Accelerate your career with Athena Academy
Athena Academy offers the best of community and skills building in an intimate, cohort-based setting. Whether you are looking to move up in your executive career, position yourself for board service, navigate a transition, or architect your next act, our programs are designed to help you realize your full potential. Led by top experts, our diverse range of thoughtfully curated programs support your unique aspirations, forming the cornerstone of your Portfolio of Impact™. Explore the programs that resonate with your goals, and let us empower you to shape your future!
Programs
Modern Board Readiness
Tailored for the board seeker, but equally relevant and impactful for the executive looking to develop a strategic approach to leading the business. The curriculum is designed in two parts. First, deeply understand the job of the board and the essentials of board leadership across the full landscape of company types—from public to VC, family-owned, PE and ESOPs—and find your place within it. Then, define your unique board value proposition, learn how to build and leverage your network to find the right opportunities, and get tips to nail the board interview. Led by experienced board directors sharing best practices and practical advice, you’ll deepen your understanding, build your confidence, and create connections that will help advance your path to the boardroom.
Your board journey involves more than learning the skills and doesn’t end with the last session. From office hours to peer groups to help with resume and bio writing and connecting you with board opportunities, our support extends long after you’ve graduated so that you can gather feedback, ask for advice, and get guidance from other women leaders who know where you’ve been and what you’re going through.
Unleash Your Impact: Executive Excellence
Even athletes at the top of their game rely on coaches to continually hone their performance and sharpen their effectiveness. High performance leaders, those looking to harness the next big opportunity, need the same. Crafted for senior leaders aiming higher within the corporate ecosystem, this program is equally relevant for women looking to build their own business or play bigger within their field. Led by top Athena coaches and leadership experts, this program provides the secret sauce of how to combine your technical expertise with effective presence and leadership skills. Unleash Your Impact helps your break through, by providing a roadmap to move from competence to high impact leadership at the top levels of any organization.
Architect Your Next Chapter
Whether you have been thrust into a transition or you’ve been contemplating a new move for a while, thinking about your next act can be exciting or intimidating — usually both. Figuring out what’s next is a lot like the creative process … the end product is a masterpiece but getting there can feel messy. The key is peeling back the layers of who and what you’ve been so far to make space for what’s next, waiting in the wings for you.
Your transition can transform in the generative space we will create together:
⇾ Where your capacity to evolve will be set in motion
⇾ Where you will elevate the purpose and meaning of your life—past, present, and future—and weave it all together into a clear and impactful whole
⇾ Where you will redefine your connection to the heart and soul of your power
⇾ Where you will forge new ground as a woman of impact and influence
In this program, we walk you through the process. Together we’ll identify and un-learn messages and old paradigms that may be holding you back. You’ll learn how to tap the well of your own personal mission, vision, values, find new pathways that hold inspiration, joy and meaning. You’ll come away empowered, clearer and with a new set of competencies and tools, including your own personal, bespoke wheel of impact to guide you forward into your next chapter.
Become an Investor
Investing in venture-backed companies offers the potential for substantial financial returns. Just as importantly, startup investors have the power to decide which problems get solved and which entrepreneurs solve them.
Our latest offering from the Athena Academy is an expert-led, comprehensive deep dive into the world of venture investing. Over eight weeks, participants will explore the lifecycle of startups, the different types of investors, and the various investment platforms including angel investing, venture funds, and secondary market transactions. The course covers critical aspects of the investment process, including deal sourcing, due diligence, company valuation, and return on investment calculations. Participants will also gain insights into venture contracts, learn key terms and get practice evaluating how such terms can impact returns and access to information and decision making. Participants will then put their new knowledge into practice and gain invaluable experience by hearing and evaluating real startup-up pitches.
By the end of the course, participants will have developed a robust understanding of venture investing and the startup ecosystem. They will be equipped with the skills to analyze and select investment opportunities, evaluate investment contracts, and make decisions about whether and where to invest. This course is ideal for aspiring anc current angel investors, venture fund LP’s, and anyone interested in the dynamic landscape of startups and venture capital. Join us to become a savvy and sophisticated investor in this dynamic and fascinating asset class, and help shape the future you want to see.
Build a Company
This program turns the entrepreneurial spirit into an actionable plan to build a company from the ground up. Explore the essentials required to build a company to scale, including business modeling, incorporation, equity, fundraising, product market fit, orchestration of team hiring, and more.
Weekly Engagement: Connect with Athena leadership, your cohort, and faculty through collaborative sessions and weekly office hours.
Guidance and Support: Receive tailored guidance, additional resources, coaching options, and personalized strategies to shape your path.
Community Connection: Join a dedicated Slack group for real-time interaction with your cohort.
Ongoing Peer Group: Graduate into a Peer Group that becomes your community for the full 12 months of membership.
All the Benefits of Membership: an on-demand library, frequent in-person meetups, a range of Peer Groups, ongoing Salons, and 1:1 live personalized support to make the connections you need to move forward.
The Athena Academy Experience
Our programs are not just courses; they are comprehensive experiences. Join Athena Alliance through Athena Academy to immediately connect with the community and strategically leverage our valuable resources and vast network.
Add on personalized support to create your documents with an experienced executive and board recruiter or to receive 1:1 coaching with top executive coaches. Our holistic, proven approach ensures you take advantage of all Athena has to offer in service to your goals. To learn more about our package offerings and pricing, book a membership consultation today.
Featured Faculty
Learn from some of the top leadership and board experts in the world. We’ve thoughtfully selected a variety of faculty who offer diverse perspectives on executive leadership and board service that you won’t find anywhere else.
Current and past faculty include:
Board Experts
Colleen Brown
Nora Denzel
Shelly Lombard
Myrna Soto
Gail Marcus
Jeannie Diefenderfer
Jessica Lau
Rochelle Campbell
Leadership Experts
Monique Edwards
Lee Epting
Sheryl Kline
Jocelyn King
Julianna Hynes
Hillary Wicht
Erin Essenmacher
Coco Brown
Testimonials
“The industry experts were excellent: very knowledgeable, good examples, and very relevant discussions.”
“The information I am craving and really needed. I can apply this info NOW.”
“Very clear, great organization and resources provided. The examples really drove great conversation, questions, and chat.”