Leaders United States

The Obama Foundation Leaders USA program is an eight-month, virtual leadership development program that seeks to inspire, empower, and connect leaders across the country.

Meet the 2026-2027 Cohort

Get to know our newest group of USA leaders!

Learn More

How To Become A Leader

The application for the 2026-2027 Leaders program is now closed. Please check back here for updates on our 2027-2028 Obama Leaders application.

How to Apply

Meet the 2026-2027 Cohort

Get to know our newest group of USA leaders!

Learn More

How To Become A Leader

The application for the 2026-2027 Leaders program is now closed. Please check back here for updates on our 2027-2028 Obama Leaders application.

How to Apply

Ryan Pavel, a man with a light skin tone, wears a lanyard with his name as he sits in a conference room behind a table. He is wearing glasses and a denim shirt.

Meet the 2026-2027 United States Leaders

Adrian Lipscombe

Austin, Texas

Ahmed Badr

Madison, Connecticut

Alejandro Miranda

Madison, Wisconsin

Allie Utley

Overland Park, Kansas

Amanda Swope

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Amara Manoogian

Washington, District of Columbia

See all 2026-2027 USA Leaders

About

Leaders USA equips United States-based leaders with the skills, frameworks, mindsets, and relationships needed to accelerate positive and lasting change in their communities. Participants apply values based leadership to strengthen democratic culture, build common ground and advance collective action. Leaders USA cohorts reflect geographical, experiential, and ideological breadth, spanning rural and urban communities across public, civil society, and private sectors.

Weekly Group Learning Sessions

Leaders come together for weekly virtual sessions featuring subject matter experts, practitioners, case studies, tactical skill building in storytelling, broad coalitions and collective power, and peer learning to deepen their leadership practice. Leaders will build peer relationships to interrogate values in tension, work through complex leadership challenges, and join sessions on values based leadership and strengthening democracy that embrace productive intellectual tension as a catalyst for growth.
A Community Of Support

Leaders work in small groups designed to reflect the diversity of the cohort through interdependent peer learning and relationship building. Community groups meet on a monthly basis in brave, informal spaces that allow them to discuss takeaways from each module, grapple with multiple diverse perspectives and approaches, and exchange their learnings on values-based leadership in action.
Individualized Leadership Coaching

Leaders are paired with a coach for monthly sessions to help them clarify and build out their individual goals, understand your unique strengths and values, and unlock their potential.