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5 Weeks | 2027 Dates Coming Soon! 7 Full & Partial Day Sessions Combination of In-Person & Online Certificate of Completion | 3.6 CEUs
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR WOMEN & ALLIES
Elevate your career, enhance your visibility, and shape your industry!
Amplify your impact with Wentworth Institute of Technology's Leadership in the Built Environment (LBE) Academy, a five-week professional development opportunity for women leaders and allies in construction, engineering, facilities management, real-estate, architecture, and infrastructure. This program combines self-discovery and skill-building, to enhance leadership, activate an entrepreneurial mindset, optimize strengths, and drive strategic value. Participants undergo a unique development journey that builds a senior leader persona, advances in-context capabilities, and broadens networks for workplace and industry advancement.
THE LBE ACADEMY FRAMEWORK
Participants learn from diverse faculty experts, seasoned coaches, and industry role models through curated content sessions, experiential learning labs, accessible resources, and a self-identified leadership challenge project. Candid context-relevant conversations harness the collective strength of community to provide essential power skills for the 21st century.
Click to view and download: 2026 LBE Academy Flyer
Wait List is Now Open for Spring 2027 Program - Join Below!
- Pratice authentic leadership for effective and strategic influence.
- Drive individual and organizational impact through iterative action.
- Amplify influence by applying existing strengths to overcome challenges.
- Strategically assess and expand professional networks.
- Build leadership through mastery experiences and role models.
- Adopt strategic and systems thinking for enhanced problem-solving.
- Present complex ideas using a compelling framework.
- Craft a comprehensive action plan for personal and organizational impact.
- Shape intentional career design with support from experienced faculty, coaches, and peers.
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Upon completion you will earn 3.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and a Wentworth verified digital credential/certificate of completion to showcase on their resume and online channels.
A CEU is not an academic credit; however, it is a nationally recognized standard of documenting the successful completion of non-degree professional training. One CEU is equivalent to ten instructional hours.
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Wednesday Evenings | 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Fall Semester Dates: November 1, 2023 - December 20, 2023
No Class: November 22
The LBE Academy is open to all and is especially relevant to mid-career women professionals and allies, including directors and vice presidents, who are ready to create impact in construction, engineering, facilities management, architecture, real-estate, and infrastructure.
Facilitators, Coaches & Speakers
Learn through dynamic content sessions, lived-experiences, and small group peer coaching featuring leaders and content experts from across the industry.
2026 Guest Facilitators and Coaches:
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Yanel deAngel
Managing Director, Principal Perkins & Will
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Rose Conti
Vice President Interiors & Special Projects – Life Sciences, Lee Kennedy Co, Inc.
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Desiree Patrice
Chief of Integrated Transit Program (Capital Transformation), MBTA
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Cyndee Hoagland
Senior Vice President, Owner & Public Sector. Trimble Inc.
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Lisa Frisbie
Vice President of Member Services, Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts
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Luiza Mills
Senior Vice President, Interstate Electrical Services
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Ashley Armand
Deputy Director of Community Engagement, MBTA
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Smaiyra Million
Founder, soa Ventures LLC
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Dr. Wendy Garvin Mayo APRN, ANP- BC
Nurse Practitioner, Founder and CEO, The Stress Blueprint
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Sharon Jozokos
VP Healthcare, Columbia Construction
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Wendy Murphy, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Programs and Professor of Management, Babson College
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Ashley Lucas
Executive Director, Accelerate, Wentworth Institute of Technology
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Kathryn Thibeault, MBA, MCR, CFM, ABCP
Adjunct Faculty, Wentworth Institute of Technology
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Alisha Sarang-Sieminski, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Advancing Teaching Learning, and Scholarship (ATLAS) Center, Wentworth Institute of Technology
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Susan Duffy, Ph.D.
Associate Provost, Transformation Learning and Partnerships
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Cindy P. Stevens, Ph.D.
Faculty Lead, Workforce Development and Professional Education
Project Management Program Director and Accreditation Manager, Professor of Management, School of Management
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Schedule, Location, & Costs
2027 Schedule Coming Soon! Join the wait list to be notified first.
2026 SCHEDULE
Thursday, February 26 & Friday, February 27 | In-Person
Time: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA
Friday, March 06 | Online
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: Zoom
Friday, March 13 | In-Person
Time: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston
Friday, March 20 | Online
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: Zoom
Thursday, March 26 & Friday, March 27 | In-Perspn
Times: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM & 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA
A pre-program virtual orientation session will also be offered in mid-February, to help you prepare for the program.
