For those leading commercial revitalization efforts in their communities— whether working in a Business Improvement District, Merchant Association, local development corporation, Chamber of Commerce or other nonprofit organization—Coro’s Neighborhood Leadership program provides our city’s top talent with the resources they need to understand how to influence meaningful change and address complex challenges within their neighborhoods. Using New York as a classroom, Neighborhood Leadership participants are deeply immersed in commercial revitalization strategies and are given the opportunity to build leadership skills through intensive training and peer-to-peer learning. Participants leave the program equipped with the knowledge and skills to drive change in their own neighborhoods and an unparalleled network of engaged civic leaders from which to continue to build and grow.
Knowledge
Neighborhood Leadership deeply immerses participants in building individual and collaborative capacity for practicing leadership and bringing about change in their communities.
Skills
Neighborhood Leadership uses the City of New York as a lab to explore, test and build effective commercial revitalization strategies to adapt and thrive in challenging environments.
Network
Neighborhood Leadership connects participants to an accomplished community of Coro Neighborhood Leadership alumni, City leaders, and the broader Coro community from all industries and sectors, who are dedicated to supporting one another and to improve the City in which we live and work.
Each year, the NL Program accepts 20 successful nonprofit management professionals who are leading commercial revitalization efforts in their communities—for example, working in a Business Improvement District, Merchant Association, local development corporation, Chamber of Commerce, or other nonprofit organization. Selected participants reflect the demographics of New York City, with at least half serving low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. Applicants should be prepared for an immersive, group-structured experience in commercial revitalization strategies and leadership development exploration.
Candidate Requirements:
TRAINING & PEER CONSULTING
Over the course of the program, participants develop close ties with members of their cohort through intensive training and peer consulting. Many alumni remain connected with members of their cohort long after they participated in the program.
EXPERT INTERVIEWS
Participants are exposed to a range of stakeholders – from commercial revitalization and government leaders to the broader Neighborhood Leadership alumni community – to explore a variety of commercial revitalization strategies and resources they can apply to their work. They also gain an awareness of multiple stakeholder perspectives and the benefits of collaboration to drive change.
ISSUE EXPLORATION
Participants leave with a deeper understanding of strategies, issues, and interests that cannot be learned by simply reading a book.
NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE
During the nine-month program, participants are applying their learning in real-time to better achieve desired outcomes of a project they identify.
LEADERSHIP EXERCISES
Neighborhood Leadership presents participants with an array of leadership development tools and challenges to push them to explore all aspects of an issue and navigate varying stakeholder interests to enhance leadership skills.
Program fees are waived due to the generous support of our funders. Upon acceptance, a non-refundable $150 materials fee is required.
To stay connected and receive updates on the 2026 application cycle, complete our interest form HERE.
The 2025 Neighborhood Leadership cohort will meet from December 2024 to May 2025.
Click here to view the 2025 calendar.
If you’re ready to apply, click here.
For questions about the Neighborhood Leadership Program contact our Program Director David Rivera at David@coro.nyc.
