With seven successful years as an organization focused on world-class leadership development and executive education, The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) continues to evolve and find new ways to provide greater regional and national impact through its programming. With that in mind, TALI’s leadership is making strategic changes for the 2025-26 program year starting with the consolidation of the National Executive Leadership Academy and (NELA) and its flagship, Executive Leadership Academy (ELA). This consolidation will operate under the National Executive Leadership Academy to create a more immersive program experience, ultimately providing greater benefits for participants.
“After graduating two cohorts from the National program and now operating the seventh cohort of the Executive Leadership Academy, we recognized an opportunity to strengthen our executive programming umbrella by leveraging best practices we learned from both programs,” explains Evan Frazier, President and CEO, TALI. “We are combining the programs to give participants the opportunity to broaden their networks and perspectives. We are operating in a global marketplace, and every corporate and nonprofit leader needs to have the ability to interact in that space.”
TALI will continue to work with Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business (CMU) as its academic partner, developing and delivering course content for NELA. The enhanced National Executive Leadership Academy, beginning in February 2026, will be offered in a hybrid format over a five-month period to accommodate participants from across the country. Programming will include two, one week in-person sessions at CMU in Pittsburgh, PA, four online sessions, and a two day in-person conference in Dallas, TX. Additionally, the program will continue to address the unique challenges Black leaders and their allies face. Cohort members will receive intense training on topics, such as “Defining Your Leadership Brand,” “Global Management and Strategy,” “Resilience for Executives of Color,” and more. Senior-level managers and executives located regionally and nationally with at least 10 years of experience are encouraged to apply for the program.
As of today, the TALI® Alumni Network includes 284 talented leaders from Pittsburgh and beyond, with 184 graduates between the Executive Leadership Academy (ELA) and National Executive Leadership Academy (NELA). Since its inception, TALI has focused on empowering high-performing leaders to drive personal growth, positive business results for their organization, and broader community impact. This mission is reflected by the success of TALI Alumni: 100% of the 2024 ELA and NELA cohorts agreed that TALI enhanced their ability to contribute to their organization’s success and that they have been able to apply knowledge and skills from the program to their professional roles. Additionally, 90% of the 2024 ELA and NELA cohorts believe that TALI positively impacted their career growth. These outcomes demonstrate TALI’s enduring impact on leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and community transformation.
“As a 2024 National Executive Leadership Academy Alumna and one of the three Pittsburgh participants in my cohort, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of this program and the profound, lasting effect it has had on my professional growth and that of my peers,” says Aleya Crable Jennings, Director, Fred Rogers Productions. “The immersive program experience, cutting-edge academic instruction, development of a national peer network, and the overall collective TALI Family community has made me a stronger leader. I am even more equipped to make a meaningful and positive impact on my organization’s success.”
“It’s a privilege to be a part of an organization that is developing ways to advance leadership opportunities for all,” says Eric Boughner, Chairman of BNY Pennsylvania and Chair of the BNY Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania; TALI Vice Chair. “TALI’s programs are instrumental to an organization’s success. When companies choose to partner with TALI, they invest in, nurture, and retain their top talent – a win for everyone!”
In addition to offering NELA to local and national participants, TALI will continue to uphold its mission and commitment to serving the Pittsburgh business community with a mix of familiar and new program offerings:
- The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), which provides leadership development for individuals with at least three to five years of professional experience. ELP benefits individuals who are strong individual contributors with supervisory aspirations and those in managerial positions who are growing in the leadership phase of their career. The next cohort will begin in January 2026.
- Unlocking Leadership Excellence: A Workshop for Frontline Leaders, which is a one-day workshop designed to prepare and support new and experienced leaders for management roles. During the session, top industry experts cover a variety of topics focused on helping participants build the skills needed to solve management and leadership challenges.
- An inaugural TALI® Leadership Conference, which will be held in October 2025 and open to TALI Alumni and leaders from the Pittsburgh region and beyond.
- Special seminars and custom programming for employees from TALI sponsor organizations.
The Advanced Leadership Institute equips leaders with the strategies, insights, and networks needed to thrive. Our programs, though competitive, are open to qualified individuals and people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds. To learn more about TALI’s program opportunities and apply for NELA or ELP, visit here.
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. While TALI’s programs specialize in content relevant to developing Black leaders, race is not a criterion for program participation and the programs, though competitive, are open to all qualified applicants. Course content for TALI programs is delivered through an academic partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, while programming is made possible by the support of major corporations and foundations in the Pittsburgh region, including Lead Founding Underwriters: BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Richard King Mellon Foundation; Founding Underwriter: Highmark Foundation; Excellence Partners: Eden Hall Foundation and Henry L. Hillman Foundation; Lead Contributor: The Heinz Endowments; Presenting Sponsors: Giant Eagle, Highmark Health, PNC, and UPMC; Gold Sponsors: American Eagle Outfitters, Bank of America, Buchanan, CNX, Covestro, Dollar Bank, Duolingo, Duquesne Light Company, FedEx Corporation, Koppers, PPG, and Wabtec; and Silver Sponsors and Bronze Sponsors, which can be found here.