Diversity in Leadership Institute

What Diversity in Leadership Institute does

Diversity in Leadership Institute is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 as a spin-off of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA). It develops racially diverse school leaders in California through two fellowship programs: the Aspiring Principals of Color Fellowship, co-delivered with Loyola Marymount University, and the Diverse Leaders Fellowship, launched in 2025 in partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE). The organization also convenes the Principal of Color Network and is building the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition with 17+ partner organizations, and reports reaching 15,000+ children through the leaders it develops.

The organization operates with a small team (1–10 employees) and a California-only geographic focus. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery is program- and cohort-based, drawing on partnerships with institutions of higher education and county offices of education. Revenue is generated through donations and grants, with $10M+ reported as raised cumulatively since founding. Leadership is anchored by founder and CEO Dr. Laura McGowan-Robinson.

The business model is a nonprofit, grant- and donation-funded model in which "customers" are best characterized as programmatic partners (districts, charter schools, universities) and the beneficiaries are the racially diverse school leaders and the students they serve. Programmatic growth has come through adding fellowship tracks and coalition-building rather than through commercial product expansion, and the organization's strategic posture is concentrated on deepening influence within the California K–12 leadership pipeline.

Name

Diversity in Leadership Institute

Legal name

Diversity in Leadership Institute

Website

https://diversityinleadership.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

School Leader / Administrator Certification & Licensure Boards (EDADAJAM)

Keywords

• Educational leadership development
• School administrator training
• Diversity equity inclusion
• Nonprofit education programs
• Principal fellowship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: DLI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. The organization states donations will help increase racial diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competence among charter school and district administrators.
2. Program Services Revenue: The Aspiring Principals of Color Fellowship offers a low-cost option for program participants to remove financial burden. The Diverse Leaders Fellowship is tuition- and fee-free through the Diverse Education Leadership Pipeline Initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DLI identifies, develops, and supports racially diverse K-12 public school administrators in California through tuition-free and low-cost fellowship programs (Diverse Leaders Fellowship with LACOE; Aspiring Principals of Color Fellowship with Loyola Marymount University), RDEI consultancy services to school districts and charter schools, the Principal of Color Network, and the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. It also publishes original research on school leadership diversity and hosts signature convenings such as the Amplify Summit and DLI Wellness Retreat.

