Leadership Fairfax

What Leadership Fairfax does

Leadership Fairfax is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (now the Northern Virginia Chamber, NVC) and headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. The organization develops, connects, and inspires leaders across business, nonprofit, and government sectors in the Greater Northern Virginia Region through cohort-based leadership development programs. Its core program portfolio includes the Leadership Fairfax Institute (LFI), a nine-month flagship program priced at $5,700 for established leaders; the Empowering Leaders Institute (ELI), a ten-month skill-building program at $3,700 for high-potential employees; the Inclusive Leadership Institute (ILI), an eight-month racial equity program priced at $3,500-$4,500 with tiered nonprofit/government versus corporate pricing; and the Young Leaders Institute (YLI), offered free to youth councils and committees in Fairfax County.

The organization's revenue model combines one-time program tuition, recurring alumni memberships ($150 basic and $300 Friend tier), tiered corporate sponsorships, and individual donations including the Karen Cleveland Scholarship Fund and the Verdia Lee Haywood Campaign for Inclusive Leadership. Leadership Fairfax runs 200+ educational events annually, maintains a 2,500+ alumni network contributing 350,000+ community service hours, and produces signature events including the Northern Virginia Leadership Awards and the joint NOVA 40 Under 40 recognition program with The Leadership Center of Arlington. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on a Neon One-powered website and CRM for membership, donations, and program applications. The organization operates with a small professional staff of 1-10 employees under President & CEO Kia Cole-Hines, who was appointed in October 2023, and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investors.

Name

Leadership Fairfax

Legal name

Leadership Fairfax

Website

https://leadershipfairfax.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leadership Fairfax is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 that delivers cohort-based civic leadership development programs (LFI, ELI, ILI, YLI), alumni membership, and signature events to professionals across business, nonprofit, and government sectors in the Greater Northern Virginia Region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Revenue from leadership development programs including LFI ($5,700), ELI ($3,700), and ILI ($3,500-$4,500). Programs include application fees ($100) and deposits ($500).
2. Membership Fees: Annual alumni membership at $150 for basic membership and $300 for Friend membership. Membership runs September through August.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for programs and events through tiered sponsorship packages for organizations seeking visibility with Northern Virginia leadership community.
4. Donations and Scholarships: Individual and corporate donations including the Karen Cleveland Scholarship Fund and Verdia Lee Haywood campaign benefiting the Inclusive Leadership Institute. Monthly giving options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Leadership Fairfax is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that develops, connects, and inspires leaders of diverse backgrounds through cohort-based civic leadership programs in the Greater Northern Virginia Region. Its core offerings include the Leadership Fairfax Institute (LFI), Empowering Leaders Institute (ELI), Inclusive Leadership Institute (ILI), and Young Leaders Institute (YLI), supplemented by professional facilitation services, signature events, alumni membership, and corporate sponsorship programs.

Product overview

Leadership Fairfax is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 that develops, connects, and inspires leaders of diverse backgrounds through multiple program offerings. The organization operates a portfolio of four core leadership development programs: the Leadership Fairfax Institute (LFI), a nine-month flagship program for established leaders; the Empowering Leaders Institute (ELI), a 10-month skill-building program for high-potential employees; the Inclusive Leadership Institute (ILI), an 8-month racial equity program; and the Young Leaders Institute (YLI), a free program for youth councils. Beyond direct programming, Leadership Fairfax offers professional facilitation services, signature events including the Northern Virginia Leadership Awards and NOVA 40 Under 40, and an alumni membership program with tiered annual fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leadership Fairfax Institute (LFI): Premier civic leadership program for established leaders and professionals from business, nonprofit, and government sectors in Greater Northern Virginia Region
• Empowering Leaders Institute (ELI)
• Inclusive Leadership Institute (ILI)
• Youth Leadership Network (YLN)

