The History of Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media

The Leadership Academy for Women in (Digital) Media was founded in 2015 in partnership with ONA. The joint program became overwhelmingly popular with hundreds of applicants for just 28 spots, so ONA branched off in 2017 to host a sister program and serve more women in the industry. In 2018, Poynter continued to serve the need for formal leadership training by expanding to three academies each year.

As of 2024, more than 650 women have graduated from Poynter’s leadership program alone. Many volunteer as mentors on Digital Women Leaders, which is owned and operated by program co-founder Katie Hawkins-Gaar. In a 2023 survey of Leadership Academy for Women in Media alumni from the last eight years, we learned:

• 75% of respondents have more confidence in themselves and the industry
• 72% use something they learned during the academy at least once per week
• 60% took on new or expanded leadership roles

“Because of the academy, I am leading the Pivot Fund,” Tracie Powell, member of the original cohort in 2015, recently said. “The program helped me see the bigger picture in terms of what I was meant to be doing. Now I invest in news organizations who are on the front lines of providing critical information to local communities. Without the women’s leadership academy, I don’t think I would have been thinking big enough.”

Past Poynter participants:

Past Poynter instructors:

Note: Titles and employers may not be up-to-date.