Network Leaders Learning Cohort
August - November 2026
Application open until June 12, 2026
Nominate a participant here no later than May 29, 2026.
An Opportunity for Network Leaders Driving Change in the Face of Complexity
Today's most pressing challenges, such as climate change, the housing crisis, and disinformation, are too complex for single organizations to solve alone. Networks offer a more adaptive, collaborative, and durable way to achieve impact.
Yet, while networks hold immense potential, leading them effectively requires a unique set of skills, including leadership competencies that differ from those that are traditionally taught and rewarded. This program supports leaders who are navigating complexity, building trust across difference, and mobilizing diverse partners toward shared purpose.
Program Snapshot
Facilitated by Third Plateau, in partnership with Contina Impact, the Network Leaders Learning Cohort is offered to professionals in the social impact sector who lead, manage, convene, or facilitate networks—whether formally or informally. This free, grant-funded cohort program is designed to help emerging network-minded leaders develop the skills to drive meaningful change through networks.
Through a series of interactive, small-group learning sessions, participants will explore how to lead with influence rather than authority, balance strategic tension, and build resilient, effective networks in service of social impact. The program will take place through a series of six highly participatory virtual sessions, spanning two and a half months from late August to early November. Participants will gather in small groups once between each session for structured peer sharing.
Participants must commit to attending all six pre-scheduled sessions to be considered. Sessions will take place from 10am-12pm PT/1pm-3pm ET on August 26, September 9, September 23, October 7, October 21, and November 4.
About Contina Learning Cohorts
Contina Impact’s Learning Cohorts are programs designed to address critical gaps in the nonprofit sector by fostering professional growth, building organizational capacity, and providing tailored technical assistance. Each offering focuses on a distinct area of support: service-specific communities of practice, field-specific capacity-building cohorts, and skill-based technical assistance.
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We are intentionally not being overly prescriptive about definitions, but generally speaking, we mean a group of organizations working together as equal partners to make progress on an issue of common concern.
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We are seeking 10-15 professionals who lead, manage, convene, or facilitate networks—formally or informally—in the social impact sector. Space is limited, and selected participants will join a community of forward-thinking leaders dedicated to advancing network-driven impact.
Ideal candidates will:
Have at least one year of experience designing, leading, or supporting networks for social change
Be eager to learn, share, and connect with other network-minded leaders
Commit to attending all six sessions (scheduling will be based on participant availability)
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No, but they do need to be available 10am-12pm PT / 1-3pm ET, on August 26, September 9, September 23, October 7, October 21, and November 4.
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We are open to a variety of levels of experience, but generally speaking we are looking for individuals that fit this profile: enough experience working with networks to have robust examples or questions to bring to the group but not so senior that it will be difficult to attend all 6 live virtual sessions. The program is ideal for individuals who are already engaged in some kind of network management or network leadership but are eager for more learning and peer connections to help them in their work.
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By the end of this three-month experience, participants will have:
Practical fluency in network theory and network leadership;
Ability to make more informed choices about network design, network composition, and network iteration;
Confidence to embrace emergence, adaptability, and complexity;
Strategies to deepen relationships, trust, and coordination across organizations and individuals to achieve lasting change; and
A peer community of fellow network leaders.
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Participants will engage in six virtual, highly interactive small-group learning sessions (2 hours each, held monthly) designed to deepen their network leadership skills, help them process real-time challenges, and build lasting relationships. Sessions will follow a structured learning arc and incorporate:
Peer consultancies and real-time problem-solving
Guest speakers and expert insights
Case studies of effective network leadership
Partner-based learning and collaboration
Light readings between sessions to enrich discussions
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Third Plateau is an impact consultancy partnering with philanthropy, nonprofits, and communities to build the infrastructure of change.
Meet the facilitators, Emily Thielmann and Maya Kageyama, below.
Meet the Facilitators
Emily Thielmann, Vice President at Third Plateau, has 15 years of experience designing, facilitating, and leading networks in the social sector. She has worked on issues ranging from youth employment pathways to K-12 family engagement to democracy. She cares about a lot of issues and is drawn to networks as a way to make meaningful progress on pretty much all of them.
At Third Plateau, she supports an array of field-building initiatives, mostly among those funders, practitioners, and thought leaders looking to build a brighter future for American democracy. Emily facilitates learning, action, and network-building among donors across the country. Prior to Third Plateau, Emily spent 7 years at Maine’s Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy working to improve long-term outcomes for youth and families by convening cross-cutting networks of young people, families, policymakers, state and local government, funders, and nonprofit leaders.
Emily has a bachelor’s in philosophy from Vassar College and a master’s in Public Policy and Management from the Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine. She lives in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.
Maya Kageyama, Senior Director and Executive Coach at Third Plateau, specializes in strategic planning, facilitation, and coaching. Maya facilitates thoughtful and collaborative processes to support leaders, teams, and organizations to align their values, purpose, and strategies, to deepen their impact and bring their shared visions to life. With a background in health equity, she has nearly a decade of experience helping nonprofits and public programs strengthen relationships, deepen collaboration, and drive community impact.
Prior to Third Plateau, Maya served as the Training & Development Manager at a national health advocacy organization, where she provided capacity building assistance for community-based organizations, health departments, and national coalitions around the country to deliver HIV prevention services and culturally-tailored community health programs. Maya holds a B.A. from Hampshire College, a master’s in Public Health from the University of San Francisco, and coaching certifications from the Neuroleadership Institute and Leadership That Works.
