NBA Honors Inaugural Black Women’s Leadership Experience Cohort and Future Growth
September 11, 2026 | by NBA Cares
By Rev. Bere Gil Soto, NBA’s Director of Young Adult Leadership Development
NBA celebrates the completion of the inaugural Black Women’s Leadership Experience (BWLE) pilot residential cohort, a milestone that marks both the culmination of a transformative journey and the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Over the past two years, BWLE has created space for young adult Black women to explore leadership, vocation, wellness, spiritual formation, and community engagement within a womanist-centered framework designed to support the whole person.
As staff, mentors, community partners, and denominational leaders gathered this summer for a send-off and evaluation retreat, the focus was not only on celebrating accomplishments, but also discerning what has been learned and what comes next.
The program’s foundation rests on five interconnected values: community, authenticity, healing, self-love, and creativity. These values shaped every aspect of the pilot, and this pilot cohort affirmed that when wellness, sisterhood, social and theological self-reflection, and community engagement are woven together with intention, they create a powerful leadership development experience for young Black women.
One of the clearest signs of the pilot’s impact was the leadership our resident Aliyah Perkins demonstrated, culminating in a capstone project and community-based leadership initiative. Through her work placement with Girls Inc. of Washington D.C., she developed programming for teenage girls, cultivated leadership skills, and created the “Unstoppable Girls Summit,” an event designed to help young girls embrace authenticity, leadership, and community. As she reflected on her capstone, Aliyah shared, “My hope is that every girl left knowing one simple but powerful truth: You do not have to become someone else to be successful. You are already enough, and your voice, experiences, and leadership matter.” Her work reflects BWLE’s broader vision of leadership rooted in identity, wellness, purpose, and service.
The pilot was not without challenges. Throughout the journey, BWLE navigated transitions, staffing changes, mentorship adjustments, housing shifts, cohort changes, and even health concerns. Yet, one thing remained true: we embraced the “water-adaptable” vision of our program. Just as water always has the same chemical components, but converts to different forms based on environmental conditions, we responded to change while remaining grounded in our purpose and values. One of the strongest insights from the challenges we faced is that young adults flourish when their leadership development is supported by a village.
Looking ahead, we are excited to expand opportunities for young adult Black women to connect, learn, and grow together through a series of intergenerational retreats. Building on the momentum of earlier gatherings, BWLE will host retreats this fall in Indianapolis, IN and Raleigh, NC, followed by two more in Spring 2027, one in Texas and one in California. These retreats will bring Black women across generations together to cultivate relationships, explore leadership and vocation, and strengthen networks of support and discernment while centering wellness.
While designing and planning for a second cohort is already underway, we are incorporating lessons learned and exploring an updated model that builds upon the pilot’s strengths. We envision launching this next cohort of the BWLE residential program in late summer 2027, creating new opportunities for young adult Black women seeking a transformative and holistic leadership development experience.
As we celebrate this occasion, we give thanks for everyone who contributed to the pilot: residents, mentors, worksite supervisors, staff, congregations, supporters, and community partners. Their willingness to imagine something new, learn together, adapt when needed, and remain committed to the flourishing of young Black women made this work possible. We look forward to deepening these partnerships and welcoming new ones!
For more information about the BWLE intergenerational retreats or the residential program, please contact Rev. Bere Gil Soto, Director of Young Adult Leadership Development, by clicking here.