Next series begins in September 2025!
Network Leadership Series
What is the Network Leadership Series?
At the intersection of theory and practice, the Network Leadership Series (NLS) is an 8-week participatory learning cohort designed to deepen the understanding and practice of network coordination. Participants collectively explore ways to apply strategies in their networks, organizations, and with other practitioners.
Each session offers small group learning and builds depth across our core topics. During the series you’ll receive resources, session recordings, and peer consult opportunities. Participants learn frameworks and share tools while exploring ways to apply content to the practice of facilitating collaboration within networks, teams, and organizations.
This series is also available as a customized private cohort for remote or in-person learning.
Next Cohort:
September 23-November 11, 2025
Tuesdays, 8:15-10:45 am PDT / 6:15-8:45 pm EAT on Zoom
Learning Journey
“I have been thoroughly enjoying the Network Leadership series. This has added a lot of value as a leader of a network organisation and also to our members.”
No two cohorts are exactly alike. In each series, we include our current best thinking alongside examples from our work with networks. NLS unfolds in weekly online gatherings over two months, co-facilitated by Circle Generation practitioners with diverse specialties in systems strategy, design, facilitation, education, and evaluation. Each session offers small group learning and builds depth across our core topics.
During the series, you’ll receive resources, session recordings, and peer consult opportunities. Your fellow participants in NLS will be practitioners living around the world and working in a variety of sectors. Typical cohorts include folks from 10 different countries, from Asia to islands of the western Pacific.
The series includes the following three modules:
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1. Network Mindset & Emergence
Focus on the sensibilities and mindset shifts needed to foster a network approach to collaboration. Understand the network theory of change and how we leverage the key differences between organizations and networks to create impact.
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2. Participant Engagement
Explores the different ways network members engage and how creating opportunities for people to connect and collaborate generates value.
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3. Network Coordination
Focus on coordination roles and how network weaving, communications framing, and project support contribute to network vitality.
Who is NLS for?
The Network Leadership Series might be for you if you are a:
Network weaver, coordinator, or leader actively supporting a network.
Consultant inviting clients to engage in network practices.
Community of practice facilitator increasing learning across organizations.
Systems change advocate, engaging complexity in public policy.
Funder aiming to convene your partners and grantees.
Organizational leader supporting decentralized workplaces, supply chain coordination, and/or stakeholder engagement.
“We’re all involved in networks because we believe in the power of people to change things together. NLS has revitalized my belief that so much is possible together and given me a language to share that this work doesn’t happen alone.”
Learning Outcomes
We advance leaders’ capacity to engage others using a relational approach. We foster capability to unleash creative potential to address complex challenges through collaborative learning and action. Circle Generation embodies global perspectives and is committed to making network leadership accessible to all.
By completing the Network Leadership Series, you will:
Grow your capability to cultivate impact networks and multi-stakeholder collaborations.
Learn coordination practices that facilitate connection, invite engagement, and generate collaborative action.
Exchange experiences and approaches with practitioners in the field.
Access frameworks and practices that amplify connection, communication, coordination and collaboration for impact.
Additional Learning: NLS Practicum
The Practicum challenges you to actively translate your learnings from NLS into communication and engagement tools to be utilized by your team, network, or organization.
In two additional sessions, participants workshop their draft materials and receive supportive feedback from the facilitators and other practitioners.
Session 1: Create and share a presentation on network practice in your context
Session 2: Design a 90-minute meeting or workshop to engage your audiences
Designed in partnership with NLS alumni, the Practicum aims to:
Increase your confidence sharing a relational approach and network practice
Craft clear narratives using the language of networks for your audience and context
Practice designing a session focused on participant engagement
The next Practicum sessions will be held the weeks of December 1st & 8th, 2025 (following the culmination of our April 2025 NLS Cohort).
Series Details & Pricing
Series Schedule: The next series will start on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 and continue each Tuesday until November 11.
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NLS Dates:
Week of Sept 15th, 45-min Weaving Call to be scheduled upon registrationTuesday, Sept 23, 8:15-9:45 am PDT / 6:15-7:45 pm EAT
Tuesday, Sept 30, 8:15-10:45 am PDT / 6:15-8:45 pm EAT
Tuesday, Oct 7, 8:15-10:45 am PDT / 6:15-8:45 pm EAT
Tuesday, Oct 14, 8:15-10:45 am PDT / 6:15-8:45 pm EAT
Tuesday, Oct 21, 8:15-10:45 am PDT / 6:15-8:45 pm EAT
Tuesday, Oct 28, 8:15-10:45 am PDT / 6:15-8:45 EAT
Tuesday, Nov 4, 8:15-10:45 am PST / 7:15-9:45 pm EAT (Daylight savings is Nov 2 in U.S.)