Products and services

• Leadership Fairfax Institute (LFI) A nine-month premier civic leadership program for established mid-to-senior-level leaders from business, nonprofit, and government sectors throughout the Greater Northern Virginia Region. Includes experiential learning, site visits, leadership assessments, bus trip to Richmond, and direct engagement with community decision-makers.
• Empowering Leaders Institute (ELI) A 10-month skill-based program for high-potential employees focused on core leadership competencies including project management, conflict resolution, negotiation, communication, and public speaking, with six hours of professional coaching and community service projects.
• Inclusive Leadership Institute (ILI) An 8-month program for Fairfax County leaders seeking to deepen understanding of the historical foundations and consequences of racism in systems, guiding participants through structured dialogue on racial equity with tiered pricing for nonprofit, government, and corporate participants.
• Young Leaders Institute (YLI) A youth leadership development program connecting young people through volunteer, internship, and leadership training opportunities in Fairfax County, offering free workshops for youth councils and committees.
• Professional Facilitation Services Certified facilitation services for teams, organizations, and community groups including CliftonStrengths workshops, Open Space Technology sessions, nonprofit board compliance training, 'Friday Night at the ER' simulation, and Board Service 101 training.
• Alumni Membership Program Annual alumni membership with $150 basic membership and $300 Friend membership, providing access to member directory, signature event discounts, Lunch and Learn events, Board and Brew events, job board, volunteer opportunities, and e-newsletter.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2500+ alumni making positive impact in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC) / Fairfax County Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987Founded in 1987 by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (now NVC). The chamber ecosystem provides access to business leaders and corporate membership base for program participants and alumni.
• The Leadership Center of ArlingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with The Leadership Center of Arlington to recognize young leaders through the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40 program. This co-branded initiative celebrates emerging leaders under 40 who demonstrate exceptional leadership in Northern Virginia.
• Greater Reston Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber of commerce member providing networking and promotional support within the Reston business community.
• Central Fairfax Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber of commerce member providing networking and promotional support within the Central Fairfax business community.
• Northern Virginia Black Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber of commerce member providing networking and promotional support within the Black business community in Northern Virginia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Leadership Greater Washington: Regional civic leadership program serving the broader DC metro area, including Northern Virginia. Comparable in cohort structure, alumni network model, and cross-sector leadership development mission.
• Center for Nonprofit Excellence: Charlottesville-based nonprofit capacity-building organization offering leadership and board training to nonprofits. Comparable in cohort-style programs and target audience of nonprofit and civic leaders in Virginia.
• Leadership Center of Arlington: Direct peer running civic leadership cohorts for Arlington, VA. Already a co-branding partner with Leadership Fairfax on the NOVA 40 Under 40 program, confirming directly comparable cohort model and target market.
• Leadership Center for Excellence (Fairfax): Direct regional peer operating civic leadership programs and recognition events for Northern Virginia leaders. Highly comparable in mission, cohort format, and alumni-network-driven model serving the same Fairfax County geography.

Regional players

• Leadership Philadelphia: Regional civic leadership program serving Greater Philadelphia. Highly comparable cohort model, alumni network structure, and cross-sector leadership development mission in a different geography.
• Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber partner providing networking and promotional support to Leadership Fairfax. Comparable business-community engagement and overlap with potential program participants.
• Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce: Founder and ongoing strategic partner of Leadership Fairfax; offers its own networking and leadership programming. Comparable regional business-community engagement, but as a chamber rather than a cohort-based leadership nonprofit.

Broad incumbents

• National Civic League: National nonprofit advancing civic engagement and inclusive governance. Comparable mission of developing civic leaders across sectors, though operating at national rather than regional scale.
• Points of Light Foundation: National nonprofit promoting volunteerism and civic engagement. Director of Leadership Programs at Leadership Fairfax is a Points of Light Civic Circle graduate, signaling ecosystem overlap and shared mission.
• Center for Creative Leadership: Established national/international leadership development provider offering cohort programs, coaching, and facilitation. Operates broadly in the same leadership training category as Leadership Fairfax but at much larger scale with corporate focus rather than civic mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FfxLeadership
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeadershipFairfax
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadership-fairfax

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leadership Fairfax