What it takes to move from knowing to doing

For years, Columbia Global has been building leadership development programs with a growing understanding of what it actually takes to support people interested in becoming leaders who shape the world around us. What started as a commitment to leadership development has become an ecosystem of programs, participants, and alumni. Here is what it looks like.

The Social Impact Fellowship supports rising undergraduates who are ready to engage with challenges in their communities, while the Columbia Global Scholars program brings together second-year master's students from across Columbia's graduate schools — giving them the skills, networks, and international field experience they need to lead in social impact.

For faculty, the Early Career Faculty Impact Fellowship supports scholars in the early stages of their careers who are committed to translating their research into programs, policies, and interventions that address real community needs.

In Rio de Janeiro, the Women's Leadership Network equips mid-career professionals from across Brazil's public, private, and nonprofit sectors to lead change in their communities, through a year-long program that blends leadership training, mentorship, and collaboration with Columbia faculty. In Beijing, the Richard Rockefeller Fellowship supports social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders working on sustainable development in China, pairing them with Columbia's academic resources, expert mentorship, and cross-border networks to help scale their work.

What we have learned

Across our programs, participants consistently report gains in confidence, leadership self-efficacy, and clarity of purpose. Professional networks grow and so does participants' sense of their own capacity to lead. When asked whether their experience changed how they envision their futures, the answer is almost always yes.

These outcomes do not happen by accident. They reflect an approach we have tested and refined across every program we run. Cohort-based learning that brings together people with different disciplines and lived experiences. Mentorship grounded in real-world expertise. Experiences that push participants beyond the familiar into new geographies, new sectors, and new conversations. We have seen, time and again, that it is these elements together that produce leaders who are not just knowledgeable, but equipped to act.

Still Curious?

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