Tuesday, Nov 11, 8:15-9:45 am PST / 7:15-8:45 pm EAT
NLS Practicum Dates:
(Choose either Group A or B, whichever works best for you).Practicum Group A – Mondays:
December 1st and 8th, 8:15-10:45 am PST / 7:15-9:45 pm EAT
Practicum Group B – Tuesdays:
December 2nd and 9th, 8:15-10:45 am PST / 7:15-9:45 pm EAT
Weaving Calls: In preparation for the series, participants will be invited to join a weaving call the week of April 7th, a 45-minute conversation with the facilitation team to share about your work and learning objectives. These calls are an opportunity to connect with a small group of participants and help us adapt our examples to be relevant to participants' contexts.
Pricing: Our pricing is tiered to ensure accessibility across incomes and industries. Please choose the level that aligns with your resources.
Network Leadership Series
Standard Pricing - $2,200.00
(This tier is intended for corporations, foundations, government leaders, or similar.)
Accessible Pricing - $1,250.00
(This tier is intended for NGOs, community based organizations, or similar.)
All participants receive:
20-hour program
Ongoing secure access to video recordings of each session
Ongoing secure access to NLS Foundations summary and resources for each module
Impact Networks book by David Ehrlichman (PDF)
Connection to your cohort and NLS alumni
Co-Learning & Scholarships
We encourage co-learning! If you’d like to invite a colleague from your network or organization, we offer a 20% discount.
Please contact us prior to registering for details.
To ensure equity and include diverse perspectives, we offer a limited number of partial tuition scholarships.
Please contact nls@circlegeneration.com to inquire.
Practicum
Standard Pricing - $500.00
(This tier is intended for corporations, foundations, government leaders, or similar.)
Accessible Pricing - $350.00
(This tier is intended for NGOs, community based organizations, or similar.)
Network Leadership Series Facilitators
Network Leadership Series was originally developed by Carri Munn and collaborators from the Converge Network in 2020. Informed by their work in the field and the practitioners in each cohort, Elsa Henderson, Nono Sekhoto, and Carri have been iterating and refining the curriculum to bring you the most relevant learnings and up-to-date practice methods.
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Elsa Henderson
Elsa moves between the roles of facilitator, coach, and educator. In each role, her focus is on supporting individuals to learn, broaden their sense of what’s possible, and connect with a deeper sense of purpose. She brings an attitude of curiosity, respect, and care to all of her work.
Elsa has worked internationally as a facilitator and educator for 12 years. Her work focuses on capacity development and team alignment in corporate and nonprofit organizations. As an educator, she trains counselors and facilitators at the postgraduate level. Elsa holds a BA in Anthropology, and an MA in Process-Oriented Psychology and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Studies.
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Carri Munn
Carri is a systems strategist and masterful facilitator who partners with systems change leaders to cultivate thriving organizations and networks. Her clients include regional and global networks, coordination teams, and executives. She brings a bright spirit of generosity, detail-orientation, and a patient, caring essence that facilitates a relaxed state among individuals while navigating change.
She is based in Portland, Oregon and enjoys working globally. Carri holds a BA in Political Theory and a MA in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. She is certified as a True Purpose Coach for individuals and organizations.
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Nono Sekhoto
Nono is an experienced network coordinator, facilitator, and stakeholder engagement manager leading in the intersection of Africa’s agri-food system and systems change. Her work leverages building relationships to collaborate on curating enabling environments that foster co-learning, resources, and opportunity sharing, around shared value. Nono had the unique pleasure of attending the NLS as a participant in 2020 and had time to implement the learning in her work as a network coordinator. Since 2022 Nono has joined NLS as a facilitator incorporating her work experience into the curriculum. She is based in South Africa with access to a global network in agriculture and the network practice ecosystem.
She holds a BCom in Financial Accounting, a few certificates in business management and development, and is currently enrolled in a master's program in international agribusiness.
What Participants Are Saying