Goals and Overview
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Redwood Fellows is a growing statewide community of 84 influential leaders representing 12 professional sectors and 42 towns and cities across Connecticut. We build trusting relationships across lines of difference and turn that trust into collaborative action for a stronger Connecticut. Redwood begins with a curated Fellowship experience, which leads to membership in the Statewide Community.
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No. We are an active statewide community of influential leaders. The initial Fellowship experience is only the beginning. We are building a community that is so valuable to its Fellows that they remain actively engaged for years.
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Our mission is to build an active statewide community that supports leaders in achieving their aspirations while accelerating their individual and collaborative impact.
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Our current 84 Fellows are listed here. We are multigenerational: Fellows range in age from 27 to 70 and our median age is 46. We represent multiple sectors, viewpoints, ideologies, and affiliations.
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Redwood Fellows is intended for leaders from multiple sectors. Today, we represent 12 professional sectors: advocacy, business, faith community, healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, local government, economic development, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, human services, and state government.
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Redwood trees stand tall and strong for so long because they interlock their roots with the roots of neighboring trees. That’s a beautiful metaphor for leadership. As leaders, we can’t stand tall and strong for long if we function alone. Leaders achieve greater, more enduring impact by connecting their roots and building community across lines of difference.
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We believe that the most effective way to strengthen Connecticut is by ensuring our leaders truly know one another. In an era increasingly defined by virtual interactions, we prioritize intentional, in-person experiences that allow leaders to deepen bonds and build real, authentic relationships. When Fellows trust and care for one another, they show up for each other and bridge the natural gaps that exist between different perspectives and experiences. Every time they do, the community becomes stronger—and the stronger our community, the greater our collective opportunity and capacity to improve Connecticut.
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We do not have one definition. Fellows intentionally represent a range of political beliefs, ideologies, and affiliations; the goal is to build trust and common ground across those differences, not to erase them. We share a common commitment to invest in a state we care deeply about.
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Redwood Fellows is built on a long-term theory of impact that unfolds across three levels:
The first is the individual leader. Through the Fellowship and Statewide Community, leaders enhance their well-being, expand their networks, strengthen their leadership skills and influence, deepen their ability and desire to work across lines of difference, and grow more likely to stay in Connecticut leading work that strengthens the state.
The second level follows from the first. As these individual outcomes take hold, their effects extend to the institutions and coalitions those leaders serve.
The third is systemic. When first- and second-order outcomes are widespread, and as Redwood approaches a critical mass of more than 200 actively engaged leaders, we aspire to see change in the larger system. The third-order outcomes are the hardest to plan for, but they become far more likely when the first two levels are consistently present.
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We are a data-driven community that values quality and impact. With that frame in mind, we track Fellow engagement and self-reported outcomes, such as expanded networks, strengthened leadership skills, increased professional influence, and likelihood of remaining in Connecticut. We evaluate how these individual gains extend to Fellows’ institutions and coalitions, and over time, to the state as a whole. We also track collaborative actions and their outcomes.
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Fellows who actively participate in Redwood Fellows benefit in the following ways:
Access: increased access to influential leaders, networks, and resources.
Professional learning: strengthened skills to advance their leadership.
Community: membership in a supportive community of leaders who share a commitment to Connecticut.
Self-care: a retreat setting where Fellows are encouraged to reflect, restore, and prioritize themselves.
Efficacy and impact: active support from a community of influential leaders who help Fellows advance in their career and accelerate the impact of the institutions and coalitions they lead.
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Redwood Fellows started in 2024 as a pilot program called Community among Leaders. The learnings from the pilot shaped Redwood’s first Groves in 2025.
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A Grove is a cohort of Fellows who move through the year-long Fellowship experience together. Redwood launched Groves I through IV in 2025 and 2026 (two per year); Groves V and VI are the next cohorts, beginning their Fellowship experience in 2027. Each Grove is composed of 24 Fellows on average.
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Redwood Fellows includes 84 influential leaders, spanning 42 Connecticut towns and cities and 12 professional sectors. We plan to launch two new Groves of Fellows every year (each with 24 Fellows, on average), with a goal of more than 200 actively engaged Fellows statewide by 2030.
