Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – August 28, 2025. The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) is excited to announce its upcoming inaugural leadership development conference entitled “Keeping it R.E.A.L.: Elevating Leaders Through Resilience, Excellence, Agility, and Leadership” slated for October 1- 2, 2025.
The conference will begin with an evening reception, A Night of Celebration, on October 1st at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, PA. This unforgettable occasion brings leaders and changemakers together for powerful networking, meaningful connections, and a joyful celebration of leadership, excellence, and shared purpose. On October 2nd, the second day of this signature event, the Keeping It R.E.A.L. Conference will begin. Featuring a full day of exciting sessions at The Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Downtown Pittsburgh, top industry-experts will lead immersive workshops to unlock insights and position leaders for success and cover topics like leading with resilience, conflict resolution, agile leadership, and more!
Aligned with TALI’s mission to strengthen companies, communities, and institutions by developing Black leaders and their allies, this two-day leadership-building experience is designed to support and inspire aspiring leaders, seasoned professionals, and executives. As such, conference attendees will be equipped with the skills, insights, and connections needed to lead with confidence and clarity in today’s ever-changing business environment.
“I am proud that TALI is launching this inaugural leadership conference. After seven years of encouraging and educating leaders, graduating over 300 alumni, and seeing great outcomes from our core programs, this is an ideal time to expand our reach and further our mission through this conference in a very inclusive way,” says Evan Frazier, President and CEO, The Advanced Leadership Institute. “In addition to providing continued education and development opportunities for our alumni, corporate partners, and community stakeholders, we are also opening up broadly to individuals who are invested in their leadership journey and passionate about TALI’s approach to leadership development.”
“Effective leadership is key to the success of any organization. This conference is our effort to empower all leaders in the region and beyond,” says Bill Flanagan, Board and Development Committee Member, The Advanced Leadership Institute, Experienced Broadcast Journalist and Special Advisor to the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. “Now more than ever, companies and cities need intentional leadership training and development opportunities to build stronger organizations and attract and retain top talent. It is wonderful to see TALI contribute to addressing this need with an innovative model.”
A powerful lineup of speakers include:
Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Aleta Richards
President
Crane Currency
Dr. Richards is a well-respected executive and global leader with over 20 years of achievement in marketing, sales, general management and human resources. She is a dynamic leader with extensive experience overseeing multi-million-dollar businesses, corporate departments, and operational units. Prior to joining Crane Currency as its President in October 2024, Dr. Richards served as the Executive Vice President of Specialty Films, headquartered in Germany, for Covestro. As a Pittsburgh native, she continues to support the Pittsburgh community and her passion for education.
Trabian Shorters
CEO & Founder
BMe
Trabian Shorters is one of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs and the catalyst of a national movement to first define Black people by their aspirations and contributions. He is a retired tech entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and former vice president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Shorters is the international authority on an award-winning cognitive frame-work called “Asset-Framing for Equity” which is in high-demand by heads of influential philanthropic, journalism and social impact networks.
Session Speakers:
Lehman Benson
Inaugural Executive Director & Tenured Professor
University of Arizona
Session: Organizational Culture: DNA for Success
Sheila Hyland
Founder, CEC, CLC
FosterHyland & Associate
Session: Critical Communication – Powerful Tools for Leadership Success
Hazel-Ann McLean
CEO
Tri-Verum
Session: Leading with Resilience Through Uncertainty
Krishna Pendyala
Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer
ChoiceLadder Institute
Session: Make Foresight 20/20: Improve Your Judgement Quotient
Raven Solomon
Author & Certified Speaking Professional (CSP®)
Session: Leading Across Generations: How to Bridge Generational Divides to Build Agile Teams
Daria S. Torres
Founder & Managing Partner
Walls Torres Group
Session: Stylistic Agility: Building Flexibility into Your Conflict Repertoire
To register for the conference, please click here. For registration or event sponsorship questions, please email TALI’s Vice President of Development & Community Partnerships, Joyce Howard, at joyce@taliinstitute.org or call 412-926-1600.
About The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI)
The mission of The Advanced Leadership Institute is to strengthen companies, institutions, and communities by cultivating leadership through world-class executive education programs tailored to support, develop, and retain Black leaders and their allies. TALI equips participants with the strategies, insights, and networks needed to thrive. Our programs are open to people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds. Course content for TALI programs is delivered through an academic partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, and programming is made possible through the support of major corporations and foundations in the Pittsburgh region, including Lead Founding Underwriters: BNY Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Richard King Mellon Foundation; Founding Underwriter: Highmark Foundation and Eden Hall Foundation; Excellence Partner: Henry L. Hillman Foundation; Lead Contributors: Giant Eagle Foundation and The Heinz Endowments; Presenting Sponsors: Giant Eagle, Highmark Health, PNC, UPMC; Gold Sponsors: American Eagle Outfitters, Bank of America, Buchanan, CNX, Covestro, Dollar Bank, Duolingo, Duquesne Light Company, FedEx Corporation, Koppers, PPG, and Wabtec; Silver Sponsors and Bronze sponsors, which can be found here.