The year in the Leadership and Society Initiative Fellowship is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of purposeful impact and personal growth.
LSI goes beyond just a year of immersive experiences and thought-provoking dialogue with the members of a single cohort. It is a gateway into an enduring community of accomplished professionals who are unified by a shared commitment to lifelong personal wellness, purposeful leadership, and societal contribution.
This community is the LSI Alliance.
The LSI Alliance is so much more than an alumni network. It’s a dynamic leadership force that activates the unique talents of the members of every LSI cohort from both the Imagine Pathway and Design Pathway.
This community of Fellows have committed to live purposeful next chapters, for themselves and for society, and drive meaningful change through intellectual discovery, enriching relationships, and personal growth.
LSI Alliance Engagement
As LSI Fellows strive to achieve purposeful impact beyond a primary career, they benefit from the perspectives and assistance of others on the same journey. The LSI Alliance facilitates those lasting bonds by inviting Fellows to stay engaged with the University and the ever-growing community of current and past LSI cohorts.
LSI Alliance Fellows attend annual gatherings and take advantage of resources that provide support, continued learning, and networking:
Welcome Ceremony and Closing Symposium
The Welcome Ceremony and Closing Symposium are the bookends of each LSI cohort’s journey into a new stage of life and leadership. The entire LSI Alliance community comes together during these annual events to foster opportunities for cross-cohort connection, collaboration, and discovery.
Immersion Days and travel study
All LSI Alliance Fellows are invited to Immersion Days, when Fellows participate in dialogue with thought leaders and practitioners in relevant fields about an important social issue. These events are a recurring opportunity to investigate crucial topics where new ideas flourish and impact grows. This includes two on-campus Immersions and one during annual Travel Study for Alliance Members interested in joining abroad.
Online Community Platform
An LSI Alliance exclusive community platform serves as a central forum for Fellows to connect with one another, share updates about their work, and organize events and groups to support ongoing learning and leadership.
Fellow-Led Events and Peer Groups
Fellows in the LSI Alliance self-organize a variety of events and groups to stay connected with peers who share common interests, passions, and leadership pursuits.
LSI Alliance Leadership
Fellows drive LSI Alliance programming and activities, leading ongoing innovations to ensure the community remains a vital force for empowering leaders to build a better world.
The Alliance Advisory Board, comprising two representatives from each LSI cohort, serves as liaisons and advisors, relaying ideas and opportunities to the wider LSI Fellow community. The board members collaborate to strengthen the LSI experience and to provide more support and resources as needed.
Through their ongoing leadership in self-organized groups and events, Fellows become the coordinators for networking, collaboration, and deep dives into topics of shared interest. Groups based on common interests provide platforms to exchange ideas, seek advice, and explore new pathways to purpose.
LSI staff provide logistical and financial support as appropriate on a case by case basis.
CONTINUED LEARNING
Activate Pathway
Along with joining the LSI Alliance, Fellows have exclusive access to the LSI Activate Pathway.
The Activate Pathway is designed for Fellows seeking to bring their ideas from concept to reality by extending their capstones from the Imagine or Design Pathways during a second year of immersion at UChicago.
Fellows in this pathway spend an additional year on campus, engaging with the University’s people and resources to launch the plans laid out in their capstones.
The Activate Pathway offers two tracks based on Fellows’ distinct goals:
1) Independent Study
Fellows identify a faculty member or group on campus (e.g. a unit, center, institute, or initiative) they can engage with to refine and realize the plans outlined in their capstone. Through this collaboration, Fellows self-design a course of study to drive toward the activation of their next chapter of purpose.
2) LSI Incubator
Fellows lay the groundwork to launch new ventures, moving through a best-in-class design and development process to maximize the efficacy of their efforts. The Incubator meets Fellows’ unique needs with a blend of collective exercises and evidence gathering as well as one-on-one coaching. Fellows gain access to a pool of social impact advisors with niche expertise (such as fundraising, legal structures, market analysis, impact measurement). At the end of the nine-month incubator, a Fellow has a solidified value proposition, competitive advantage, and a business plan to attract investments or partnership.
