[CHICAGO] August 26, 2026 — Today, the Surge Institute officially announced the launch of Surge@Work, an initiative designed to bring Surge’s signature equity-centered leadership development directly to nonprofit organizations and companies.
Since 2015, Surge has expanded the impact of cohorts of education leaders. Surge@Work translates that experience for organizations by offering employee training, employee resource group (ERG) facilitation, and custom programming. Benefits for organizations include increased employee confidence and connection, stronger leadership capacity, higher employee engagement and retention, and greater team collaboration.
Building on the momentum of its highly successful pilot phase, which included national beta tests, Surge@Work is transitioning into its market launch. As the Surge Institute evaluates local context and readiness during its national rollout, feedback from the beta period highlights that 90% of early participants reported an increased ability to lead authentically.
“At Surge, we know that transforming organizations requires equipping both individual leaders and their teams with the tools, community, and equity-centered practices needed to thrive,” said Janaia Nash, Chief Program Officer at the Surge Institute, who leads the Surge@Work initiative. “Surge@Work allows us to meet organizations right where they are and build their skills for collective impact.”
With facilitators that bring decades of experience, Surge@Work provides tailored solutions through interactive workshops and learning modules that address specific organizational goals, culture challenges, and equity priorities. Sessions are offered on-site and virtually, designed to fit an organization’s schedule and budget.
To learn more about Surge@Work, visit surgeinstitute.org/surge-at-work.
About Surge Institute
The Surge Institute is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering emerging leaders of color who create transformative change in education and youth-serving organizations. Through fellowship programs, organizational consulting, and community-building initiatives, Surge seeks to develop, connect, and elevate diverse leaders to redesign education to serve all youth equitably. Learn more at surgeinstitute.org.
About Surge@Work
Surge@Work is the professional development arm of the Surge Institute. It brings Surge’s transformative leadership experiences directly to schools, nonprofits, and businesses through customized workshops, executive coaching, and team development strategy.
