Congratulations to our graduates!

The Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL) is proud to announce its 21st graduating class of our Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) presented by Republic Bank. The Emerging Leaders Program is a three-month accelerated and intensive experience designed to address the leadership development needs of young professionals. These young professionals represent one of Greater Louisville’s greatest resources: talented young people committed to making our community a better place to live, work, and play. The Emerging Leaders Program is one of the most significant ways that YPAL grows and nurtures talent in our region.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Republic Bank, and our supporting sponsors Mindset Collaborative, Michele Shelton, Story Louisville, and the YPAL Foundation, the program includes training led by Lenae Price, President and Founder of Mindset Collaborative, wherein participants take an introspective look at their strengths, values and leadership style and get advice from community leaders. The objective of the program is to provide participants with a clear understanding of their strengths, values, and personality in the context of becoming a more effective leader. Our participants also engaged in a Decade 4 Diversity: A Leadership Conversation for A New Generation class hosted by Michele Shelton, DEI Strategist & Workplace Activist.

This Spring 2023 class is full of game-changers. They are passionate, dedicated, and one of the hardest-working groups of young professionals in our community. They were our first class to hone in on their purposes for being a part of ELP and spend time with similarly motivated peers in their group projects. In each session, their dedication to growth and inclusion was inspiring. We can’t wait to see what’s next for our 21st class of Emerging Leaders!

As part of YPAL’s goal to continue supporting more local diverse-owned businesses, we want to thank the following companies that provided our cohort with excellent meals and a graduation celebration: The Black ItalianDee’s Catering, Garden Girl Foods, In SeasonLoz Aztecas, and Mussel & Burger Bar Downtown.

The Spring 2023 class of the Emerging Leaders Program concluded their coursework and final group presentations on May 1. The 31 graduates include:

  • Annette Dangerfield, Louisville Metro Government
  • Anthony Perry, Republic Bank & Trust Co.
  • Ashley Stevens, Deatrick & Spies, PSC
  • Ayla Espinosa, Boys & Girls Haven
  • Bansari Mehta, Eye Associates of Southern Indiana
  • Caity Morris, Louisville City FC & Racing Louisville FC
  • Carmen Schreiber, Crawford Square Real Estate Advisors/Westport Village
  • Carrie Cole, The Bail Project
  • Catherine Thompson, University of Louisville
  • Cole Roberts, Venture First, LLC
  • Destiny Etheridge, Norton Healthcare
  • Enidza Torres, Volunteers of America Mid-States
  • Hailey Culp, Volunteers of America
  • Jared Townes, Louisville Metro Council
  • Joel Mwambayi, Edward Jones
  • Jo Coffey, FORVIS
  • Kate Barry, Seven Counties Services
  • Katie Jones, Republic Bank & Trust Co.
  • Larysa Shevchenko, PNC Bank
  • Maddie King, iHeart Media
  • Marcus Stubbs, Russell: A Place of Promise
  • McKenzie Gary, TeriGrowth
  • Miranda Johnson, Graduate Hotels and HANDS
  • Molly Grubb, Republic Bank & Trust Co.
  • Marie Holmes, Republic Bank & Trust Co.
  • Nick Landis, PNC Bank
  • Peggy Schnell, Metro United Way
  • Phebe McDermott, Foxhollow Farm
  • Rachel Victory, Kentucky Science Center
  • Randi Norris, EXOS
  • Vanessa Anthony, Optum Rx

Applications for the Fall 2023 program will open this summer. The program, scholarship, and childcare stipend information can be found at: https://www.ypal.org/about-us/emerging-leaders-program/

If you have any questions, please email Miriam Nally, YPAL’s Director of Leadership, at mnally@greaterlouisville.com.