Academy Programs

How to Lead Inclusive Meetings

How do you run meetings in a way that fosters a sense of belonging and psychological safety? As a participant, how can you ensure an inclusive environment in the meetings you attend? In this workshop, participants will dive into the principles of inclusive meeting facilitation, learning strategies to create environments where everyone feels empowered to contribute. By exploring tools and tactics for fostering openness, leaders will discover how to ensure that a diverse array of voices is heard, respected, and meaningfully integrated into meeting outcomes. Through interactive discussions and breakout sessions, participants will practice these skills in real-time, exploring how to navigate common meeting challenges such as balancing dominant voices and addressing unconscious biases. Leaders will leave with practical steps and techniques to use immediately, transforming their meetings into spaces that inspire collaboration, trust, and innovation. With a strong focus on actionable takeaways, this workshop empowers leaders to anticipate the positive impact inclusive meetings can have on team dynamics and organizational success.

Learning Objectives

1. Recognize and Mitigate Bias in Meetings: Learn to identify common biases that can affect meeting dynamics and strategies for minimizing them to create an open and equitable environment.
2. Create Psychological Safety for All Participants: Develop techniques to encourage sharing and participation from all voices, fostering an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable contributing.
3. Implement Inclusive Meeting Structures: Understand methods to structure meetings that promote balanced participation and prevent any one voice from dominating the conversation.
4. Effective Facilitation Skills: Practice facilitation techniques that support respectful dialogue, active listening, and collaborative decision-making.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Lillian Forsyth is an accomplished coach and workshop facilitator specializing in communication, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.  With a background in Operations and Human Resources across both for-profit and nonprofit sectors, Lillian brings a unique perspective shaped by her extensive experience living and working internationally. As a straight white woman, she has dedicated over 20 years to examining her own privileges and biases, critically engaging with the complex role that white women have historically played in justice and equity movements. Lillian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lead with Equity, where she partners with organizations to foster inclusive cultures. Her work has impacted audiences at prominent corporate entities like Google, Santander US Bank, and RWJBarnabas Health. She has also presented at respected academic institutions, including the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Barnard College. As a guest on podcasts such as Embrace the Pivot and Agency for Change, and a speaker at conferences like the American Society of Project Management Professionals, Lillian shares insights to support meaningful change in leadership and DEI practices.

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Elevating Influence & Credibility

Virtual 2-Part Series

Session #1: 
Wednesday, May 14th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #2: 
Thursday, May 15th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Elevating Influence and Credibility equips participants with practical strategies and insights to empower and amplify influence and credibility at work. We will explore the core concepts of influence and credibility with interactive participation, allowing for an exchange of ideas and collaborative learning among peers. Participants will also develop the starting framework for creating an individualized action plan to apply the learned concepts effectively. This plan will serve as a roadmap for participants to follow, ensuring that the strategies discussed are implemented with precision to maximize impact.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand influence and credibility
2. Apply strategies to persuade and influence decision-making effectively
3. Navigate office dynamics without compromising values
4. Develop actionable influence tactics to gain support and drive change

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

DeNeen K. Attard, CEO, Attard Leadership Academy is deeply committed to empowering women to develop their leadership skills that yield results. DeNeen has over 15 years of experience in mentoring emerging leaders across Fortune 500 companies, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Attard integrates a growth mindset and positive psychology techniques within each client’s unique professional development strategy. Attard has a Master’s degree in leadership along with multiple leadership and digital entrepreneurship certifications. She also holds advanced graduate learning studies in human resource management.

Let’s make presenting easier—and way more fun!

Making presentations doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming—it can actually be fun and easy! In this interactive 90-minute session, we’ll explore how to use Canva to create beautiful, engaging presentations—without the frustration of clunky design tools or endless formatting. By the end, you’ll have a simple, joyful approach to designing presentations that feel as good to make as they do to deliver.

Learning Objectives

🎨 Use Canva’s ready-made templates to save time and spark creativity
✨ Add personality and polish with images, animations, and branding
💡 Keep your slides clear, compelling, and visually balanced
🚀 Build confidence in your design skills (even if you don’t consider yourself “creative”)

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $50 non-member. $30 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Sanovia Garrett is a versatile Music and Movement Artist from Muncie, Indiana, based in Philadelphia. She blends gospel, hip-hop, R&B, soul, and neo-soul, drawing inspiration from artists like Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott. A Ball State University graduate with a B.A. in Communication Studies and a Leadership minor, she later earned an M.A. in Urban Studies (Community Arts) from Eastern University. In 2019, she joined the Indiana Arts Commission’s On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator, enhancing her entrepreneurial and community engagement skills. From 2021 to 2024, she served as Social Media and Communications Manager at Palmer Theological Seminary and Program Director for Girls Rock Philly. In 2023, she graduated from the Power Up Your Business Program at Community College of Philadelphia. Her initiative, “Come Move with Me,” offers inclusive, judgment-free movement sessions on a “Pay What You Wish” basis, promoting accessibility and self-expression for all. Sanovia’s discography includes the EP You Have Everything You Need (2020) and singles like “Sway” (2020) and “I Really Love You” (2024). In 2023, she received the John Lewis Award from Color of Change PAC Philadelphia for her contributions to the arts and community. Her mission is to inspire joy, self-discovery, and creativity through music, movement, and communication.

A Different Kind of TEAM: Time, Energy and Attention Management for Leadership Success

Virtual 2-Part Series

Session #1: 
Wednesday, June 11th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session #2: 
Thursday, June 12th
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

The first secret: time cannot be managed. It is a thing that exists, like gravity. But our relationship to time can and should be managed. Our ability to manage this relationship, along with our own energy and attention, is the key to long-term success in leadership. The bad news is that it’s another thing to worry about as a leader. The good news is that worrying about it makes everything else less of a worry. Attendees will come away with a list of practical actions they can start using immediately – and share with their colleagues and teams at work. They will have a discussion in breakout rooms about how similar actions have worked well, or not worked well, in their own experience. Lastly, participants will develop and take home a map of their personal energy levels, across their responsibilities and days of the week. For the workshop, Alan will draw on his ideas from more than two decades of experience as a leader, executive coach and facilitator – along with the experiences of his hundreds of clients to date.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn about 20 practical actions to change one’s relationship with time, energy and attention so you can start utilizing and sharing with colleagues right away
2. Engage in discussion with fellow attendees about how similar actions have worked well, or not worked well, in your own experience
3. Develop a map of your personal energy levels, across your responsibilities and across the days of the week.

Cost: Free for SLA Members. $250 non-member. $200 nonprofits.

Individuals who are either unemployed or connected with an employer who is unable to pay can request scholarships for any of our programs.

About Our Facilitator

Alan Heymann has served as an executive coach to hundreds of his fellow introverts, helping them feel seen and heard, to find balance in their lives and to unleash their superpowers in an extroverted world. Alan also specializes in coaching through career and leadership transitions. He brings a warm, open and energetic presence to his coaching and facilitation clients and speaking engagements. His clients to date were born in 32 countries and work on 4 continents. They have spanned corporations (including the Fortune 50), nonprofit organizations, public utilities, federal, county and municipal governments. The author of two books on leadership analogies: Don’t Just Have the Soup, and Embrace Your Inner Peaches, Alan is a member of the faculty of the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership. He spent more than two decades in public, government and nonprofit communications — leading teams from 2 to more than 100 people. Inspired by a career transformation he brought about with the support of an executive coach, Alan founded Peaceful Direction in April 2019. Alan is a member of the Barker Adoption Foundation Board of Trustees. He’s followed a plant-based diet since 2002, enjoys running half-marathons and lives with his family outside Washington, DC.