Transformation through EmBe’s Women’s Leadership Program

Sponsored by EmBe

Amber Reed’s Participant Spotlight

Before her journey with EmBe, Amber Reed viewed the organization as solely focused on childcare—a realm she had no personal connection to. So, when her workplace, Interstates, asked if she was interested in EmBe’s Women’s Leadership Program (WLP), she was surprised. As a leader of the Women’s Employee Resource Group at Interstates, navigating a male-dominated industry daily left her feeling isolated. The WLP, however, was a revelation. Amber expected a conventional, competitive setting, but from the first five minutes, she found a welcoming space. The sessions, led by Women’s Leadership Director, Melissa Hiatt, on shame and resilience, provided her with tools and insights she didn’t know she needed. She realized that leadership is not just about individual advancement but about lifting everyone together and fostering a sense of belonging and connection.

Participates with EmBe's leadership program

This experience highlighted the importance of vulnerability in leadership for Amber. By being honest about her experiences, she built true connections and experienced personal growth. Her time with EmBe prompted her to reflect on the historical context of women’s leadership and recognize the ongoing momentum of generational conversations shaping careers today.

Amber’s involvement in the WLP was transformative, giving her a new perspective on her career and envisioning future growth. The program affirmed her potential and provided a platform to amplify it. She discovered a voice she hadn’t fully realized she possessed and found a launching point for her ambitions at Interstates.

“By actively engaging in the EmBe Women’s Leadership Program, I have learned who we are is how we lead. To me, leadership is not a journey in the rise of the ranks, it is a journey to help those around us rise. That is what we had done upon graduating from the WLP, we all helped each other rise and I found the most important form of creativity, to continue to create myself.”– Amber Reed

In Amber’s words, “I encourage you to say yes to yourself by saying yes to EmBe’s Women’s Leadership Program.” Women’s Leadership Programs are worth exploring for anyone seeking growth and empowerment. It affirmed Amber’s capabilities and reminded her that true leadership comes from within, driven by connection, belonging, and the courage to be vulnerable. Amber now looks to the future, poised to influence and inspire those around her in meaningful and lasting ways.

In 2023, WLP expanded to a three-tiered approach,

Leading Me: Owning My Leadership Story, uses the expertise and skills of community leaders to challenge participants to grow in their understanding of strengths-based leadership, effective communication, claiming one’s own leadership authority, challenging the inner critic, and the impact of bias on leadership.
Leading With: Understanding My Impact on Others, is a 6-month leadership program using Systems Theory to help participants understand how they interact with others, recognize behaviors that hinder their leadership, and stay true to their values as leaders.
Leading Wise: Resourcing my Wisdom for the Greater Good, is a training series that provides essential tools to further your leadership presence into meaningful influence and impact It begins with a guiding question, ‘where do my passions meet the world’s needs?’ and a goal to create connecting points where women support one another throughout their leadership. Elevate Your Leadership Excellence: Increasing Your C-Suite Confidence with Rana DeBoer, Leadership and Performance Coach will begin in the fall of 2025.

Leadership has nothing to do with how many people report to you or how big of a budget you manage. Leadership is about recognizing potential in yourself first, then others and then in the organizations and communities you live and work in. Under this definition of leadership, each and every woman fits and is a perfect candidate for this program.

You don’t have to do leadership and life alone. Wherever you are on your leadership journey, you are invited to participate with other women who want to grow, learn, and expand their leadership impact.