The Minnesota Young American Leaders Program (MYALP) is an intensive, three-and-a-half day program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities convening rising leaders from across for-profit, government, and non-profit sectors who are committed to working across sectors to help their communities and our region prosper inclusively.
The program interweaves case studies, insights from national and Minnesota practitioners of cross-sector leadership, diverse perspectives on our current state economy, and research presentations from scholars to provide tools for cross-sector collaboration and to invest in rising leaders who impact the future of our region and state. Program themes include: The State and Trajectory of U.S. and Minnesota Economies: Insights and Examples; Cross Sector Leadership: Insights and Examples; Building Future collaborations for our Region; and Leadership Chats: The View from the Trenches.
Participants of MYALP have the opportunity to collaborate after the Program to develop and potentially launch an initiative for public good and to build a broader capacity in their region by deepening their practical knowledge of what it takes to make shared leadership initiatives happen.
2025 Minnesota and National Young American Leaders Programs
Cohort Announcement
After a highly competitive selection process, we are pleased to announce the 2025 cohorts! Join us in congratulating these leaders who together represent a unique force for expanding the power of cross-sector collaboration for our region and our state.
What is the Minnesota Young American Leaders Program?
Goals & Outcomes
During the Minnesota Young American Leaders Program, participants:
- Forge connections with other rising leaders across and within Minnesota’s cities and regions;
- Deepen knowledge and share perspectives regarding the state and trajectory of our national and regional economic development;
- Learn together from examples of and tools for innovative cross-sector collaborations that address key challenges, create opportunity and bridge divides in our communities;
- Work with each other, program alumni, and senior leaders to frame and develop future collaborative initiatives for the good of our region.
When is the Program?
MYALP takes place in late May each year at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. MYALP 2025 will take place Sunday, May 18 - Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Participants gather on Sunday mid-day for an opportunity to meet, introduce the cohort regions, and begin discussions regarding issues affecting their cities and region before the Program curriculum starts on Monday morning. The Program concludes mid-day Wednesday. All costs (including lodging, meals, and mileage for out of town participants) will be fully covered.
Interested in Applying?
Requirements
As a Program focused on building cross-sector capacity for public good, we seek high potential individuals who have:
Have a minimum of seven years full-time professional work experience including one or more of the following -
- Experience leading a function, working group, committee, task force, department, division, or organization
- Experience leading a cross- organization, cross division, or cross-departmental process
- Experience representing an organization, constituency, geography or community
- Designation by your organization as a “high potential” employee (or similar designation reflecting assessment as someone who has the ability, commitment, and motivation to succeed in more senior positions in the organization)
An interest and/or demonstrated experience in -
- Collaborating across the for-profit, government, and non-profit sectors for the good of their city, state, or region
- Working across differences such as race, ideology and sector
- Making time available on an ongoing basis to collaborate with other leaders for public good
Key Dates - MYALP 2025
September 24, 2024: Call for nominations and applications open
October 31, 2024 (deadline extension): Nominations due
November 14, 2024 (deadline extension): Applications due
Early February 2025: Applicants notified
Mid-February 2025: Cohorts announced
March & April 2025 – Pre-Program Orientation Events
May 18 - May 21, 2025: MYALP
It is critical that you are able to attend the full Program. Partial attendance will not be allowed. All lodging, meals, and travel expenses to and from the Program will be covered, and participants will be expected to stay in the lodging provided on campus for the duration of the Program.
Application Questions
- Please tell us about your professional work and aspirations. (250 words/1600 characters)
- Please tell us about your public interest work, e.g., volunteering, board service, personal projects, community engagement, and aspirations. (250 words/1600 characters)
- Tell us about a time when you worked across some kind of difference (e.g., across sectors, across functions, across ideological differences, etc.). What was the situation and what did you do? (250 words/1600 character)
- (Greater MSP Cohort) Why would the Program for which you are applying better serve you, than the Program for which you aren’t applying, in developing your network and ideas for contributing to public good in your city, community, region, or the state of Minnesota? (250 words/1600 characters)
- (Optional) What’s something you want us to know about you or your life experience that we didn’t ask? (250 words/1600 character
Application Process & Form
Nominations and applications for MYALP 2025 are now closed.
The Program will gather cohorts from the Greater Fargo-Moorhead, Greater Mankato, Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, Greater St. Cloud, and Northeast MN regions. There are no costs for participants to attend.
Interested in Nominating an Individual?
Requirements
As a Program focused on building cross-sector capacity for public good, we seek high potential individuals who have:
Have a minimum of seven years full-time professional work experience including one or more of the following -
- Experience leading a function, working group, committee, task force, department, division, or organization
- Experience leading a cross- organization, cross division, or cross-departmental process
- Experience representing an organization, constituency, geography or community
- Designation by your organization as a “high potential” employee (or similar designation reflecting assessment as someone who has the ability, commitment, and motivation to succeed in more senior positions in the organization)
An interest and/or demonstrated experience in -
- Collaborating across the for-profit, government, and non-profit sectors for the good of their city, state, or region
- Working across differences such as race, ideology and sector
- Making time available on an ongoing basis to collaborate with other leaders for public good
Questions to Consider When Nominating
Civic Engagement: What makes this person’s civic track record distinctive? Examples of impact?
Runway: Where does this person sit in the balance between track record and runway? How can the MYALP experience accelerate or alter this person’s trajectory?
Be open, bring expertise: Can they engage across regional topics? Can they successfully engage across differences? Do they have an opportunity to apply the program learnings? Does the person have a wide breadth of interests/issue areas?
Nomination Process & Form
Nominations and applications for MYALP 2025 are now closed.
The Program will gather cohorts from the Greater Fargo-Moorhead, Greater Mankato, Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, Greater St. Cloud, and Northeast MN regions. There are no costs for participants to attend.
Nominations require your name and the applicant’s name, email, sector, and regional affiliation. Nominators will also have the opportunity to share a few words about what this person would contribute or gain from the Program. This information will then be shared with the nominee.
Once we receive your nomination, we will reach out to the applicant with an invitation to apply. Applicants will need to apply to be considered for the cohort.
MYALP Partners
Growing from a partnership among the University of Minnesota’s Center for Integrative Leadership, the Itasca Project, and the Harvard Business School, the Program originated in 2019 and shares themes as well as selected faculty and content with Harvard Business School’s national Young American Leaders Program.
Regional Selection Partners
Each region has its own local selection organization, which distributed the call for nominations and applications and coordinates the selection process. These partners are:
Greater Fargo-Moorhead:
Greater Mankato:
Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul:
Greater Rochester:
Greater St. Cloud:
Northeast MN:
Contact
MYALP Alumni Only: Please click the link below to update your email address, organization and/or job title with the Program.