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Redwood Fellows is unique for five main reasons:
We are statewide: We actively recruit leaders from every region of Connecticut; our first four Groves of 84 leaders represent 42 towns and cities.
We are long-term: Fellows are committed for multiple years.
We are multi-sector: We intentionally bridge a dozen professional sectors, building trusting relationships across sectors to advance collaborative action.
We are influential leaders: We are a community of leaders who are experienced, and who have influence and significant responsibility and a track record of professional achievement.
We are building this together: Every Fellow helps to co-create the Fellowship experience, while shaping and advancing the Statewide Community, ensuring it is an active community responsive to the needs and aspirations of Fellows.
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We actively learn from and collaborate with other fellowships and learning communities. We also build on other fellowships by creating developmental pathways for leaders to pursue. For example, a meaningful share of current Fellows came up through other respected programs first, including the Aspen Institute, Broad Center, Community Leadership Program in New Haven, Five Frogs, Kauffman Fellows, Leadership Danbury, Leadership Greater Hartford, Leadership Greater Waterbury, and Pahara Institute.
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Redwood Fellows helps to initiate cross-sector collaborative action that leads to public benefits over time, such as improved social welfare and better outcomes for Connecticut residents. Fellows lead within institutions and coalitions that serve residents directly. These institutions include government agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and other associations. By investing in the leaders of these institutions, we help to strengthen the effectiveness of the institutions and coalitions themselves.
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No.
Questions? Reach out and we’ll provide answers.
Eligibility, Nomination & Selection
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Influential leaders who live and work in Connecticut from any sector and any town. We don’t use a rigid definition of “influential leader.” Rather, we look for leaders who are experienced, and who have significant responsibility and a track record of professional achievement.
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Yes to both. Eligibility is limited to influential leaders who live and work in Connecticut.
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No. There is not an application process. A prospective Fellow must be nominated by a current Fellow to be considered.
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September through November. Nominations are due by September 25th and all nominations are considered as they are received. Selections happen through November and decisions are announced at the conclusion of the process.
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No. You can express interest here, and doing so may increase the likelihood that a Fellow nominates you, but it doesn’t guarantee a nomination. Every Fellow uses their own judgment about whom to nominate, within the eligibility rules and nomination criteria.
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No.
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Our mission is to build an active statewide community. We see the nomination process as the best way to advance that goal because it engages long-standing Fellows in the work of building the community. As part of this process, we also recruit candidates who may not have direct ties to current Fellows to build a diverse and representative community.
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A Selection Committee made up of Fellows reviews nominations against specific criteria and shapes the composition of each new Grove.
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Nominees are evaluated on three criteria:
Influence and accomplishment as leaders advancing transformational work that directly impacts Connecticut;
Diversity as individuals, including age, gender, race, ethnicity, geographic location, life experience, political beliefs, and professional focus; and
Contribution to the broader community composition (e.g., how the nominee’s relationships and background will contribute to a trusting, dynamic Grove).
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Very. Redwood Fellows consistently receives far more nominations than it has seats. For example, in 2025, 31 Fellows nominated 115 leaders for consideration for 45 available spots. In 2026, the number of nominees has already exceeded 180. We expect to select 48 Fellows to join the 2027 Groves.
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As part of the selection process, some nominees are invited to a group conversation with Selection Committee members and other nominees. The group conversation is not an interview in the traditional sense. Rather, it is an opportunity for everyone to explore mutual fit, since we recognize Redwood Fellows is a significant commitment and very different from many other fellowships and leadership programs. We enter these group conversations with the hope that nominees will become Fellows who help us build an extraordinary statewide community that strengthens Connecticut.
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We will launch two Groves, each with 24 Fellows, for 48 new Fellows total.
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Yes. We will launch two new Groves every year through at least 2030, so there may be a path to a future Grove.
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No. There is no fee to be nominated or considered. The cost to participate begins only if a nominee is selected and joins a Grove (see “Time, Cost & Commitment”).
