Apply to become a WIA Coach

About the Program

The Empowered Leader Program is a year-long, transformational leadership program designed to increase the leadership capacity of the next generation of women leaders in social and environmental change. Through the combination of six months of executive coaching, peer-to-peer forums, and leader-lab practice modules, our awardees experience an integrated, wrap-around development journey.

Your Integral Role

We run two programs a year, with start dates in October and April. You will be matched with one WIA Catalyst for each program and will work with them for six months. They will also be receiving training and other development opportunities along the way. Coaching is at the core of the program and is key to the success of each of our WIA Catalysts.

Your commitment is approximately 15 hours over the course of six months for a total of about 30 hours a year. Your involvement as a volunteer coach includes:

• One 30-45 minute introductory call with your new WIA Catalyst (not a formal coaching call)
• Twelve hours of 1-1 Coaching with your WIA Catalyst over Zoom, phone, Skype, WhatsApp, including:
• Discovery/Launch Session
• Completion Session

Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are at the center of our work. We warmly and actively invite coaches with diverse backgrounds and professional and personal experiences to join our community. We are committed to supporting and amplifying young women social impact leaders of color who are essential to transforming our world. It is crucial that young women who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) see themselves represented in our community and have a safe space to discuss the institutional, social, and personal challenges they face as women of color.

We welcome in and co-create a community of individuals rich with differences, including but not limited to gender identification, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, nationality, socio-economic situation, thinking and personality styles, physical abilities, spiritual/religious beliefs and practices, and education and professional background.

Please take a moment to review our Diversity Statement

The Ideal WIA Coach

WIA coaches come from around the world and bring richly diverse backgrounds as well as professional and personal experiences.

Considerations for selection of coaches include:

• Passion for supporting young women social change leaders and our WIA mission
• A minimum of 100 hours of formal, professional coach training, including supervised development of coaching skills and advanced coaching certifications and accreditations
• Assessment of number of years of formal leadership development coaching experience and total hours of 1-1 coaching sessions 
• Emphasis on whole person person leadership development coaching
• Experience working with different types of clients
• Diverse professional experience and leadership experience

Process to Become a WIA Coach

1. Submit an application to become a WIA Coach.
2. WIA team will confirm by email that we have received your application.
3. If minimum coaching requirements are met, the WIA team will contact you to schedule a 60-minute call to share more information about WIA, learn more about you and see if it’s a fit for both of us.
4. If selected to be a WIA Coach, we will invite you to onboard with us and match you with a Catalyst for the next available cohort.

Benefits of Coaching with The Women’s Impact Alliance

The main benefit of being a WIA Coach is the fulfillment of working with a WIA Catalyst and supporting them in creating impact. Many of our coaches say that it is one of the most rewarding coaching experiences of their careers. Our inspiring awardees are selected through a rigorous application process that identifies extraordinary young changemakers ready to engage in their own growth and poised for deep transformation.

Additional WIA Coach benefits include:

• ICF coaching Hours for Advanced ICF Credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC)
• Access to: 
  • Quarterly WIA Coaches Calls with content experts
  • Peer created learning on monthly Open Coaches Calls
  • WIA Coaches Resource Library
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Calls and Learning
  • WIA Coaches Linkedin Group - share ideas, events, articles, materials, get feedback and support

What Can I Expect from Coaching a WIA Catalyst?

Our Catalysts are world-changing young women. Over the past decade, we have supported more than 1500 women leaders. Visit our Catalysts Page to learn more about these remarkable women. They are motivated, strong, and engaged in all areas of social impact and environmental action. While they bring a variety of focus areas for coaching, they all seek to grow as leaders and change agents in the world. Some examples of coaching topics might include self-leadership, leading others, communication, core values, purpose, change management, self-care, well-being, courage, self-confidence, and presence.