Product overview

The Diversity in Leadership Institute offers a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on developing racially diverse and culturally competent educational leaders in California. The core offerings include two flagship fellowship programs: the 12-month Diverse Leaders Fellowship (in partnership with LACOE) and the 16-month Aspiring Principals of Color Fellowship (in partnership with Loyola Marymount University). These are complemented by consultancy services for districts and schools, the Principal of Color Network for ongoing peer support, coalition building through the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition, signature events including the Wellness Retreat and Amplify Summit, and research publications that inform advocacy efforts. The organization operates as a nonprofit focused on movement building, talent pipeline development, and advocacy rather than a traditional software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diverse Leaders Fellowship A 12-month, tuition-free leadership development fellowship for aspiring and current diverse K-12 school administrators in Los Angeles County, developed in partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Equips leaders in culturally responsive school leadership practices and includes Preliminary Administrative Credential support and School Leader of Color Network Membership.
• Aspiring Principals of Color Fellowship A 16-month fellowship program for aspiring, rising, and current school leaders of color, offered in partnership with Loyola Marymount University. Focused on Cultural Responsive School Leadership, racial diversity, equity, and inclusion, and aligned with California administrative credentialing requirements; offered at a low-cost option to remove financial burden for participants.
• DLI Consultancy Services Consultancy engagements delivered to K-12 school districts and charter school networks, providing workshops, evaluation of current RDEI philosophies and practices, proposing solutions, performing assessments and reflections, and continued support including community and network access through the Principal of Color Network.
• Principal of Color Network A network for principals of color that convenes several times a year to share best practices, celebrate successes, challenge each other, network, provide opportunities for promotion, provide safe spaces for leaders of color to engage in, and advocate for systems responsive to the needs of the most marginalized students.
• Amplify Summit A two-day virtual summit to prepare, support, and sustain California's public school leaders of color, featuring interactive panel discussions with exemplary Black and Latinx K-12 school leaders, healing circles addressing racism and bias, and professional development for educators.
• DLI Wellness Retreat A three-day transformative retreat designed to center the healing, restoration, and leadership of equity-driven educators and leaders of color, featuring wellness workshops, affinity-based healing spaces, mindfulness and movement practices, and nature-based reflection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows students of color have better academic and behavioral outcomes when in schools led by administrators of color.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Loyola Marymount University, School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for the Aspiring Principals of Color Fellowship - a 16-month program launched Fall 2021 in partnership with LMU School of Education. Aligned with California administrative credentialing requirements. Also partners on research including the 'How School Leaders of Color Retain Teachers of Color' study.
• Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Diverse Leaders Fellowship - a 12-month tuition-free credentialing fellowship for aspiring and current diverse school administrators in Los Angeles County. Developed in partnership with LACOE to equip leaders in culturally responsive school leadership practices.
• Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. EdLoC is a membership organization dedicated to elevating the leadership, voices and influence of people of color in education.
• Association of California School Administrators (ACSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. ACSA is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the U.S., serving more than 17,000 CA educators.
• California Charter Schools Association (CCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. CCSA advances the charter school movement through state and local advocacy, leadership on accountability, and resources for member schools.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. UNCF works to increase the number of African American college graduates by focusing on college readiness, enrollment, and graduation.
• Teach for America: Los AngelesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Works in partnership with the Los Angeles community to ensure all children receive an excellent education.
• Educators for Excellence (E4E)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. E4E ensures that teachers have a leading voice in the policies that impact their students and profession.
• Alliance for a Better CommunitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. A Los Angeles-based advocacy organization working towards equitable outcomes for the Latino community in education, civic engagement, economic prosperity, and health.
• Innovate Public SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Works to ensure all students receive a world-class public education that prepares them for success in college and careers.
• EdTrust-WestmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Focused on educational justice and closing achievement and opportunity gaps through research, data, policy analysis, and advocacy.
• Center for Powerful Public SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Provides personalized services to public schools and districts in Greater Los Angeles and across California.
• Center for Black Educator DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Works to increase the number of Black teachers in public district and charter schools and promote anti-discriminatory, culturally-responsive educational practices.
• Watts of Power FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Creating a pipeline of Black male teachers.
• National Charter CollaborativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Supports single-site charter schools led by people of color so the schools can have the support they need to foster success in their students.
• Families in ActionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Founded in 2019 to bring attention to education disparities and urgently increase access to quality schools and equitable resources.
• Black Educator Advocates NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Transforming the environment, practices and policies that affect the educational experience for Black educators, administrators, students, and parents.
• EdVoicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Charting the Course to Equity Coalition. Reshaping public education in California by changing state policy so that children from low-income communities receive high-quality educations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Teach Plus: National nonprofit developing teacher and teacher-leader policy advocates from underrepresented backgrounds. Comparable program model (fellowship/advocacy) for cultivating diverse education leaders.
• Teach For America: National corps-based leadership pipeline developing educators and leaders for low-income communities, with a major presence in Los Angeles. Peer on talent-pipeline development, fellowship-style training, and principal-track alumni engagement.
• New Leaders: National nonprofit that recruits, trains, and supports equity-minded school leaders through principal preparation and leadership development. Highly comparable to DLI's fellowship-based school-leader development model.
• The Education Trust-West (EdTrust-West): California-focused educational justice and equity research/advocacy organization addressing opportunity gaps. Peer on equity research, policy advocacy, and California K-12 focus.
• Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC): Membership organization dedicated to elevating the leadership, voices and influence of people of color in education. Direct peer: a core Charting the Course to Equity Coalition partner pursuing the same mission of growing diverse K-12 leadership pipelines.
• Center for Black Educator Development: Pipeline nonprofit working to increase Black teachers in district and charter schools and promote culturally responsive practice. Charting the Course to Equity Coalition partner and very direct peer on Black leadership pipeline work.
• The Broad Center: Organization developing senior K-12 system leaders (superintendents, CMO leaders) from diverse backgrounds. Comparable mission of placing equity-driven leaders in school systems, but focused on district/system executives.

Regional players

• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): National organization increasing African American college graduates through scholarships and leadership programming. Coalition partner to DLI with overlapping minority-leadership mission but operating nationally and at higher-education level.

Broad incumbents

• Association of California School Administrators (ACSA): Largest umbrella organization for California school leaders, serving 17,000+ CA educators. Broader incumbent that overlaps with DLI's Principal of Color Network and coalition partners.
• California Charter Schools Association (CCSA): Statewide charter school membership organization from which DLI was spun off. Incumbent with overlapping charter-school leader advocacy but vastly larger footprint and budget.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dil_institute
• Facebookfacebook.com/DILInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diversity-in-leadership-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Diversity in Leadership Institute