SCHEDULE FEATURES
Interactive Content Sessions: Up-skill with dynamic workshops that focus on leadership best practices for professional development.
Lessons From the Leading Edge: Learn from industry experts through candid discussions, current scenario challenges, and “Ask Me Anything” conversations.
Personal Leadership Project (PLP): Design a leadership challenge with the support of small group coaching. Solve a problem that delivers measurable impact for both you and your organization.
Reflection, Transfer, Experiments: Review your learning, transfer new skills to your current role, and commit to action experiments between sessions.
COST
Early Bird Rate: $4,000 — Purchase seats by November 1, 2025*
Standard Tuition: $4,500
Includes all instruction, coaching, materials, breakfast, lunch, and closing reception.
*Employers may purchase seats (course licenses) now and assign to individuals at a later date.
Group rates are also available. Please contact us to inquire about bulk enrollment packs and/or scheduling a custom cohort for your company.
The Value of Shared Experience
The value of creating shared experience settings is supported through extensive research and is one element of an organization’s comprehensive inclusive leadership development strategy. A peer-driven professional learning community in which people share a common identity, goal, or interest provides a unique context that enhances access to creativity, drives innovation, and builds career advancement.
RESEARCH-BACKED BENEFITS
- Increased self-efficacy
- Decreased identity threat
- Increased psychological safety
- Decreased emotional labor
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who should attend?
A: The LBE Academy is open to all and perfect for individuals experiencing that point in their careers, where they sense the readiness for their next big thing and envision the heightened influence they could have with the right strategy, tools, and networks in place. This opportunity is particularly pertinent to mid-career women professionals and allies, including directors and vice presidents, who are creating impact within the fields of construction, engineering, facilities management, architecture, real-estate, and infrastructure.
Q: Why is this program focused on women?
A: All identities are welcome in the LBE Academy. The program topics, speakers, and participant conversations center on generally accepted practices of effective leaders. Most of us recognize “good leadership” when we see it, but few understand the significant influence of context for individual leaders. Leaders from non-dominant groups within an industry or company may be managing perceptions, projections, and expectations as they advance in influential roles. The LBE Academy provides a space to explore and experiment with new ways to think about your leadership persona while learning from industry leaders who have “been there done that.”
Q: Will this be worth my time?
A: The most precious resource for leaders is time. Every element of the LBE Academy is designed to optimize your investment in this experience. You will walk away with immediately actionable ideas, practical frameworks, and people you can trust to support the forward momentum of your career. You will also have fun.
Q: Will I be able to apply the LBE academy content or is this a “nice to know” vs a “need to know” program like so many other experiences?
A: The LBE Academy is built on the experiential education at the core of Wentworth’s DNA. Although you will be challenged to THINK differently about yourself and your leadership future, you will also be asked to DO things that advance your leadership. Each participant brings a challenge or opportunity they are facing to the program. These “personal leadership projects” have the potential to create value for the individual participant and their company. In each session you will work in small peer coaching groups to support each other to advance the projects throughout the duration of the Academy. At the end of the program you will present your action to date and plans for next steps.
C: I can’t afford to spend this much time away from my job.
A: Investing in your professional development is a discipline that all leaders learn to embrace. Aside from affording you the rare opportunity to step away from your day to day to think expansively and creatively about your career, you will do so with the support of like-minded leaders from your industry. This is also a good time to let your teams show you what they can do. The mark of a good leader is being able to step back and know that the competent people around you have things under control. (Your confidence in this process will build over the course of the program.)
Q: How can I convince my company to sponsor me?
A: You are worth it and more. Consider how many colleagues you have who wouldn’t think twice about spending as much or more on travel to a conference, sponsoring a golf tournament, or bringing in a speaker for an hour. Consider this not only an investment in your professional growth but also in the future success of your team and company. By participating in this program, you will gain insights and strategies that can be immediately applied to drive innovation, improve team dynamics, and increase productivity within your organization.
Q: Can I purchase seats for multiple members of my team at once?
Yes, there is significant value that comes from sending multiple team members through the program together. Our enrollment platform allows team leaders to purchase multiple seats at once and then assign participants at a later date. Simply add the number of seats you wish to purchase to your cart. If you purchase more than one seat at a time, your purchase will default to a "license" purchase, allowing you to make your purchase and then log in to assign course seats to yourself or others at a later date. When you purchase one seat, you will be given the option to purchase for yourself or a license for someone else. We are happy to assist you with this process.
Q: I still have questions. Is there someone I can speak with directly to learn more?
A: Of course! You may call us at 617.989.4300 or email workforce@wit.edu to connect directly with a member of our team Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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