Leadership Kenosha applications for the 2026-2027 cohort are now due July 1, after organizers extended the original deadline to give more community members time to apply. The program, run by the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, connects participants with local organizations, issues, and leaders while building practical leadership skills.
Interested applicants can submit their Leadership Kenosha applications at leadershipkenosha.com. The chamber is also accepting project proposals from local nonprofits with an unmet need through August 1.
What Leadership Kenosha Applications Lead To
Participants who move through the Leadership Kenosha process spend the year exploring skills that translate directly into their workplaces and volunteer roles. The curriculum covers conflict management, communication, relationship building, problem-solving, and inclusive leadership practices.\n\nBeyond the classroom sessions, the program’s signature feature is its team project component. Small groups of participants are matched with a Kenosha County nonprofit and spend months working through a real organizational challenge, from volunteer recruitment to fundraising strategy.
Inside Last Year’s Nonprofit Projects
The 2025-2026 cohort’s project teams worked with four local nonprofits on distinct challenges. The “Here for the Habitat” team partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Racine and Kenosha Counties to strengthen volunteer recruitment and retention. “Hope Dealers” built a comprehensive volunteer engagement plan for Hope Council, while “Shalomies” developed a full project plan for a community garden at Shalom Center.
The “Share Bears” team, meanwhile, created a generational marketing and fundraising strategy for The Sharing Center. Each project gave participants hands-on experience translating leadership theory into measurable community impact, and gave the partnering nonprofits a finished plan they could put to use right away.
Nonprofits Can Submit Projects Through August 1
Local nonprofits with a need that fits this model are encouraged to submit a project proposal by August 1 through leadershipkenosha.com. Selected organizations are paired with a team of Leadership Kenosha participants for the duration of the program year.
The chamber celebrated the outgoing 2025-2026 cohort’s graduation at Circa on Seventh, where more than 120 alumni, supporters, and sponsors gathered to mark the milestone. The evening also recognized this year’s Distinguished Alumni award winner, Sabrina Morgan, a 2019 Leadership Kenosha graduate.
Morgan serves as Promise & SC Johnson STEM Scholars Program Coordinator at Gateway Technical College. Since completing the program, she has remained active with the Mahone Foundation, the Education Foundation of Kenosha, the UW-Parkside Foundation Board, and the UW-Parkside Alumni Association, with a particular focus on expanding educational opportunities for Kenosha youth.
For more than 25 years, the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce has convened emerging and established leaders through Leadership Kenosha as part of its broader slate of business and community programming, which also includes Business After 5, the Kenosha Expo, and the Business to Business Expo.\n\nIndividuals interested in joining the 2026-2027 cohort, and nonprofits interested in proposing a project, can find applications and full program details at leadershipkenosha.com.
Photos from the 2025-2026 cohort’s program year are also available through the chamber’s online gallery.
About the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce
Established in 1916, the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce is a business and community resource organization that continuously works to serve and strengthen the Kenosha Area. The Chamber offers a variety of area information for new, existing and developing businesses, such as maps, Local Business Guide, government resources, and more. Chamber Members are
committed to doing “Business With Integrity.” The Chamber also leads established business events and services, including Business After 5, Kenosha Expo, Business To Business Expo, Leadership Kenosha, Regional Connections, as well as many others. Learn more: https://kenoshaareachamber.com/
About Leadership Kenosha
The Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with University of Wisconsin-Parkside and a consortium of dedicated community leaders, presents Leadership Kenosha with the goal of supporting existing and emerging leaders in their leadership journeys, helping participants develop inclusive leadership by exploring must-have skills, including conflict management, communication, relationship building and problem-solving and equitable practices. Participants discover real-world leadership truths, explore what it takes to be an agent of change, and expand their involvement in community matters while executing a team project in coordination with a local nonprofit or business partner.
Leadership Kenosha applications and program information can be found at: https://www.kenoshaareachamber.com/lk/
