A few years ago, on a Football Friday, I ran into legendary basketball player and Mendoza alumna Ruth Riley Hunter (EMBA ‘16, ND ‘01) on campus. Ruth had taken my EMBA class several years ago, and after catching up about the latest developments at Mendoza, she looked at me seriously and asked, “When is Mendoza going to create a program specifically for women? Something only Notre Dame can offer?” 

Her question left me speechless. It also sparked something inside me: an urgency to create a program that filled a crucial gap in the University’s offerings.

That spark led to the creation of ND Elevate, a professional development program launched in 2022 for aspiring leaders. The program focuses on addressing common workplace challenges, particularly those faced by women. Through a combination of online learning modules, in-person workshops with Notre Dame experts and a mentorship network, participants are empowered to develop skills in resilience, negotiation, presence and authenticity.

ND Elevate was born out of the University's “Moment to See, Courage to Act” grant initiative, which called on Notre Dame faculty to propose innovative, forward-thinking plans inspired by lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. With the grant, ND Elevate partnered with Beacon Health Systems, Notre Dame's Office of Human Resources and the Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership to expand leadership training beyond campus. This fall, ND Elevate is launching a new collaboration with Notre Dame Athletics to support the personal and professional development of student-athletes.

The decision to partner with ND Athletics is purposeful. Studies of Fortune 500 CEOs have shown a strong link between athletic participation and corporate leadership. While the percentage of women in corporate executive positions at publicly traded U.S. companies remains low at about 11.8%, a recent EY study found that 94% of the women in leadership positions previously played sports. 

As a College, Mendoza has embraced this partnership as part of a larger effort to raise awareness of its graduate business programs and support athletes pursuing careers in business. ND Elevate is open to junior, senior and graduate student-athletes who are non-business majors, passionate about women’s leadership and eager to grow as leaders.

From contributing research to teaching in-person sessions and mentoring participants, Mendoza faculty, staff and alumni have been integral in bringing ND Elevate to life. I especially want to thank former women’s basketball coach and Mendoza adjunct Muffet McGraw, Ruth Riley Hunter, former Mendoza dean Carolyn Woo and faculty members Cindy Muir, Jessica McManus Warnell, Angela Logan, and Amanda McKendree for their contributions to the learning modules. Additionally, I’m grateful to Hether Graham for her support during the earliest versions of ND Elevate, and to Rob Kelly, Carol Elliott and Jen Wade for their support in connecting ND Elevate with our graduate business programs through the ND Athletics partnership. A special thanks also to the faculty and staff mentors who will be guiding student-athletes this fall, including Wendy Angst, Patty Brady, Susan Kleiser, Michael Meyer, Kris Muir, Fred Nwanganga, Kelly Rubey, Chris Stevens, Jessie Watkins, Katie Wowak and Tom Gallagher. I encourage others interested in mentoring future cohorts to reach out.

Notre Dame’s mission to build a society where all can flourish aligns perfectly with ND Elevate’s goal of creating more inclusive communities where everyone can thrive. I’m incredibly proud that our University and College have embraced this vision to support aspiring leaders in such a meaningful way.

In Notre Dame,

Kristen