Black leadership is not only about breaking barriers, but building the systems that make progress last. A century after the first Black History commemorations, the question is no longer who rises, but what they build so others can rise too.

At this month’s Ripped from the Headlines salon, Andrea Bonime-Blanc joined Athena members to examine the geopolitical tectonic shifts reshaping the global order and what they mean for business leadership in an era of rising uncertainty.

We like to imagine moral clarity as something we already possess. Jeff Sebo suggests instead that morality is an unfinished project, one that grows messier, not simpler, as we encounter new kinds of minds.

Better pitches don’t win the best stages; trust does. Bobbie Carlton breaks down how speakers move from chasing gigs to getting invited back again and again.

In our first Ripped from the Headlines Salon of the year, Andrea Bonime-Blanc and Athena members explored where corporate responsibility and sustainability are headed in 2026 beyond “DEI” and “ESG.”

Board work today is less quarterly oversight and more real-time leadership under pressure. Glenda Dorchak, a former CEO and nine-time public company director, distills what’s changed and what still holds boards back across governance, composition, and culture.

What if “aging well” isn’t about squeezing more years out of life, but redesigning the life those years will hold? Through Kirsten Wolberg’s bold, practical vision, longevity becomes a question of how we live, work, and belong.

Visionary leaders are wired to build and expand, but lasting growth demands something quieter. Athena member Kelli Richards shares why her own season of retreat became a crucible for deeper leadership and clarity.