for Effective Leadership program in the Spring of 2021. He already knew NextGen Center founder Brian Alvo.
“If you’re considering the program, you just need to be a person who identifies as a leader. You don’t need a title, you just need a growth mindset and a true desire to make an impact.”
I had been hiding the type of leader that I was. If there were opportunities to speak at conferences or panels or there were initiatives I wanted to create or programs I wanted to develop, I often didn’t. I needed NextGen Center to teach me how to navigate that and make that happen…
I needed to figure out the kind of leader that I want to be, and I learned that my leadership style doesn't have to be exactly the same as the leader I report to. Honing in on my own skills has given me the confidence to figure that out for myself.
Leadership can be done by anyone, but management is a title. So I want to make sure that my direct report knew that I was his manager but saw me as a leader as well.
I was a freshly-made manager and had just taken on my first report a couple of months before I started the Foundation program. I was swimming in the deep end, drinking from the firehose, and I was looking for any kind of help that I could possibly get.
As VP of Engineering, Mike Renoe faced his first time managing direct reports. He wanted frameworks and training. So he asked to work with Brian Alvo and NextGen Center. His employer said yes.
Tapadia was introduced to NextGen Center as a sponsee of NC IDEA. But he’d already had an experience with leadership development, and it hadn’t been something he was looking to repeat.
Like many young professionals, Pashara Black was pleased to have a good job. But she realized she was ready to have a career.
It’s the entrepreneur’s conundrum: How do you know when it’s time to make the leap and go out on your own? That’s where Hugh Hunt found himself.
Like many entrepreneurs and founders, Alain Glanzman is moving at a breakneck pace. This acute awareness is one of many powerful takeaways from his experience in the Foundation for Effective Leadership program from NextGen Center.
David Bericat was a skeptic, pure and simple. He’d heard the buzzwords and seen the self-help books, but he didn’t think a leadership program was going to help him do his job better, much less be a transformative experience.
As a new hire, Keith Strombotne was surprised to find he’d been enrolled in a program that would take him out of the office one day a month for five months. And he had to wonder: was he also willing to invest the time and headspace it required?
Ellyn Kranc is five years into her professional career as a digital marketer. But she was in a new situation as a manager. Her direct report was fresh out of college, and they both had to find their own way.
Jordan Cain is an Inside Sales Manager. And when she first decided to enroll in the Foundation for Effective Leadership course from NextGen Center, she had some very specific challenges.
Managing people is more than moving your name above others in an org chart. Lisa discovered that firsthand as she stepped in to her first team management role.
As an Investment Advisor for Investors Mosaic in Durham, North Carolina, founder Evan McCormick is the entire team.
Sarah Glova is the President and Founder of Reify Media, a five-year-old digital media company in the Triangle area of North Carolina.