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We follow our nomination and selection process. In areas where we wish to strengthen our representation, we intentionally recruit prospective Fellows. We receive more nominations than we have seats in the Groves, so our selection process emphasizes diversity and contribution to the broader community. It is critically important that each Grove reflects strong diversity in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, geographic location, life experience, political beliefs, and professional focus. We make selection decisions to ensure such diversity and representation, positioning every Grove to advance the mission of Redwood Fellows.
Questions? Reach out and we’ll provide answers.
Fellowship Experience
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A leader’s experience in Redwood Fellows begins with a curated Fellowship that spans seven months, but that’s only the beginning. The Fellowship experience leads to membership in a Statewide Community that actively supports accomplished leaders in continuing their development, strengthening their peer network, and accelerating their individual and collaborative impact. The aim is for Fellows to remain active members of the community for years. As part of the initial year, the Fellowship experience begins in winter and transitions into the Statewide Community experience by fall.
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A curated program built around four daylong, in-person retreats, plus connection between retreats. The retreats follow a program arc through four themes: building trust (the foundation), being vulnerable (opportunities for growth), embracing purpose (aspiration and legacy), and expanding opportunity and well-being (active community). Retreats use experiential learning, real-time reflection, and collective visioning and problem-solving. Facilitators design agendas and customize sessions for each Grove, informed by best practices from across the country.
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Yes. Fellows may complete short readings or assignments to prepare for the next retreat, and are expected to build on Grove relationships in between sessions. In 2027, each retreat will close with small-group assignments that carry into the next retreat.
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Fellows must attend at least three of the four retreats to successfully complete the Fellowship and graduate into the Statewide Community.
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Depending on the circumstances, Fellows may have the option to pause their participation in a Grove one year, and then join a new Grove the following year.
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Fellowship retreats are hosted at the Trinity Retreat Center in West Cornwall, Connecticut. The beautiful property is designed for discovery, connection, and reflection, and is surrounded by more than 700 acres of land and forest.
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Every Fellowship retreat runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on a Friday.
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No. The Fellowship experience is organized around four in-person retreats.
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Yes. Each Grove of Fellows moves through its own four retreats together, before graduating into the Statewide Community.
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No, deliberately so. We don’t frame graduating Fellows as “alumni” because the goal is for them to remain active members of the community for years through the Statewide Community, not to graduate out of engagement altogether.
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Graduating Fellows join the Statewide Community: the ongoing, multi-year community of everyone who has completed the Fellowship experience.
Questions? Reach out and we’ll provide answers.
Statewide Community
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The Statewide Community follows the Fellowship experience. The Statewide Community merges Groves to bring Fellows together into one community that Fellows remain engaged in for years. It is organized around three core components: Canopy Retreats, Leadership Rings, and Clusters. The programming is designed to help Fellows turn relationships into collaborative action for a stronger Connecticut.
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An in-person gathering of the Statewide Community, bringing multiple Groves together, held four times a year to deepen relationships, enhance well-being, and advance collaborative action to strengthen Connecticut. In 2027, Canopy Retreats will take place at locations throughout Connecticut.
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A text-based dialogue seminar that offers an opportunity for Fellows to engage with the ideas and experiences of influential social change leaders, practice wholehearted conversation across lines of difference, and deepen their ability to stay grounded in relationship and shared purpose when deeply held values and beliefs do not align.
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A smaller, flexible, Fellow-initiated gathering of three or more Fellows for relationship-building, learning, or collaborative action—anything from a recurring peer support group to a salon-style dinner to a joint community project. Clusters can be one-time or recurring, in person or virtual, and are organized by Fellows themselves. They enable Fellows to build the connective tissue that nurtures the network of the Statewide Community.
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Yes, we aim to build a community that is so valuable to fellows that they remain actively engaged for years as proud stewards.
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No. Successfully completing the Fellowship experience is required to join the Statewide Community, since the Fellowship experience is designed specifically as the entry point into it.
Questions? Reach out and we’ll provide answers.
Time, Cost & Commitment
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All participating Fellows sign and honor a Community Commitments pledge that clearly outlines shared expectations and standards. In general, Fellows are expected to give their time, talent, and support by participating fully in retreats and other Grove experiences, showing up for fellow Fellows, and contributing ideas to shape the community’s design and future. Fellows are also encouraged to nominate other leaders for future Groves. In return, Fellows gain membership in a community of influential peers and access to the resources, opportunities, and relationships that Redwood offers.
