The Leverage Network’s mission is to promote the advancement of Black representation in the C-suite and on governing boards. TLN will use the funds to expand its Healthcare Executive Leadership and Continued Learning and Development (Bridge) programs to drive systems change by creating a pipeline for equitable representation of Blacks in governance and senior leadership roles within the health ecosystem.

“While our current programming is strong, we want to use this opportunity to bridge our work with executives and prospective board members to accelerate progress on ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors,” said Antoinette Hardy-Waller, the founder and CEO of Leverage. “We thank Deloitte not only for this gift but also for its larger commitment to activate equity across the healthcare ecosystem.”

Gift supports effort to build a pipeline of Black leaders to bring diversity to decision-making as industry confronts new challenges

The Deloitte Health Equity Institute (DHEI) is advancing health equity to make an impact that matters by creating cross-sector collaborations and tools. To achieve this aspiration, DHEI is addressing root causes that impact health outcomes to include racism and bias, deep inequities in the drivers of health and structural flaws in the health system. Helping to activate key decision-makers within the healthcare system and beyond is a key pillar of the DHEI’s efforts. It is essential that the most historically marginalized communities are being served by leaders who are reflective of these communities. “The Leverage Network has demonstrated leadership in being a catalyst for change,” said Jay Bhatt, D.O., MPH, MPA, Executive Director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions and the Deloitte Health Equity Institute. “We know that when boards and the C-suite represent the communities they serve, lived experiences inform the discussion, and better outcomes are achieved as a result. That’s why promoting representation at the highest levels of leadership is critical for creating a domino effect of change among decision-makers activating to address health inequities.”

TLN aspires to be the voice of health equity — central to its mission to close the gap of health disparities for black communities across the U.S. Through its 20 by 30 Initiative, TLN seeks to ensure that healthcare executive leadership teams and boards have 30% diverse representation, 20% of whom are Black individuals, by 2030.

The Healthcare Executive Leadership (HcEL) program is a six-month curriculum designed to prepare senior black executives for the top C-suite roles within the healthcare ecosystem and overcome the “hiding in plain sight” phenomenon. The program gives participants tools and techniques to help them advance as quickly as their talent and expertise will take them. In this immersive program, Black pioneers in executive leadership join industry experts and thought leaders to prepare early tenured executives on how to gain visibility and become natural choices when top positions are being filled.

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