WISE Emerging Leaders Certificate Program

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Empowering more women with the right skills at the right time.

The WISE Emerging Leaders Certificate Program empowers women with the broad-based business and leadership skills they need to broaden their horizons, confidently position themselves for advancement, and “break out of the middle.”

While surveys reveal increasing women’s representation in junior roles, the pace of growth of women in middle management roles remains slower. There’s a bottleneck in the talent funnel, with women stuck in the middle or siloed within their areas of expertise.

Since its launch in 2021, more than 400 women have come through the program, representing more than 100 organizations across the sports landscape. This includes leagues, teams, media, venues, brands, governing bodies, and nonprofits, such as CBS Sports, Coca-Cola, FOX Sports, MLB, MLS/SUM, NASCAR, NBA, NBC Sports, NFL, NHL, Under Armour, USGA, USTA, as well as major league teams.

Removing the obstacles of location and time to career-transforming education.

The WISE Emerging Leaders Certificate Program is a high quality online leadership training program specifically designed for female professionals in middle management across the US and Canada.

Learners gain critical exposure to bigger picture topics outside of their typical areas of focus — such as business operations, strategic planning, and finance — based on real-world case studies and examples.

The program is designed around a robust six-week curriculum that is focused to maximize each learner’s time. It is delivered in a constructive and supportive learning environment where women get the opportunity to build relationships with others in different facets of the business of sports across North America.

Who: All WISE Members

Learners come from across all disciplines within the industry and hold a variety of job titles — such as supervisor, project lead, manager, senior manager, or director — depending on their organization's structure and size.

This is a member exclusive program offered to WISE professional level members in good standing. There are no other eligibility requirements. Learn more.

When: Spring and Fall Sessions

The WISE Emerging Leaders Certificate Program is held in two annual sessions in the Spring and Fall.

Classes meet on Wednesdays for 90-minute sessions over six consecutive weeks. Most virtual sessions are facilitated by Leading NOW, a WISE professional development partner.

The next session takes place in Spring 2025.

Program Details

Tuition is $1,800 per person.

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