Announcing the Inaugural Aya Fellowship Cohort: Leading through Resistance
Frontline is excited to introduce the Aya Fellowship, a dynamic, 12-month program crafted to empower social change leaders with:
- – Strategic frameworks to sustain equity efforts despite legal and political threats
- – Tactical tools to mitigate risk, navigate crises, and future-proof equity and justice work
- – A powerful peer network for collective support, learning, and action
This fellowship moves beyond theoretical training. It is intentionally crafted by a Black and queer-led consultancy with over 20 years of experience in helping leaders imagine, build, and execute transformative movements in some of the most hostile environments. And, unlike traditional leadership programs, Aya is designed for teams of leaders from within the same institution or ecosystem. We firmly believe that the movement’s resilience is rooted not in the brilliance of one leader but in building collective capacity. By focusing on organizational leadership teams, we ensure that strategies, insights, and resilience practices are deeply integrated within institutions, fortifying them against external opposition and sustaining equity work across generations.
We are thrilled to announce the inaugural Aya cohort and are honored to stand alongside the visionary leaders and organizations anchoring this fellowship:
In March, we celebrated the culmination of months of planning with the official Aya kickoff retreat, convening teams from these impactful organizations.
A Symbol of Resilience and a Historic Setting
The fellowship is named after Aya, the Adinkra symbol of the Akan people of West Africa, representing the fern. The fern is known for its remarkable ability to flourish in difficult places—rocky soil, shaded forests, and harsh conditions. It doesn’t just survive; it thrives through its hardiness, flexibility, and quiet power.
The inaugural in-person kickoff retreat was hosted at the Historic Jenkins Farm in Mobile, Alabama. This location was the perfect setting, offering a historic connection to ground the retreat in land, legacy, and linkage. We invited fellows to bring themselves, their ancestors, and their communities into the space with us.
Deepening Strategy and Future Thinking
At the retreat, we were joined by two esteemed expert faculty members. Phil Agnew, Co-Founder of Black Men Build, led a vibrant discussion about the current political terrain. He focused on how organizations can equip themselves to withstand moments of unrest and increased attacks, building long-term strategies strong enough to combat the inherent volatility in social impact work.
On day two, Steve Pargett, Co-Founder of Dream Machine Innovation Lab, facilitated an action lab focused on the technological landscape and the future of AI. Given the speed of technical advancements, he emphasized the importance of staying ahead of the curve. Fellows were encouraged to think critically about how they and their organizations can become better equipped to participate in an ever-evolving tech-driven future.
Beyond Networking: Building a Resilient Ecosystem
The launch of the inaugural Aya Cohort marks an expansion of Frontline’s suite of offerings, specifically designed to fortify leaders navigating today’s complex equity landscape. This cohort moves beyond traditional networking to center deep peer learning, cross-sector movement building, and executive wellness.
By bridging nonprofit leaders, funders, and grassroots organizers, the Aya Cohort creates a confidential space for collective problem-solving and strategic advocacy. This fellowship will equip those on the front lines of social change with structural and communal support—including trauma-informed leadership coaching and shared “movement-building” tactics—to sustain morale and drive long-term, systemic impact.
The in-person kickoff was just the beginning. Over the next year, we are excited to learn alongside our Aya Fellows through strategy labs and peer learning focused on risk assessment, legal resilience, and narrative integrity.
We look forward to documenting our progress and sharing the transformative lessons and collective wisdom that emerge. Stay tuned for additional opportunities to join an Aya Fellowship cohort in the coming months!