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Four daylong, in-person retreats over seven months, plus engagement between retreats. All retreat dates are shared with prospective Fellows prior to their committing to a particular Grove. In addition, once Fellows graduate from their Fellowship experience, they are expected to actively participate in the Statewide Community’s Canopy Retreats, Leadership Rings, and Clusters during the second half of the year.
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At minimum, Fellows are expected to attend two or more Canopy Retreats (currently held four times a year) and to take part in at least one additional offering, such as a Leadership Ring or Clusters.
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Yes.
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We are serious about achieving our mission. We work tirelessly to deliver what has consistently been rated an excellent experience. Fellows owe it to one another to prioritize attendance because retreat gatherings and other experiences are strengthened through active engagement. The participant fee helps to defray some of the program costs (with the majority of costs being covered by philanthropy), and it helps to ensure that Fellows have “skin in the game”, are fully committed to the experience, and are not passively agreeing to join the program.
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Redwood Fellows is a nonprofit program and we cover program costs primarily through philanthropic support and also through participant fees. We offer scholarships to ensure the fee does not prevent participation.
In 2027, there are three tiers for membership fees for Fellows in their first year:
$500 for Fellows who pay as individuals to participate in Grove V or VI.
$1,250 for Fellows who have their employer cover the cost of their membership fee.
$8,000 for Fellows who are employed by a foundation.
These membership fees help to cover some of the program costs for Fellows to participate in the Fellowship experience and then join the Statewide Community in their first year.
After their first year of participation, Fellows pay an annual membership fee of $500 to participate in the Statewide Community programming. This membership fee represents a fraction of the full cost, but it is one of several important ways that Fellows invest in the development of Redwood Fellows and demonstrate their support.
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The first year involves a higher level of programming, since it includes both the Fellowship experience and the entry into the Statewide Community experience. Also, the annual membership for Fellows after their first year of participation is a minimum fee, and Fellows are welcomed to contribute more toward building the statewide community.
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Yes. Fellows contribute per year to continue participating in the Statewide Community once they’ve completed their initial year. In 2027, the membership fee is $500. Scholarships are available based on need, ensuring no leader is ever excluded for financial reasons.
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Yes. Scholarships are available based on need.
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Yes. We aim to build a community that is so valuable to Fellows that they remain actively engaged for years.
Questions? Reach out and we’ll provide answers.
Leadership and Governance
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Yes. Redwood Fellows is part of Redwood Endeavors: a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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Redwood Endeavors’s EIN is 39-3347142. Redwood Fellows is part of Redwood Endeavors.
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Redwood Fellows is led by a team including Andrew Ferguson (founder), Dr. Rebecca Good (Vice President of Redwood Experience), and Traci Dove (Designer and Facilitator, Leadership Ring).
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Andrew and Rebecca serve as lead facilitators. Traci moderates the Leadership Ring as part of the Statewide Community experience. Fellows also have the opportunity to serve as facilitators themselves, reflecting Fellows’ stewardship over the program.
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The Community Leadership Board is a non-fiduciary volunteer committee responsible for working closely with Andrew and Rebecca to advance program design, Fellow engagement, and impact. Ten Fellows compose the committee: Kevin Brown, Bryan Cafferelli, Lisa Hammersley, Fahd Vahidy, Mana Zarinejad, John Healey, Steven Hernandez, Jason Price, Ella-Saunders Crivello, and Mirellise Vazquez. Fellows serve for a term of one year; terms are staggered. This group is distinct from the Redwood Endeavors board of directors, which handles governance, personnel, finance, and long-term strategy as the organization’s fiduciary.
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Primarily through philanthropic contributions from individual and foundation donors, supplemented by membership fees Fellows themselves contribute (see “Time, Cost & Commitment”). Philanthropy is intended to keep those program fees low enough that no leader is excluded from participating for financial reasons.
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Reach out to Andrew here.
Questions? Reach out and we’ll provide answers.
