Graduates at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Howard photo
The New Accelerator Preparing D.C.’s Future Business Leaders
You don’t need to spend time in an office or have a decade of experience to start thinking like a leader.
This October through mid‑November, the next generation of business leaders will have a front‑row seat to what real impact looks like at the inaugural Future Moguls Executive Accelerator @ The Mecca program.
Through seven sessions in Washington, D.C., students will get a chance to firsthand unpack the mindsets and mechanics of leadership in practice. The accelerator will bring together a mix of entrepreneurs, nonprofit innovators, government‑contracting hopefuls, and rising professionals.
“We are creating a powerful pathway for emerging executives to deepen their skills, expand their networks, and position themselves to drive innovation across Washington, D.C. and our global community,” says Howard’s Executive Education Director, Kim R. Wells.
THE POWER BEHIND THE PROGRAM
The program will be led by two hosts who make perfect sense together – the DC Chamber of Commerce and Howard University’s Office of Executive Education.
The Chamber has its influence, network, and its read on the city’s business ecosystem. Howard University has its legacy and faculty who know how to turn ambition into actual leadership.
“Much of our city’s prosperity is tied to the success of its emerging leaders,” says DC Chamber President and CEO Chinyere Hubbard.
Teaming up with Howard, she says, is part of showing their commitment to supporting entrepreneurs, small business owners, and visionaries that are the architects of their local economy.
During the accelerator, students will learn all about leadership, applied strategy, AI readiness, executive negotiations, diaspora‑driven opportunity, and even individualized coaching. There’s also a capstone. Each participant identifies a real market opportunity in the region and builds a business case around it, complete with value proposition, development steps, and a targeted ask for partnership, sponsorship, procurement access, investment, or advisory support.
By the time the program wraps in November, students will have had the chance to sharpen strategic thinking, come up with a personalized development plan, and connect with Chamber leaders, investors, sponsors, and community stakeholders.
LEADERSHIP AS A LEARNED SKILL
Another reason programs like Future Moguls are critical is because leadership isn’t something you’re simply born with. It’s something you can build over time.
When Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft in 2014, he inherited a company that was widely viewed as sluggish and siloed. Rather than immediately making sweeping strategic changes, he focused on something more fundamental: behavior. He modeled empathy, encouraged curiosity, and held a growth mindset.
As Christine Chasse from Management Leadership Group explains, Nadella’s story has an important lesson for aspiring leaders. “These leadership traits weren’t the marks of a ‘natural-born leader.’ They were deliberate, practiced leadership habits, and they reshaped Microsoft’s entire culture in ways that reignited innovation and collaboration,” Chasse says.
That idea is especially relevant for the professionals entering Future Moguls. You don’t have to walk into your first job already knowing how to lead. You can practice it, refine it, and figure out what works.
“Leaders are made, not born,” Chasse says.
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