Independent Sector has announced the 2021 cohort of American Express NGen Fellows.

The nine-month leadership development program for individuals ages 40 and under is part of the American Express Leadership Academy. Now in its twelfth year, the program is focused on driving results in six core areas: self-awareness, racial equity, adaptive leadership, results-based decision making, systems change, and network development.

This year's fellows are Jazmín Chávez, associate vice president of public affairs at Hispanics in Philanthropy in Denver; Dion Dawson, founder and executive director of Dion's Chicago Dream in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood; M. Michelle Derosier, chief program officer at iCouldBe.org in New York City; Tasha R. Fridia, assistant director at the Tribal Youth Resource Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Kahina Haynes, executive director of the Dance Institute of Washington in Washington, D.C.; Gabriel Maldonado, CEO of TruEvolution in Riverside, California; Melaak Rashid, development director of Smart Development in Cleveland; Erica Reid, national director of programs at Friends of the Children in Charlotte, North Carolina; Sundiata Salaam, chief people officer at Freedom Preparatory Academy in Bartlett, Tennessee; Yadira Sanchez, co-executive director of Poder Latinx in Seattle; Jimmy Simpson, Jr., manager of partnerships at the Center for Effective Philanthropy, YouthTruth in Oakland, California; and Nellie Tsai, social innovation officer at the Michigan Nonprofit Association in Detroit.

"Ensuring that everyone in the U.S. thrives is a collective effort. The American Express NGen Fellows program is an important part of this goal because it provides emerging leaders with invaluable community-building skills to address systemic inequities," said Independent Sector president and CEO Daniel J. Cardinali. "These leaders reflect the nation's diversity. They're making sure the social sector and our communities are healthy and equitable for years to come."