Hampton Roads Leader Academy
Hampton Roads Leader Academy is a 12-month leadership-development experience for managers, emerging leaders, and People leaders who are ready to grow in self-awareness, communication, and leadership effectiveness.
20 seats for the 2027 cohort.
Six interactive half-day sessions at Assembly Norfolk. Participants learn practical leadership tools, develop a shared language, increase self-awareness, and strengthen their ability to lead others. The magic is the facilitation and participation in the room.
Small groups of about five leaders meet twice a month for 75 minutes. The discussion is driven by real context: the leadership challenge in front of you, not a generic agenda. You apply what you are learning, receive support and challenge, and stay accountable for the growth you named.
Cadence
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6 half-days at Assembly Norfolk. Twenty participants max, so you are known in the room.
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The session is facilitated and participatory. Afterward, the workbook and session materials stay with you.
03
After each session you log one tendency and one takeaway. You walk away with something specific to practice before you are with your Core Group again.
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Coaches are available by email or a short meeting when you need a question answered or a thought partner for a real situation.
Many leaders meet us first at a complimentary Healthy Culture Seminar. Those gatherings stay free and separate from this registration. If you want that lighter first step before a 12-month seat, talk with our team.
See how you show up, what you tend to avoid, and how your presence shapes the people around you.
A shared language for feedback, direction, and the courage to stay in a hard conversation without losing the relationship.
Steadier habits, and conflict that protects trust while still moving the work forward.
Decisions and conversations with a clearer sense of what matters.
Frameworks you can take into a one-on-one, a meeting, or the culture of a team.
A trusted group of leaders, and a rhythm that keeps growth practiced instead of only discussed.
Who it is for
This experience is designed for people who will show up, practice, and stay in the work for a full year.
The room at Assembly holds 20 on purpose. Organizations may register one leader or several.
Not sure? Talk With Our TeamProgram schedule
8:00 AM–12:00 PM
Once every other month — most likely February, March, April, June, August, and October
Assembly, 400 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia. A 20-person room, kept small so the cohort stays a conversation.
Twice monthly for 75 minutes. Exact Core Group schedules will be established before launch, based on participant availability.
Investment
The price below is per participant. Monthly payments are installments toward that leader’s total program investment, not a cancel-anytime membership. Billing ends automatically after the twelfth payment.
Business / For-Profit
$500
per month for 12 months
Total program investment: $6,000
Nonprofit
$350
per month for 12 months
Total program investment: $4,200
Register at the nonprofit rateAn employer may register and pay for a participant. Each registration is one seat, one leader.
Facilitators
Surrender Network Leadership Development partners with CEOs, operators, and People leaders to install leadership systems and joyfully create belonging. Our certified coaches will facilitate Leader Academy and Core Groups for this cohort.
Coaches may vary by session. Not every coach listed will lead every Leader Academy or Core Group.
Consultant
A connected strategist who helps leaders build spaces where people feel seen and belong. Emily brings marketing and nonprofit leadership experience, and she knows the daily pressure middle managers carry. She helps leaders foster belonging and move forward with confidence.
Consultant
A disciplined coach who helps leaders and teams get healthy. A former Navy officer with a master’s from MIT, Darien partners with mechanical and industrial firms across Hampton Roads, building accountable teams anchored in shared purpose, healthy rhythms, and clear standards.
Consultant
A steady, principled coach who helps leaders clarify purpose. A Norfolk native with an MBA, Clark brings structure and measured insight so leaders can move from uncertainty to conviction and from vision to sustainable action.
Consultant
An operational force who makes things happen, and a connector who wants to see you win. Itzel teaches tools with simplicity, helping people understand their voice, navigate conflict, and strengthen communication.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The academy exists so a single important leader does not have to wait until an internal cohort can be filled.
Yes. Each leader occupies one of the 20 seats and completes their own registration. If you are sending several people, talk with our team so we can help with billing and Core Group placement.
Six in-person half-day Leader Academy sessions, twice-monthly 75-minute Core Groups for 12 months, the Leader Academy workbook, a Five Voices assessment, light pre-work, materials to revisit after sessions, and guidance from trained Surrender Network coaches. The price is per participant. Travel, lodging, and meals beyond what is provided on site are not included.
Leader Academy is the six half-day learning rooms. Core Groups are the small, twice-monthly conversations where participants apply the tools, work real challenges, and stay accountable. The program is the whole arc, not a single workshop.
Groups of approximately five leaders are formed before the program begins, using the schedule preferences you share at registration. Exact Core Group schedules are finalized based on participant availability before launch.
Often, yes. Those seminars are complimentary and stay separate from this registration. Leader Academy is the 12-month seat for a leader who is ready to practice the tools with a cohort, not only hear them once.
Attendance, makeup, transfer, refund, and cancellation language is pending final approval from Surrender Network and will be confirmed in writing before the cohort begins. Do not assume a makeup session or refund until that policy is published. Consistent attendance is expected.
Choose the nonprofit rate when you are registering a leader from a nonprofit organization.
Yes. Separate the participant, the organization, and the person who pays. An employer may register and pay for a leader.
Write to hello@surrendernetwork.com or itzel@surrendernetwork.com. We are glad to help you decide whether this is the right seat and the right season.
Reserve a seat for yourself or a leader in your organization. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants to protect the quality of the experience and the Core Groups.
Highlighted Engagements: Limited EnrollmentSelling Fast
Pre-event diagnostics determine baseline competencies, aligning content with identified gaps.
Module sequencing flexes to varying time horizons and sector requirements.
Internal audits examine pedagogical coherence and logistical efficiency.
Popular
Bestseller
We map every activity to clearly defined performance metrics.
Our structure adapts from small task forces to enterprise cohorts without sacrificing depth.
We subject every component to multistage evaluation before, during, and after delivery.
Our proprietary portal centralizes registration, communication, and performance dashboards.
Orientation and Goal Setting
We establish shared objectives, outline solutions, and set performance metrics that frame the comprehensive experience ahead.
Core Skills Workshop
We implement interactive modules that demonstrate essential techniques, optimize retention, and embed practical competences through guided practice.
Strategic Simulation
Teams implement solutions within a controlled scenario, testing decision pathways and measuring impact with immediate feedback.
Expert Panel and Q&A
Industry leaders present emerging trends, facilitating critical discourse on future challenges and collaborative opportunities.
Project Development Lab
Participants design actionable initiatives, drawing on cumulative insights to craft solutions aligned with organizational mandates.
Comprehensive Curriculum
Our instructional framework aligns proven methodologies with sector-specific objectives.
Facilitator Expertise
Every session is led by certified professionals who demonstrate deep practical knowledge.
Premium Materials
Participants receive digital and printed resources designed for ongoing reference.