L&D Leadership Skills
ASPIRE
The ASPIRE learning experience seeks to develop and cultivate a leadership mindset within individual contributors. Combining instructor-led programming with self-directed and collaborative learning, the program creates the conditions for aspiring leaders to emerge with an increased awareness of themselves professionally and an understanding of how they can lead from their current role.
Your mindset not only drives your attitudes, beliefs, and expectations but also serves as the foundation of who you are, how you make decisions, and how you interact with others. Research has found that those with a leadership mindset are more growth-oriented, resilient, and accountable – regardless of title or position.
Designed around the Competing Values Framework of Organizations, developed by Quinn and Rohrbaugh, the ASPIRE learning experience seeks to develop and cultivate a leadership mindset within individual contributors. Combining instructor-led programming with self-directed and collaborative learning, the program creates the conditions for aspiring leaders to emerge with an increased awareness of themselves professionally and an understanding of how they can lead from their current role.
Program Details
Who Should Attend
ASPIRE is designed for any full-time Georgia Tech employee who does not currently manage others but desires to gain the skills necessary to develop a leadership mindset.
Eligible participants must commit to all the dates listed within the program guide and should be in good standing, with no disciplinary issues in the last six months. Participants must also have the full support of their supervisors.
How You Will Benefit
By participating in ASPIRE, you will be able to:
- Cultivate a leadership mindset.
- Better contribute to and uphold Georgia Tech’s values.
- Understand how our actions impact others.
- Assess any need to correct the course of our actions.
- Participate in cross-campus collaborative learning.
- Understand the wider effectiveness of our actions.
- Engage with supervisor to implement key learnings.
Application window opens June 2026
The Competing Leadership Approaches Framework
Centered on four competing approaches to leadership, ASPIRE develops a people-leading mindset in non-managers. This model addresses the complexities faced as a leader while navigating the competing areas within an organization.
“An amazing experience that I will cherish. Being in a room with people no matter their job titles or education levels. All focused-on how to become the change they want to see not only in their departments but in their own lives and communities. That is one of the most amazing things about this program. All the lessons you learn and the conversations you have help you to become the leader you are striving to be in all areas of your life. You will be greatly changed by the lessons you learn and the people you meet. “
While I was a co-learner with one of my team members in the ASPIRE program, I was able to be more intentional in my conversations with them about their development as an employee who wants to lead people.
I enjoyed my experience as a co-learner because I got to be an active participant in my team member’s growth and development through this program.
Before leadership, employee success is measured by growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is measured by the ability to grow others. The ASPIRE program is uniquely positioned to unlock and empower the next generation of leaders at the Institute for their success and the organization’s success as we live our strategic goals and values. As a “colearner”, I’ve had the opportunity to support and engage in the program and see practical results to equip employees with leadership skills to continue to move their careers forward.
How it works
Acquire a leadership mindset
- No Program Cost
- Six asynchronous online learning modules
- Six synchronous workshops with an assigned cohort
- 50-hour time commitment over four months
*If a participant does not complete all requirements of the program, a fee of $950 will be charged to their department.
2025 ASPIRE Cohort
Sarah Grace Alexander
Program and Operations Manager
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Administrative Office
LaShundra Barber
Accounts Payable Analyst
Procurement and Business Services-Accounts Payable
Joe Barnette
Co-op & Internship Specialist
Career Center and Experiential & Engaged Learning (dual report)
Naima Barton
Assistant Director of Admin Ops
Office of the Provost
Kathryn Bell
Digital Communication Specialist
College of Lifetime Learning
Christie Berkowitz
Interior Designer II
Planning, Design and Construction
Aaron Cohen
Fraud Investigator
Department of Internal Auditing
Robyn Crutchfield
Project Support Specialist Sr.
Housing and Residence Life
Olivia Cusimano
Education Abroad Coordinator
Office of International Education
Lila Dahal
Research Engineer II
Institute for Matter and Systems
Taneka Dixon
Accountant
Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience
Heather Duncan
Administrative Professional lll
Scheller College of Business
Breanna Durham
Marketing Strategist
Institute Communications
Marsilleth Ellis
Administrative Professional Sr.
H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Dawn Evans
Product Specialist
Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation
Loretta Felix
Administrative Program Manager
Enrollment Management
Tiffany S. Finley
Human Resources Manager
College of Computing
Brian Garsh
Transfer Student Success Manager
Experiential and Engaged Learning
Ariel Gladney
Graduate Internship Program and Operations Manager
Career Center/ Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
Don-Fiona Gould
Academic Advisor II
College of Lifetime Learning
Carrie Grazier
Export Compliance Control Officer
Office of General Counsel
Roberta Houston-Howard
Telecommunications Technician
OIT Network Engineering
Erin T. Jackson
Academic Advisor II
School of Music
Parvaneh Javanmard
Financial Analyst III
College of Lifetime Learning
Georgina Jimenez
Academic Advisor II
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Michael Jones
Interim – Assistant to VP, CHRO
Georgia Tech Human Resources
Annemarie Karanja
Financial Administrator
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Nisha Kukreja
Program & Operations Manager
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Leonard Lamb
Faculty Support Coordinator
Biological Sciences
Verene Lancaster
Faculty Support Coordinator
Biological Sciences
Kristin Lowe
Content Strategist
Scheller College of Business Marketing and Communications Team
Daniel Lyczak
Data Scientist
Institutional Research & Planning (IRP)
Cody Martin
Financial Manager II – Sponsored Research Consultant
School of Cybersecurity and Privacy
Nyeelah Matthews
Program & Operations Manager
Office of Student Achievement
Christopher McKenney
Video Producer/Director
Research Communications – Institute Communications
Krystal McNally
Project Support Specialist
Research Operations and Infrastructure
Amelia Neumeiter
Research Communications Program Manager
Institute Communications
Jaclyn O'Neil
Event Coordinator II
College of Sciences Dean’s Office
Brianna (Bri) Palmer
Student Events & Engagement Manager
College of Lifetime Learning
Christine Robinson
Executive Assistant
institute for People and Technology
Ana Rust
Operations Customer Support Representative
BuzzCard
Caira Samuels
HR Consultant
Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Lori Smith
Leadership Challenge Course Coordinator
Campus Recreation Center
Nikki Starnes
Executive Assistant
Administration and Finance
Stephanie Stephens
Operations Service Representative
Global Learning Center
Daniel Stewart
Enterprise Systems Engineer
Office of Information Technology
Shannon Tillison
Content Strategist
Institute Communications
Alison Valk
Emerging Technologies Librarian
Library Academic Engagement
Fabianna Vallejos
Senior Admission Advisor
Undergraduate Admission
Amber Williams
Academic Advisor II
College of Computing
Adrienne Williams
Sr. HR Consultant
Enterprise Innovation Institute
Becky Williams
Interior Designer III
Infrastructure & Sustainability – Planning, Design & Construction
Bryant Wine
Communications Officer II
College of Computing
Tai Winters
HR Manager
Office of the Provost and EVP AA
Chartice Wyatt-Thermil
Assistant Athletics Director – Academics
Athletics
Lee Yarbrough
Administrative Professional Sr.
Office of International Education
Christopher Yueh
Assistant Director of Events
Scheller College of Business